Page 5 of The Fire Between Us

"You know it," I confirm. "But double the bacon. Ollis is looking peaky."

Ollis rolls his eyes but doesn't object. Doreen winks at me and heads off to put in our order.

"Did that call really come in when you were 'heading home'?" Lewis asks, making air quotes. "Or were you doing your usual walk of shame from Cristina's place?"

"First of all, I don't do shame," I reply, leaning back in the booth. "Second, Cristina and I are just friends."

"Friends who occasionally have sleepovers," Lewis counters.

"The best kind," I grin. "But no, I was actually at Brock's. We were going over some training scenarios."

The bell above the diner door chimes, and without meaning to, I glance over. Jennie enters, Amelia on her hip, her expression determined. She speaks briefly with Lou at the counter, who guides her toward the back office.

"Who's that?" Lewis asks, following my gaze.

"New in town," I say, aiming for casual. "Met her at the motel this morning after the Wilson call."

"Single?" Lewis asks, because of course he does.

"Mom with a baby," I reply. "And before you start, I'm not interested."

"You? Not interested in a pretty woman? Did you hit your head at the fire this morning?" Lewis teases.

"I have a strict no-complications policy, remember? Single mom is practically the definition of complicated."

Ollis, who's been quiet through this exchange, suddenly says, "Not everyone sees family as a complication, Max."

The criticism stings coming from him. Ollis and I joined the department around the same time, and before the apartment fire incident, he was as carefree as me. Now he's all about "growing up" and "real connections" and other terrifying concepts.

"Different strokes," I say lightly, unwilling to get into it. "Besides, she's probably just passing through."

"Looked like she was applying for a job," Lewis observes.

"Maybe she is," I shrug. "Doesn't change anything."

Our food arrives, momentarily halting the conversation. I dive into my stack of pancakes, determined to redirect the topic away from my love life—or lack thereof.

"Anybody want to catch the Rangers game tonight?" I ask between bites.

"Can't. Working on my bike," Lewis says.

"I'm on shift," Ollis adds.

"Such dedication," I say. "That's why they call us heroes."

As we eat, I try not to notice when Jennie emerges from the back office with Lou, both of them smiling. Lou hands her what looks like employment paperwork, and she bounces Amelia slightly, clearly pleased. Good for her. Lou's a fair boss, and the tips at the diner are decent.

She doesn't look our way as she leaves, already focused on her next task. I wonder where the baby goes while mom's at work. Cedar Falls has exactly one daycare center, and it usually has a waiting list.

"Earth to Max," Lewis waves his hand in front of my face. "I asked if you're coming to the Halloween party at the station next week."

"Of course," I reply, refocusing. "I'm bringing the famous Davidson chili, remember? The recipe that made Chief cry last year."

"That wasn't from spice," Ollis deadpans. "It was from disappointment in humanity."

I clutch my chest in mock hurt. "You wound me, Ollis. My chili is legendary."

"Legendarily hazardous," Lewis laughs.

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