blandly, then smirked when the other guys looked shocked. “What? I was a great Mr. September.”
Titan laughed. “One of those a year is all we can manage.” Jericho was right, though, the calendar had paid for a lot of new equipment they’d needed desperately.
After that, the meeting went along at a fast clip. Titan was pleased. They accomplished what they needed to do. A couple of the guys stood up to leave when there was a tap on the door. Titan looked up to see Fire Marshal Kirkland Armstrong standing there with a serious expression on his face. “Could I have a minute?”
“Of course.” Titan motioned him in. “What did you find?”
Kirk shook hands with all the men and nodded to Makenna. He knew everyone. Before taking the job as Marshal, he’d been a volunteer firefighter himself. “I’m sorry to say that I didn’t find much. The origin of the fire, like you said, Titan, was in the bedroom. There was no evidence of arson that I could find. Unfortunately, this is one of those times when I can’t determine exactly how the fire started.”
Makenna noticed that Kirk seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her. She squirmed in her seat, feeling uncomfortable. More than likely many people felt her accusation stemmed from the trouble she and her husband were having rather than any guilt on his part. Feeling self-conscious, she passed her hand over the fading bruise on her face.
Titan was disappointed. “I understand. Sometimes it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of a fire.”
Kirkland stood up, finally directing his attention toward Makenna. “Ms. Wade, I hope everything works out for you.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say. He, like others, probably thought she was either lying or off her rocker. While Titan was walking the Fire Marshal to his car and the others were shooting the bull around the coffeepot, Makenna made her getaway.
When Titan returned, the meeting room was empty. Hearing voices, he walked to the equipment room where Ronan and Hotshot were checking out some air tanks and the others were climbing on the trucks, doing equipment checks. “Where’s Makenna?”
“I guess she left, Chief,” Blaze remarked.
Well, hell. He’d had every intention of talking to her.
A mile or two away, Makenna was headed back to Allie’s. She passed the home she’d shared with Damien. After hearing the Fire Marshal’s edict, she wondered if she’d been wrong. He hadn’t come straight out and admitted to the fire. But when she’d accused him of it, he hadn’t denied it either. At least he was still behind bars for the abuse. As far as the arson allegations were concerned, Kirkland Armstrong’s news had made her look foolish in the men’s eyes. She felt embarrassed that Titan had gone out on a limb for her. It made her look vindictive. If people believed she was lying, it would reflect badly on Titan and the VFD.
Tonight hadn’t gone exactly as planned. Now she felt like the wind had gone out of her sails. Perhaps Titan wasn’t for her. After all, he was a mega-hot cowboy with shoulders as wide as a John Deere tractor and she was nothing special. What she needed was an instructional booklet on ‘How to Come On to a Man’. Despite her sadness, the thought made her smile. Maybe Hotshot’s party was the perfect way to get her mind off of her trouble.
* * *
“Hand me that wrench.” Titan held out his hand.
Hotshot placed it in his chief’s open palm. “I hate to bail on you, but I gotta go. Which reminds me, you’re invited to a party tonight on the lake if you’re not busy. Nothing fancy, hotdogs, beer and as many girls as I could find to invite.”
“Thanks,” Titan murmured. “But I need to go check on someone.” He was concerned about Makenna. She’d looked upset after hearing Kirk say there was no evidence of arson.
“Well, okay.”
Hotshot sounded disappointed. Titan was about to explain further when his phone buzzed. Sitting back on his
Titan laughed. “One of those a year is all we can manage.” Jericho was right, though, the calendar had paid for a lot of new equipment they’d needed desperately.
After that, the meeting went along at a fast clip. Titan was pleased. They accomplished what they needed to do. A couple of the guys stood up to leave when there was a tap on the door. Titan looked up to see Fire Marshal Kirkland Armstrong standing there with a serious expression on his face. “Could I have a minute?”
“Of course.” Titan motioned him in. “What did you find?”
Kirk shook hands with all the men and nodded to Makenna. He knew everyone. Before taking the job as Marshal, he’d been a volunteer firefighter himself. “I’m sorry to say that I didn’t find much. The origin of the fire, like you said, Titan, was in the bedroom. There was no evidence of arson that I could find. Unfortunately, this is one of those times when I can’t determine exactly how the fire started.”
Makenna noticed that Kirk seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her. She squirmed in her seat, feeling uncomfortable. More than likely many people felt her accusation stemmed from the trouble she and her husband were having rather than any guilt on his part. Feeling self-conscious, she passed her hand over the fading bruise on her face.
Titan was disappointed. “I understand. Sometimes it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of a fire.”
Kirkland stood up, finally directing his attention toward Makenna. “Ms. Wade, I hope everything works out for you.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say. He, like others, probably thought she was either lying or off her rocker. While Titan was walking the Fire Marshal to his car and the others were shooting the bull around the coffeepot, Makenna made her getaway.
When Titan returned, the meeting room was empty. Hearing voices, he walked to the equipment room where Ronan and Hotshot were checking out some air tanks and the others were climbing on the trucks, doing equipment checks. “Where’s Makenna?”
“I guess she left, Chief,” Blaze remarked.
Well, hell. He’d had every intention of talking to her.
A mile or two away, Makenna was headed back to Allie’s. She passed the home she’d shared with Damien. After hearing the Fire Marshal’s edict, she wondered if she’d been wrong. He hadn’t come straight out and admitted to the fire. But when she’d accused him of it, he hadn’t denied it either. At least he was still behind bars for the abuse. As far as the arson allegations were concerned, Kirkland Armstrong’s news had made her look foolish in the men’s eyes. She felt embarrassed that Titan had gone out on a limb for her. It made her look vindictive. If people believed she was lying, it would reflect badly on Titan and the VFD.
Tonight hadn’t gone exactly as planned. Now she felt like the wind had gone out of her sails. Perhaps Titan wasn’t for her. After all, he was a mega-hot cowboy with shoulders as wide as a John Deere tractor and she was nothing special. What she needed was an instructional booklet on ‘How to Come On to a Man’. Despite her sadness, the thought made her smile. Maybe Hotshot’s party was the perfect way to get her mind off of her trouble.
* * *
“Hand me that wrench.” Titan held out his hand.
Hotshot placed it in his chief’s open palm. “I hate to bail on you, but I gotta go. Which reminds me, you’re invited to a party tonight on the lake if you’re not busy. Nothing fancy, hotdogs, beer and as many girls as I could find to invite.”
“Thanks,” Titan murmured. “But I need to go check on someone.” He was concerned about Makenna. She’d looked upset after hearing Kirk say there was no evidence of arson.
“Well, okay.”
Hotshot sounded disappointed. Titan was about to explain further when his phone buzzed. Sitting back on his
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