Controlled Burn (19 page)

“I’ll sleep.” He rolled onto his side and threw his arm over her. “I want you to sleep
with
me. We can have a very early breakfast together before I leave.”

It seemed like a big step and that was ridiculous since her own bedroom was just one floor below them. Technically they lived under the same roof. But it was the right step,
she thought. It was foolish for her to get up and creep back to her bed when they both wanted her in Rick’s. “I should warn you that going to bed with wet hair doesn’t bode well for my morning look.”

“Honey, there is no look so bad I wouldn’t want to see your face in the morning.” He nuzzled his face against her neck. “I might laugh, but I won’t be scared off.”

She giggled and slapped
his arm. “Nice. We should at least turn the right way so our heads are on the pillows.”

“Mmm.” She could hear his breathing getting slower and deeper as he mumbled. “Five more minutes.”

Rick had had a feeling when he walked into the station the next morning it was going to be a doozy of a tour. Whenever the meteorologists started trotting out the record cold temperature graphs and talking
in excited voices about the possibility of breaking them, his job got harder.

Some freezing rain had made things interesting, and he knew they’d probably spend most of their time responding to motor vehicle accidents. The tire chains were on the trucks in preparation and there were extra blankets in the cabs in case they were needed by any victims caught without coats.

But then somebody
had started a fire in an old warehouse being rehabbed into retail space. Now they were in hell, and it was definitely freezing over.

They’d been first on the scene, but E-59 hadn’t even finished laying the lines before additional alarms were struck. They had L-37’s ladder in position, but with the relentless freezing drizzle falling out of the sky, it was treacherous and Rick couldn’t do
anything but pray none of them would slip and fall on it.

The only saving grace was the fact it was an empty building. It was massive and it was going to be a long night of battling the elements along with the flames. Hoses froze. Fittings. Footing was treacherous. Their exposed skin was at risk and if fighting a fire was anything, it was wet. Conditions in which water froze on contact with
any surface added a hazardous element there was almost no protection against.

But at least there were no people inside, and that was what Rick tried to focus on as his company worked on breaching the roof.

He lost track of how long they worked on knocking down the flames. There were so many companies involved he couldn’t keep track of them all, but that wasn’t his job, anyway. That was
the incident commander’s problem.

Word filtered through they’d transported one guy to the hospital for a possible broken clavicle thanks to slipping on the ice. Rick winced when he heard that because that was a shitty bone to break. Then, a while later, he found out three guys were being transported for smoke inhalation after being rescued from a far corner of the building.

Clearly it
was going to be one of those days.

Over time, he noticed the news cameras, and the number of cell phones being held up by the onlookers who could get close enough to catch a glimpse of the fire to impress their Facebook friends. And he wondered if Jess had seen any of it.

She’d be worried. Even to him, the scene looked like something out of a horror movie and he’d served through a lot
of winters with Boston Fire. He couldn’t imagine what it would look like to somebody who didn’t have a lot of knowledge of firefighting
or
freezing rain and subzero temperatures.

His foot slipped on an icy beam and he went down hard, landing on his knee. Letting loose every swear word he knew through gritted teeth, he slowly pushed himself back to his feet and tested his weight on the leg.
It was going to hurt like a son of a bitch tomorrow, but it would do for tonight.

That was what he got for letting his attention wander to Jess instead of focusing on the job. No matter how worried she might be, her life wasn’t in his hands. He owed it to these guys to stay focused.

“You okay?” Chris Eriksson appeared at his side, his eyebrows drawn together in a way that was almost
comical thanks to the tiny icicles clinging to them.

“Yeah, I’ll live. We’re going to pull out and take a break soon. I saw Porter slip a few minutes ago. He didn’t go down, but we’re all getting tired and somebody’s going to get hurt.”

“I could use a hot chocolate. I can see the volunteer truck from here and those foam cups are a thing of beauty, man. Every time I look at them, I want
to cry.”

Rick laughed and called in to command. It was time for some hot chocolate, dammit.

Chapter Eighteen

Jessica heard Joe give a long, low whistle and lowered her book to look up at the television screen. Her heart seemed to stop for a few seconds and she audibly sucked in a breath.

A roaring fire filled the screen and, as she watched, the camera angle pulled back and panned the mass of trucks and firefighters surrounding the scene. And while the flames and
smoke dominated the background of the shot, ice was everywhere in the foreground.

It glistened on the fire trucks and on the snow. The camera zoomed in on a group of firefighters gathered around an older guy who was obviously in charge, and Jessica actually gasped. Their coats were encased in ice, and icicles hung from the rims of their helmets. One of the men facing the camera had ice in
his mustache, and she felt a frisson of fear for a man she didn’t even know.

“They shouldn’t be out there like that. It’s too cold.”

“They’ve got a job to do,” Joe said.

“Once the fire is that big, why can’t they just let it burn?”

“And let it jump to the next building and keep spreading until it takes out an entire city block or more? That building’s being renovated, but the
others have people living in them, and businesses.”

Jessica wanted to argue with him, but she knew he was right. It was their job to put out the fire, regardless of the weather. But there were a lot of firefighters in the city doing that job. “Maybe Rick and the others aren’t at that fire. There are probably hundreds of fire trucks in Boston, right?”

Joe shook his head. “I know where
that building is and if they weren’t first on the scene, they were damn close to it.”

“They train for this,” Marie said in a soft voice. “When it’s colder than usual, like tonight, it’s a challenge, but they know what they’re doing. Especially Rick. He’s been doing it a long time.”

Jessica remembered what Ashley had told her about not watching the news or the Facebook and Twitter updates,
and now she was beginning to understand why. Jessica knew she could drive herself crazy, staring at the screen and hoping for a glimpse of Rick. She was already straining to hear the voices in the background, barely audible above the news correspondent’s.

Forcing herself to sit back against the couch cushion, she wondered who they would notify first if something happened to Rick. His parents
were the obvious choice, but it wouldn’t surprise her at all if Joe and Marie were first on his list of people to call.

Five minutes later, she watched Aidan Hunt accept a cup of coffee from a volunteer. His expression was grim and the camera cut away as he lifted the cup to his mouth. She wanted to yell at the television. If the camera stayed with Aidan, maybe she’d get a glimpse of the
others.

Then the station cut back to regular programming, promising to update on the fire as needed, and she wanted to drive to the scene herself just to make sure he was okay. Instead, she set her book on the table and went into the kitchen. Her mouth was dry, so she poured herself a glass of water and tried to think about anything else but what Rick was doing at that moment.

“I don’t
imagine it’s an easy thing, loving a firefighter.” Marie had followed her into the kitchen and, when her grandmother put her arm around her shoulders, Jessica leaned into the embrace.

“You’re probably right. I don’t know how Lydia and Ashley do it.”

“They’ve had a lot of practice, and their dad was a firefighter, too. And their brother, so they’ve both done their share of waiting for
news. But I meant you.”

“I can’t be in love with Rick.” Too late, she realized how weird that sounded. She should have said she wasn’t, not that she couldn’t be. She knew she was, of course, but she didn’t really want Marie to know it.

“Why can’t you?”

“We live on opposite ends of the country, for one thing.” It was weak, she knew. In the past two months, she’d spent more time in
Boston than in San Diego. Not that it was a sustainable, long-term solution, but she’d proven she could work remotely. “I have a career and a condo and that’s...it’s just where my life is.”

“I think it might already be too late to tell yourself you can’t fall in love with Rick. Even your grandfather noticed you two have feelings for each other and he’s not exactly a romantic soul.”

“I don’t know what my father would do without me.” But she couldn’t help wishing she’d called him back to clarify whether he’d been joking about a Boston office or not before she’d left California this time.

“He’s a grown man, Jessica. He’s leaned on you long enough.”

It wasn’t that simple, but she knew she wouldn’t get anywhere arguing the point with Marie. She was going to change the
subject, maybe suggest they have some ice cream, when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She squeezed Marie before stepping out of her embrace to pull the phone out, and then she felt a rush of relief when she saw Rick’s name on the screen.

“It’s Rick,” she told Marie as she opened the text message.

Only have a sec, but if you see the news, I’m ok.

It looks awful. Be careful.

Yeah. Going back in soon but don’t worry.

She couldn’t help worrying, but she could tell by his short messages that he didn’t have time to hold her hand by phone.
Be
safe.
See
you
soon.

After she’d reluctantly put the phone back in her pocket, Jessica looked up to see Marie watching her with a soft expression. “I think the fact he reached out to you during a break in a tough night says
a lot, don’t you?”

Maybe it did, but the thought of going through this on a regular basis was daunting. And so was the thought of abandoning her father and everything in San Diego to move here. She knew he wouldn’t leave Boston. His family was there, and Joe and Marie. And there was the extended family made up of his fellow firefighters and
their
families. He had an emotional investment in
his home that was stronger than hers to San Diego, with the exception of her father and a few coworkers and friends she was close to.

Picking up her water glass, she tried again to chase away the dryness in her mouth. The thought of such drastic changes to her life scared her, and it seemed ridiculous to consider it based on the fact he’d texted her tonight.

But the knowledge that when
most of the men were probably taking advantage of a short break to reach out to their loved ones at home, Rick had reached out to her thrilled Jessica in a way she couldn’t deny.

But he’d said he was going back in, so there was more waiting and more worrying for the time being.

* * *

They were pulling back, given permission by the incident commander to take their break so fresh
companies could move in, when the floor shifted under their feet. Suddenly they were scrambling and there was shouting and confusion. The smoke was thick, making it hard to see, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of the floor caving behind them.

He saw the reflective strips on Gavin’s coat and they were facing the wrong way, and that meant the kid was getting turned around. Putting
his hand on Gavin’s shoulder, he shoved him in the right direction and yelled at him to keep moving. Gavin wasn’t a rookie, but there were times a situation gone to shit outpaced a guy’s experience and this was one of them.

When they got outside, Rick swiveled his head. Boudreau. Porter. Eriksson. But it was the E-59 crew that caught his eye. Grant Cutter was on his knees, gasping for air,
but Aidan had his arms around Scotty, who was fighting like hell to go back in.

Danny Walsh.

He could hear the commands and updates flying. The other companies would focus their efforts on beating the fire back while locating Walsh and getting him the hell out. But Scott couldn’t go back in and Aidan was losing his grip on him.

“Scotty.” Rick stepped in front of him, putting his
hand on the man’s shoulder. “We need to get out of the way.”

“He didn’t come out, LT.”

“I know.” Some of the fight went out of Scott and Aidan steered him toward their engine. Rick walked with them, the rest of their crews following.

“You have to let me go back in. He’s my brother-in-law. He’s family.”

“They’ll get him out, Scotty, but we have to stay out of the way and let
them do it. You know that.”

“Ashley’s pregnant. Barely two months, so only the family knows.” Scotty sagged onto the ice-coated bumper of the truck, his eyes welling up with tears. “I’ve gotta bring him back to my sister.”

Shit.
The word echoed around Rick’s mind.
Shit shit shit.

“I can’t go home without Danny, Rick. Not after everything they’ve been through. Not ever.”

“That’s
not going to happen.” Fear knotted his stomach. Fear for the guy he’d worked with for years. Fear for Ashley, who’d just gotten her marriage back on track. And fear for all of them. Danny was family to some of them literally, but to all of them figuratively.

His first instinct was to barge into the building and protocols be damned, like Scotty wanted. That was Danny Walsh in there.

But that first instinct was exactly why he took a deep breath and forced himself to clear his mind. If push came to shove, the guys of L-37 and E-59 would do anything to get Danny out, without regard for their own safety or maybe even the safety of others. And that was exactly why they had to stand back and let the other companies work.

None of them stripped out of their ice-stiffened coats,
though. They grabbed fresh tanks and double-checked their gear. If they were needed, they’d be ready in seconds.

As they listened to the radio and to the organized chaos around them, the volunteers brought them coffee and hot chocolate from the canteen truck. Rick thanked them and made sure Scott actually drank his, then turned to scan the scene. They were in an area offset from the main
action, where the news cameras were aimed. And there were a lot of trucks forming a barrier. He was pretty sure if Ashley or Lydia were watching the news, they wouldn’t be able to tell in a sweeping glance that Danny wasn’t standing with them. Tommy Kincaid would be listening to that old scanner he kept at the bar, though, and he might know what was going on. Whether he’d tell his daughters or not
before the story had an ending, happy or otherwise, Rick couldn’t guess.

Somebody shouted and there was a lot of movement at the side of the building. They started moving in that direction, but stopped when the strident beeping warned them an ambulance was trying to back through the crowd.

“Can you see anything?” Scott rocked onto the toes of the heavy boots, trying to see what was going
on.

“It has to be Danny.”

The EMTs threw open the back doors and hauled out the stretcher, but they were met halfway by three firefighters supporting the weight of a fourth between them. They had him in a hammock carry and even if the lolling of Danny’s head didn’t give it away, it was obvious to Rick he wasn’t conscious.

All they could do was hope he was alive. The EMTs wasted
no time getting him on the stretcher and into the back of the ambulance, and the men who’d carried him out gave helpless looks to Scott as it pulled away.

“He was breathing,” one of them finally said.

“I should go to Ashley,” Scott said quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself. “She needs to get to the hospital.”

“Your dad probably already knows, but I’m going to call him
and he and Lydia will take care of Ashley. We have a job to finish, repacking this shit, and you’re already a man down. We can’t go to the hospital until we can get the trucks out and it’s going to be a while, so focus on what we’re doing. The doctors will take care of Danny and other guys will show up to wait with the family until we can get there. You know that.”

When Scott nodded and Rick
was sure he had his head on straight enough to stay put, he left him in the care of the others and moved away to call Tommy at the bar. As he suspected, Danny’s father-in-law knew what was going on and had been just about to leave to pick up Ashley at her house.

“Do me a favor,” Rick said, “and make sure the second you know something, you let Scotty know. He’s pretty messed up.”

Once
he’d gotten that call out of the way, he let his thumb hover over Jess’s number. He wanted to hear her voice in the worst way, but then he tucked the phone away. She was a distraction he couldn’t dwell on until this hellish night was over.

After knocking the ice off his coat and helmet, Rick grabbed a fresh coffee from a volunteer and went to check in with the incident commander.

* * *

Jessica woke to a weird sound, and it took her a second to realize it was the glass door sliding open. She was in Rick’s bed and she sat up when he closed the door behind him. By leaning out over the bed a little, she could see him, and it was probably a testament to his exhaustion that he didn’t even jump when he made eye contact with a person he wasn’t expecting to be there. Or maybe he
was expecting her to be there because where else would she be when he might need her?

“Hey,” she said softly as he stepped out of his boots and tossed his coat on a chair before walking toward her.

He pulled the T-shirt over his head and then paused to take off his jeans and socks. He’d obviously taken a shower at some point after the fire. “Hey.”

“You’re limping.”

“I whacked
my knee a good one, but it’s not a big deal.”

When he reached the bed, she moved over and threw back the covers so he could slide in. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. After dragging the covers up to his shoulder, she relaxed into his embrace.

“We almost lost Danny Walsh tonight,” he said against her hair. “Or last night, technically. Whenever the hell it was.”

“I heard about it on the news and texted Lydia. She said he’ll be okay. Right?”

“He’s got a pretty bad concussion, smoke inhalation, a broken arm and he busted his leg in two places, but he’ll be okay.”

“What happened?” She felt his muscles tense slightly. “Actually, never mind what happened. What matters is that he’s going to be okay. Is everybody else okay, too?”