Take Me Back (Hidden Cove Firefighters Book 9)

by Kathryn Shay

  Brick blew out a heavy breath. “No, I didn’t have any symptoms in the days leading up to the attack. My gear had been checked. And I did all the physical fitness you guys all did.”

  “You have to find out why this happened, Brick,” Kate said.

  “Why are you here, Kate?” Ernst asked.

  Startled, she raised her chin. “Brick and I were on the same group when I started out. He taught me everything I know about firefighting.”

  Rafe circled around the bed. “I’d like to see you out in the hall, Kate.”

  She stood. “Since you have so much company, I’ll leave now.” She kissed his head. “I’ll stop by after work.”

  “You don’t need to come back. Carol and the kids will be here for dinner.”

  “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  And she walked out. Rafe was waiting in the corridor. She smiled over at him. “Hmm, they’re a tough bunch.”

  “Long story but they’re pissed I didn’t stay with them after we all left the hospital.”

  “I’m sorry if I caused that.”

  “It’s on me. I wanted to see Tommy.”

  “You seem better this morning than you did last night.”

  “You’re rested, too.” His gaze dropped to her uniform. “What time do you have to be at the academy?”

  “In twenty minutes. It’s only ten from here.” She toed the tile with her boot. “How’d it go at home?”

  “You mean with Melanie?”

  “Yeah. She was pretty steamed.”

  “I took care of it.” At Kate’s questioning expression, he added, “I asked her to leave when she wouldn’t listen to reason.”

  A smile.

  A reluctant one from him. “What am I gonna do with you?”

  She raised both brows. “I have several suggestions.”

  “I’ll bet you do. Have a good day, Kate.”

  “You, too.” She frowned. “Be careful.”

  “Goes without saying.”

  It was hard to leave him, Kate thought as she made her way to her car and drove to the academy. It always had been. For a minute, she panicked. What if something happened to him in a fire? Something similar to Brick? Should she give her heart back to him so easily?

  “Stop!” she told herself aloud. “Just stop. That’s what got you into this mess in the first place.”

  Kate willfully cleared her mind of worry over Rafe when she entered the academy gym five minutes early. The recruits milled around in sweats and Olive was nowhere in sight.

  “You know where Chief Hennessy is?” Lowden asked.

  “I’m afraid I don’t.” Kate checked the time. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

  “Physical fitness.” This from Angeles. “We did so bad on the confidence walk, she scheduled it first thing every day.” He poked Mattison. “You especially, bucko.”

  “I’ll get there. Let me know if you need help with your studies.”

  “Where were you yesterday?” Lowden again.

  “A friend got hurt in a fire.” Why not make this a teachable moment? “He had a heart attack during an interior breach. Want to talk about what you should do if that happens to you or another firefighter in your group?”

  For fifteen minutes, they sat on the gym floor and discussed the situation. The kids were fascinated by what they might do in that kind of emergency.

  Then Kate’s phone buzzed. She, and another recruit with children, were allowed to keep theirs on in case of an emergency. “Hello?”

  “Kate, it’s Olive. My son tripped on his way to the school bus. I’m in the emergency room.” Her voice sounded shaky.

  “How bad is he?”

  “I don’t think it’s serious, but the lump on the back of his head worried me. So, I brought him in. There’s no teachers to sub this morning because they’re all in special training downtown with the deputy chief. Could you do some PT with recruits in the weight room, until I get there? I reserved it until noon.”

  “You should stay with your son.” A hesitation. “I’ll do the physical fitness with them. Are the teachers still coming in for the planned afternoon sessions?”

  “Yes.”

  “There you go. Day covered. You can be with your son.”

  The recruits had listened to her end conversation but she told them about Olive’s son and that she was asked to supervise some PT. “Anybody have a problem with that?”

  “What kind of shape are you in?” Lowden asked.

  “I guess you’ll have to wait and see. If there’s no objection, walk around the gym a few times to warm up till I get back from the locker room.”

  They rolled to their feet. Two recruits couldn’t do it in one swift movement—Mattison and Ratkin.

  On her way to change, Kate thought of Olive and her son. Not a good week all around, that was for sure. In the locker room, she threw on sweats, joined the others and walked twice around the track with them, then they all jogged ten laps. “Now, let’s head to the weight room. Since we’re a small group, we should be able to work at the same time.”

  She led them to the weight room that serviced all firefighters and police officers, but had been reserved this morning for the recruits. Bikes, ellipticals, treadmills and free weights filled the area. In the center was what Kate used to call a universal gym but it probably had a fancier name now. The midpoint of the ten-foot tall machine consisted of maroon and yellow pipes and branched out six-person stations. “Six of you can start here. Pick a section.”

  They all hesitated.

  “You’ve never worked on this kind of universal machine?”

  Answers ranged from, “I have some.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Not me.”

  Most were in the last category.

  “Everybody, gather around me. I’m going to demonstrate how to use each of these, then you can do reps and I’ll be around to correct anything needed.”

  She started with the weighted leg kick, strapping a buckle around her ankle. It was hooked up to a weight of ten pounds. “Be careful of this one. It’s more strenuous that it seems at first. Start with ten pounds and do twenty reps. Don’t go any higher. If you can’t use the ten-pound weight, change it to five.”

  Moving to next station, which consisted of long ropes with handles at the end, secured at the top of the universal, she grabbed ahold of the handles and leaned back—way back, using her own weight to strengthen muscles. She held for ten, relaxed and did it again. “That’s for strength. I also want you to use this for balance. Lift one foot from the floor and hold ten seconds.” She did a few and wavered a bit. “Again, this is harder than you might think.”

  She demonstrated the four other stations, then sent three recruits to free weights. When she reviewed the correct position on the bench press, Kate was forced to take off a couple of poundage she used to be able to lift. “I’m working up to total fitness too.”

  The last two she sent to the elliptical and the treadmill.

  They spent most of the morning there. Resting then starting again. Kate did the second round with them. When they all finished, Kate’s arm muscles were sore and she bet the recruits were suffering a bit, too. “That’s enough for now. You can have an extra half-hour for lunch.”

  When they walked past her to leave the gym, most thanked her. Lowden left without saying anything. Mattison gave her a thumb’s up. Angeles said, “Thanks, Kate, I mean it.” That was enough for her.

  She followed them out and down to Mitch’s office. He was sitting at his desk with the door open. “Hey, I was coming to the weight room to see you. Olive called me. How’d your morning go?”

  “Great. They got a workout and so did I. You know, Mitch, they have classes with Haywood and Chandler after lunch. Maybe you could debrief us at the end of the day. Then dismiss the recruits. It won’t matter if it’s early.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  “I’m going to grab something to eat.”

  “Hey, Kate.” She tu
rned back. “You sure you’re on board with your time at the academy? If you can teach the classes, do you need the course?”

  “I think I need most of the lessons. I’m excited to hear Capt. Chandler talk about terrorism. He wasn’t here when I was trained.”

  “You’re something else.”

  “I’ve heard that before.” She walked out smiling.

  Chapter 8

  Kate pulled up to Westside Elementary School and shut off the engine. She stared at the structure where her son would spend the school year. One hundred and eighty days. The building was old, but clean and well-kept. Cars already filled the parking lot but she didn’t see Rafe’s. He’d come right from work to Kindergarten Parents Information Night.

  She exited the car and headed to the front doors, which were pretty heavy for young kids. She’d noticed that before when she’d come here to register Tommy for school. This was her local school, but her main concern wasn’t the doors, it was about Tommy attending school all day. She’d hoped for half days, like they had in Rockford. But there wasn’t a choice in Hidden Cove. Should she seek out something private for his first year? As a public employee, she hated to ditch public schools, but Tommy’s welfare was at stake.

  When she got inside, she pulled her phone from her purse. The directions told her to go left, which conveniently was labeled Kindergarten Wing. She walked down a colorful corridor. It had been painted in primary colors, with big ABC’s and numbers in contrasting colors. The décor went right to room 12.

  At the entrance, she caught sight of Rafe, leaning against the wall adjacent to the windows. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt, with a tie, and dark slacks. He looked scrumptious. Of course, a woman came up to him, then another!

  Behind her, she heard, “Firefighters. Women flock to them.” She turned around so her back faced the room. A man in a suit had approached her. “I guess. That one’s with me.”

  “Ah. I’m Ron DeCarlo, the father of a precious little girl.”

  Kate held out her hand. “I’m Kate Cassidy.” She added, “I’m a firefighter, too.”

  “You and your husband then?”

  “Um, no husband.”

  The guy was attractive, with soft brown hair and a dimple on his cheek. “In that case, want to sit with me?”

  A tap on her shoulder. “Kate, I’ve got chairs over here for us.” Rafe eyed Ron, then introduced himself.

  “Nice to meet you Captain.” He knew the ranks.

  “You, too.”

  He took Kate by the elbow and led her back to the windows where he’d put his light jacket over seats to save them. They sat. Rafe scanned the participants. “Lots of people here.”

  “There are. I wonder what that means for class size.”

  Rafe took out his phone and typed something in it.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I made notes to ask questions.”

  “Hmm.” She hadn’t thought to do that.

  “That guy was ogling you,” he whispered so those around them didn’t hear.

  “Yeah, I’m such a femme fatale.” Then she remembered his jealous streak with Stephan. She so didn’t want that to interfere with their relationship. “Honestly, he was making conversation.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Rafe,” she whispered back. “You know how I feel about you.”

  “Hmm.”

  The teacher walked into the classroom. Kate had pictured kindergarten teachers as young and perky. This one was neither. “Hello, my name is Miss Graves.”

  Kate suppressed a giggle at the appropriateness of her name. Rafe coughed.

  She was dowdy looking, in a conservative black skirt and sweater. And, she wore orthopedic shoes. Well, teachers were on their feet a lot.

  “I’ll start out by telling you I’ve never taught kindergarten but I was transferred to this grade level when the administration cut the number of fourth grade classrooms, for budgetary reasons. I, however, will do my job.”

  She held up some papers. “Here is an outline of what your child needs to master in kindergarten.”

  When they got the paper, they both read it. Rafe scowled. Kate was open-mouthed at some of the harder content.

  Comprehension Skills and Strategies

  Reading Fluency

  Information and Study Skills

  Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics

  Geometry including circle, square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon and position words.

  Identify and describe three-dimensional shapes including cone, cylinder, sphere, and cube.

  Measurement-comparing length, weight and height.

  Classify objects by color, shape, size and sorting data on a graph.

  Kate didn’t even know what position words were.

  Miss Graves spoke again. “At the bottom of this page you will find a link to our Kindergarten Math Guide Book. This guide book will be a helpful resource for parents and students.”

  A mother stood. “Miss Graves, these are Common Core standards which New York State abandoned a few years ago in favor of more play-based learning.”

  A scowl that scared even Kate. “These are the standards your child must reach for the tests given in higher grades. Play-based learning in kindergarten will be incorporated after they master these skills.”

  There would be no time for that, Kate guessed. Quiet all around the room.

  “Are there any questions?”

  Grumbles. Rafe raised his hands. “How big is this class?”

  “We’re at twenty-eight.”

  “That big,” another father put in. “For kindergarten?”

  “You may want to talk to the administration. Those budget cuts I mentioned affect class size at every level.”

  “That’s not right,” Ron said.

  “Ha. Teachers don’t have any say in much these days.”

  Several more hands went up. Miss Graves frowned. “Since there’s so many questions, here’s my school email address. Send them to me so I can answer them fully.” She glanced at the clock. “That’s it for tonight.” She walked out of the room, leaving most of them agape.

  Parents formed groups. There was a lot of complaining.

  Rafe took Kate by the hand. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

  They left the school and as they walked to her car, Rafe said, “Can you come over to my house for dinner? We have to talk about this.”

  “I can. Alessia has Tommy. I’m watching her kids on her parents’ night.”

  At her Civic, Rafe squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry.”

  She drove to Rafe’s trying to curb her concern. But when she reached his house, Kate sat in the driveway, overwhelmed by what was before her.

  When she came to tell him about Tommy, she was so scared, too scared of Rafe’s reaction, that her heart had no room for nostalgia. But now looking at the house he bought and before she moved in, memories threatened to swallow her up…

  I’m not ready to move in yet,” she’d said.

  “I know. But we’re picking out furniture together.”

  Kate had no sense of style, but he let her have whatever appealed to her.

  The first night in their bed. I love you, Katie. I always will.

  The breakfasts they share after long, grueling nights of firefighting.

  How they planned their children here. I want five but I’ll settle for three, he said with mirth in those dark eyes she loved.

  A knock on her window made her jump. She rolled it down.

  Rafe’s forehead formed a vee. “What are you doing sitting out here?”

  “Torturing myself.” She got out of the car.

  On the way in, he said, “I ordered us some Chinese food. I hope that’s all right.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Kate walked inside and steeled herself against the past and concentrated on the future.

  They took seats at the kitchen table. He gave her a once over when she took off her jacket. “You look good tonight.” She wor
e a plain blue suit with a pink blouse. And the only heels she owned.

  “Thanks.”

  He reached for his computer. “I’m going to call up the New York curriculum for kindergarten. We know the lovely Ms. Graves is using common core, which was abandoned by the state.” He typed, scowled, then said, “Huh. Strict adherence to common core has been abandoned, but most of the standards are integrated in new approaches.”

  On her phone, Kate said, “It’s all a matter of philosophy and activity. Some districts have innovative ways of getting these standards fulfilled.”

  “Like what?”

  “For one, instead of lecturing in science, the kids set up a community garden. I like this: ‘Natural curiosity and respect for our planet is awakened in monthly gardening and nature study. Your child plans the garden layout, plants the seeds, observes the plants growing and harvests the vegetables.’”

  “Where’d you find that?”

  “I typed in progressive methods used in teaching Kindergarten. I’ll send you the link.”

  When he got it, he studied the screen, clicked and then said, “Kate, this is what my local school uses.”

  “We don’t have a choice but to send him to the one on Westside. That’s the local school for my community. I never thought to check the school curriculum as the basis for where I’d live. I guess we could seek out private schools.”

  “Why? Mine might fill our needs.”

  Buried deep had been an irrational fear that Rafe would try to take Tommy away from her. Now, it seized her. “I won’t let Tommy live with you.”

  His gaze narrowed. “I’m not asking that. If this is his legal address, we could have any living arrangement we want.”

  Kate stood up abruptly. “I have to think about this.” She picked up her purse.

  “What the hell, Kate? Where are you going?”

  “To get Tommy and go home. I need to think about all this,” she repeated.

  “But I ordered food.”

  “I’m sorry, Rafe. I need to go.”

  With that she left his house.

  o0o

  Two nights later, Rafe arrived at Badges, the firefighter and police hangout, to meet his brother Seth. Tucked away behind one of the bridges of Hidden Cove near his station house, the bar was run by two brothers, one a former member of America’s Finest, one an America’s Bravest. Rafe sat down on an empty stool. He liked the place, thought it was good for his people to have a place to debrief the day. He and Kate had spent a lot of time together at this very spot.