by Naomi Niles
If they thought that would freak me out, they were sorely mistaken. I shrugged and nodded. “I kind of feel like a father,” I admitted.
“You can give me tips then,” John said suggestively.
It took a moment and then everyone looked at him at the same time. “What was that?” Peter demanded.
JJ smiled coyly. “It’s really early,” he admitted. “But it looks like… I’m going to be a dad, too.”
“Fuck!” Alan breathed.
We spent the next few minutes congratulating John and processing the news. “Was this planned?” I asked.
“Fuck no,” JJ shook his head. “Total surprise, but it was the best kind. Kami and I are really excited!”
“Anyone else have any bombshells to drop?” Peter asked.
Alan smiled. “It’s not exactly a bombshell, considering that Jessica and I have been engaged for months now. But we’ve set a date…finally.”
“Congrats, bro.” I smiled, patting him hard on the back.
It felt nice, to stand in a loose circle, sharing our personal milestones with each other. I heard the sound of laughter coming in from the kitchen and knew that Mom was bonding with her daughters-in-law. And somehow…it felt full circle.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Mia
I wasn’t exactly sure what was appropriate attire for a fireman’s picnic at the fairgrounds, but I had opted for jeans, boots, and a crisp white shirt underneath my jacket. I kept checking my reflection every five minutes, and it wasn’t until the third time I sought out a mirror that I realized I was a little nervous.
Renni was having a play date that evening, so I had nothing to distract me from my increasingly bouncing thoughts. All I knew was that the fireman’s picnic was an annual event to boost morale and to allow the fireman’s families to mingle and get to know one another. Basically, it was a mixer that included families. I was nervous, but I was also looking forward to seeing Sam among his peers.
I found a spot in the ground’s adjoining parking lot and made my way towards the crowd gathered in the center of the park. They had commandeered a number of the park’s benches and the party seemed to have spread out over several yards. I strained my eyes looking for Sam, and in the end, I had to call him to figure out where he was.
“I’m over by the trees,” he replied.
I laughed. “Sam, this park is full of trees,” I said. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”
“You look really sexy, by the way.”
“You can see me?” I asked, turning on the spot.
“Those jeans make your butt look amazing,” he continued teasingly.
“Shut up,” I said. “Where are you?”
“And that blouse… A little too high collared for my taste, but I look forward to unwrapping you at a later time.”
“Sam Burbank,” I said, in a stern voice. “Stop playing the fool and tell me where you are.”
At that moment, I felt his arms engulf me, and I gasped in shock. Sam laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, gorgeous,” he greeted, his hazel eyes were sparkling.
“You enjoyed that way too much,” I accused.
“Guilty,” he nodded. “Come on… Everyone’s waiting to meet you.”
“Everyone?” I said nervously.
Sam slipped his hand into mine and led the way. “The chief included,” he continued. “He says he’s dying to meet the girl who brought out my serious, responsible side.”
“Have I done that?” I asked, in amusement.
“You know you have,” he replied.
He led me to one of the center picnic tables. There was an impressive man sitting at the head. He was not a particularly tall man, but he was broad shouldered and well muscled. He had piercing blue eyes, and the kind of gaze that made you feel self-conscious. I knew instinctively that this was the chief that Sam seemed to have so much respect for.
“Chief,” Sam said. “I want to introduce you to Mia Dennis. Mia, this is Chief Angus Shelby. I’ve worked under him since I was a rookie.”
Chief Shelby rose and extended his hand for mine. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Mia,” he said. “Please, take a seat.”
As I sat down, a couple more guys approached and Sam made more introductions. “This is Mitch, Sean, and Hamish. He’s the current rookie on deck…but he’s learning fast.”
I shook hands with all of them, and we settled down around the picnic table. There was food everywhere – sandwiches with different kinds of fillings, sausage rolls, pizza, and tons of drinks.
“What can I get you to drink, Mia?” Sean asked.
“A beer is fine.”
“A girl after my own heart,” he smiled, as he passed me a beer.
Trying to break the ice, I asked them about their own families. The chief had been married for over twenty-five years and had two adult children who were both in college. Sean and Mitch were both married, but only Mitch had a child. Hamish was impossibly young and prone to blushing every time I looked in his direction. Once the small talk was out of the way, I honed in on questions about Sam.
“So…this may be a loaded question, but how good of a fireman is Sam?” I asked teasingly.
Sam laughed and answered before anyone else could. “I’m the best, obviously. I make these guys look good.”
The table burst out in sarcastic laughter, and Sam shot them all dirty looks. When the laughter died down and the barbs and jabs had been traded in good humor, Chief Shelby turned to me with serious eyes.
“Sam is an excellent fire fighter,” he said. “But he’s also my most unpredictable team member. He’s impetuous and reckless, and he doesn’t always follow orders very well.”
I turned to Sam for confirmation.
“Come on, Chief,” he argued. “I can’t exactly wait around for orders when people’s lives are at risk. I’ve got to act – that’s how I’ve saved lives in the past.”
“No need to give me the speech again, Sam,” Chief Shelby replied, in his raspy, deep voice. “I’ve heard it before.”
“Do you remember the Jamison building fire?” Sean asked suddenly.
“Remind me?” Sam said, wrinkling his brow as he tried to remember.
“That kid was ten stories high,” Sean went on. “And the building was about to collapse around us. Sam is the one who volunteered to get on the ladder and climb upwards to try and get to him.”
“You did that?” I asked, turning to Sam in amazement.
“It’s not as heroic as it sounds,” he said. “Actually… No, wait… It is.”
Everyone laughed, but I joined in only after a moment. It was lovely hearing about all his work stories, especially from the friends who’d been with him through thick and thin, but it was also frightening to hear.
I felt my heart tighten a little at the thought of Sam in a dangerous situation. For the first time, the reality of his job sunk in and I started to question everything again. What had I got myself into?
“And remember the Kramer incident?” Mitch asked, drawing my attention back to the conversation.
“First time I had a gun pulled on me,” Sam said smugly.
“What?” I gawked at him.
“Don’t worry,” he said nonchalantly. “He missed.”
“Someone actually at shot you?” I gasped.
“Mel Kramer was abusive,” Mitch explained. “His kids were terrified every time he started beating on their mom. One day, we got a call from a kid claiming there was a fire in their house. When we got there, we could hear Mel Kramer going crazy, smashing shit and screaming profanities.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Sam happened,” he said, shaking his head. “The kid got so pissed that a man would treat his wife like that, he didn’t wait. He just barged into the house and broke it up. Except he hadn’t expected Mel Kramer to have a gun.”
I turned to Sam with wide eyes. “And, he shot at you?”
“He was a poor shot, and I’m quick on my feet,
” he replied. “Long story short, we got the scumbag arrested and put away for a good few years. Not nearly long enough in my opinion, but it was a small victory.”
“Wow,” I breathed.
The conversation veered in a different direction, but my thoughts were firmly fixed on the one we’d just had. Towards the end of the day, Sam came up behind me and put his hands around my waist. He kissed me softly on the cheek.
“Something’s been on your mind all day,” he said perceptively.
“You noticed?”
“Of course, I noticed,” he nodded. “How could I not? You’ve been quiet ever since we started swapping war stories.”
“War stories?” I asked, with one raised eyebrow.
He smiled a little self-consciously. “That’s what we like to call them from time to time.”
I smiled. “They were impressive stories, Sam. I mean heroic is the only way to describe all the things you’ve done…”
“I feel a ‘but’ coming on,” he said.
“I guess it just scared me,” I said honestly. “I lost my husband to an accident. And now I’ve met you and you have a dangerous job – a job that puts you in close proximity to accidents all the time. How do I deal with that? Especially knowing how…reckless you can be.”
“That was the old me,” he rushed to assure me.
“The old you?” I repeated.
He nodded emphatically. “It may not have been very long ago, but I was a different guy back then.”
“How?”
“Because I hadn’t met you and Renni yet,” Sam explained, taking my hand. “It was just me, and I had nothing to lose, really. My life revolved solely around my job and because of that, I could afford to take risks. I could afford to be reckless and brave and impulsive.
“But like I said, it’s different now because my priorities have shifted. I have to think of you and Renni, and that means I’ve started changing the way I approach my job. I promise I will always act safe. And I will never put myself in harm’s way.”
“Act safe,” I repeated. I glanced up at him and touched his face with the back of my hand. “You know you can’t realistically make me that promise, Sam,” I said softly. “You’re a fire fighter. Your job is directly in harm’s way all the time. If there’s a man in a burning building, what are you doing to do? Stay away and let someone else go in there after him?”
“No, of course not-”
“Exactly,” I said, cutting him off. “You’ll do your job – which is going into the burning building to try and save him.”
“Mia…”
“I’m just… It’s scary to think of,” I whispered.
He hugged me close. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” I said. “This is your job, and it’s one of the most important jobs out there. I’m just being selfish.”
I could tell Sam wasn’t sure how exactly to comfort me. In the end, he just held me until the fear ebbed slightly. Later that night, after Sam had dropped me off at home and I was tucking Renni into bed, she looked at me with her big green eyes.
“I told Chrissy and Jordan all about Sam today,” she told me.
“Oh?”
“I told them he was a fire fighter, and he was coming on career day to talk to us,” she continued. “They were so excited.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Sam has the coolest job in the world,” Renni said, with wide eyes. “He’s so brave. He saves people every day.”
And just like that, the fear was back again. Because everything Renni said was true.
Sam was brave, and he did save people every day. But what happened when he ran out of luck? What happened when he found himself in a situation he couldn’t get out of alone? Who would save him then?
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sam
Mia opened the door looking panicked. She was still in her dressing robe, her hair was a sexy mess, and her body language clearly indicated she had overslept.
I smiled. “Good dreams, huh?”
“I thought I set my alarm,” she sighed hurriedly, as she closed the door behind me. “And, I think Renni’s overslept, too.”
“Go,” I said calmly. “You help her get dressed, I’ll wait.”
“What a day to be late,” she said in frustration as she made her way down the hall towards Renni’s room. “Career day! Damn it!”
I smiled and busied myself in the kitchen. I decided to put some eggs and bacon on the pan. While they were cooking, I got out the bagels and cream cheese, set the table, and poured out orange juice for three. I was spooning the eggs onto a flat dish when I felt Mia’s hands come around me and then run down my chest.
“Now that’s not fair,” I said, turning to face her. “Is there any point in getting me all hot and bothered now?”
She smiled and held up her hands so that I could see them. “I’ll stop.”
“Awww, why?”
Mia laughed, and then she leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. When she pulled away, her green eyes were soft with affection. “You made breakfast.”
“I did.”
“Thank you for that,” she said, infinitely calmer than she’d been when I had first walked in. “And, for doing this today for Renni. She couldn’t be more excited.”
“I’m glad to do it,” I insisted. I hesitated for a moment. “Umm…you don’t mind that I’m doing it, do you?”
Mia smiled and took a seat at the breakfast table. “I know I probably should be a little miffed that she completely sidestepped me in favor of you, but I’m not. It’s nice for her to have a male role model. She never really got to know her father in that way. She was too young when he passed.”
“Well, I’m honored to have been asked at all,” I said. “I’m actually kind of nervous.”
“Don’t be,” Mia said, with a laugh. “Renni’s been talking you up all week. I think everyone in that classroom already knows who you are and what you do. They’re just excited to meet you.”
“Oh, wow,” I said. “So no pressure?”
Mia smiled. “You’ll be fine,” she said reassuringly. “You’re great with people – kids especially.”
“Are you sure you can’t be there?” I asked again.
“I have an early deposition this morning,” she replied. “And in any case, the kids are allowed to bring only one person today. And that would be the person who gets to talk about their career.”
I sighed dramatically. “Just thought I’d ask.”
Mia placed a kiss on my cheek just as Renni rushed to the table. “Sam!” she said. “Are you ready?”
I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “I am ready!” I said. “And pumped!”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m excited.”
“Oh,” Renni said, and I could see her storing away that phrase for later use.
“How about some breakfast?” I asked. “Then we can head off?”
Renni nodded and sat down next to me, but she barely ate a thing. She was visibly excited, and it seemed she lost her appetite when that happened. She did manage half a bagel and some eggs at Mia’s insistence, but that was all.
Mia dropped Renni and me off at the kindergarten and together, we climbed the steps to her school. When we walked into her classroom, there were already a bunch of students sitting at the tables next to one of their parents. A kindly-faced, middle-aged woman with an interesting perm and sparkling brown eyes approached me.
“Hello, Mr. Burbank,” she said. “I’m Alison Ray, Renni’s teacher. Welcome.”
“Thank you,” I nodded, not surprised that she knew my name.
“Why don’t you and Renni sit down, we’re just about to start. We’re just waiting on a few more students.”
“Thank you, Ms Ray,” I said, figuring out that that’s what everyone would be calling her.
Renni and I found a seat in the back of the classroom. I noticed that all eyes were on me as we moved through the miniature ta
bles and chairs. I sank down in my tiny little chair, feeling like a giant in a fairytale. Renni sat down next to me, looking as proud as punch. A couple of her little friends gave me tentative smiles, which I returned with ready waves.
“You might be the most popular one in here at the moment,” one of the parents said to me. “To be honest, I don’t know why the rest of us even showed up.”
I smiled at him. He had deep blue eyes and dark hair starting to gray at the temples. He was dressed in a suit, but he didn’t look stuffy or pompous. He looked like he was quite comfortable.
“I’m Sam,” I said, stretching my hand out to him.
“I know,” he laughed. “I’m Joseph, Jolie’s dad.”
“Jolie’s dad is a surgeon,” Renni told me.
“That’s right,” Joseph smiled. “How are you this morning, Renni?”
“Happy,” she replied simply.
She and Jolie sat between us and started exchanging items in their backpacks. There were pictures, bits of string and even a ball of clay. I turned to Joseph.
“Have you done many of these?”
“This is my first time actually,” Joseph replied. “My wife did it last year. She’s a chef.”
I nodded. As I glanced around the classroom, I noticed that the kids weren’t the only ones shooting me curious glances. Quite a few of the parents seemed to have an interest in me.
“Don’t mind them,” Joseph said, from beside me. “It’s just new.”
“What is?” I asked.
“The fact that you’re speaking today,” he replied. “I think you might be the only non-parent.”
“Ah,” I said, understanding.
Finally, career day started, and Ms Ray invited Molly’s mother to come up and speak. Molly’s mother turned out to be an executive at a marketing firm. I tuned her out after the first five minutes – and apparently, so did everyone else. Eleven speeches later, it was finally my turn. It was with a strange sense of nostalgia that I made my way up to the front of the class.
“Hi, everyone,” I greeted the eager faces that met me.
“Hi, Sam,” they chorused loudly.
“Whoa…okay,” I smiled. “Thanks for the welcome. So I’m here on behalf of Renni to talk to you about my career. I’m a fire fighter.”
