Page 10 of Forged By Fire

The chief, however, insisted that Leslie take the rest of her shift off to get some extra sleep. She appreciated his concern, but she really wasn’t looking forward to going home to her empty house, where she knew she’d be dreaming about the fire and shooting once she went to bed.

“I understand the need to keep yourself busy, but I’m going to have to insist. Danny’s still alive because you worked quickly to get him out of that warehouse. You deserve to get some rest.” Chief Menendez rested a hand on her shoulder. “Besides, I think Officer Baker has a few more questions for you.” He tilted his head toward Clint, who had stuck around all evening and was currently leaning against a chair nearby.

He stood and approached. “I’d be happy to give you aride back to the station so you can pick up your vehicle. I promise the questions won’t take long.”

“Sure. That would be great. Thank you.” Leslie focused on her boss. “Please keep me in the loop, sir. And if you need me back in, just call.”

“Will do. Go get some sleep.”

She would… eventually. “Yes, sir.”

Chief Menendez strode purposefully through the waiting area and out a set of double doors.

“What about you? Are you ready to get out of here?”

Leslie glanced at the nurses’ station. On one hand, part of her wanted to stay close by in case Becca needed something, or to hear if there was a change in Danny’s condition. The truth was, though, Becca had her contact information. The hospital promised to keep the chief updated. There was nothing else for Leslie to do. “I thought you had a few more questions.”

“I can ask them in the car on the way back to the station. I figured we can multitask.” His expression was open with an underlying concern.

Was he worried about her emotional or mental status? Or did she look as worn out as she felt? Even if she wasn’t ready to sleep, she could definitely use a shower to wash the day away. Before heading home, though, she might take a quick detour into the station and grab a piece of that chocolate cream pie before everyone else ate it all.

Minutes later, she was in the passenger seat of his squad car. “For the record, this is my first time in a police car.”

Clint chuckled and glanced at her as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot. “Good to know. So you didn’t leave behind a life of crime to become a firefighter?”

She laughed at that. “I considered the exciting life of a career criminal, but decided to go a differentroute. Fighting fires brings that exhilaration, camaraderie, and the chance to help others without risk of jail time.”

“Then I’d say you made a wise choice.”

“I’d like to think so.”

Clint drove the dark streets to the loop that would take them around to the south side of town. “I’m sure your family is proud of you.”

“I appreciate that. My mom passed away eight years ago from cancer. I’d just decided to pursue this as a career, and she was really excited for me. Dad was supportive, too. He passed away two years later. It’s just me and my older sister now. I know she’s proud of me in general, but she thinks I should’ve chosen something less dangerous with a more regular schedule.” She paused, uncertain how much to share. She’d known Clint for a couple of years, but they’d never just chatted about family or interests.

“I’m sorry to hear about your parents.” His voice was quiet. “I can only imagine how hard that must’ve been. I’m sorry your sister isn’t more supportive. Does she live in Destiny?”

Leslie wasn’t sure if it was the exhaustion of the day or because Clint had been there helping them ever since the warehouse, but her reluctance to share more than necessary melted away. “Thank you. Yes, Cindy lives here. She’s… well, she hasn’t had it easy. Her youngest daughter is sick all the time, and her husband is away on business six out of seven days of the week. Sometimes more than that. I know she’s overwhelmed, and it’s hard when I can’t always help because of my work schedule.”

There was a lot more to it than that. Cindy chose to be a stay-at-home mom when Izzy was born, but Leslie wasn’t so sure that it was what Cindy really wanted to do, even though she was an amazing mom and great with the girls.

“I’m sure that’s stressful and piles on guilt that you don’t necessarily need to carry.” Clint was silent as they pulled up to Station #2 and parked. He turned to look at her, his brown eyes filled with compassion. “I’ll be keeping both you and your sister in my prayers.”

She blinked in surprise as his words settled over her heart like a soothing balm. “That’s really kind. I appreciate that.” The station’s lights brightened the parking lot. “What about you? Do you have family in the area?”

“I do. My parents and a younger brother named Drew. We moved here right before I started high school. My parents figured we’d stay here for a year or two, but we ended up loving the community and never left. Most of our extended family is in Wyoming, so we travel that way on a semi-regular basis.”

“That sounds nice.” Leslie glanced at the clock, surprised that it was nearing nine. “You said you wanted to ask me some questions before we left the hospital. I have a hard time believing you meant talking about my family’s drama.”

He chuckled then and ran a hand over his neatly trimmed mustache and beard. “Maybe not, but it was a bonus.” For just a moment, he smiled at her and seemed to truly mean what he said before shifting into a more serious mood. “Was there anything going on in Danny’s life that he was worried about? Financial issues, problems in his marriage, or someone he had a conflict with? Chief Menendez suggested that, since you and he spend a lot of time training together, that you would be the person to ask.”

Leslie tried to school her surprise at that but had a feeling she’d failed. “He and Becca are great. The two of them have always been cute together. Danny’s so excitedabout the baby. They’ve been planning the nursery and collecting names to choose from once the baby’s born.”

She went back over the conversations she’d had with Danny in the last few weeks. She hadn’t thought about it before, but most of them were relatively superficial. “We mostly talk about work, movies or television, and the baby. I don’t think he’s ever uttered a word about finances, the rest of his family, or anyone he might’ve had issues with.”

Then again, she didn’t share a lot about her family issues with him, either. What did that say about their working relationship? Probably nothing, except it’s just the way it worked.

Clint studied her for a moment before giving a single nod. “Thank you. We’re trying to look at all angles of this.” He pulled his wallet out and handed her a business card. “If you think of anything else, or if you need something, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

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