Page 83 of Inferno
Chapter 21
“How’s my grandbaby doing?” Dinah Kirkland asked her daughter late Tuesday afternoon. “Is he feeling better?”
“Yes,” Prissy answered, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she quickly scrawled her signature across the bottom of the form her secretary had brought to her. She handed the signed document back to Gayle, who pointed at her watch.
Prissy held up a hand and mouthed,Fivemore minutes.
Gayle nodded and strode briskly from the office.
“Prissy?” Dinah prompted. “Are you there?”
“Sorry, Mama.Today’s the bond election, so things have been really hectic around here, and I need to head back to the polling station soon.” She exhaled a deep, weary breath. “Yes, Maddox is feeling much better. He stayed home from school yesterday with Stan, who took him to the pediatrician. Apparently there’s been some sort of stomach virus going around. But Maddox’s fever is gone and he’s not experiencing any more nausea or diarrhea, so I think we’re out of the woods.”
“Oh, that’s good. You know how I worry about my babies.”
“I know, Mama.”
Prissy knew what was coming next, so she could only shake her head to herself when her mother sighed and lamented, “If you hadn’t moved all the way across the country, I could have helped you take care of Maddox while he was sick.”
“I know, Mama,” Prissy murmured.
“Doesn’t make any sense for you to be out there with no family,” Dinah fussed. “And it’s not right that your brother and I only get to see the boys a few times a year. It’s not fair tothem, either.”
Prissy sighed, striving for patience. “Mama, this really isn’t a good—”
“I know, I know. Believe it or not, I didn’t call to lecture you. I wanted to see how you’re doing, and I also wanted to tell you how happy I was to hear about Stan receiving the Firefighter of the Year award.How wonderful!”
“Yes,” Prissy murmured. “Itiswonderful. I’m very proud of him.”
“I can’t believe neither of you told me!I only found out when I called the house yesterday to check up on Maddox, and all he could talk about was the award his daddy had just won. Stan hadn’t mentioned awordwhen we were on the phone.”
“You know how modest he’s always been,” Prissy reminded her.
“I know.” There was a smile in Dinah’s voice. “Remember how proud we all were five years ago when he and his unit received the Medal of Valor for rescuing those families from that burning high-rise? I thought you and Mama Wolf wouldneverstop weeping at the ceremony.”
A quiet, reminiscent smile curved Prissy’s mouth. “I remember.”
“Of course you do. It was one of the proudest moments of your life.” Dinah’s voice softened. “Aren’t you glad you didn’t succeed in talking him out of becoming a firefighter?”
Prissy’s smile faded. “I never tried to do that.”
“Oh, but you wanted to,” her mother countered mildly. “I’ll never forget the day you showed up at Theo’s house and told us that Stan wanted to become a firefighter. You were practically in tears, even though he’d already told you in high school that he wanted to fight fires for a living. When he landed that good-paying construction job after graduation, you just assumed that he’d forgotten about joining the fire department. But you knew, deep down inside, that he was meant to be a firefighter. And that scared you to death.”
Prissy said nothing. She couldn’t deny the truth of her mother’s words.
Dinah continued, “You tried to convince me and Theo that you were only concerned because Stan wouldn’t make as much money as a firefighter as he would doing construction, and that was a problem because you both wanted a big family. But your brother and I knew what was really bothering you. You were terrified that something would happen to him.”
Prissy swallowed with difficulty. She remembered the fear that had gripped her every time Stan left home for work, leaving her to wonder whether she’d seen him for the last time. She remembered the many nights she’d spent tossing and turning in bed, or pacing up and down the floors until dawn. She remembered the panic attacks she’d suffered every time she’d turned on the television and heard about a fire raging somewhere nearby. And she remembered the overwhelming relief that had flooded her when he would finally walk through the front door—slightly battered and exhausted, but safe and sound.
Since Saturday night, she’d found herself reliving those dark days when she’d been tormented by fears of losing Stan. It had taken years for her to conquer her demons and make peace with his dangerous occupation.
Now, after all this time, it shook her to realize that she might lose him after all.
Not to a deadly inferno, but to a woman.
Prissy leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, haunted by the image of Stan holding that beautiful woman in his arms at the ball. To the casual observer, he may have appeared bored or detached as he and Dr. Gilliard danced together. But Prissy had detected what others had likely missed.
Stan had been angry.Seethingly angry.
