Page 55 of From the Ashes

Sure enough, as we reach the common area, Captain Valentine is standing beside a man I haven’t seen before. He’s probably in his mid-thirties, well built, and standing with his feet waist-length apart and his hands clasped behind his back. I’d guess he’s South-East Asian from his facial features and the thick black hair that curls behind his ears. As we approach, he nods at us with a professional smile and confidence in his eyes.

My gut instinct is to like him, but there’s definitely something beneath the surface that I’m not sure about. Then again, I’m not one to talk about putting walls up and keeping those around me at arm’s length.

“Good morning, One-Thirteen,” the captain says clearly as we crowd in front of him and the new guy. “As you might be aware, Driver Engineer Haskell is taking some well-earned vacation time. To cover his shifts, we’ve been lent Firefighter Drayton Hendrix. He’ll be driving the truck in Gene’s absence as well as giving us hands-on assistance. I know you’ll make him feel welcome.”

“Hey, there,” Lieutenant Flores says as soon as the captain steps back. He shakes with Hendrix and gestures toward the dining table. “We usually start the day with breakfast together.”

“Unless we get a call,” Lili quips, causing several people to roll their eyes at how obvious that statement is.

Hendrix looks surprised. “Oh, at the One-Two-Two we ignore calls if we’re eating,” he says in an Australian accent. The groups pauses for a fraction and a couple of people narrow theireyes at him. “Oh, man,” he says with a laugh. “Don’t tell me you guys are that easy?”

I join in with the collective relief at realizing he’s just joking. For a second, I was worried we had a slacker on our hands.

“Oh, you’re gonna fit right in,” Lili says with a clap on his shoulder.

Shaking my head, I smile. “Are pancakes okay?”

“You were on breakfast duty last shift,” Yara points out with a frown. “I’ve got it.”

“Can we still get pancakes, though?” Sawyer asks hopefully.

Yara hums as she heads into the kitchen. “So long as you promise to havesomefruit with them, sure.”

“I’ll make eggs,” Teddy cries, always eager to please.

I might be barred from cooking this morning, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be hospitable. “Hendrix, was it? You want coffee?”

He nods and follows me to the machine. “Most people call me Dray,” he says, looking around our station before smiling at me again. It’s difficult coming into a place where everyone else not only knows each other but are a tight-knit group. I like his vibe and feel like he’s doing a good job not being overwhelmed.

“Zahir Delacroix,” I introduce myself and we shake. “Lead paramedic. Most people call me Del. So you’re usually with the One-Two-Two?”

They’re based in San Clemente, but on the outskirts, so they often pitch in to help us with bigger blazes or like when we had that disaster at Critter Canyon Park just before Christmas.

Dray shrugs as I pour us a mug each. “I’m usually where the wind blows me. Putting down roots isn’t really my style, so I’m like a substitute teacher, filling in when and where I can. But the One-Two-Two have had one of their guys out with a broken leg for a while, so I’ve been jumping in with them the most over thepast couple of months.” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “Now you lucky bastards get me for a couple of days.”

“I’m sure we are lucky. Cream?”

“Yeah, and two sugars. So…what’s the deal with everyone here? Are you a good person to get the skinny from?”

“The skinny?” I say in amusement as I pass him his mug.

“Yeah, you know? The goss? I find the best way to fit into a place is to understand the social politics as quickly as I can. Is anyone dating? Or have beef with each other?”

I laugh and shake my head. “You might find it a little stomach-churning how well we get on here. Of course there are disagreements from time to time, but as clichéd as it sounds, we’re like a family most of the time.”

“Depends what your experience of family is,” Dray says with a quirked eyebrow.

Ah. That’s fair. I think of all Colt’s been through with his parents. Sometimes I do forget that when I say family, I mean people who will always be there for you and never let you down.

For others, family is something you escape from and never look back. Considering his accent and how far he is away from where he grew up, I wonder if that’s more Dray’s definition of the word. We share a knowing, sympathetic look, and I think I get my answer.

“Well,” I say, “Captain Julian Valentine has been here for several years, but our longest running member is actually Gene Haskell, the guy you’re covering for. He’s happily married to a lovely lady. They have five children together and even more extended family who he’s spending Passover with.”

“Five kids?” Dray whistles. “You know, I did hear this house had a reputation for being rainbow central. Isn’t that the case?”

I chuckle as I look over the team. “You mean do we attract a lot of the LGBT community? Yes, that’s true, especially here on the first watch. We like to tease Gene that he’s our token straight.You see the redheaded golden retriever of a man over there?” Dray nods. “That’s Lochlan Bell. Some people like to call him Beast. He was convinced he was straight until he met his now-boyfriend before Thanksgiving last year. It was actually very sweet watching him work it out in real time, even if it did take him forever.”

Dray sips his coffee and considers Lochlan for a moment as he and Lili lay the table for us all to eat. “So it’s not just gay guys? You’re cool with people being bi?”

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