Rescuing Christmas

by Nancy Lee Badger

  ***

  The very next day on the early side of morning, Bradley found himself serving tomato soup, doughnuts, and coffee from a pickup’s tailgate at the scene of a chimney fire. Never in his life had he eaten tomato soup like this. Tomato bisque served as an appetizer at a five-star restaurant? Yes. A watery version from the back of a truck? Not on your life.

  By the time he had gotten the call from Julia, and had reached the fire house on foot, he had found several of the older women hard at work cooking soup in a huge pot. A second woman stirred in hot water.

  “My specialty, tomato soup.” Henry chuckled. “Nah, canned soup mixed with water. Tastes great to a hungry firefighter. This will keep them youngsters’ stomachs satisfied. I’m Tom. We met at the auxiliary meeting where you asked us to keep secrets.”

  When he went off to help another volunteer, a woman struggled to get the pot of hot soup onto a rolling table.

  “Julia, let me do that,” Bradley had insisted, since he had no idea what else he could do but offer brute force. The woman had smiled up at him and tittered like a schoolgirl, then had led the way out the side door of the fire truck bay. The trucks and firefighters were long gone.

  Reaching a muddy pickup truck, she had lowered the tailgate and he carefully positioned the covered pot in the back. After she had tied it down with large straps, she had instructed him on how to roll out a huge urn of coffee. A big box was added to the back, filled with foam bowls for the soup, foam coffee cups, napkins, and spoons.

  “Elvira Duncan is meeting Sarah Jane at her shop, since she starts her baking early. The auxiliary always accepts day-old doughnuts. Chimney fires can last hours,” she said, even though he had not asked about the emergency when Julia had called via the phone tree. “If the heat ignites walls or cinders land on the roof, we might be in for a long day.”

  He shuddered at the thought of spending hours outside. It was brutally cold, and the plastic gloves he wore while serving food were useless. In between handing out steaming cups of coffee or bowls of soup to the firefighters, he clapped his hands together for warmth. He could see his breath, but he’d quickly lost all feeling in his toes.

  He thought back to what the ice-skating rink company said when he had enquired about the conditions needed for success. Temperatures at night should be very cold in order for the portable ice rink to remain viable during the day. He might ask around concerning the local weather forecast.

  They had recommended another company that rented snow-guns that could make snow from water. He called them and they were ready to send snow-making machines within a day’s notice, and also specified that the machines worked better during cold nights. If the nights were as cold as this morning had turned out, his ideas might just work.

  In between serving food and coffee, his attention rested on Elinor. While the firefighters wore yellow helmets trimmed in black, she wore a bright white helmet. As acting chief, she was easy to spot. Her movements were quick and intentional, as if she had need to talk to everyone on scene. He was too far away to hear her commands, but easily witnessed the scowls and shrugs the others replied to her.

  He had the feeling, stronger now, that many of her crew were less than happy she was in charge. Was it because her father was better at it, or due to her gender? If the former, he understood. Julia told him Douglas Danville was a firefighter with more than thirty years under his belt. Of course, he knew how to handle the office of Fire Chief. If they thought little of Elinor simply because she was a female, he wondered how she put up with their disrespect.

  A familiar person walked over and put an arm around her. She shrugged it off and spoke to the firefighter that he recognized as the innkeeper.

  “Sean Peabody tries his hardest to get Ellie to notice him. He doesn’t understand women, although he thinks he’s God’s gift to them all.”

  Bradley glanced down at the smallest member of the auxiliary. “What do you know about their relationship, Julia?”

  She glanced up at him and smiled. “Be you interested in our little Ellie?”

  “I am curious, is all. She was instrumental in assisting me after my accident. She drove me straight to the Peabody Inn. Why else would she, if she wanted nothing to do with him? Seemed neighborly. The way he looked at her made me assume they were romantically involved.”

  She laughed and slapped her knee. “Romantically involved? If you call one dinner date, then him heading home alone a relationship, you come from an odd city filled with dunderheads. She makes nice with him because her daddy brought her up right. Doesn’t mean she has to endure his company more than the one time.”

  Twice, but Julia might not be privy to that second dinner. Thankfully, the lost hiker rescue intervened.

  Her explanation made him hopeful, until he remembered he didn’t plan to stick around much longer. He had hope that something would change, and soon, since he figured fate had intruded in his life for a reason. One car accident, and the replacement car in a ditch, had to mean something.

  “Bradley, dear?”

  “Yes?” Julia’s voice brought him back to earth. “What is it?”

  “Ellie glanced this way, but you were looking at that doughnut. Missed your chance.” She chuckled louder and headed over to the ambulance with a small box of doughnuts. A crew member checked on each firefighter’s health…blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature…before allowing them to return to fighting the fire. Johnny and Al would take good care of everyone.

  “Dear Lord! When did I start knowing everyone?”

  “That happens when you actually talk to folks, instead of hiding behind your laptop.”

  Bradley shut his eyes and dropped the empty coffee cup on his foot. Elinor had snuck up on him and heard him. She must think him a city-living fool. “Well, hello.”

  “I would love a full cup of coffee, if you can handle that?”

  “Of course. I am a well-trained member of the Snowflake Valley Auxiliary.” Grabbing another cup, he poured coffee from the spigot and breathed in the delicious aroma of fresh coffee and…Elinor. He handed it to her. She had removed her helmet and sat it on the tailgate. Her hair was in disarray and her cheeks and nose were chafed and red. Her lips latched onto the cup and his heart squeezed with a hint of envy.

  “Mmm, that is good. Are you okay? You look chilled.”

  “I am not quite used to standing outside in the cold. I work in an office. I usually am driven from my warm home to the office in a heated limo. Lunch appears on my desk, unless I have a scheduled luncheon engagement.” He shoved his glasses back up on the bridge of his frigid nose.

  “How does lunch appear on your desk? Magic?”

  “Not quite. My assistant, Mona, is more like a mother hen. Having worked for my father, she watched me grow up. She is indispensable to me and my company. When I took over after my father’s death, well…habits are hard to break.”

  “I know about that,” she said, and scowled at the innkeeper. “Sometimes a bad habit can mark you for life.”

  “I sense a problem with dear Sean?”

  “What? Who said anything about him? I just want to get back to firefighting. Paperwork and issuing orders, especially to guys who might not agree that I am the one who should be giving them, is tougher than I thought.”

  She finished her coffee and handed him the cup. He tossed it in the rubbish box beneath the tailgate.

  “Listen, I was surprised to see you here. It’s kind of early and you just met these folks, but everyone appreciates that you’re taking the time to help. I fear the fire is spreading, but I’m sure more volunteers will arrive soon.”

  “Really?” Maybe he would have a chance to sit inside the cab of the heated ambulance and feel his fingers again before hitching a ride back to the inn.

  “Several members have to get their kids to school, and others work nights. Once they are able to, they’ll show up and pitch in. Julia is in charge of the phone tree, as you well know by now, and makes the calls for more food. Take care o
f you, okay?” She stepped so close he could count the freckles on her beautiful nose. She placed a peck on his cheek, slapped the white helmet on her head like a badge of courage, and returned to the fire. She left his glasses as foggy as his feelings.

  Chapter 9

  Where was everyone? Ellie had taken her eyes off the operation for five minutes in order to get a cup of coffee. What was going on? Through thick black smoke she spotted the men manning the fire truck and its pumps, but several hoses snaked around to the side of the house. The old farmhouse had weathered wood siding that used to be white, and looked like it was built in the mid eighteen hundreds. The roof had to be at least thirty years old. The barn adjoining the house tilted about fifteen degrees, but it was their job to make sure no cinders hopped onto its roof.

  “There they are!” she cried, as a great spray of water cascaded over the barn’s roof, another hit the rear of the house, sending a light waterfall of mist onto her face and helmet. “Dear God! That’s brisk!”

  Ellie was pleased the weather had grown cold, only because she feared that the Christmas Festival was still at risk. Many members of the auxiliary made sure to stop and chat with her on Main Street. Al wanted to take a chance of having some type of abbreviated festival. “It’s tradition,” they all had said.

  She didn’t want to disappoint them, but there was so much in limbo. She was still trying to figure out a way to make money from Greg’s Christmas trees. Too many ideas floated around her head, but she needed to get her mind on the fire.

  Several firefighters trotted out of the front door. Every one of them forgot to tell her they were entering the building! She would bring it up at the next training session, because keeping track might save their lives. She didn’t feel up to a big confrontation. Not today. Someone’s home was burning.

  Willard sidled up to her, chewing on his bottom lip. He was one of the men who’d entered the building without telling her. Pick your battles, she thought, and waited for him to speak.

  “The fire hasn’t reached the walls, but the attic is filled with smoke. I suggest we start chopping holes. That roof ain’t worth much, anyway.”

  “Understood, but it’s still someone’s home, so keep the venting to a minimum. Take two men and get it done,” she said, and wasn’t surprised he said nothing further. As he trotted over to the others that had gone inside earlier without permission, she made a mental note of who was where. It wouldn’t do to lose a firefighter because she lost track of him.

  Sean was talking to the men controlling the pumps. She’d noticed long ago that if there was work to be done, he’d find an excuse to talk instead.

  That ends today.

  “Sean! Prop the extension ladder against the side of the building. In the center, near the peak. Men are going to start venting the roof.” The easiest way to cut holes in a roof that needed venting was with a chainsaw. She suspected the men would use axes, since the pitch of the roof was steep. Willard mentioned heading to the attic from inside, but the ladder gave them a handy means of escape, should the fire spread. Before she could verify Sean followed orders, Andy appeared by her side, wearing civilian clothes. “How’s the arm?”

  “Doc says I should be fine by Christmas.”

  “So, why are you standing out here in the cold?”

  He glared at her. “Geeze, Ellie, these are my friends! I can worry better watching them, rather than listening to smidgens of chatter on my radio.”

  “I’m sorry. I assumed putting your feet up and taking it easy was a treat. Why don’t you go get some coffee?”

  “Isn’t that the Wainwright guy? What’s he doing hanging around the food truck?”

  She bristled. How dare he assume Bradley was here as a sightseer? “He is now a genuine member of the Snowflake Valley Fire Department Auxiliary. He’s also serving doughnuts and tomato soup.”

  “Tomato soup? At this time of the morning?”

  “Yes, and remember…when you fight a fire for hours, anything tastes good.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Go on. Go get some. Maybe you can help me keep an eye on these guys.”

  He kicked a rock into the grass. “I bet they’re forgetting to tell you their positions?”

  “Forgetting. Right. They’re supposed to tell me, but I’ll do my best to make sure no one gets killed. Go get some soup.”

  Andy trotted over to where Bradley was talking to Elvira Duncan. She was pleased when Bradley nodded in welcome to Andy, who bent down and kissed Elvira on the cheek. He should take care about kissing her, with Officer Jackson sweet on her.

  Bradley smiled at them, and poured a bowl of tomato soup for Andy. When both men glanced Ellie’s way, she tore her attention from them, and back to Sean. The ladder was still lying in the grass and Sean was nowhere in sight. He might have joined the men on the back of the building, or he could be lying dead from smoke inhalation.

  She sighed and trotted over to the fire truck. “I’m going to look for Sean and see what’s happening on the back side of the house.”

  The men nodded and went back to their discussion of the use of a Winchester 30-30 over a Mossberg .308 rifle for hunting deer.

  Boys and their toys.

  Several men worked the firehose from the backyard. Two others chopped holes in the far end of the attic. The chimney rose from the middle of the house. This was the most difficult to fight. The heat could ignite the wallboard or flooring in any room near the chimney.

  The best way to get a total picture of the men was to climb to the roof. Then she could see who was where. Something about this fire made her stomach clench. Or, could the sensation be due to knowing Bradley had looked at her? Was he still looking?

  At the side of the building, she glanced skyward toward the roof. The splash of a firehose arched over the far end of the roof. The odor of burning creosote from inside the ancient chimney wafted over her. As she figured out where to check next, she pulled on fire gloves, added a tight-fitting fire hood to cover her hair and neck, then plopped her helmet back on. Sean was suddenly standing close to her.

  “Hey, Sean. Give me a hand?”

  “I’ll give you anything you want, love,” he said. His arm snagged her around the waist, pulling her to face him. She was only three inches shorter than him, but there was a time and place for such intimacy. She pushed against his chest and was able to step out of his grasp.

  “I thought you heard me. I want this ladder positioned against the roof. We need to uncover where the roof needs venting.”

  “Want? Need? I’d love to uncover more of you, sweetlips.”

  “Sean! This is important! Raise the ladder, then hold it while I climb it, unless you’d like the privilege of joining the firefighters on the roof?”

  “Ha! No thanks. I’ll hold the ladder. I like to keep my feet and all my manly body parts on the ground safe and ready for anything.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

  She felt a little warmer wearing the gloves and the fire hood, but knowing his gaze was glued to her rear end was a bit disturbing.

  Luckily for me, this bunker gear covers everything.

  Between the gloves, and Sean’s unwanted attention, climbing the ladder was a little tricky. Her fire boots were clunky, and smoke drifted over her as she reached the rooftop. Once at the roof, where an extra three feet of the ladder reached above the roofline, she stepped onto the roof tiles. They sagged beneath her feet, either from age, or distress from the fire below.

  She prayed the fire wasn’t burning through just yet. The smoke was so thick she could barely see the old house’s center chimney, but she could feel the cool spray from a fire hose. However, she couldn’t see any of the crew from here. She immediately deemed it too dangerous to travel any farther along the unstable roof. If the churning spray from a hose caught her in the chest, it might shove her off and send her sprawling to the ground below.

  I’m not going to be able to figure out what’s going on from up here.

  Heading back to the
ladder was smart. As she reached for the top of the ladder, a loud rumble suddenly shook the house. Men cried out a warning, and Ellie fell onto her knees. The ladder slid sideways, but she couldn’t regain her balance quick enough to catch it. No matter how much he irritated her, she prayed it didn’t fall on Sean.

  “What in blazes was that?” Fear for her crew lifted her back to her feet, but a section of roof between her, and the rest of the house caved in. Flames licked through the air along the edge where the ladder used to be, too. A window exploded beneath her, belching heavy black smoke up to her perch. She gulped air, but only choking black soot filled her lungs. The heat grew oppressive and she feared the entire house would turn into an inferno within seconds.

  “This is not good!” she cried, fearing no one had heard her.

  ***

  The cries of alarm from several firefighters, amid the boom or an explosion made Bradley drop what he was doing, and run toward the fire truck. “What happened?”

  Before the men could answer him, glass shattered, grabbing their attention. They all turned toward the house. Several men raced out of the front door, while the men running the pumps kept working the dials. “Don’t know. Ask one of them.”

  Bradley waited for the men who had escaped the building to approach the truck.

  One said, “The whole place is going up. The furnace blew. No one was in the cellar, but there’s men on the roof, right?”

  The other firefighter shrugged.

  Bradley glanced around, hoping Elinor could answer that question, but she was gone. Was she checking on the men working the side and back of the house?

  A lone figure stood on the roof where fire spewed toward the sky.