Page 34 of Dandelions and Smoke

He turns to show Mark, who’s just walked in. Both of them were cooks before they became firefighters. It’s definitely one of the perks of having them here since we always cook and eat dinners together.

“We had to follow the same recipes all the time when we worked there. It became second nature,” Mark answers.

“Exactly, but we never really created anything special. This was Blake’s mom, Sara’s recipe. Pinky’s been helping me practice making it just right.” He covers it up and meets my eyes in time to see me glaring.

He laughs. “I gotta make sure you remember she’s got two brothers that will mess you up if you hurt her.”

I roll my eyes. “She went from being a complete mystery to being everyone’s favorite person,” I huff. “Why am I not even a little bit surprised?”

“She’s special,” Billy states firmly in that tone he gets whenever he says something that he’s serious about.

The guy may be one of the biggest jokesters, along with Blake and Mark, that this town has ever seen, but there’s more to him that only comes out in the rarest of moments. We hold each other’s gaze as I consider his words. He doesn’t have to tell me she’s special. I figured that out in the first five minutes of talking to her. But that’s not all it is.

Rory has a way about her that draws people close. She makes every single person feel seen in a way that is both validating and genuine. Knowing that leaves me feeling hollow, not because I’m upset or jealous, but because I hope she’s had someone there to do that for her.

“And she’s been through enough,” Billy adds, making me wonder what else I don’t know, but I understand it isn’t his place to tell me.

I remember the sadness that filled her eyes when I asked if she had anyone to help her when it all ‘gets to be too heavy,’ and the way she was focused on fixing everyone else’s problems but didn’t expect anyone to try and do the same for her. Even fixing her car yesterday threw her off, but it’s starting to make sense now.

What must it be like when the woman who has done everything for herself and everyone else around her finally has someone stepping up, asking her to trust that it doesn’t have to be like that anymore? It might make someone scared enough to get angry. The realization hits like the explosive blast of a backdraft hitting me square in the chest.

Rubbing at the heat that’s spreading there, I clear my throat, ready for a change of subject. “What are you two even doing here?”

Mark grins and wiggles his brows. “Captain said to make sure the Chief doesn’t back out of a deal.”

“So we’re following orders.” Billy winks.

“Now?” I speak slowly, every syllable loaded with disbelief. “Now is when you decide to start doing that?”

They pretend to be offended before laughter fills my office.

“Let me finish this up, then we can all go together,” I say as my phone rings.

Sergeant Hadley’s name lights up my screen. Tom is Levi’s best friend and Callie’s boyfriend. Callie and her family own the Cozy Pines Cafe and will be there today, so as I pick up, I’m assuming this has something to do with dinner.

“Hey, Tom. What’s—” It becomes clear immediately that this is no social call.

“I need everyone, fire department, ambulance…”

Seeing my reaction, Mark and Billy’s demeanors shift, and once I put the call on speaker, they switch immediately into action.

“Send them to Captain Levi King’s home, now!” Tom orders, struggling to keep his voice steady, letting me know he’s afraid.

Hearing Levi’s name, we all catch eyes, but no one stops moving. My heart pounds, adrenaline mixed with fear, as I prepare myself for what I might see when we get there. This is one call that I’m not staying behind on. Billy, Mark, and the rest of the crew on duty are on the rig and ready to go before I’ve hung up the phone. I jump into my command vehicle and follow behind.

“Tom,” I say, knowing I need to ask, but not sure I’m ready for the answer. “Is Tris inside?”

There’s a pause. “I don’t know.”

“We’re on our way.”

No matter how many fires a firefighter is called to, we all know that anything can happen. We have to be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. The second we arrive, we have to turn our emotions off and focus on the job. It’s like flipping a switch. One where the emotional blinders go up, and all the focus goes on being aware of the scene. Everyone on the crew slips into a set of steps and locks in on the task at hand. It’s harder when it’s one of your own, but this is when the endless drills and training matter most.

This is what we prepare for.

This is what we do.

Travelling fast, my foot presses down like a brick on the gas pedal. Angry black smoke already fills the sky, peeking over the trees along the mountain range where Levi shares a duplex with his girlfriend, Tris. My hands tighten around the steering wheel. This isn’t going to be good. The rig makes the turn up the gravel driveway, and I follow directly behind. Pulling in behind the rig, I see Levi’s truck and Ainsley’s car already here. There’s no time to stop, no time to look and see who is all here. This fire is burning fast.