Whistling, Nathan hefted the packs of geraniums out of his car and trekked around back. His father, Adam, knelt at the end of the lawn over a flower bed. Nathan headed toward him. “I’m here, Dad.”
His father turned. One of the things Nathan treasured about this man was the way his face lit up when he saw his children. “Hello, son.” He gestured to the flowers. “Thanks for picking those up. They were your mother’s favorite.”
“I know.” Thoughts of Emma Mitchell no longer made Nathan sad all the time. When she’d died two years ago, Nathan had moved back from Bingham to be near his dad and sister. Nathan was finally able to savor the precious memories he had of her. “Where do you want them?”
“Rounding that corner.”
He surveyed the garden and chuckled. “You’re gonna have to stop planting here, pops. It’s starting to look like a jungle.”
His dad leaned back on his legs. “Remember how she let you and Marcy play while she planted?”
Dropping to the ground, too, he squeezed his father’s shoulder. “Yeah. She never yelled at us. She let us put anything in and watch them grow. Even when Marcy broke the stems, Mom just gave her another plant.”
“You never destroyed anything.”
“I didn’t want to disappoint her.”
“As if.”
Because of their unconditional support of him, Nathan knew he’d been truly loved.
They worked in companionable silence. Finally, Adam leaned back again. “We’re done.”
“Thank God.”
Dad laughed at him. “Come on, let’s get lemonade.”
Nathan checked his watch. “It’s only ten. I’d like coffee.”
“Coffee it is.”
They both crossed to the patio. The spring weather settled around them and the sun was beginning to get hot. He yanked his Yankee sweatshirt over his head.
His dad went inside and while the scent of various blooms filled the air, Nathan studied the lawn where he spent hours as a kid. The wooden play-area was still there, waiting for the second round of grandchildren, he guessed. The picnic table stood where it always had, the place they sat for dinner, usually with neighbors in attendance, and other kids for him to interact with. In some ways, his childhood was idyllic.
His dad set the drinks on the deck table. “Penny for your thoughts.”
“I was ruminating about my idyllic childhood.”
“What a nice way to think about it.” He scowled. “So did Marcy, but her life is anything but a fairy tale.”
“You mean Carl?”
His father frowned.
“We never talk about that, Dad.”
“He can be a real asshole sometimes, especially when he drinks. I’d worry about her safety if she wasn’t so feisty.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Nathan also worried about her and Carl.
Silence. Then, “What about you, kid? Still no women on the scene?”
Sipping his coffee, he feigned a frown. “I date, Dad.”
“You mean that administrator, Lily something.”
“Uh, huh.”
“Off again, on again. Off again, on again. When you both get lonely.”
“She’s not the one for me, and I doubt I’m the one for her. I guess we do see each other when we get lonely.” He looked at his father and raised his brows a couple of times. “Or horny.”
Adam Mitchell laughed. “Nothing wrong with that.” He nodded to the yard. “But I would sure like to fill that sandbox again.”
“Jacob and Harry played in it.” Nathan’s tone was nostalgic.
“They’re grown. We do other things together now.”
“Want to make some sandcastles with me?” he teased.
“Yeah,” he retorted. “With you and your kid.”
“Someday, Dad. Someday.”
* * *
Mac was sweating like a pig. She’d been out here all morning, first picking up the sticks from last night’s windstorm, then raking the leaves. She’d finished mowing the lawn when Rick came out to the deck. “We don’t have any beer. Go to the store and get some.”
“I’m working on the yard. You could help.”
“Why? It’s your house. Your yard.”
He could be so selfish sometimes. Her inner voice told her she’d known that before he moved in, but he still infuriated her when he said things like that. “It’s your day off. You could get the deck furniture out of the basement.”
“Or you could go get me beer.”
“I have to work at five. I’m not grocery shopping today.”
“Bitch,” he murmured.
He went back inside and she blanked her mind of him and his belligerence. She enjoyed the morning with its fresh air and spring scents while she finished mowing, got the furniture out of the basement through the walkout door, then checked her watch. Two. She had to eat something, then maybe she could clean out the garage. She took the back steps up and into the house through the French doors she put in. She was halfway to the fridge when she was yanked back by her collar and thrust on the kitchen floor. She hit her shoulder on the edge of the stove and howled. “That’s for not getting me beer.”
Suddenly, Mac was vaulted back into the past. Her father yelling…
“That’s for not making sure we have my beer.”
“Dad, I’m only fourteen. I can’t buy you beer.”
“Excuses. Excuses. You’re just like your mother was. Useless. I wish you’d get pregnant and some guy would take you off my hands.”
But the worst part was when Carl walked in. He stood over her. “What’d she do now…”
The memory catapulted her to her feet. She took her phone out of her pocket, punched in three numbers, put it on speaker. “911. What’s your emergency, ma’am?”
He grabbed the cell from her and cut off the call. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Reporting you.”
“The police’ll come. I don’t wanna be embarrassed in front of them.” The smirk on his face, his glittering eyes made him completely unattractive. “They won’t do anything, of course, because they’re my peeps.”
“You should have thought about being embarrassed before you played caveman.”
His body sagged and his face fell. “Yeah, I guess. Look, I’m sorry. You make me so mad sometimes.”
Don’t make me mad, girly. I’ll whip you into an inch of your life.
But then Rick did something her father never did. He crossed to her and took her into his arms, held her close. “I love you. I’ll be better. I promise.”
She was so unused to tenderness, she sighed. And, surrounded by memories of the past, she let him make promises, again.
* * *
Nathan had spent the day with his dad, doing more chores, cooking hamburgers on the grill for lunch, watching a ballgame. At dinner time, he offered to get subs, and his dad accompanied him to Subs and Stuff. The place was about the size of his living room, but it had the best sandwiches in town. “Go ahead Dad,” he said at the counter.
“I’ll have a large meatball with mozzarella and a side of extra sauce.”
“I’ll have the same,” Nathan put in.
“Be up in ten.”
They went outside to wait on the bench. Downtown Crystal City sprawled in front of them. “I like seeing the town at night,” his father said. “Reminds me of strolling along with you and your sister after supper to get ice cream.”
“Yeah. I like it too.”
“Did you…”
Suddenly, a firetruck came down the street. Nathan didn’t see any smoke anywhere so he wondered…it stopped in front of the store.”
And a firefighter got out of the back. Before she closed the door, he heard, “Don’t forget the chips, Mackenzie.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She was peering down at a paper in her hand. When she glanced up and saw him, she gave him a half-smile. “Hi, Nathan.”
“Trish.” He motioned to the side. “You remember my dad, Marcy’s dad.”
“Of course. Hello.”
“When I see you at the house, sometimes I forget you’re one of America’s Bravest. We all appreciate your service.”
Her brows rose. “Sweet of you to say that.” She raised her hand toward the shop. “You waiting for food?”
“Uh-uh.”
The window of the truck rolled down. “Mac, we don’t have all night. We could get a call any time.”
“I’m going,” she called out. To him, she explained, “Sometimes we get food out. Everybody has to come along in case we do get a call.”
“We won’t keep you.”
“Why don’t you go in with her and check on our meal,” his dad said. “It’s got to be up by now.”
Nathan said, “Sure.”
Once inside, Trish order Italian subs, turkey subs and a couple of veggie ones. She turned to him. “We have diverse tastes.”
“As an average person, I don’t picture vegetarian firefighters.”
“Yeah, and it’s not us girls either. The two guys who like them are our strongest and most fit. Biggest, too.”
“And stereotypes fly right out the window.”
She gave a short laugh.
“Nathan?” a clerk said, coming out.
He turned.
“Your food’s ready.”
For some reason he regretted that. He took the package from the owner, thanked him, and said, “It was great to see you again, Trish.”
“Yeah?”
“Of course.” He winked at her. “And I thank you for your service, too.”
She chuckled and he joined his father. As they walked to the car, his dad said, “She’s so quiet at Marcy’s. Hard to believe a firefighter is that shy.”
“I don’t think that’s why she’s quiet. I think Carl, and her so called boyfriend intimidate her.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Yeah, it is.”
* * *
Two days later, Mac slid into her car and her phone rang. The ID read Battalion Chief Corelli. “Hello, Chief.”
“Mac. I hope you’re not busy.”
“I’m leaving my house to run errands. It’s our day off. Do you need a sub?”
“No. The mayor’s sister wants to see you.”
“Who?”
“The woman you carried out of the fire last week.” A pause. “Didn’t anybody tell you who she was?”
“Nope, I don’t think so.”
“She got out of the hospital yesterday and is staying with the mayor. She wants to see the woman who saved her.”
“No one person saved her. If she wants to see all of us that’d be better.”
“Mac, she asked you for lunch today at noon. You can’t turn the offer down. Now go.”
“All right.” But she honestly didn’t want all the credit.
“Good girl.” He knew she hated the sexist term. Before he clicked off, he added, “Mac, how come you never want any accolades?”
“I—” She didn’t know. “I’m not sure.”
“Be gracious and take this one.”
“Copy that.”
She did some errands first and then headed over to a fancy neighborhood in west Crystal City, past where Brooke lived. Mac liked driving around the different streets in the county. Way out here, houses started at 300K, with long rolling lawns and an abundance of trees. They’d even put a park in with benches and picnic tables and kiddie areas to play. Because she’d grown up on the poor side of town, she always felt out of place in areas like this.
The mayor’s residence was on four acres of land. A long winding driveway dotted with trees beginning to bud, and already green grass, led to a huge, two-story, brick colonial that sat looking over the lawn. She stopped at the wrought iron gate. Spotting the intercom, she pressed the buzzer. “Mayor’s residence. Who’s calling?”
“I’m Firefighter Mackenzie, here at the mayor’s sister’s request.”
“Yes, ma’am. Take the road on the left.”
Another buzzer sounded, Mac drove through the gate, took another long driveway down to the residence. The only parking was off to the side, in front of an entrance. She got out.
The door opened to a beautiful, older woman. Her hair was steel gray, styled sleekly. She’d dressed in a purple knit outfit that accented the blue of her eyes. “Well, hello there, young woman.”
“Um…” Shit, she realized she hadn’t gotten the woman’s name.
“I’m Eleanor Parker.” An amused smile. “Come right in.”
The door opened to the kitchen. When she stepped inside, she scanned the room. One bricked wall that sported a fireplace faced them, state of the art appliances glittered silver, off-setting wood cabinets. “Let’s sit in the anteroom,” Ms. Parker said. “It’s small but I thought we’d be more comfortable in there.” She led her from the kitchen to another dining area that was about half the size of Mac’s downstairs. They took places at a table by the window.
“Ice tea, dear?” A pitcher had been set on the surface, which was covered with a beige cloth.
“Sure.”
After Eleanor poured, she sipped her drink, then said, “First off, I’d like you to call me Eleanor. What’s your first name?”
“Ma—Trish.”
“May I call you that?”
“Of course.”
“My primary purpose in asking you over, Trish, is to thank you for rescuing me.”
“Eleanor,” Mac said firmly, “one person isn’t responsible for a save.”
“A save?” Her gray brows rose. “Is that what you call it?”
“Yeah. The whole team rescued you.”
“I was told you dragged me out of bed, carried me through a room that was opaque with smoke and handed me off to someone.”
“Al Banks led the way for me. JJ, my friend, got you down in the aerial.”
“I’ll thank them, too.” The woman’s eyes were bright and warm. “Now tell me about yourself.”
Her face, and her mind, blanked.
Eleanor waited. Like people did when they weren’t giving up. So Mac had to say something.
“I lived all my life in Crystal City. I grew up with a brother and a father. Carl’s a cop. My father was, but he died a few years ago.”
“What about your mother?”
“She died when I was young.”
“Go on.”
“I didn’t want to go into the CCPD so I went to college for a year. It didn’t suit me so I left and got into the fire academy.”
Eleanor glanced out the window. “Hmm. I went to college for a year too. I also left.”
“What did you do?”
“Met a guy, got married. Had three children who all live on the west coast. Eventually, I found my calling. I opened a soup kitchen in the city. It’s spiraled into three different locations and we feed a lot of hungry people.”
“That’s wonderful. Crystal City should do more to help the poor and hungry.”
A maid came in, making Mac uncomfortable. “Lunch is ready ma’am.”
“You can bring it in here, Mia, then we won’t need you again until we’re finished.”
Mia nodded.
Lunch interrupted Mac’s story and she waited until Ms. Parker picked up her sandwich. “I chose these because there isn’t a person alive who doesn’t like BLTs.”
“I love ‘em.” She bit into luscious bread, juicy tomatoes, crisp bacon done the way Mac liked it. “Oh, man,” she said after she chewed, “This is wonderful.”
“It is. Try the macaroni salad. I made it myself.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I do all my own cooking at home.”
An opening. “How long will you be staying here?”
“The house that caught fire was a rental. I’m having a patio home built. Actually, it’s completed except for the inspections.”
Tess and Chet hadn’t yet determined the cause of the fire at the rental. Privately, Tess told her they were pretty sure it was incendiary. Intentionally set. But Mac didn’t mention that.
“Now, back to you. Do you plan to be a firefighter all your life?”
“Um…”
“You can tell me, dear. I won’t share your secrets.”
She shrugged, self-consciously. “I’ve been thinking about becoming a paramedic. I checked into enrolling in the courses, but haven’t applied.” After the words were out, she was shocked at what she’d told Eleanor.
“Ah, I see. Well, I’m sure you’ll be as good at that as you are at firefighting.”
Rick didn’t think so.
That’s crap. You gotta memorize a shitload of information to be a paramedic. You’re not smart enough, babe.
He’d been drinking, of course, and his true personality came out then. Unfortunately, the booze gave Dr. Jekyll competition.
“Trish?”
“I was thinking how my boyfriend said I wasn’t smart enough to pass the courses.” Hell, why did she confess that, too?
“Then he isn’t worthy of being your boyfriend.”
Mac fell silent. Rick routinely reminded her of the opposite: that she wasn’t pretty enough for him, that he could have any broad he wanted because of his looks and charm.
Eleanor frowned. “I’m sorry. I breached your privacy.”
“No, I brought it up.”
“Well, if you ever need something from me, I’m here. After all, I owe you my life.”
They talked over lunch about normal things, then, like the mayor, the fire department and even the weather. It was fun to hear the woman’s perspective on things. At the end of the meal, Eleanor walked her to the door. “I’d like to see you again, Trish.”
“You would?”
“We had a pleasant lunch, didn’t we?”
“Very much so.”
“Well, I’ll call again. Or…” she went to a drawer and pulled out a flyer. “You can come there and help me out. My office is in the one on Main Street.”
Mac looked down at the advertisement for the soup kitchens, then back up at Eleanor. “I just might do that.”
* * *
Nathan smiled out at his kids, now sitting in a circle on a mat on the floor, waiting for him to read them a story. He loved this job. Thankfully, his previous experience had given him the chance to work here.
Dropping down on his own pillow, he said, “We have three books to choose from.” He tried to give the kids options even though they were kindergartners. “I think half of you already had a Pick Day. Only those who haven’t can raise your hand.” He propped up the three books. “Pig Will and Pig Won’t. The Giraffe Dance. Mogli in the Jungle.”
Several hands shot up
A shy little girl had her head down so he couldn’t see her face behind her long dark hair.
“Mary, what’s your pick?”
She glanced up. “Me?”
“Which book would you like?”
“Pig Will.” She spoked softly, like she always did.
“Pig Will it is.”
He read the book about the cooperative pig who helped harvest the food and cook it. Pig Won’t refused to do any work. When it came time to eat, Pig Won’t didn’t get any food. It was a bit preachy but had a valuable lesson and appealed to kids.
They sat attentively for most of the book, then they started to fidget. “Now, let’s talk about why Pig Won’t didn’t get any food.”
“‘Cuz he didn’t help.” Surprisingly, Mary spoke again.
“Do you all help at home?”
“My brother doesn’t…”
“I do…”
“I do…”
They volunteered until there was a knock at the door. “Ah, I’ll bet that’s Mr. Simpson coming to get you for Exercise Time.” He got up and opened the door.
“Hey, there. Are my kiddies ready for ET?” He liked Ed Simpson’s mild-mannered way.
“They are.” To the class, “All right, line up.”
After some juggling, the students left with Ed.
Nathan decided to get some coffee on his thirty-minute break and headed down the hall. Someone else was walking down the corridor. Holy cow, it was Trish, Marcy’s sister-in-law, again.
He jogged to meet her. “Hey, there.”
She was out of her uniform today, wearing white cropped pants and a blue blouse. Her hair was down around her face. Coming toward him, she seemed surprised. “Hi, Nathan.”
“Well, here we are again.”
She chuckled.
“We have to stop meeting like this, Trish.” His voice was stern, making her smile. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m meeting with your principal about the fire prevention program at the school for next year. I’m the CCFD liaison. I’m out of uniform because it’s my day off.”
“Terrific. I think the curriculum needs some updating.”
“I do too.” She watched him through huge blue/gray eyes. “I can’t believe that after the past two years of seeing you at Marcy’s house, I never asked what you did.”
“Teacher. Kindergarten.”
“Wow. Where do you get the patience?”
“I’m not sure some days.”
“Ha.”
“And don’t feel bad. We didn’t have many parties with both families.”
“I guess.”
“Let me walk to the principal’s office with you. It’s past my classroom and down another hallway.”
“Thanks.”
The door to the reception area of the principal’s office was open and the secretary peered up at them. “Oh, hello, Nathan.” She transferred her gaze to Trish.
“I’m Firefighter Mackenzie. I have a meeting here.”
“I’m afraid Jay is running late. He’s at the administration building. He’s not in control of his time when he goes there. He texted me to take you for coffee and he’d meet you in the Teacher’s Lounge.” She pushed back her chair to get up.
“I’m going down to get coffee,” Nathan put in easily.
“Oh, would you mind accompanying her?”
“If it’s okay with Firefighter Mackenzie.”
“I guess.” Was that shyness or aversion. He couldn’t tell.
“Let’s go then.”
It was a short distance to the lounge where he poured them coffees out of a pot on the counter and they both sat at a table. The room was empty.
“So, firefighting, huh? Are there very many females in the Crystal City Department?”
“Out of two hundred firefighters, 67 are women. We’re also working on more diversity, which is only 20 percent.”
“Wow! I never knew.”
“Do you like your job?”
Her expression seemed confused. “Yeah, of course. A lot.”
"What do you like most about it?”
“The work we do helping people.”
He lifted his cup. “To me you’re all heroes.” He clinked the mug with hers.
“Most of us don’t think of the job that way.”
“All the more admirable of you. How long have you been one of America’s Bravest?”
“Over ten years. How long have you been a teacher?”
“About the same. Only two years in Crystal City, though.”
“What do you like best about being a teacher?”
“The kids, of course.”
“I can see why. Kids are so much nicer than adults.”
He cocked his head. “Are they?”
She blushed, heightening the color in her cheeks. “You’ll have to excuse me. I work with burly men who forget their manners. A lot.”
“Any other women on your…what do you call it?”
“My group.”
“Working on your group?”
“Yeah, a paramedic. We spread the women out. We still need 33 more to make up half of the department, though.”
“You went to socialize with some of those women the night we met.”
A genuine smile now. “Yeah, they’re great. We all started in the same recruit class ten years ago.”
“That is so sweet.”
“How did you know where I went?”
“Rick told me.”
Her face went cloudy at the boyfriend’s name.
“Tell me about them.”
“The women? Why?”
He shrugged. “I’m totally unfamiliar with firefighters. Especially female ones.”
“Huh. Well, there’s six of us…”
He watched her as she talked. Her eyes lit now. Her wary face became animated. She gave him a detailed rundown on the women which he thoroughly enjoyed. She’d finished and he was about to comment, when the principal walked through the doors and approached their table. “I am so sorry, Firefighter Mackenzie. I’ve wasted almost half an hour of your time.”
“It wasn’t wasted,” she said tossing a glance at him. “I got to spend some time with Nathan.”
He delighted in the comment.
Jay asked, “Shall we stay here or go to my office?”
“You can stay here.” Nathan stood. “My class is coming back to the room in five minutes.” He got Jay coffee then reached over and squeezed Trish’s arm. She stared at his hand on her. “Nice to see you again, Trish.”
“You too, Nathan.”
He left. And whistled all the way down the hall.
* * *
By the time Mac finished with the principal, school was out. She was walking to her car when she bumped into Nathan again, as he headed away from the building. “Hey, Trish.”
She pointed to the glove in his hand and noted he wore shorts and sneakers, now. “Where you going?”
His hazel eyes turned warm. “We have a softball game right after school. Admin against the teachers. We play for six weeks, once a week. That takes us up to June. Problem is our school is small, so we only have seven on each side.”
“Do you like softball?”
“It’s one of the sports I can actually play without embarrassing myself. Last year we competed in lacrosse and I couldn’t show my face for a week.”
She smiled again, thinking she did that earlier too, smiled, around this man. “How fun. Firefighters play each other, too.”
“Do you?”
“I used to.”
“No more?”
She remembered the awful scene when she came home after a game…
“I suppose he was there.”
“Who?”
Rick grabbed her shoulders. “Don’t give me that shit. The lieutenant you’re so chummy with.
“Let go of me…”
“No, I don’t participate anymore.”
“Why?”
“Personal reasons.”
Someone called from the grass next to the parking lot. She hadn’t noticed the obvious playing field. “Mitchell, get the lead out. We need to strategize.”
“I have to go.”
“Have fun.”
As he walked away, he turned. “Want to come and watch since it’s your day off.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Then come on over with me. It’s a beautiful day, you can sit outside. It’ll be entertaining, I tell you that.”
She shouldn’t. She didn’t want to make new friends. Besides, Rick wouldn’t like it. And that thought propelled her to agree. Fuck this way of thinking. “Maybe for a bit.”
They walked to the field together, and when she glanced at him, she saw the sunlight glinting off the blond streaks in his sandy-colored hair. When he put on a ball cap, she regretted his covering it. But he did look cute.
Nathan gestured to the bleachers, then ran out onto the field and joined his friends. Each team huddled up, talked, then began to play. Nathan had his foot on the rubber at third base. She watched as the pitcher threw the ball and the administration batter hit it on the first try. The thing went over the infielders’ heads and so he rounded first, then second. His team was yelling, “Go to third,” which Mac thought was a mistake.
It was. The batter ended up sliding to beat the throw, but Nathan leapt up, caught it and tagged him out.
The guy, however, didn’t get up.
Mac frowned. Others ran to them and she walked to the edge of the field. Nathan jogged over to a cooler on a bleacher.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him.
“Tim twisted his ankle. I hope that’s all he did.”
“Um, Nathan, I’m a certified EMT with advanced training.”
“Oh, God, come and help then.”
They reached the group, and by now everybody had crowded around. The man sat on the ground, while someone else propped up his foot on her knee.
Nathan said, “Hey, guys this Trish. She’s a firefighter but she has extensive medical training. Let her check you out, Tim.”
Tim gave her a wry grin. “Be my guest, ma’am.”
Mac knelt and started palpitating the guy’s ankle, heel, sole and toes. He startled a couple of times. “It’s not broken.” She gestured to the cooler. “What do you have in there?”
“Gauze and ice.” This from another guy.
“Hand me the gauze please.”
“If you wrap it, can I play again?”
“Absolutely not. You have to elevate the foot and put ice on it. Twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off.”
“How do I do that here?”
“You go home, idiot,” a female administrator said.
“Yeah, I’ll call Tracy.”
Nathan and Mac settled Tim on the bleachers. When he took out his phone, they moved away. Nathan said, “We’re short a person. You could take his place. You said you used to play.”
“Yeah, but I don’t work at the school.”
“Anybody object if Mac plays?” he called out to the others.
“No. We gotta have another player.”
“Do you have sneakers?”
“Uh, huh.”
“Go put them on, we’ll wait for you.
She walked toward her car, smiling again. For the first time in a long time, she was doing something spontaneous. And something she wanted to do—just because! That filled her with joy.