yesterday and is questioning if she still belongs in our department.”
“What?” Scott sounds shocked. What an actor that one is.
“You heard me, Gallagher.”
“But—” Bobo starts, but Chief holds up his hand to still him.
Joe remains eerily silent and my gaze runs along the floor to see his polished boots and the bottom edge of the dark slacks of his uniform. Just knowing he’s so close is making my palms sweat and my heart skip.
“This is exactly why my dad says women have no business being firefighters. They’re too damn sensitive,” Scott says.
The bonehead’s dad was a career Battalion Chief and he’s always quoting him like he’s the Dali Lama of firefighting. My fingers curl into fists.
“You’re not helping your case here, Gallagher. It’s not about someone being over-sensitive. This is beyond the shit you give each other hanging out between calls. Saying offensive things about one of your team behind their back is not just against regulations, it’s damn wrong. Is she supposed to believe you have her back after you’ve talked smack about her?”
“Chief, it wasn’t that bad,” Bobo argues.
“Yes, it was,” Joe says, “and I regret that I didn’t defend her.”
My breath hitches, and I look up at him. His arms are folded over his chest and his jaw has sharp angles as he watches Chief.
Chief gives him a long stare. “I’m disappointed you didn’t, too.”
“We were joking,” Scott remarks.
“Do you think it was funny calling me a man-eating bitch who turned her husband gay?” I say with gritted teeth.
He fights back a smile and I want to knee him in the balls and say I was joking about that, too.
“How would either of you feel if you heard me talking serious shit about you and your wives behind your backs?”
The tips of Scott’s ears turn bright red. “I wouldn’t like it,” he admits.
“No, I’m sure you wouldn’t,” Chief replies
Bobo drops his head. Maybe he realizes that keeping his mouth shut is the best plan at this point.
“Are we going to be suspended or something?” Scott asks.
“I’m thinking about it,” Chief warns. “I want to keep McNeill on our squad, but that’s going to be her decision.”
“Why don’t you guys start by apologizing to her?” Joe suggests before he turns to me, and our gazes lock. “I, for one, am very sorry, Trisha. I wish I’d defended you. It wasn’t right.”
With a cautious, neutral expression I nod at him. His gaze never wavers as if he’s looking into my head to try to figure me out. He also has the look of someone who never thought he’d be in this position.
Bobo turns toward me. “I’m sorry, McNeill. I didn’t really mean what I said. You’re not the easiest person, but you’re not a bitch.”
“Okay. I don’t deny that.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to leave.”
He seems sincere and it gives me comfort.
Scott lets out a long breath. “I’m sorry too, and I won’t call you T. Rex anymore.”
“I don’t mind T. Rex, Gallagher, just not bitch.”
“Understood.”
“And do you really think I made my husband gay?”
His head drops down and his cheeks color as he shakes his head. “That was a stupid thing to say . . . a cheap shot. No, I know it doesn’t work like that.”
I feel relieved, which is ridiculous, but that was the comment which stung the most. “Okay,” I say.
“All right, you guys are dismissed. McNeill still can decide to take this to a higher level. She also has to decide if she wants to stay here with us, or ask for a transfer. I’ll follow up with you when decisions are made. Meanwhile, I don’t want any more of this kind of crap from you.”
“Got it, Chief,” Bobo responds.
“Okay, get back to work. And Joe, I want to talk to you in a minute.”
Joe’s expression is completely neutral as he nods, leaving the office and closing the door without looking at me.
Chief studies me. “Well, I’m sorry that happened, McNeill. I think we still have
“What?” Scott sounds shocked. What an actor that one is.
“You heard me, Gallagher.”
“But—” Bobo starts, but Chief holds up his hand to still him.
Joe remains eerily silent and my gaze runs along the floor to see his polished boots and the bottom edge of the dark slacks of his uniform. Just knowing he’s so close is making my palms sweat and my heart skip.
“This is exactly why my dad says women have no business being firefighters. They’re too damn sensitive,” Scott says.
The bonehead’s dad was a career Battalion Chief and he’s always quoting him like he’s the Dali Lama of firefighting. My fingers curl into fists.
“You’re not helping your case here, Gallagher. It’s not about someone being over-sensitive. This is beyond the shit you give each other hanging out between calls. Saying offensive things about one of your team behind their back is not just against regulations, it’s damn wrong. Is she supposed to believe you have her back after you’ve talked smack about her?”
“Chief, it wasn’t that bad,” Bobo argues.
“Yes, it was,” Joe says, “and I regret that I didn’t defend her.”
My breath hitches, and I look up at him. His arms are folded over his chest and his jaw has sharp angles as he watches Chief.
Chief gives him a long stare. “I’m disappointed you didn’t, too.”
“We were joking,” Scott remarks.
“Do you think it was funny calling me a man-eating bitch who turned her husband gay?” I say with gritted teeth.
He fights back a smile and I want to knee him in the balls and say I was joking about that, too.
“How would either of you feel if you heard me talking serious shit about you and your wives behind your backs?”
The tips of Scott’s ears turn bright red. “I wouldn’t like it,” he admits.
“No, I’m sure you wouldn’t,” Chief replies
Bobo drops his head. Maybe he realizes that keeping his mouth shut is the best plan at this point.
“Are we going to be suspended or something?” Scott asks.
“I’m thinking about it,” Chief warns. “I want to keep McNeill on our squad, but that’s going to be her decision.”
“Why don’t you guys start by apologizing to her?” Joe suggests before he turns to me, and our gazes lock. “I, for one, am very sorry, Trisha. I wish I’d defended you. It wasn’t right.”
With a cautious, neutral expression I nod at him. His gaze never wavers as if he’s looking into my head to try to figure me out. He also has the look of someone who never thought he’d be in this position.
Bobo turns toward me. “I’m sorry, McNeill. I didn’t really mean what I said. You’re not the easiest person, but you’re not a bitch.”
“Okay. I don’t deny that.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to leave.”
He seems sincere and it gives me comfort.
Scott lets out a long breath. “I’m sorry too, and I won’t call you T. Rex anymore.”
“I don’t mind T. Rex, Gallagher, just not bitch.”
“Understood.”
“And do you really think I made my husband gay?”
His head drops down and his cheeks color as he shakes his head. “That was a stupid thing to say . . . a cheap shot. No, I know it doesn’t work like that.”
I feel relieved, which is ridiculous, but that was the comment which stung the most. “Okay,” I say.
“All right, you guys are dismissed. McNeill still can decide to take this to a higher level. She also has to decide if she wants to stay here with us, or ask for a transfer. I’ll follow up with you when decisions are made. Meanwhile, I don’t want any more of this kind of crap from you.”
“Got it, Chief,” Bobo responds.
“Okay, get back to work. And Joe, I want to talk to you in a minute.”
Joe’s expression is completely neutral as he nods, leaving the office and closing the door without looking at me.
Chief studies me. “Well, I’m sorry that happened, McNeill. I think we still have
Similar Books
