Smoke and Fire_A MFM Firefighter Romance

by Kelli Callahan

  “Sometimes I wish I lived in a small town where I had to worry about was the occasional cat in a tree.” Trent chuckled and smiled.

  “Not me.” Chase shook his head back and forth. “That shit would drive me crazy.”

  There were a lot of details about my past that I gave the glossiest coat of paint as we talked—things I hadn’t told anyone since leaving Glendale behind. As nice as they were being to me, I had no interest in revealing my past to two people I hardly knew. I hadn’t even shared the intimate details with Anna, and I considered her a good friend—well, up until the point that I found out she was planning on leaving without saying goodbye. That part still hurt, but I had too much going on in my own life to worry about her. I had played the part of her babysitter for far too long and she didn’t even appreciate what I had done enough to let me know she was leaving ahead of time. I thought she was my friend, but a real friend would have respected me more than that.

  They continued to share tales of their heroics, which was nice, because it took the attention off me. Trent told his version more like a story while Chase was clearly just bragging. I didn’t have anything special to add about my daily life. I worked in a call center that provided customer service for various appliances. I knew nothing about the products. All of my answers came from a book that I sorted based on the problems that the customers outlined. It was less than glamorous and I spent my days in a cubicle. It wasn’t the life I dreamed of when I was growing up, but there weren’t a lot of jobs out there for someone that didn’t go to college. I was just happy being able to pay my own way.

  “So, tell me, Kayla.” Chase put down his beer and stared at me. “Are you going to go on a date with my friend?”

  “Come on, Chase. Don’t put her on the spot.” Trent exhaled sharply and shook his head. “You’ll have to excuse him—Chase isn’t one for subtlety.”

  “No, it’s okay.” I sighed and dropped my head for a moment. “I don’t know. I mean, you seem nice enough, but my life is so complicated right now.”

  “Uh oh.” Chase leaned over and slapped Trent’s arm with the back of his palm. “She’s already giving you the nice guy line.”

  “Never a good sign.” Trent’s lip twisted in disappointment.

  Wow, I’ve never had an audience before when someone asked me out.

  “Trust me, if you walked in a bar a week ago and offered to buy me a drink, I wouldn’t have hesitated at all. My mind is a mess right now.” I shook my head back and forth. “I really appreciate you letting me stay here, but I don’t think it would be a good idea with everything that is going on.”

  “Okay.” Trent’s face couldn’t hide the disappointment, but he seemed to shrug it off.

  The conversation was awkward for about an hour, but their disappointment seemed to wane as we continued to talk. I hated that I had shut Trent down, but I really did feel like it was for the best. He was sexy as hell, and everything that would normally tempt me, at least on the surface. The layers that started to peel away seemed to be just as enticing. I couldn’t quite shake the concern I had over the fact I lied to him about the fire. My mistake might not have been completely burned away, and that would certainly endanger any relationship before it got off the ground. We drank until it was late into the evening and I didn’t feel like I had any stories left to share that wouldn’t reveal too much about myself, so I decided it was time for bed.

  “All right, guys, I can’t keep up with you.” I stretched my arms out and yawned. “You lapped me several beers ago.”

  “Sleep well, Kayla.” Trent nodded and started to stand. “I need to grab a blanket and pillow, though, first.”

  “Unless you just want to share the bed with him.” Chase chuckled and winked at the two of us.

  “I already got rejected once. My ego can only take so many hits.” Trent gave Chase a playful swat with his hand and started down the hallway.

  “He’s a good one, you know.” Chase’s expression turned serious once Trent was gone. “You could do a lot worse.”

  “Yeah…” I nodded and sighed.

  “Of course, if you don’t want to date him, the three of us could have a little fun before you have to go.” Chase’s playful look returned and he grinned at me.

  “What?” I blinked and felt my face blushing immediately.

  Is he serious?

  “All right, I’m all set.” Trent returned with a pillow and blanket tucked under his arm.

  “Goodnight, guys.” I gave Chase a confused stare before I walked down the hallway.

  I stripped down to my t-shirt once I was in Trent’s room and climbed into his bed. There was a dip where he slept and it was extremely comfortable. I couldn’t help but imagine him in the bed with me. I hadn’t been with anyone since I moved to Chicago. It was hard to trust people in general, much less a guy. My distrust centered around the guy I was involved with before I left Glendale and the things he did to me. I got tangled in his web and he swore he would find me if I ever left him.

  It had been five years, but I still looked over my shoulder occasionally. It was easy to disappear in a city with over two million people, especially after I changed my name, but his threat still lingered. Having my face on the news concerned me, but at least the picture they showed looked nothing like the brunette with honey-colored eyes that left Glendale behind. I hoped Trent and Chase were right and the story would fade fairly quickly. If it didn’t, I would be leaving Chicago as fast as I left Glendale.

  That’s another reason to avoid a relationship entirely. I left behind everything I knew when I moved to Chicago.

  The next morning was a little chaotic. Luckily, neither of them mentioned our conversation from the night before. We made small talk over breakfast and then Trent offered to call the investigator that was handling the apartment fire. The investigator didn’t normally work on Sunday, but Trent convinced him to at least meet us at my apartment so I could sift through the wreckage under supervision. Chase offered to drive, so the three of us climbed into his Corvette and headed to my apartment. I really hoped the fire didn’t spread further than the living room. My purse was in the kitchen, along with my cell phone. If the kitchen was safe, then I could at least get access to my bank account and get a hotel room so I wasn’t leeching off them for longer than one night.

  Not that our time together has been completely boring.

  Six

  Trent

  My thoughts about Kayla were conflicted as we got to her apartment building and met with Investigator Davidson. She definitely wasn’t like the girls Chase usually brought home for us to share, and she seemed interested in me. I could tell there was more to it than she let on. I could tell it wasn’t just the complications surrounding the fire that kept her from agreeing to the date. There was something hidden beneath the surface that caused her to hold back. Chase confessed that he mentioned her having fun with the two of us while I was out of the room. That explained why she was blushing when I returned to the living room after I got my pillow and blanket. I wasn’t angry with him for suggesting it, especially after she turned me down for a date. If she wasn’t interested in something serious, then I was definitely open to pinning her beautiful curves between us for just one night.

  “This is the only floor that is completely uninhabitable right now.” Investigator Davidson led us up the stairs and pushed open the door to Kayla’s floor. “We also kept the tenants out of the apartment directly above the fire, just to be safe.”

  “At least the fire didn’t put too many people out on the street.” Kayla shook her head sadly as she walked towards her apartment.

  “My team worked hard to get early clearance since it was an apartment building. We haven’t done much on this floor other than confirm it wasn’t an electrical issue.” He walked up next to Kayla. “I’ll poke around in the living room while you check on your things.”

  “Thank you so much.” Kayla smiled and nodded.

  Chase and I pushed away the remnants of her broke
n door so she could enter easily after Investigator Davidson pulled down the yellow tape. She immediately walked to the kitchen where she was able to retrieve her purse and cell phone. Neither of them appeared to have any damage outside of smelling like they had been sitting in a chimney overnight. Most of the apartment had a heavy dusting of ash in the open area, but the bedroom door was closed, so everything in there was fine. The investigator moved several things around, studied the scene, and jotted down a few notes while she packed a bag with a few essentials.

  “Might as well do a little work since I came all the way out here.” The investigator moved his hand across a pile of ash. “Maybe it’ll save me a trip tomorrow.”

  “That’s an unusual burn pattern, isn’t it?” Chase walked into the living room and squatted.

  “Good observation.” Investigator Davidson nodded and pointed at the floor. “The circular pattern here burned more than the area around it, so this is probably where it started.”

  “Odd.” I stepped closer. “It looks like it started in the middle of the room.”

  “Maybe you two should consider joining my team when you get tired of running into burning buildings.” The investigator chuckled. “Yeah, it’s not common to see a fire just randomly start in the middle of the room. She said she had no idea what could have caused it?”

  “That’s what she said.” I nodded and looked towards her bedroom before lowering my voice. “I wonder if she’s telling us the truth.”

  “There had to be a source.” The investigator pushed some more ashes away from the spot where the fire appeared to have originated from. “If it was electrical, we would see more damage around the sockets or one of the electronics.”

  “Maybe it was a candle.” Chase turned his attention towards a pile of melted wax that was sitting on a shelf.

  “Perhaps.” The investigator stood and walked over. “I think that’s too far for one of those to have fallen.”

  “Wait a second.” I brushed away some ash with my finger. “Is that a cigarette butt?”

  “Hmm.” The investigator pulled a bag from his pocket and walked back over. “I think you might have just solved the mystery.”

  “I’m surprised it didn’t burn up.” I watched as the investigator pulled out tweezers from a thin black case and bagged the potential evidence.

  “Yeah, lucky for us. I’m guessing it’s another case of someone falling asleep while they’re smoking.” He grunted and rolled up the bag. “I swear, you would think people would have better sense.”

  “Everything okay out here?” Kayla’s words interrupted our discussion as she walked out of her bedroom.

  “I guess so.” I turned with a disappointed stare on my face. “You said that you didn’t know how the fire started?”

  “Well—I mean…” The guilt quickly spread across her face.

  “Did you fall asleep smoking a cigarette?” Chase took a step in her direction and tilted his head.

  “Oh god…” She swallowed hard and her eyes got wide.

  “How could you be that fucking irresponsible?” My jaw tensed and I felt my anger starting to rise. “On top of that, you lied to me and said you had no idea how it started in the first place.”

  “I didn’t want anyone to find out how it really started.” A grimace formed on her face as she looked at the three of us. “I was afraid I would get in trouble.”

  “Legally, there isn’t much for us to do—it wasn’t deliberate.” Investigator Davidson put his tweezers in his case and snapped it shut. “I’ll have to tell the owner how it started, but it’s up to them how they handle it. I wouldn’t bet on getting your security deposit back, though.”

  “They’ll probably kick me out.” She sighed and her head dropped in shame. “I guess I will be looking for a new apartment. I was hoping they would let me stay in one of the vacant ones until mine was repaired.”

  “Probably so.” Chase nodded and stared at her with a scowl on his face.

  I was angry at Kayla for what she had done and the fact she lied about it, but I still felt sorry for her. The fire obviously wasn’t intentional. It was just a terrible mistake. She was alive and nobody was hurt, so the situation wasn’t as dire as it could have been. I was pretty sure she was right about the owner of the apartment building kicking her out. Most of the better apartment buildings in Chicago had banned smoking entirely, partially to avoid the very thing that happened in Kayla’s apartment. Still, she was a young woman in a difficult situation, and I didn’t want to be cruel, so I quelled my anger. I wasn’t really happy about the lie, but I understood why she didn’t want to tell me the truth.

  “I can’t officially clear the scene until Monday morning, so I have to ask that you leave if you’re gotten everything you need.” The investigator looked around the room at the three of us.

  “Yeah, I should be all set.” Kayla nodded and started walking towards the front door.

  “Thanks again for helping us out on a Sunday. I know it isn’t how you’d prefer to spend your weekend.” I gave Investigator Davidson a nod as I started towards the door.

  “No problem. I was supposed to have brunch with the in-laws, so you helped me out, too.” He chuckled and smiled.

  I took Kayla’s bag once we reached the staircase and carried it as we walked down to the lobby. I could tell that she was remorseful, but that didn’t completely erase what she did, nor did it make her lie an easy pill to swallow. The entire situation was unfortunate. I didn’t know much about her living situation, but it wouldn’t be easy to just get another apartment unless she had some money in her bank account. She mentioned working at a call center when we were drinking the night before, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t very lucrative. I pulled Chase to the side, and we agreed that we would ask her to stay at least another night. She definitely wasn’t going to find an apartment in one day and there was no reason for her to waste money on a hotel room when she was going to have some unexpected expenses coming her way soon.

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” Kayla sighed and shook her head when we walked outside the apartment building. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first person to set their apartment on fire and lie about how it started.” I shrugged and shook my head.

  “At least I’m not your problem anymore. I’ll get an Uber and find somewhere to stay.” She slid her finger across the front of her phone.

  “Nah, you can stay with us another night.” Chase motioned towards her with his hand as he started walking towards his Corvette. “Let’s go.”

  “What? No, you’ve done enough—both of you. I’ll figure it out from here.” She shook her head back and forth.

  “We insist, really.” I picked up her bag. “You need to save your money.”

  “Just—please don’t set our apartment on fire.” Chase looked over his shoulder and chuckled.

  “I don’t think I’m ready to joke about that quite yet.” She exhaled sharply, but began to walk towards Chase’s car.

  “Well, he might be joking, but I’m not.” I pulled open the door when she got to the car. “Don’t you even think about lighting up at our place.”

  “I won’t, I swear. I don’t even smoke.” She climbed into the car and fastened her seatbelt. “I did it in high school with my friends, but I quit a long time ago.”

  On the ride back to our apartment, Kayla told us more about her friend Anna, and how she managed to set her apartment on fire in the first place. Based on everything she had told us the night before about leaving her small town and starting over in Chicago, I thought she would have been a lot more responsible. Alcohol did lower inhibitions though, and addictions were quick to spring up on people when they thought they were long forgotten, so I was sympathetic. I certainly had a few wild nights I regretted the next day, even if they didn’t have results that were quite as disastrous. We got back to our apartment and I carried Kayla’s bag upstairs. Chase went straight to the kitchen and
grabbed a beer.

  “Anyone else want one?” Chase looked over his shoulder.

  “It might be a little early for me.” I raised my eyebrows and chuckled. “We haven’t even had lunch.”

  “I don’t want a beer, but I could make us some lunch.” Kayla started to walk towards the kitchen.

  “No, I don’t think I want you near anything flammable.” Chase waved her off. “I’ll fix something.”

  “Come on, stop teasing me.” She looked at Chase and pouted.

  “He wasn’t trying to be cruel.” I forced myself not to laugh. “He does have a point, though.”

  “Fine. I guess I’ll go get changed into my own clothes at least.” Kayla picked up her bag and walked towards the bedroom.

  “What are we going to do with her?” Chase chuckled as he started rummaging in the cupboard for something to eat.

  “I don’t know.” I sighed and shook my head. “Clearly she has no interest in dating me, so we’ll just do what we can to help her out.”

  “I’m not ready to give up that easily.” Chase looked down the hallway. “I’ve got an idea.”

  “Am I going to like this plan?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.

  “I think you will.” A devious smile crossed his face.

  I don’t think she’s the kind of girl to fall for Chase’s tricks, but he’s surprised me before.

  Seven

  Kayla

  I felt like my world was crashing down around me and I was in a downward spiral worse than the one Anna had been on since her last relationship fell apart. My secret was exposed and I was probably going to lose my lease. I made enough money to get by but starting over was going to be hard. I had a couple of credit cards that I had been careful with, and I could get cash advances, but it was going to be very difficult to come up with the money for a security deposit and the first month of rent. It definitely didn’t help that I had just paid all my monthly bills right before the fire. I had to keep pushing myself forward, no matter how difficult it got. I put the past in my rearview mirror when I left Glendale. Even my family didn’t know what happened to me, outside of the letter I left them letting them know I was leaving.