Page 30 of Big Daddy Firemen

“Sure,” Marsha kept talking, “we’ve had devastating wildfires. I’ve been around long enough to remember some droughts. You know how it is: add hot temperatures and high winds and you have a recipe for disaster! But this is winter.”

Walker took a sip of the coffee, let it slide down his throat, and tried not to wince. He’d had cheap whiskey that was smoother than that concoction.

“I agree,” he told her. “We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

She nodded in satisfaction, but it was evident she was still more than a little concerned.

The firefighter couldn’t blame her. What if the next fire was in her café? That was her livelihood and what she loved doing. Now, it, and everything else around them could potentially fall victim to whatever—or whoever—was behind these fires.

The folks started taking their seats and Joe approached the lectern. He was about to start the meeting when the door opened, and two more Daddies came in.

Spencer Chapman was a tall, muscular man with a thick, yet well-maintained black beard. He looked like a lumberjack and for good reason.

He was one.

The area forests were plentiful with timber and harvesting. It was a big business around those parts. He didn’t have a Littleyet, but he’d gravitated to Big Cedar a few months ago thanks to the Daddy’s heart he possessed.

The other man was Jason Bennett. He was a Daddy, too, but far from a burly lumberjack. He looked more polished, befitting his real estate business. He sold cabins in the area, and it was just as big a business in those parts as harvesting timber was. Tourists flocked to the region thanks to its natural beauty. He’d come from Dallas, eager to cash in on the opportunity, finding the area easier to navigate than the crowded Metroplex market that was teeming with other agents.

It helped that he was a Daddy. His wife and Little, Selena, had either stayed home or was with the others over at Joe’s General store.

Walker wondered how it was going over there. Those cuties could be a handful. He smiled as he considered it, hoping Daisy wasn’t at her wit’s end.

He smiled even wider when he thought about what he had planned for that cutie when he got her back to the firehouse. Her other Daddies had big plans, too. They’d talked about it on the walk over, after leaving her at Joe’s.

Their little girl was in for quite a night.

Right now, though, they had to discuss these fires and that’s exactly what everyone had in mind as Joe got the meeting started.

“Glad you all could make it,” the store owner and mayor announced as he swept his eyes across the room. “As you know, some crazy stuff has been going on around here and we want to put everyone’s mind at ease that we’re looking into things. Or, rather, I should say our firefighters are looking into things.” He pointed his gaze in the direction of Walker, Cane, and Austin who were standing in the back. “Do y’all want to update everyone?”

Walker nodded, indicating he’d do the talking, and strode to the front of the room where he took over for Joe at the lectern.

“Good morning. I know tensions are running high around here. Lots of folks are wondering what’s going on. This sleepy little town of ours has been mighty lively lately.”

The crowd nodded in agreement. A few voiced it, as well.

“We don’t really have much information. The investigations are just getting underway. But rest assured that we will keep this town safe. We don’t have any reason to believe these fires are related. There isn’t any indication that they were intentional. However, we aren’t ruling out accidents. With the amount of tourists we get through here, some folks can be mighty careless. If anyone set these fires, even by accident, and didn’t report it, we will get to the bottom of it and make them face justice.” He paused before adding, “But again, there hasn’t been anything to indicate these were intentional.”

It was Clyde who raised his hand. “Is there anything to indicate they were accidental, though?”

“No. As of now, we have no idea what started them,” Walker admitted.

“The biggest one, the forest fire just the other day,” Austin interjected.

“The one that almost got those two young ‘uns!” Clyde called out with a nod.

“That’s right,” Austin said. “Those kids live in one of the houses out there about a mile from that old cabin. They’d wandered off without telling their mom. Just exploring and such. Of course, when we brought ‘em home and she realized the adventure they’d gone on, well, let’s just say she was giving them the what for.”

Everyone laughed.

“But anyway, if you’ll remember,” Austin continued, “it rained that day. It was a big help in putting that damn fire out.”

“That’s right,” Cane said. “But what he’s getting at is that data shows there were lightning strikes in this area up to two hours before that storm rolled through. Nothing severe, but it’s possible one hit a tree and… well, you know the rest of the story.”

“Potentially,” Walker said. “We’re going to look at all options.”

Looking at the folks in the crowd, Walker saw that the theory seemed to assuage some of their fears. Marsha didn’t look so convinced, however.

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