“Your favorite,” she says, a smile in her voice.
“Yay! Dino nuggies and mac and cheese?”
“That’s right,” she answers.
“You forget dino nuggies are my favorite too,” I say.
“Uncle Miles, I will definitely eat all of that dinner,” he says to me.
“Why was that a question?” Audrey asks curiously.
“Because we have a surprise for you. See you soon. Love you!”
“Love you!” Noah calls quickly.
I end the call and laugh as I pull into the diner parking lot.
“We have to be quick, Noey. We have dino nuggies at home.”
“Yummy!” he shouts, jumping out of the car.
We’re heading home ten minutes later with a tray full of milkshakes.
“Do you think you want to be a firefighter when you grow up, Noah?” I ask, glancing at him in the rear-view mirror. He’s never outright said “I’m going to be a firefighter when I grow up,” but the obsession is real.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Mom doesn’t want me to.”
“Yeah, but doyouwant to?”
“It would be super cool to drive the fire truck all the time.”
“What if you just fixed them?”
“Like the car guys?” he asks.
“Yeah, only you’re specially trained to fix the fire trucks instead. That would be cool. You’d get to fix them and drive them.”
“That sounds so cool, Uncle Miles. Do you think Mom would like that?”
I smile to myself. “Yeah, I think she would like that.”
“Then that’s what I wanna be when I grow up!”
Chapter 18
JJ
Smoke is pouring from the second-floor windows when we pull up, the orange burn of the fire lighting the sky. Neighbors crowd the street in awe and horror, standing together in small groups.
“Rescue 3 on scene,” I call into the radio, scanning the area quickly. Two-story frame. Heavy smoke. Engine’s stretching a line. Truck’s throwing ladders. A young woman in pajamas is screaming in the front yard.
“My son is still in there!” She’s hysterical, as she should be. This fire is bad.
I don’t hesitate.
“Marco, you’re with me. Denver, grab irons and the TIC,” I order, pulling my mask down and snapping it tight. “Engine’s got fire attack. We’re primary search, second floor.”
The front door is forced open by Leo, just as we reach it. Heat rolls out, thick and aggressive.
