Page 41 of Instant Heat
"I just realized you were never properly welcomed to the team. Figured we should rectify that." He cracked the last two of what looked like two dozen eggs, beat them vigorously before dropping them into the warm pan."George's parents have a nice piece of land not to far out of town, great spot for a big ole barbeque."
Something inside me shifted. That feeling of being home seeping into me bones."I'll check with Rae, but I don't think there'll be a problem."
Nathan grinned."Good."
Just then Brooks came ambling in. He jerked his head in greeting before grabbing a coffee and settling on one of the couches.
Nathan leaned forward. "What? Nomy-dick-is-bigger-than-yourstoday?"
Smiling into me coffee, I lifted me shoulder."I think Brooks and I have finally come to some sort of understanding."
At least that's what I hoped. We weren't best buds suddenly. We didn't have beers together or say more to each other than was needed. But he hadn't stranded me anywhere again.
So, yeah, progress.
A weird sound came from the back of Nathan's throat. I wasn't sure if he was snorting or choking. Arching a brow, I pinned him with a stare."What?"
His lips twitched as he continued to season the eggs with cracked black pepper."You took his job. You're dating his sister. And he hasn't killed you yet. I think calling it an understanding is a severe understatement."
At the mention of her, I realized Rae never did text me to tell me she made it to work. I set me coffee down and reached for me phone, intending to give her a quick call to make sure she was all right.
I barely had time to scroll to her number when the firehouse alarm sounded. There was an odd sense of foreboding tapping against me ribs. A feeling that something horrible was about to happen. I quickly shoved it aside as we rushed to the change house to get into our gear.
When we got onto the rig and dispatch announced it was a fire call that feeling came back tenfold. Nervous energy licked its way down me spine. Me heart turned over inside me chest.
The last time I'd been at the scene of a fire was the night Adam lost Angie. A night I'd much rather forget.
I looked at the men around me and although I only knew them for a short while, I had to believe they had me back. That we had each other's backs.
The radio crackled as the dispatcher rambled off the address where we were needed. In front of me Nathan and George blurted out, "Oh, shit."
Me gaze bounced from one worried face to the next. "Oh shite, what?"
Nathan's worried stare flicked to Thatcher, which had me looking at him too. There was no color in his cheeks and his fingers were curled around the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip.
"Nathan, what the hell is going on?" I demanded.
Slowly his attention turned to me again. "That address," he said carefully, "It's where Raelyn works."
Oh shite no.
Panic curled a tight fist around me heart.We are responding to a fire alarm at Rae's place of work.I squeezed me eyes shut.No, no, no. This can't be happening. I can't lose someone else like this. Not like this.
By the time we pulled up in front of the old age home, a crowd had already gathered.
Me heart was beating fast. Too fast. Each frantic slam against me ribs so painful, I could hardly breathe.
I knew I needed to shift focus. Rae needed me and I'd be of no use to her if I lost me shite before I even made it off the rig.
Pulling in a deep breath through me nose, I held it for three seconds before slowly releasing it.
"Those people need to stay out of the way," I said to George once me feet hit the ground. "Handle it."
"On it." He jumped into action and headed toward the crowd.
I pointed at Nathan and the guy standing next to him. "We need to assess and contain immediately." With quick nods, they headed out too.
Thatcher got out from behind the wheel and I rushed over to him. His eyes looked wild, but I knew it was because he was worried. I felt it too. I flattened me palms against his chest. "You need to focus, Brooks." Gaze trained on the burning building—the building I had yet to look at—he didn't even acknowledge me.
