know he was eavesdropping, he straightened and cleared his throat. “I could probably come in on Tuesday if you needed someone.”
The older man’s attention snapped to Jeff. At first his gaze was hard and cold, then it softened slightly. “I haven’t seen you around. You new?”
“Yeah. I just started last week,” Jeff said, nodding. The fact that he was still standing in a mound of white flour seemed to escape from his consciousness “But I’m not busy Tuesday. If you need somebody…”
“What’s your shift?” the man asked with worry around the edges of the question.
“Oh, no. It’s okay. You don’t have to switch or anything. It’s no big deal. I don’t mind covering for you.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I work Sunday anyway, so Tuesday won’t kill me.”
The man stood for a moment and then smiled and stuck his hand out. “Wade Fraser.”
“Jeff Taylor.” He brushed his hand off on his pants, which did no good, and shook first one man’s hand and then the other.
“Gabe Teague,” the goateed man said.
“So you’ll really do this?” Wade asked, rocking backward on the thought.
“Yeah. No problem.”
Wade smiled mischievously. “Pat may kiss you.”
The tips of Jeff’s ears went hot as he shrugged and bent back down to the mess. “Just glad I could help.”
When Lisa’s gaze chanced on the clock on her computer at 3:55 on Sunday morning, she almost laughed, and had she not been so tired, she would have. It had taken all of Saturday and most of the night to go through Kurt’s idea of a ready presentation piece-by-piece and get it acceptable for Monday’s meeting.
Why was it that she had hired him again? She couldn’t clearly remember anymore. In fact, as her mouse clicked across the screen, anything other than utter exhaustion was getting very little play in her brain. However, every thirty seconds or so her gaze would slip down to that little clock in the corner as her dreams slipped to him.
Her chin rested in her hand as thoughts of him drifted through her. He had said something about Sunday. Was he off on Sunday? Or was that when he went back? She shook her head to clear it of him. However, seconds later he was there again, crowding through her work like a bulldozer. It was because she was so tired, she told herself. Her willpower along with her energy was shot. The mouse slowed as it clicked across her screen.
3:59 glowed back from the ether. Where was he now? At the station? At home in bed asleep? On a call? In the fuzz of sleep invading her brain she hoped it was one of the former and not the later. She was going to have to find out more about his schedule, she thought as the haze finally took over, and she laid her head on the desk. She really was going to have to find out more about him.
Chapter 6
“House fire in progress 2545 Arthur Street.” The voice cracked over the speaker above the break room table Tuesday night as the alarms sprang to life, and instantly Jeff was on his feet. The whirlwind banked into high gear around him as people scrambled for the trucks. In the next blink six of them were crammed into one, pulling on gear and equipment as they wailed their way to Arthur Street.
The insides of Jeff’s stomach flitted in no definite pattern as he pulled on his air tank. This was it. The one he had worked for, trained for, wanted to do, and suddenly the moment was upon him.
Only the streetlights lit the night surrounding them as they sped to their destination where in rapid succession they jumped out. Flames illuminated the night sky, jumping out of the second story of the house and reaching for the roof of the house ten feet over.
“Teague and Jackson cut the utilities,” Captain Rainier, the B-shift crew chief said as the truck slid to a stop. “Jameson, you and Taylor get the vent holes cut.”
When his feet hit the street, Jeff grabbed the extension ladder and started for the house. In seconds Zack Jameson was there climbing up with
The older man’s attention snapped to Jeff. At first his gaze was hard and cold, then it softened slightly. “I haven’t seen you around. You new?”
“Yeah. I just started last week,” Jeff said, nodding. The fact that he was still standing in a mound of white flour seemed to escape from his consciousness “But I’m not busy Tuesday. If you need somebody…”
“What’s your shift?” the man asked with worry around the edges of the question.
“Oh, no. It’s okay. You don’t have to switch or anything. It’s no big deal. I don’t mind covering for you.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I work Sunday anyway, so Tuesday won’t kill me.”
The man stood for a moment and then smiled and stuck his hand out. “Wade Fraser.”
“Jeff Taylor.” He brushed his hand off on his pants, which did no good, and shook first one man’s hand and then the other.
“Gabe Teague,” the goateed man said.
“So you’ll really do this?” Wade asked, rocking backward on the thought.
“Yeah. No problem.”
Wade smiled mischievously. “Pat may kiss you.”
The tips of Jeff’s ears went hot as he shrugged and bent back down to the mess. “Just glad I could help.”
When Lisa’s gaze chanced on the clock on her computer at 3:55 on Sunday morning, she almost laughed, and had she not been so tired, she would have. It had taken all of Saturday and most of the night to go through Kurt’s idea of a ready presentation piece-by-piece and get it acceptable for Monday’s meeting.
Why was it that she had hired him again? She couldn’t clearly remember anymore. In fact, as her mouse clicked across the screen, anything other than utter exhaustion was getting very little play in her brain. However, every thirty seconds or so her gaze would slip down to that little clock in the corner as her dreams slipped to him.
Her chin rested in her hand as thoughts of him drifted through her. He had said something about Sunday. Was he off on Sunday? Or was that when he went back? She shook her head to clear it of him. However, seconds later he was there again, crowding through her work like a bulldozer. It was because she was so tired, she told herself. Her willpower along with her energy was shot. The mouse slowed as it clicked across her screen.
3:59 glowed back from the ether. Where was he now? At the station? At home in bed asleep? On a call? In the fuzz of sleep invading her brain she hoped it was one of the former and not the later. She was going to have to find out more about his schedule, she thought as the haze finally took over, and she laid her head on the desk. She really was going to have to find out more about him.
Chapter 6
“House fire in progress 2545 Arthur Street.” The voice cracked over the speaker above the break room table Tuesday night as the alarms sprang to life, and instantly Jeff was on his feet. The whirlwind banked into high gear around him as people scrambled for the trucks. In the next blink six of them were crammed into one, pulling on gear and equipment as they wailed their way to Arthur Street.
The insides of Jeff’s stomach flitted in no definite pattern as he pulled on his air tank. This was it. The one he had worked for, trained for, wanted to do, and suddenly the moment was upon him.
Only the streetlights lit the night surrounding them as they sped to their destination where in rapid succession they jumped out. Flames illuminated the night sky, jumping out of the second story of the house and reaching for the roof of the house ten feet over.
“Teague and Jackson cut the utilities,” Captain Rainier, the B-shift crew chief said as the truck slid to a stop. “Jameson, you and Taylor get the vent holes cut.”
When his feet hit the street, Jeff grabbed the extension ladder and started for the house. In seconds Zack Jameson was there climbing up with
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