“Hey, Linds. What are you doing here?” Tucker asks as he closes the distance between the truck and where Lee and I have made it to in the parking lot.
“Just picking up some dinner. Didn’t have anything that sounded appealing at home, so take out it is for me tonight,” I ramble.
“Same for us. No one wanted to cook, so BBQ it is. How was your week at work?” he asks as Lee continues on to the truck, handing the bags of food over before he turns to head back inside for the rest of their order.
“It was good, kind of a quiet week.”
“That’s good. Hey, you up to having dinner together tonight? You can meet us over at the firehouse, and we can take ours out to the picnic table out back.”
“Um,” I stall, biting my bottom lip as I think over his invite.
“Come on, give me a little break from these guys,” he says, practically begging, and doing his best to give me the saddest puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen a grown man use.
“Okay.” I crack up, laughing at his antics. “But only if you promise to never do that again,” I say, circling my finger around whatever it is that his face has contorted into.
“Yes!” He pumps his fist into the air like he’s just won a prize. “And no more of that,” he assures me, a smirk back on his face.
“Why don’t I believe you one bit?” I ask, rolling my eyes at him.
“Scouts honor,” he says, holding up three fingers next to his shoulder.
“Let's go, Wild!” one of the guys calls out from the truck. When I look over, I realize that Lee is already back in the truck, and all the guys are staring our way. “Food’s getting cold,” the guy, who I don’t recognize, calls out.
“I’m coming!” he yells back at them. “Just follow us to the station; you can pull around back to the parking lot, and I’ll meet you back there in just a couple minutes,” he says before heading back to the truck. I get in my own car and follow them out of the parking lot and the few blocks to the station. I do as he instructed, finding a parking spot near where a few tables are set up outside, along with a grill and some outdoor games for the guys to play when they’re here, but waiting to be dispatched out.
“You were off today, right?” Tucker asks once we’ve both dug in to our food.
“Yep, had a lazy day, mostly. Allison and I went on a walk around the lake this afternoon, but other than that, I was just at home. I did get to talk to my cousin, Reese, for a little while this afternoon!”
“How’s she doing?”
“Good, really good. I miss her so damn much, but she’s going to try and come home for Thanksgiving in a few weeks.”
“Still crazy to think that she’s accomplished everything that she has,” he muses.
“I’m so damn proud of everything she’s accomplished.”
“And from what I can tell, she hasn’t allowed the fame and fortune to go to her head.”
“Oh, God, no. She’s still the best, down to earth person you’ll ever meet. Her husband, too. They’re perfect for one another.”
“Good for Reese; she deserves it,” he says as he finishes off his container of food. I don’t know how in the hell he packed away all of it, as the portions they serve are huge. I always end up with a couple meals out of just one order.
“What are your plans for the rest of the night?” he asks as I close up my box.
“More of what I did this morning, movies and sleep. I already cleaned my house, so I don’t have that to keep me busy, then early to bed, as I’m covering a shift tomorrow. What time are you off?” I ask just as the alarms go off. Tucker jumps up from the bench.
“Sorry, gotta go!” he calls out as he takes off running for the front of the firehouse. “I’ll talk to you later!” he calls out over his shoulder just before he heads into the bay where the trucks are parked. I clean up our trash and take my leftovers with me. I wait in my car for all the emergency vehicles to pull out before I leave the parking lot. They turned left while I turn right and head home.
7
Tucker
I roll out of my bed at the firehouse, my back popping as I stretch my tired body. Our call last night was a long call. A fire broke out on a farm, first in the fields, and then reaching one of the smaller equipment barns. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but with the gas and other chemicals that were in the barn, things got a little hairy when they caught fire and sent a ball of flames in the air. We worked with another firehouse for a few hours to get everything out.
The new shift of guys will be here in about thirty minutes, and I want to be ready to head out as soon as they’re here. My bed at home is calling my name, and then I need to pick up my girl.
“Mornin’,” my dad calls out as I make my way to the coffee pot.
“Morning,” I grunt more than say. I need coffee before I’m going to function today, apparently.
“You guys did good work last night,” my dad compliments as he stands sipping his own coffee.
“Yeah, it was a late night, but no one was hurt, so I’ll call it a win.”
“The report I got from Chief Bower said that everyone worked efficiently and that the landowner was thankful that we kept the fire from reaching their other barns or, worse, the house.”
“They were very concerned about that, but it would have taken a lot for the fire to eat up that much distance,” I tell him as I finish my first cup of coffee, filling my cup right back up for my second cup this morning. “Unfortunately, the one barn was a total loss, along with all the equipment inside of it. A few tractors and I’m sure a lot of tools.”
“All stuff that can be replaced,” Dad states. Being in this business as long as he has, he’s the first to remind everyone that stuff is replaceable, people and pets aren’t. So, if we can respond to a call and leave with everyone intact, we’ve accomplished the most important part of the job, according to him. “Are you bringing my granddaughter over for dinner tonight?” he asks, changing the subject to his favorite one, Paisley.
“Maybe, let me see what transpires today. I’m going to head home here in a little bit and crash for a few hours. I need to catch up on some sleep before I do anything.”
“Okay, well, just let Mom or I know so we can plan for dinner.”
“Will do; see ya later, Pops,” I tell him, smacking him on the shoulder. He heads down the hall toward the offices while I head to the locker room so I can grab my things from mine and head out. A few of the guys from the next shift have started to trickle in, so I visit with them until everyone is accounted for, and my shift is officially released for forty-eight hours, when we’re expected to report back for our next shift.
I wake up a few hours later, feeling like a well-rested man. I head first for the bathroom, where I step into the shower, turning the water up as hot as I can stand it and then letting it beat on my body. The tension melts from my tired muscles as the water works its magic. While I’m showering, an idea springs into my mind, so I set about to make it happen.
I’m out of the shower, dried off, and dressed, all within fifteen minutes. I run a comb through my wet hair, attempting to style it before I head out.