Anchor Point (Newman Fire Department #4)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Olivia

“ A s mayor, let me be the first to welcome you aboard, Chief Hawkins.” Paul Smith, a plump older man behind a gleaming large desk, rose from his luxury executive chair. Surrounded by his lush office, he reigned as a small-town mayor. Pompous. Arrogant. Condescending. That was probably why he felt comfortable letting his gaze skim suggestively down my legs as I took the seat across from his desk.

“Mr. Bloom assures me that you come highly recommended and will be an asset to our department and community.” His perusal traveled somewhere south of my chin with the words.

Irritation prickled down my back at the derisive tone as he said the word “chief,” even as he objectified me as a woman.

Maybe being as old as Methuselah compelled him to treat women as his own personal plaything .

Maybe it was his true, good-old-boy colors showing, and he really didn’t hold me in high regard.

Whatever the case, he didn’t take me seriously, and I didn’t trust his toothy grin for a second.

“If you need anything ,” he continued in that slightly annoying, slightly suggestive manner, “anything at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

He might as well have winked as he said it.

I bit my tongue against the cutting remark that threatened and stood, smoothing my jacket as I accepted the offered handshake. My movements drew the old bird’s eyes directly to my breasts.

Great. My new job as fire chief was off to an inauspicious start.

“Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate the opportunity,” I replied, letting the ice princess seep into my tone.

Plenty of men had looked my way, always seeing the curvy package and not the powerhouse leader. Those men learned quickly that I was a professional, and I didn’t suffer fools. But I was new here and needed this job. So I forced down the part of me that wanted to bite the man’s head off.

Cornelius Bloom, the city manager, stood from the other guest chair and cleared his throat. “Yes, Chief Hawkins. Welcome to the City of Newman. I’ll take you down to Human Resources. Once you’ve had time to get your paperwork processed, we’ll take a tour of the city, maybe stop by the stations to introduce you to your crews.”

I looked over to find his gaze fixed on my face, another plus in his favor. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to meet with the captains first before meeting with the entire department, if possible.”

“Certainly,” the mayor bubbled, speaking over Mr. Bloom. “Of course you want to meet the men working under you.” Then he winked.

I steeled my spine, suppressing the eye roll that threatened. This egotistical asshole was going to be my boss. I’d dealt with his kind of misogynistic attitude my entire career, and I knew how to handle myself to get what I wanted. He’d get used to seeing a woman in uniform, and then he’d begin to see me as the woman in charge, and the respect would grow. That was my plan, anyway. But it sucked to have to set these boundaries and lay the groundwork first.

“Excuse me, sir,” I replied, letting the steely tone I’d developed seep into my words. “They are officers. I am an officer and a professional. With all due respect, please extinguish the innuendo. I’ve been in the fire service for nearly fifteen years. I can guarantee you I’ve heard every joke, every wisecrack. And none of them are remotely funny. I’m here to do a job. I’m here because you needed a fire chief.”

Mayor Smith huffed in response, his face turning red as he bumbled a response. I tuned him out, spinning on a spiky heel toward the city manager.

Red-faced, Mr. Bloom blurted, “Thank you, Mr. Mayor,” before ushering me to the door and leading me down a long hallway.

City hall was housed in a modern red-brick building. One side of the hall was lined with doors, with the names of city offices labeled in matching font. On the other side, light filtered through tall windows that ran the length of the hall, showcasing a well-landscaped courtyard. Tile floors gleamed underfoot, our footfalls echoing off the high ceiling. A nice, top-of-the-line building for a small town. I was hopeful that the fire stations would be equally as nice.

The quaintness of the town and the classiness of this building alone had been an enticing part of the move from South Carolina.

“Please excuse the mayor,” Mr. Bloom said in a hushed voice. “He’s of a different generation.”

“Mr. Bloom, age should not be validation for bad behavior.”

“No, it shouldn’t.” He had the grace to look chagrined. “But as an elected official, and our boss, he tends to get away with doing things that others wouldn’t.”

Not for the first time, I wondered if I’d made a mistake accepting this position and uprooting my daughter Rosie. My interview process had been… interesting. I suppose my resume listed my qualifications well enough. But oddly, when I’d had my interview, traveling from Charleston on the city’s dime, my resume hadn’t been explored much. Rather, the topics had ranged anywhere from what my worst call had been to the types of equipment Charleston preferred. It was the oddest interview I’d ever had.

I’d still taken the job when they offered it because I couldn’t stay in Charleston any longer. My ex-husband had made sure of that.

Mr. Bloom offering the chief’s position had been the new start I’d needed. I’d accepted on the condition that they pay moving expenses, and then Rosie and I were on our way to our new town and leaving all the hurt of Charleston behind us.

“Here we are.” Mr. Bloom stopped in front of the door labeled Human and Community Resources, as if they couldn’t be bothered to have two departments for two such important roles.

“I need to make some calls while you complete your paperwork, but I’ll be back in an hour or so, and then we can get started on that tour. ”

Three hours later, we’d driven the city, and he’d shown me all the “most important” sights, including the three smaller firehouses that would fall under my direction and which roads they closed for parades. He pointed out the city park still undergoing reconstruction after a tornado destroyed the southern portion of town and then other important landmarks.

Bloom ended our tour at the Newman Fire Department headquarters, a two-story block building, with an exterior glass wall showcasing the stairwell and giant red slide.

“We finished remodeling and making upgrades just before the tornado hit. We refurbished the day room, offices, and bunk room, and installed the slide.” Pride curled around Bloom’s words. “And Station Four was completed the year before that. Our first new facility in over a decade, which also added another new engine company.”

He was a likable guy, radiating positivity and smiles, probably in his late forties, with thinning hair and a wiry build. He loved his city and seemed to embrace his role as head cheerleader.

I eyeballed the large headquarters from the parking lot. “And how many personnel are at this station?”

“This firehouse runs the most calls, so naturally, it has the most personnel on duty at one time. We have Rescue One and Engine One stationed here. Rescue One is staffed by two—a driver and a medic. Engine One is staffed by four. There are two apparatus drivers on shift here, one at the smaller stations. Plus a captain at each one.”

“And what’s the average call volume?”

“Oh, um… I’m not sure right offhand …”

Up until now, he’d spouted information like he was reading a brochure. I wanted to tell him he couldn’t scare me away with his answer. I’d asked the same question in my follow-up interview, so I knew the answer. Throughout the day, I’d gathered that the administrator wasn’t so much connected with the department’s issues as he was just showing off the pretty, positive things.

But I needed to know if I had an ally when it came time to approach a city council governed by a misogynistic mayor.

I gave him a thin smile to set him at ease. “Never mind, I’ll pull the information I need from reports. Let’s see the rest.”

His relief was palpable. “I’ll show you to your office, and then we can discuss meeting with the captains.” We started through the open bay doors. “Fair warning, there may be some resentment there. We passed over a few of our own to hire you.”

It made sense. I’d felt like there’d been more to this story from the get-go. I followed him into the stairwell, our footfalls echoing in the cavernous space. Keeping my voice soft, I asked, “Was there a reason to go outside of the department?”

“We had a former chief who made some… poor decisions. Naturally, it affected the department. We hired an interim chief, a retiree, but then the tornado happened, and with already having staffing issues… our search for a new chief was delayed while we put the city back together again.”

A second fumble. But this time, I wasn’t letting him off the hook. Something had gone down in this department, and knowing the details would help me navigate this onboarding with my new crews.

“So, the personnel are burned out and don’t trust leadership is what I’m hearing. ”

“I wouldn’t call it burned out, but they are tired of change and are ready to move forward.”

“And the ‘poor decisions of the former chief’? What does that mean?”

From this vantage point at the top of the stairwell, the glass wall lent a good view of the rest of the block. Cars buzzed by on the one-way, double-laned street. To the left, the center of town boasted a historic courthouse. Across from the station, residential homes had been converted to businesses. Beyond that lay quaint neighborhoods, with well-manicured lawns and large front porches, most with rocking chairs or porch swings.

Inside headquarters, the bay was filled with natural light. Clean, with a fresh coat of paint. The equipment, although in good condition, showed signs of age.

At the other end of the bay was a large empty office. The station was eerily quiet. No personnel milling about, though all the trucks were in the bay.

“I’m sorry, Chief Hawkins, his personnel record is confidential.” He turned to the doors, effectively ending the conversation. That was fine. I’d pave my own way and make this department my own. “This side of the stairwell used to be a municipal building. The other side is the living quarters. We moved the fire administration to this new wing as part of the renovation.”

A clerk at the front desk gave me a warm, welcoming smile, but Mr. Bloom walked right past her without introducing us. Then, once again, I followed him down a hallway.

He opened a door and swept his arm with a flourish into the room. “Welcome to your new office.”

It was small—industrial carpet, a simple desk and file cabinet, and a row of little windows high along the back wall. Possibly a converted storage room. Definitely a far cry from the fancy offices of city hall.

“I’ll leave you to get settled in now.” He checked his phone, swiping through messages. “I have another meeting that I need to get to, but I’ll check in with you tomorrow morning.”

And with that, my new boss left me hanging. Thanks for tossing me into the deep end of the pool, buddy .

I sat in the chair and took a moment to breathe, finally allowing myself to relax.

I thought about texting Rosie to see how her day had been, but a knock sounded at my door.

The clerk stood in the doorway, smiling at me. She had on a business casual outfit paired with sensible shoes. The tips of her blond shoulder-length hair curled slightly outward, and she wore minimal makeup.

“Hi, Chief. I’m sorry to interrupt. I thought we might go over a few things.” She indicated the notepad she held.

I straightened and motioned to the guest chair.

“Certainly. We can start with your name.” I tried for a polite smile. My face was going to crack from all the pleasantries.

Chuckling, she entered the room and took the seat across from me, leaning forward to offer her hand. “My name is Cathy. It’s a pleasure to meet you. It’s going to be nice having another woman in the department.”

She sounded positively thrilled, but her comment struck me as odd.

“There are no other women in the department?”

Cathy shook her head. “There are some female medics, but they work for the county. We’re it for the fire department.”

A whole department of men only? It was unusual but not unheard of. And I had a sneaking suspicion I’d just uncovered why my interview process had felt so peculiar.

“You seem surprised, Chief.”

“I am. I want to know why and how.”

Cathy shrugged. “There are some in other departments nearby, but in all of my years working here, there’s only been one female firefighter. Of course”—she cocked her head conspiratorially—“she had to work doubly hard to prove herself.”

“Do they actively discriminate?” With the mayor’s attitude, it wouldn’t surprise me. They needed me for their numbers.

“No. I think it’s more that we rarely have turnover, so we don’t have open positions very often. It’s a small department in a small city—when people get hired, they usually stay. So no other women besides you and me.”

This situation added another layer to the trepidation building in me. Suddenly, taking the position felt like a mistake.

I frowned at the thought, then refocused on my clerk.

Cathy was open, friendly, and I had no doubt she was the glue that held this department together. In my experience, there was a line between bosses and subordinates. Being friends usually didn’t work.

But I could be pleasant. Cordial.

I didn’t want to make enemies on my very first day, aside from the mayor. I could use an ally in the department, but years of needing to remain guarded had taken its toll and become my default.

“Anyway”—she shifted under my direct gaze—“I didn’t know your sizes.” She’d slipped into a professional get-shit-done voice that I immediately respected. “However, I’ve coordinated with the uniform shop, and they have the departmental patches ready. If you’ll jot down your sizes, I’ll make a quick call, and they should be ready this evening. I can run by on my way in tomorrow morning and pick them up.”

She checked her notes, ticking off boxes as she changed topics.

“I also ordered you a laptop, and IT should be by any minute with it. I got you all set up with account codes, so you’ll just need to change your password. And then I thought I could give you a rundown of the software we use.”

Another box was ticked off. “Oh, and I ordered you new badges and collar bars.”

And now I felt like a total bitch.

She’d really taken care of me. I hadn’t even thought to ask about my uniform. I softened the ice princess and let genuine appreciation seep into my tone. “Thank you, Cathy. I appreciate all that you’ve done. You’ve certainly set me up to get started on the right foot.”

A smile spread across her face, brightening her features. “It’s my pleasure, Chief. How about I give you a tour of our office area?”

She walked us through the administrative offices, noting a large conference room, a small unisex restroom, and a nice kitchen with a break area.

“How long have you worked here?” I asked as we made it back to my office.

“Ten years, ma’am.” Her words had a weight to them.

“It sounds like those might have been ten hard years.”

Cathy held my gaze confidently, having nothing to hide, and oddly, her no-nonsense attitude helped dispel some of my apprehension.

“But the next ten will be amazing, I’m sure.” Her warm tone held a note of supportive assurance, and just like that, she won me over.

This time, I didn’t hide my smile. “You’re damn right they will.”

I had a lot to live up to, following in my father’s footsteps and moving through the ranks of the fire service. Now was my time to prove my worth.

The IT guys showed up after that and set up my computer. Cathy gave me a rundown of the programs and then left me alone. Near five o’clock, I gathered my things and walked through the office, pausing at the kitchen to note we had a nice Keurig and an electric tea kettle, beside which a dainty teacup sat. Another thing Cathy and I had in common.

“Chief,” Cathy’s voice echoed down the hall, “your uniforms are all set. I’ll swing by and pick them up on my way in. Remember it’s black pants, not navy like the crew.”

“Thanks, Cathy.”

“And I scheduled a meeting with all the captains, on and off duty. They’ll be here at eight thirty, so the shift coming off can get out of here, and the shift coming on can get pass down completed. Plus, you’ll have time to get into your badass power suit.” She shot me a sly grin. “It’s going to be awesome to see their faces when they walk in and find out a woman is now leading this motley crew.”

I said goodbye to Cathy at the lot, after she assured me that my new SUV would be coming in the next few weeks, and finally headed home to Rosie, still halfway wondering what I’d gotten myself into.