Chapter 14
On Monday morning, Warren, Dennis, and Saul were on their way to rescue a man who had become stuck in a tree after attempting to rescue a cat. There was no word on the cat, but dispatch said Luke Holter was in his early seventies. Luckily, Luke had had his cell phone in his pocket to call for help.
“We’re two minutes away, right?” Warren asked.
Dennis, behind the wheel of the fire engine, nodded. “It’s an address in Burke Woods. This guy must be loaded.”
Saul snorted. “His designer kitty must have been worth a bundle for him to climb a tree.”
“Maybe the guy’s an animal lover,” said Warren. “Rich or not, it doesn’t matter. We have a duty to aid anyone who calls.”
As captain, he had to set a good example for his team. But privately, Warren agreed with Saul’s snark. While still technically part of Harper Landing, Burke Woods reigned as the wealthiest pocket of town. Most homes had multi-acre lots and waterfront views. Many of them included guest houses and horse stables. There were zero sidewalks. Burke Woods residents didn’t want just anyone walking through their neighborhood. Unless you drove a Tesla, Lexus, Cadillac or some other high-dollar vehicle, you didn’t belong. Dawn’s BMW would fit right in, Warren mused, although he couldn’t picture her living there.
“Senior citizens and ladders are a bad combination,” said Saul. “I’ll never forget Gutter Guy from last May.”
“He had a name,” said Dennis. “You shouldn’t call him Gutter Guy.”
“I’d call him by his name if I remembered it, doofus.” Saul glared at Dennis. “So what was it?”
Dennis shrugged. “I can’t remember it either.”
“Axel,” said Warren. “How can you forget a name like that?”
Warren remembered it because it was Swedish. “Swedes are cheapskates,” Uncle Mike used to tell him. Warren always chalked that up to Norwegian slander until they came upon Axel lying on the pavement, with a broken hip and an injured shoulder. He’d fallen two stories after attempting to clean his gutters on a slippery ladder—at ninety-three years old. He was lucky to be alive. Cheapskate or not, the man was a badass.
“Axel. That’s right!” Saul smiled. “Remember his parting words to us as we loaded him into the engine?”
“You’ve got a ladder,” Dennis croaked, imitating Axel’s raspy voice, “and I’m a taxpayer. Finish the gutters for me, will ya?”
Saul shook his head. “As if.”
“I went back the next morning to help,” Warren admitted. “But the gutters were already clean as a whistle.” He wagged his finger between them. “Which one of you beat me to it?”
Dennis parked the engine at the end of a long driveway shaded by trees and turned off the lights. “It wasn’t me. Irene would have my hide if I didn’t come straight home.”
Warren noticed Saul’s ears turning red. Their youngest co-worker talked a good game of chasing skirts and living up the bachelor life, but Warren knew Saul had a soft heart when it came to the elderly.
“It was on my way.” Saul shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that.” He climbed out of the engine.
“Would you look at this tiny thing?” Dennis peered at the house as he assisted Saul with the ladder. “Have you ever seen a house like this in Burke Wood?”
Warren didn’t think house was the right word. Cottage was more like it. The tiny home seemed plucked from a fairy garden and nestled into the middle of Harper Landing. The old-fashioned roses were what really stood out. They climbed up the side of the cottage and arched over half of the roof.
“Weird.” Saul gripped the back of the ladder. “Where to?”
“The backyard.” Warren led the way. “With this many trees, I hope we can find him.”
“Seriously, this lot must be three acres.” Dennis brought up the rear. “Maybe that was the guest house, and the mansion’s closer to the water.”
“Could be,” said Warren.
But once they pushed past the gate and into the backyard, all Warren saw were roses. Row after row of roses. Instead of a mansion, they found an apple orchard, a generous vegetable garden, and an unfettered view of Puget Sound across the lawn. It wasn’t a million-dollar view—it was a five-million-dollar view.
“There he is!” Saul pointed at a big-leaf maple in the distance. “It looks like his ladder fell down.”
“Hopefully, he didn’t.” Warren picked up the pace. “Come on, guys. Let’s hurry before he loses his grip.”
They rushed over to the maple tree and deployed the ladder.
“Hello, Mr. Holter,” Warren called up into the branches. The leaves made it hard to see, but he could discern two work boots dangling high above the ground. “We’ll be right up to get you. Are you injured?”
“Does my pride count?” the man answered. “And please call me Luke. Mr. Holter was my father.”
“All right, Luke.” Dennis wedged the ladder into the grass. “Hang tight. And don’t be embarrassed about being stuck in a tree. The same thing happened to my wife, Irene, last spring, only in a plum tree.” Dennis looked at Warren and Saul. “Who wants to climb?”
“I’ll do it,” said Warren. He knew he wouldn’t get a workout in before his dinner with Dawn that evening, and the exercise would help calm his nerves. Warren climbed the rungs and told his brain to stop yammering. Tonight’s dinner would be fine. He had nothing to worry about. Sure, he’d never invited a woman to his home before to eat dinner with Mikaela, but this wasn’t just any woman. This was Dawn.
Warren neared the top of the ladder, and he could see Luke sitting on a branch, wearing dusty overalls. The older man clung to a scraggly orange cat with one hand and the tree trunk with the other. This high up in the tree, the trunk had thinned out enough for Luke to grasp it.
“Nice to meet you.” Warren steadied himself at the top of the ladder. “My name’s Warren.”
“Luke Holter.” He nodded hello. “And this bit of fluff is Sir Jellyfish.”
“Sir Jellyfish?” Warren raised his eyebrows.
“That’s a story for another time.” Luke eyeballed the ladder. “You wouldn’t mind holding him on your way down, would you? I’m not as limber as I used to be.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” Warren quickly corrected himself. “To help you, I mean. We don’t normally rescue cats.”
“You do now.” Luke passed the cat over to Warren.
“Got ’em.”
The cat tried to claw its way up to Warren’s neck and left behind a few scratches in the process. Warren wedged the animal underneath his armpit so both of his hands could be free to assist Luke. “I’ll step down a few rungs now, and then you can climb aboard, okay?”
“You go first. I’ll go second. Got it,” said Luke. “I just feel so stupid for calling you out here.”
“Don’t feel stupid. Accidents happen. I’m sure it wasn’t your idea for Sir Jellyfish to climb up there in the first place.” Warren watched as Luke scooted closer to the ladder, pressed his overalls against the tree trunk, and put both boots on the rungs. “That’s it,” Warren said. “You’re doing great.”
“Oh, I’m fine with ladders. It’s when they fall over that I have a problem.” Luke stepped down the rungs quickly. “I’m a handyman, so I’m on ladders all the time.”
“I would imagine,” said Warren as he descended. “Do the owners have you out here a lot?”
“What owners? I’m the owner.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Warren was glad the ground was in sight since he’d just put his foot in his mouth. Luke’s overalls seemed out of place in this neighborhood.
“Don’t be sorry. It was an honest mistake. Most people who live in Burke Woods rarely work with their hands.”
“And they don’t have gardens like you do.” Warren was close enough to the ground that Saul could reach up for the cat. “What’s that rose climbing over the house? It’s a beaut.” He passed Mr. Jellyfish to Saul, and the cat yowled.
“It’s an old-fashioned rose my mama planted for my sister, Lottie’s, fifth birthday. I couldn’t tell you the variety. It’s been so long that nobody but me is still alive to remember. But it sure is pretty, isn’t it? Especially this time of year.”
Warren had heard the name Lottie recently, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Do you handle all the yard work yourself, or is there a Mrs. Holter to help?”
“No wife. Just me,” said Luke. “I’m a lifelong bachelor.”
Warren’s feet hit the ground, and he was relieved to be on terra firma. Luke reached safety a few moments later, and Warren and Saul removed the ladder.
“You did a lot better climbing down than my wife, Irene, did when she got caught in our plum tree,” said Dennis. “She had plum juice everywhere.”
“Yeah,” said Warren. “That was impressive maneuvering, Luke. I hope I’m still climbing like that when I’m your age.”
“Hopefully, you won’t be such a dunce as to let your ladder fall over.” Luke scratched the back of his head. “Damn it, fellows. I’m sorry you had to come all the way out here to save my bacon. I feel like an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot.” Saul placed Sir Jellyfish in Luke’s arms. “This cat, on the other hand...”
“Is my only company.” Luke nuzzled the animal’s soft orange fur. “I get awful lonesome around here now that my sister’s passed away. Can I offer you guys lunch to thank you for your service?”
“I wish,” said Warren. “But we need to get back to the station in case we get another call.”
“I understand.” Luke bent down and placed Sir Jellyfish carefully on the grass. “At least let me send you off with some vine-ripened tomatoes. They’re already picked.”
“We’d love tomatoes,” said Dennis. “I’m famous for my firehouse spaghetti sauce, and homegrown tomatoes will really take it up a notch.”
“I’m not sure famous is the right word,” said Saul. “It’s the only thing he can cook that doesn’t involve the frozen food aisle.”
“He’s great with the dishes, though,” Warren said as he picked up one end of the ladder. “Unlike some people who never wipe crumbs off the counter.”
“I always wipe the counters,” Saul said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You guys remind me of my brothers.” Luke held onto the straps of his overalls and led them across the grass and toward the vegetable garden. Nearby, a potting bench held paper bags brimming with tomatoes. “We were always joshing around.”
“I’ve got brothers, too,” said Warren. “My older brother, Rudy, is a staff sergeant in the army and stationed in Germany, and my younger brother, Neil, teaches math in Olympia.”
“My brothers were in the service, too,” said Luke. “One of these days I’m going to visit them in Arlington, but I don’t like to drive that far.”
“Arlington’s only forty-five minutes away,” said Saul. “Maybe you could Uber.”
Luke shook his head. “Arlington National Cemetery in DC. They were both in the Air Force, which is why I don’t fancy flying.”
Warren didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t imagine life without his brothers. Even though Rudy lived overseas and Neil was two hours away, the three of them texted all the time. Family meant everything to Warren. His gaze roamed around the paradise in Luke’s backyard. It might be the most beautiful property in all of Harper Landing, but it would be lonely living in that stone house with nobody to talk to but a cat.
“Those apple trees,” said Luke, catching Warren’s attention, “they were my father’s.” He picked up a giant sack of tomatoes and handed them to Dennis, who was the only one not holding the ladder. “Be sure to come back in fall when the apples are going, and I’ll give you some.”
“We’ll do that,” said Dennis. “Thanks.”
“And you give us a call the next time Sir Jellyfish goes on an adventure,” said Warren. “Technically, cats aren’t our concern, but for you, we’ll make an exception.”
“Why’s he named Sir Jellyfish?” Saul asked.
“Because he got stung something fierce as a kitten.” Luke pointed at Puget Sound. “Right there on the beach. You can’t see it from here, but I’ve got a path down to the water. There’re no oysters, but I’ve got a boat for putting out crab pots.”
“I love crab,” said Saul. “I’m saving up for a boat.”
“Well, you can come use mine anytime. Just be sure to check the Department of Fish and Game schedule so you’re certain it’s a legal day.”
“I’d love that.” Saul grinned. “Thank you, sir.”
Warren smiled too. Saul could be a jackass sometimes, but he always did right by older people in Harper Landing. He wouldn’t be surprised if Saul stopped by to shoot the breeze one of these days and help Luke with weeding. Hell, he’d come to help weed too. Warren knew one boy in particular who’d love to dig up worms.
The radio buzzed, and Warren turned up the volume with his free hand so he could listen to the message from dispatch. “Well, sir,” he said to Luke afterward, “we better scoot.”
“Thanks for the tomatoes.” Dennis held the bag carefully with both hands.
The men loaded the ladder onto the engine and drove off to the next emergency, a toddler who’d climbed out of his crib and locked himself in his room. The mother was frantic, and the kid was sobbing hysterically, but Warren used a credit card to jimmy the lock and had the child free in no time. Dennis gave the boy a stuffed animal from the bag of goodies they kept on the engine for incidents like that, and when they drove away, both the mom and son waved.
They men made it back to Station Two, took care of the fire engine, and lucked out with some downtime before lunch. Dennis simmered the tomatoes with garlic and seasonings into an aromatic marinara. Saul went onto the patio and called his girlfriend of the week. Warren sat in his favorite recliner and stared at his phone. He couldn’t decide who to text first.
Mikaela’s ears look much better, said the message from Alison. She can spin the studs around now. Warren didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded promising.
See you tonight! Dawn had texted. I’m bringing sparkling cider for the girls in addition to the IPA for us. Hope that’s okay. Warren’s pulse picked up when he saw that one. Sparkling cider was celebratory. He hoped that signified that Dawn felt as excited about tonight as he was.
I’m considering what you said about the bridge project, the chief had texted. I have a meeting with the mayor this afternoon, and I’ll let you know how it goes. Warren breathed deeply. Knowing that the chief took his concerns seriously enough to investigate was a huge relief.
But the text from Laurie stopped his heart cold. Have you thought about it ? I want a big family just as much as you do, and Alison is coming around to the idea of having a third baby now rather than later. We’d make sure you were always an important part of the kid’s life. The child could even call you Dad if you wanted.
Shoot. Warren did want a big family. Desperately. But as a sperm donor? Not necessarily. Even if the kid did grow up calling him Dad, he wasn’t sure that bringing a new life into the world with his DNA was a good idea right now. Not when Mikaela hated him almost as often as she liked him. Not when he already had so many bills to pay. Not when a color-coded calendar so complicated it drove him nuts ruled his life. But on the other hand, he didn’t want to end up like Luke Holter, alone with only an ugly cat and a garden full of memories to keep him company.
Why did life have to be so complicated? Looking back, Warren cherished his happy childhood and wouldn’t trade those memories for anything: falling asleep to the sound of Rudy snoring, waking up to Neil blowing his nose because he had allergies and the old carpet in the rental was so dusty, and walking into the kitchen and seeing his mom frying eggs and bacon on the stove and his dad pouring coffee into his commuter mug before heading out to chain up the bus on a snowy morning. Lack of money didn’t matter. They had each other, and that made them rich.
That was the type of family life Warren wanted. Not a watered-down one where Dennis and Saul were substitutes for his brothers. Not one with Alison and Laurie, where he’d only be able to see his baby a few days a week. Or would it be their baby? Warren still wasn’t sure, and that added to the messy confusion. No, Warren wanted a family as rich as they could come, and if that meant he and Mikaela were the only two people in it, that was okay. But that family, the two of them, needed to improve. He and his daughter couldn’t keep fighting all the time. They needed to be a cohesive unit, like he and his uncle Mike had been after the fire tore his nuclear family apart.
Uncle Mike hadn’t been touchy-feely, but he’d made Warren feel safe and secure. He gave Warren a roof over his head, food in his belly, and roots to his community.
Warren tried to give Mikaela those things too, but maybe he hadn’t given her the community she needed. Being part of the Station Two fire family didn’t cut it for Mikaela. Warren could see that now. Maybe she needed something else, like dance lessons, Girl Scouts, or more trips to Olympia to visit her grandparents. Perhaps Mrs. Olson was right, and he should join the Sons of Norway lodge. It had never occurred to Warren to teach Mikaela Norwegian.
He knew why he hadn’t. Because learning Norwegian represented one of the worst periods of Warren’s life. But learning Norwegian with Uncle Mike carried happy memories too. The language reminded him of good and bad times mixed together. Uncle Mike had taken bad circumstances and turned them into an opportunity.
Warren swallowed the large lump forming in his throat, scrolled through his contacts, and dialed Laurie and Alison’s landline. He was so lonely for Mikaela’s voice that he couldn’t stand it. As soon as he got home that afternoon, he would buy her a phone.
“Hi, Alison,” Warren said as soon as she answered. “Is Mikaela there?”
“Sure, Warren. She’s out in the back. I’ll go get her.”
“Thanks.” Warren waited while the line went silent.
The receiver rattled when Mikaela picked it up. “Hi, Dad,” she said. “Do you have to work overtime or something?”
“No, not that I know of.” Warren held the phone to his ear and looked through the window at the trees growing outside. “Are your ears doing okay?”
“Yeah. They seem fine now.”
“Good. When I get home, we’re going to buy you a phone.”
“What?”
“A cell phone. Do you know what type you want?”
Mikaela squealed so shrilly that Warren had to pull the phone away. “Yes!” she shrieked. “I want an iPhone.”
“Good,” said Warren after bringing the phone back to his ear. “That’s settled. There’s something else I wanted to tell you too.”
“I’m listening.”
“Jeg elsker deg . ” Warren’s voice was gruff with emotion.
“What does that mean?”
“It means ‘I love you,’” said Warren, “in Norwegian.”