His voice was hoarse when he said, “What I do doesn’t always have to do with you.”
“Oh? Since when are you into cheap women parading their tits in front of your face?”
He pushed her finger away, because she was still poking him in the stomach. “First of all, Sue was not parading anything in front of my face, and second, I don’t know why you think I need to justify my actions to you.”
“You could at least be a little more considerate,” she whispered unhappily.
“Considerate?”
“Yes!” she hissed. “And I’m not just talking about my feelings. You could also think about your mom for once.”
“Why would Mom be upset if I talk to other women?” he said sarcastically.
“Because your mother gets upset when you act like a freaking moron!” Hayden flared her nostrils and glared at him. “Your mom needs you. She misses Joe like crazy, so she should have had her oldest son there to comfort her when Chief Brody was speaking about him. Instead, you turned your back on the whole affair and pretended to be as bored as if the chief was reciting the schedule for next week. Goddammit, he was speaking about your dad!”
“I know that.” Heath’s frown was so deep, his eyebrows almost met in the middle. “I don’t know why that’s any of your business, though.”
“Because I’m making it my business.” She wasn’t ashamed of her feelings, so she raised her chin and stared into his green eyes. “You can shut me out, kick me out of your life, and screw a hundred other women, but that won’t change the fact that I love your family, and that you are dear to my heart.”
She registered that he flinched but didn’t comment on it. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she saw that his buddies, the ones h’d been sitting with minutes earlier, were looking in their direction. But they immediately looked away when she caught them staring. Hayden snorted in irritation and turned to face Heath again.
“If the only reason you’re staying away from your mom is because of me, just tell it to me straight. I’ll leave, and you can—”
“But I know Mom wants you here,” he interrupted gruffly.
Hayden didn’t like the fact that her chin was trembling. Mustering her strength, she stated, “Your mom wants you around, Heath. She’s worried about you, and she’s lonely. It would comfort her a lot if you showed your face around the house more often.”
When he didn’t answer, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Did I do something to make you treat me like this?”
With an angry sigh, he replied, “We broke up—”
“So?” Oh God, she didn’t want to start crying, but she could feel the tears well in her eyes. “Even if you don’t love me anymore, you don’t have to hate me, either! We’ve been friends for our entire lives, Heath, but now you’re acting as if I slept with your best friend, or … or poisoned your dog!”
“I don’t hate you. And I don’t have a dog.”
She threw up her hands. “Then tell me what your problem is! I’m not stupid. I know you’re avoiding your family because of me.”
He swore under his breath and made a disgusted face before crossing his arms over his chest. “I broke up with you, Hayden. Do you really think it’s a good idea to run into each other at family dinners and gatherings all the time?”
She’d suspected as much and fought the bile rising in her throat. “Fine. Then I’ll stay away from your family from now on.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he groaned. “That wouldn’t be fair.”
“It also isn’t fair that Ellen has to go through this tough time without her son, just because you can’t stand the fact that I’m there as well. It’s better if I pull out.”
“Such a martyr,” he scoffed.
“Stop that.” She shook her head, feeling choked. “Maybe you don’t feel anything anymore, but I can’t bear this anymore. I’m going to leave now.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes, because I don’t want to go on having to see your mom suffer, and you don’t seem to give a damn about it.”
With another groan, he stepped toward her. “Do you really think I’m that much of a jerk, Hayden? I don’t want to hurt Mom, but …”
“But what?”
“But this isn’t easy for me, either.”
She wanted to talk to him, ask him how he was really doing, be there for him. But none of that would happen, because he had erased her from his life. And she was sick of telling him over and over again that he ought to have more consideration for his family. That wouldn’t have been necessary at all just a while ago, because she’d never known anyone who had cared as much about family as Heath.
“You know what?” She swallowed. “Just do whatever the fuck you want. I found someone who’s interested in buying the van. As soon as that’s settled, I’ll leave half the money with your mom, and you can pick it up there.”
He shook his head angrily. “I don’t want the money!”
“There you have it,” she answered heavily. “That’s exactly how I feel. There are a lot of things I don’t want, but I can’t do anything about them.”
Chapter 8
Being as a fireman could be a tough job, sometimes dangerous and exhausting, but there were also times when it was exciting and satisfying.
Heath was lying on a bunk in the crew room, hoping to get a little rest before the next alarm when it went off followed by the announcement—they were needed at a school. He froze as he listened. It was Hayden’s school.
The blood seemed to stop in his veins.
But he was a fireman, and instinct finally took over, making him dash out of bed.
Almost immediately, the announcement came through that the alarm had been caused by little more than a prank—a small trash can set on fire. Heath sighed with relief, able to breathe normally again as he made his way to the truck. For a few seconds, horrific visions had haunted his head, scenes of the elementary school ablaze, Hayden injured and bleeding. He nearly went crazy with worry in an instant.
Despite being less than thrilled to face her again, mere days after their argument at the picnic, he was relaxed and relieved as he sat in the passenger seat of the truck. They drove into the schoolyard with the lights flashing. A charred trash can stood flaming in the center of the lot, and a class of wide-eyed children stood a few yards away from it, guarded by Hayden.
Next to her, the principal had a hand on the shoulder of a delinquent-looking boy. He was talking insistently to the red-headed culprit, and both boy and man were wearing deep frowns on their faces.
Heath only had eyes for Hayden, who was wearing her blond hair pinned up in elaborate braids. In her light blue summer dress, she looked as fresh and alluring as apple pie. Even as a boy, he could have stared at her for hours when she did her hair in such a beautifully girlish fashion. And as a young man, after he’d discovered the joy of exploring the soft skin of his girlfriend, he could never look away from her pretty face when she offered him a smile. Even now, he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do than scrutinize her soft curves under that dress, to trace her delicate features with his gaze and stare into her sky-blue eyes. But that was no longer possible.
He had to clench his teeth for a moment to be able to ignore all these details and avoid staring at her like some mesmerized rabbit. He put his helmet on, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and marched over to the abused trash can, which had been charred completely. He extinguished the flames under the awestruck eyes of the schoolchildren. They were looking at him as if he’d just slain a dragon, or at least eliminated homework forever, which made him want to grin. Instead, however, he feigned sternness and fixed his gaze on the delinquent, who was still staring defiantly at the ground.
Frowning, Heath set the fire extinguisher down, cleared his throat, and scanned the glowing faces of the other children, who were looking up at him and at the shiny truck behind him. “I’m Lieutenant Fitzpatrick. Did any of you light the trash can on fire?”
“That was Ju
stin!” a small girl with a giant gap between her front teeth yelled loudly. She pointed at the boy excitedly, and his face became increasingly cagey.
“Yeah, Justin did it! I saw him do it,” a slightly pudgy boy confirmed. He half-hid behind Hayden, and when the culprit glared at him, he stuck out his tongue defiantly.
The principal, whom Heath had known a few years, let out a heavy sigh and gave Heath a harried look, still holding the boy by the shoulder. “We’ve already informed Justin’s parents. A lunchroom worker was on her way to start her shift when she discovered the burning trash can and Justin next to it with a box of matches. She pulled the fire alarm.”
“I bet Justin wanted to set the whole school on fire,” another boy said.
“That’s enough, Tommy,” Hayden said sternly with a shake of her head. “Of course Justin wasn’t trying to set the school on fire. And I’m sure he regrets what he did.”
The girl who had first piped up looked up at Hayden, curious. “Will Justin’s daddy beat him up for this?”
One look at the stubborn boy, who had flinched at the question, and Heath didn’t have to look at Hayden for confirmation that that was exactly what the boy’s father would do.
“Tiffany,” Hayden sighed in exasperation, “I want you to be quiet now. Count to one hundred in your head.”
“But—”
“Starting now, Tiffany.” Hayden’s voice sounded so authoritarian suddenly that Heath almost smiled at her. Hayden couldn’t hurt a fly, and she was the last person on earth to enjoy screaming or railing at someone. To experience her teaching persona and witness this unfamiliar sternness was quite amusing.
To distract himself from her beauty, he focused completely on the little criminal. Taking off his helmet, he tucked it under his arm. “Justin, would you like to take a closer look at the fire truck?”
Hesitantly, suspiciously, the boy raised his eyes in slow motion, biting his lip before shrugging. He looked unsure of what to expect.
Without acknowledging the other kids, who began to complain loudly that Justin, of all people, would be rewarded for setting the trash can on fire, Heath nodded at Hayden and the principal. “Would it be okay if Justin and I talked for a few minutes?”
“Of course, Heath.” Mr. Horrace nodded and took his hand from Justin’s thin shoulder, while Hayden was busy calling her class to order. Heath handed the boy his helmet, asking him to carry it for him, while he picked up the fire extinguisher and carried it back to the truck. The boy was dumbstruck but followed quickly. When they reached the truck, Collum was leaning against it, an amused smirk on his face. At a sign from Heath, he stepped aside so Heath could lift Justin up into the driver’s seat, after handing Collum the extinguisher.
The boy with the grazed knees and narrow shoulders sat silently, stiff as a poker and very confused, in the space that was normally Collum’s. He looked as if he hardly dared breathe, let alone shift his weight or make himself more comfortable. He let his eyes roam the interior of the cab, still not quite believing his luck at being here, and listened intently while Heath explained what all the buttons and switches were for.
“You know you’re not supposed to play with fire, don’t you?” Heath asked.
Justin remained silent. He didn’t look stubborn anymore, but rather dejected. Heath felt a little sick to his stomach as he noticed a yellowing bruise peeking over the collar of the boy’s faded t-shirt. Justin was the prime example of a child that was being abused at home and vented his impotent anger elsewhere, wherever he could.
“I know that,” the boy whispered. He sounded apologetic now. “I only wanted …”
With a sigh, Heath braced his left foot against the footboard of the cab. “I know what it’s like to be so angry at someone or something, so angry that you want to destroy something, Justin.”
“Really?”
“Really.” He nodded to back up his claim. “I also know how it feels when things are unfair. Sometimes they just are. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s extremely dangerous to play with fire. You could easily hurt other people, but also yourself.”
When the boy didn’t answer, Heath casually asked, “Do you have any brothers or sisters, Justin?”
Finally, the boy looked up at him and nodded reluctantly. “I have a little sister. Her name’s Josy.”
“I have a little sister, too. Her name is Kayleigh, and she’s a doctor, but you know what she else she is?”
The boy swallowed and shook his head.
Heath gave him a broad grin. “She’s a real pest. Little sisters can get on your nerves, don’t you agree?”
After a few seconds the boy returned the grin, but it was far more reluctant and shy than Heath’s had been.
“How old is Josy?”
“She’s four, and she’s in daycare,” the boy murmured, playing absently with a hole in his denim bermuda shorts.
Heath didn’t want to frighten the boy, so he tried to keep his voice casual. “Imagine Josy is in her daycare, and one of her friends sets a trash can on fire there. The teachers noticed today’s fire really quickly, but sometimes, nobody notices in time. Josy and the other kids could get hurt, and maybe they’d even have to go to the hospital.”
“I don’t want that,” Justin murmured, suddenly looking as if he were about to cry.
Heath put a soothing hand on the boy’s back. “I know that. I know you didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
The voice of the little guy swam in tears now. “I stole the matches from my dad. He’s going to beat me now.”
“I will talk to your dad,” Heath promised sincerely.
“But he’ll be really mad!”
“He won’t be thrilled to hear what happened,” Heath admitted, “but he’ll be far too relieved that nothing happened to you to stay angry for too long.”
“He sometimes yells at us,” Justin whispered, his voice now very small. “So Josy and I hide from him.”
Heath’s stomach churned. He threw a glance back at the group of children, who were still standing together with Hayden and the principal. And then he noticed the stocky man marching toward the two teachers, visibly furious.
Justin cringed and ducked for cover, trembling and about to break down sobbing. Heath presumed the bear-like man was his father.
“You know what? Why don’t you stay in here and let Collum tell you all about what we do when there’s a big fire? I’ll go over and talk to your dad. I’ll explain to him how you didn’t mean any harm.”
The boy nodded, a glimmer of hope in his frightened eyes. He stayed in Collum’s care while Heath sauntered over to where the furious man was breathing fire and brimstone.
Heath narrowed his eyes as he watched how the man was puffing himself up before Hayden and the slender principal, ranting at them in front of the scared children. Heath also registered the alarmed expression on the face of his former fiancée, who was looking at him, probably expecting an outburst from him that would match the angry man’s intensity—or maybe surpass it. He could not hold it against her, because the Fitzpatricks were known for their hotheadedness.
Unlike Shane, who was known to hit the roof at the slightest provocation, and who had gotten into a lot of unnecessary fights, Heath was a bit more levelheaded. The sight of the slavering brute, however, who was getting far too close to Hayden for his own good, made him wish he could use his fists on the man.
“What’s going on here?” Heath went to stand close to Hayden and Mr. Horrace, straightening to show his full size, and then fixed his eyes on the man with the bloodshot eyes.
“Mr. Miller is a little upset that we asked him to come down here,” the principal said diplomatically.
“I’m not upset, I am hopping mad, you wimp,” the obviously intoxicated man snorted. “What has the damn boy done this time? I’m going to beat the living hell out of him!”
Before Heath even got a chance to grab the man by his greasy collar, Hayden stepped forward. Heath had never seen her looking this belligerent.<
br />
She ordered her pupils to cover their ears before sticking out her chin and facing off with the blustering father, who was taller than her by at least a head. “If you dare lay a hand on Justin, I’ll send my brothers-in-law to your house. They work for the police department and know how to make it look like an accident!”
Heath didn’t know whether to be shocked or amused by the statement. She managed to shock her boss, who was gasping like a fish on dry land.
“Hayden!” the principal gasped.
Mr. Miller was too drunk to properly grasp what she’d just said. But the simple fact of her opposition was enough to make him even angrier. He growled and tried to take a step toward her.
That was Heath’s cue to grab the man by his arm and yank him backwards. “Restrain yourself!” he admonished the drunk sternly, forcing himself to remain calm.
“What the hell do you want, pal?”
“I want you to go home and sleep this off. Otherwise I’m going to call my colleagues at the police department, so they can march you off.”
“Fuck off!”
Heath looked at the principal. “I suggest you issue a formal ban, so Mr. Miller won’t be allowed to enter the school grounds anymore. If he doesn’t oblige, the next step would be a restraining order.” He nodded at Hayden, who had turned rather pale, despite her courageous words a minute earlier. “And you better take the children back inside. I don’t know if we can handle this like sensible adults here …”
“I don’t give a shit about the other brats!” Miller yelled again. “Give me my son so I can drag his ass home!”
“No way am I letting Justin go home with you now.” Hayden shook her head firmly. “Not with the state you’re in, Mr. Miller.”
“The state I’m in? That’s none of your goddamn business!”
The Heat Is On (Boston Five Book 1) Page 10
