Page 7 of Finding Home
Pulling up outside my parents’, I hear Mickey, my parents’ golden retriever, on the other side of the fence as he bounds up, waiting for me to step through the gate. I walk in the never locked front door and find Mom on the back porch with her latest knitting project. I kiss her cheek and ask, “How are you, Mom?”
“I’m good, dear. How was the first day of school?”
I sit beside her as I grin. “It was good. They’re all so eager and excited about starting the new year.”
“You were like that as a kid, too. So much more than your brother.”
“Probably why I ended up a teacher,” I say.
Mom smiles at me. “You sticking around for dinner tonight?” she asks.
“Yup. I’m just gonna go check on the horses, and then I’ll be in to help.”
“Okay.” She pats my leg and leaves me as she heads inside.
I stay in my spot on the back porch looking over the property and wonder why I’d ever want to leave this. Sitting out here is so peaceful, nature as far as the eye can see and only the sounds of the wind in the trees and the nearby animals.
I sit and enjoy the view and quiet for a few minutes before I finally venture out towards the barn where we keep the horses. Grayson hired people to do the majority of the work, cleaning stalls, making sure the horses get out and wander the pasture and aren’t stuck in their stalls all day, but I like to go down and groom them when I have the time. It’s something that’s always grounded me and been a way for me to escape my thoughts, and right now, I need to stop thinking about that night with Everett three weeks ago.
Ever since I saw him and Lila at the coffee shop the other morning, no matter how much I’ve tried to move my thoughts in another direction, they always end up back on him. He didn’t say much during the very little time we spent together, but something about it has burned itself into my memory. I need to find a way to move past these thoughts, though. I can’t get involved with the parent of one of my students, even if I’m itching to learn more about what lies under the surface that is Everett.
FIVE
EVERETT
After dropping Lila off at school, I make my way to the fire station, ready to begin my first shift as fire chief. I was a captain at my old station in Calgary, and when my grandmother first got sick and I told her I’d move here to be closer to her, she told me that the current fire chief was retiring and that she’d talk to the hiring committee to try to get me the job. With my experience at a larger station, they said I’d be a valuable asset and hired me within a week of opening the position.
I know I won’t see the same action here that I did in the city, but it’s for Lila and Gran, so I’ll push through.
Walking into the station, I see a group of men sitting around a table, heads together like a group of teenage girls. But when one of them spots me, they go quiet. Busybodies, just like Gran said. I find my office and see a letter addressed to me sitting on the desk. I quickly read it and log in to the computer to read through a few introductory emails before I leave my office and call a meeting.
The men make their way into the small room that looks like it’s set up to be a classroom and meeting room. I stand at the front with my feet shoulder-width apart and my arms crossed over my chest as they slowly find their way to a chair.
“My name’s Chief Lawson,” I say, quieting the group. “As you all probably know, I’ve been hired to replace Chief Richards now that he’s retired. I’ve just moved to town from Calgary where I was acaptain. I want this station to run like a well-oiled machine. Now that busy season has started to die down, I want everyone to be updating their certifications. Now is the time to look into courses you may want to take.”
The guys stare at me, but I notice a few side-eyes amongst them.
“This may be a smaller department, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be making sure we’re all properly trained and certified.”
That statement seems to sit well with some and not so well with others.
“Unless someone has anything to add, I’ll be in my office. You guys can run through your normal shift checklists.”
I stay there staring at them with my arms crossed, and when no one says anything, I nod and drop my arms before heading to my office. I slowly make my way through the personnel files of all the men that work in the station.
We work in such a dangerous field that I need to know I can trust my men and part of that is getting to know them. I make note of the training they have, where they may need to upgrade, and who might be able to level up. It’s seven o’clock when my cell phone rings. I smile, seeingGrandmaon the screen, and know it’s Lila calling before they start her bedtime routine.
“Hey, Peanut,” I answer.
“Hi, Daddy.”
Hearing my daughter’s voice always makes me lighter, no matter what I’ve experienced during the day.
“How was your first day?” I ask.
“Okay. My teacher is nice.”
Chloe. Just the mention of her has memories of our night trying to make their way back to me, but I put up my mentally perfected barrier and ignore them.
