Page 12 of Mouth to Mouth

* * *

Brad

Bent over the laptop in front of him, Brad tried to keep his eyes from crossing. There was so much paperwork. Always so much paperwork. Whether it was for the city or federal government, the required paperwork that Brad had to deal with was just ridiculous.

“Coffee?” Cal Greene asked as he entered the kitchen.

Brad waved his hand toward the carafe on the counter. “Just made a fresh pot.” He didn’t even look up from his computer. He was never going to get all these damn forms done.

“I saw that,” Cal replied. “I was asking if you wanted a refill.”

He finally tore his gaze off the gibberish in front of him to frown into his mug. When had he finished his coffee? Hadn’t he just poured it?

“You’ve been in here for over two hours,” Cal said. He brought the carafe over and refilled Brad’s mug then sat down in front of him. “What are you working on?”

“The damn certification paperwork,” Brad said. Leaning back in his chair, he stretched the muscles that he hadn’t even felt tense up.

“That doesn’t have to be done in one night,” Cal said.

Brad grunted. “I know. It’s not like I have anything else to do unless we get a call.”

“You should rest,” Cal advised. “It’s going to be a rough couple of days.”

Why did everyone keep telling him that? “Is it really that bad?”

Cal nodded. “Some years, yes.”

“It’s just one weekend,” Brad pointed out. Sure for most people Memorial weekend signaled the start of summer. The entire city was built off tourist season in the summer. Fall and spring was all about the university but the summer…yeah they were known for the surfing and beach.

“While that’s true, it is a big weekend. One of the biggest surf competitions that begins the season, plus with pretty much perfect weather, the beaches are packed. That doesn’t include the car accidents from all the traffic in and out of the city. There’re also the fires caused by illegal fireworks being brought in.”

Brad groaned. People really didn’t use common sense when it came to fireworks. He’d seen it so many times.

“That’s why we need you in the ambulance and water rescue,” Cal told him. “We’ll be stretched thin.”

Sipping his coffee, Brad glanced around them.

“The quiet before the storm. It’ll be all hands on deck starting tomorrow,” Cal said.

“I wondered why we were working with half the shift,” Brad commented. He knew both Josh and James were off for the night. What they might be doing, Brad refused to think about. The pain in his heart wasn’t new. It was getting easier to push down.

“As the newest hire, you drew the short straw,” Cal responded with a grin.

“And what about you? What did you do to catch this shift?” Brad questioned. Cal had been with the department longer than anyone, including the chief. If anyone had earned rest before the big weekend, it was Cal.

“I’m on nights,” Cal informed him. “I don’t work the whole weekend. I get the days off and only come in for the late shift.”

Brad raised a brow. That was a nice setup.

“Seniority does have its privilege,” Cal joked.

“Sounds like it,” Brad agreed.

Cal nodded toward the laptop still sitting in front of Brad. “So other than hating the paperwork, how’s everything else going?”

“Fine,” Brad answered automatically.

“Fine,” Cal repeated. “Are you sure about that?”