Page 85 of All Too Well
Lopez nods slowly. “It would’ve been bad if not. The owner said it went up fast, and he didn’t have time to think.”
“Yeah, it was a grease fire and he put water on it,” Davidson says with a huff. “We do training on this with all the restaurants here to avoid this.”
I place my hand on his shoulder. “We do, but we’re trained to stay calm in crisis. Not everyone else can take that second to pause prior.”
“Hey, boys,” Hazel calls, coming out with a tray in her hand.
“Hazel, my favorite woman!” Lopez says when she gets close.
She smiles. “You say that to every woman who has coffee, Edgar. I know you say the same to Margaret from the diner too.”
He clutches his chest. “You’re my favorite—always.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Hazel extends the tray. “Here you go. Coffee for everyone.”
We all take a cup, thanking her as we do. Her coffee is hands down the best I’ve ever had. “I’m assuming we woke you up?”
“Well, being that Main Street is pretty small, yes. But I heard the smoke alarms as well. It ended up being nothing?”
“I wouldn’t say that. The restaurant sustained damage, but nothing that can’t be fixed.”
She nods. “Well, that’s good. I’m sure the community will help. We always do. You guys be good. I’m sure I’ll see some of you in a few hours.”
Hazel heads back to her house, and it’s already ten. We need to get off the street to let people get back to bed.
“All right, guys, let’s get back to the station so you can write your reports.” And I need to return to where a very gorgeous woman is waiting for me.
“Sure thing, Chief.”
I get in my truck and see I have a text from Ainsley and two missed calls from Caspian. He’s usually just getting to work around this time and doesn’t often call.
Normally I would call him back, but now ... I’m not sure what the fuck to say to him. It’s not that I think I did anything wrong, but still—she’s his sister.
It’s not like I haven’t spent years coming up with every possible way I’d handle this, but now that it’s in my face, it feels different.
Now it’s reality.
I check the text first.
Ainsley
Call me before you come home.
As I’m staring at the phone, getting ready to call her, it rings, but it’s Caspian.
Shit. I’m just going to be normal, because it seems he’s not going to stop calling, so I might as well get this out of the way.
“Hey, Cas.”
“Hey, dickhead. You know, I had to tell you something,” he says, his words slurring at the end.
Great, he’s drunk.
“Did you?”
“Yeah, but I think you’re sleeping.”
I’ve never been happier that he’s totally shitfaced and I don’t actually have to have this conversation about Ainsley.
