Chapter 6
JERROD PUT away everything Chase had brought over. He made a trip to Target to get the things they still needed, and he also went into the local secondhand slash “antique” store to see what they had and came home with an additional chair for the living room. He brought that into the house and placed it in the room, making it less empty.
“Can we go to the park now?” Peter asked, hands on his hips like he was at the very end of his patience.
“Let me put the last of this away and we can go in fifteen minutes. I promise.” He smiled as Peter half dragged himself up the stairs like fifteen minutes was forever. Then he put the cutting board and a few more kitchen things away before heading upstairs to stock the bathroom. The list of items to get was still as long as his arm, but he was starting to fill it in. The big thing was a mattress for his bed, and that was on the schedule for after he took Peter to the park. “We can go,” he called to Peter, who raced out of his room just as someone knocked on the door.
He peered out the front window before opening the door to Chase. “Back from the fire?”
“Yeah. It was pretty bad. Those new condos they had started out off College? A lot of the building materials and the construction equipment just went up.”
Jerrod groaned. “Great. I was supposed to start work out there in a few weeks.” What the hell was he going to do now? He had men lined up and schedules approved and set. Now everything would be set back by weeks or months, and it was going to be up to him to figure it all out since he’d been the lead.
“Yeah. They were starting to get loads of basic materials, but everything is gone.”
Jerrod tried to calm the throbbing in his head. “Was it arson?”
Chase shrugged. “If I were a betting man, I’d put money on it. The way the equipment went up, along with everything else… someone knew what they were doing and made sure to cause as much damage as possible.” He was breathing hard, and Jerrod got him a glass of water. “Once we got there, it didn’t take too long to get the fire under control, but the damage was pretty extensive. I assume that since they hadn’t built too much it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but those machines are now burned-out hulks.” He drank the water.
“Can we go to the park now?” Peter asked.
Jerrod didn’t think it was the best timing, but he didn’t want to disappoint Peter once more. “Yeah, we can go.”
“Is the fireman going to come?”
“Peter, he has a name. It’s Mr. Chase, remember? And I’m sure that we’ve taken up enough of his time today.” Jerrod lifted Peter into his arms. Chase had done a lot to help them, and Jerrod didn’t want to wear the man out. It was nice having Chase around, and every time he was near him, his insides did this little happy dance and he couldn’t help smiling. The hardest part was that he found himself thinking about Chase when he wasn’t around, wondering what he was doing and things like that. A few times over the past few days, he’d felt like a teenager again. And a lot had happened since his teenage years, that was for certain.
“I know. He’s Mr. Chase, the fireman who saved me.” Peter turned toward Chase. “But is he going to come with us?”
“Is that okay?” Chase asked.
Peter nodded. “You can push me on the swings.”
“Oh, he can, huh?” Jerrod teased, bouncing Peter before giving him a tickle and receiving a chorus of laughter that filled the otherwise largely empty house. “Then we better go.” He set Peter on his feet and got things together before trooping them off to the park.
PETER WAS worn out, which was exactly what Jerrod had hoped for after letting him run and play. He and Chase had sat at one of the picnic tables talking after Chase had indeed pushed Peter on the swings. Now that they were back home, Jerrod knew Peter wasn’t going to nap, but he did quickly settle into his room for some quiet playtime.
“I can make some coffee,” Jerrod offered. He didn’t have anything stronger in the house.
“That would be nice.” Chase sat in one of the living room chairs, and Jerrod took the other once he returned with two mismatched mugs.
“I appreciate you coming along with us. Peter has really gotten attached to you. Last night he woke up and kept asking where you were. He said you needed to save him.”
“He’s having bad dreams?” Chase asked.
“Yeah. I suspected he would, though I hope that over time they will dissipate. As much as I can, I try not to remind him about the fire and keep hoping that we can find a way to move on. But everything is all churned up. Staying in the hotel, moving here….”
Chase sipped from the mug and then set it on the coffee table. “Hopefully things will settle down now. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of waiting—for the insurance company, for the police, and God knows what else. But you’ll keep as much of that from Peter as possible.”
“I’m trying. But he asks about the way things were all the time, and he keeps wondering if this house is going to burn down too and if you’re going to be around to save him.” Jerrod’s voice broke, and he put his mug on the table to keep his shaking hand from spilling the contents. “All I want is for him to be happy and not to have to worry about stuff like that.” Sometimes he felt like such a failure. Jerrod leaned forward, his hands folded in front of him.
He almost jumped when Chase touched him, his fingers lightly gliding over Jerrod’s. “None of this is your fault.”
He lifted his gaze to meet Chase’s. Chase’s eyes filled with warmth and gentleness. “I feel like it is. If someone is coming after me… then they’re coming after Peter as well, and that isn’t something I can allow. He deserves to be safe and to not have to worry about his house burning down again.” He sighed because there was damned little he could do about any of it. “I have smoke detectors in every room, and I lock the doors up tight whenever we leave the house. Still, I worry that when we come home….” He didn’t dare finish that thought.
Chase squeezed his fingers a little more tightly. “You know all of this is probably completely normal. The worry you’re both feeling seems perfectly reasonable. I think I’d be more worried if you didn’t feel this way.”
“You would?”
“Yeah, of course,” Chase said softly. Jerrod focused his gaze on him, the way his lips parted just a little and the warmth in his eyes. Damn, he was so strong and yet kind and gentle, his touch just soft enough to comfort. Jerrod leaned forward just a little before stopping himself, but Chase drew closer. The heat between them rose quickly as Jerrod’s full attention centered on Chase’s touch. He closed his eyes, unable to think of anything other than the heat in that touch. Maybe it was a bad idea and he should pull away, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Slowly his attention widened and his gaze returned to Chase and his big, soft eyes. Without thinking, he leaned forward once more, and this time Chase did the same. Jerrod half expected an interruption—Peter from upstairs or someone knocking on the front door. But he heard nothing other than his own heart beating in his ears. The house remained quiet, and Chase drew even closer.
Jerrod exhaled softly, his lips already parting as Chase gently slipped a hand to his neck. Warmth spread through him, that touch sending a tingle all the way down his spine.
Once Chase was close enough that Jerrod felt his warm breath on his lips, he nodded slightly, and Chase closed the distance between them, kissing him gently at first before pulling back. It was so quick, Jerrod blinked a few times to make sure it had happened. But then Chase kissed him again, this time with more energy, and Jerrod returned it, deepening the kiss as he relished the warm taste of him.
“Daddy, I’m thirsty,” Peter called.
Jerrod pulled back just as Peter barreled down the stairs.
Chase actually smiled. “Your son has impeccable timing.”
“I want some juice,” Peter said.
Jerrod got him a box from the refrigerator and helped him get the straw into it. Then Peter hurried back upstairs. “Bring the empty box back down and throw it away when you’re done.”
“Okay, Daddy,” Peter called back down the stairs.
“That kid is a whirlwind,” Chase said softly as he leaned forward. “Now, where were we?” He smiled, and Jerrod kissed him again… until the doorbell rang.
He growled and stood, went to the door, and pulled it open with more force than necessary. He stopped in his tracks at Gizelle standing outside in a yellow sundress with a bag at her feet.
“What do you want?”
“I came to see my son,” she said haughtily. “I just found out what happened, and I want to make sure he’s safe.” She shifted a hand to her hip.
“I’m sorry, but no,” Jerrod said. “Peter barely remembers you, and that’s how it should be.”
She narrowed her eyes, lips curling upward. “I have a right to see him. I’m his mother.”
Jerrod shook his head. “Your rights were terminated years ago, before Johnny died, and that’s the end of it. I know you’re appealing the decision, but until you’re successful with that, you have no rights here, and you need to stop acting like you do. Peter doesn’t need you in his life, and it’s best if you just stay away from him.” Damn, he sounded harsh, but if he let her into Peter’s life, what was he going to do when she disappeared again?
She actually bared her teeth at him. “You won’t keep me from seeing Peter,” she hissed between clenched teeth.
“I can and I will. You need to back away.” Jerrod felt Chase behind him. “You have no rights here, and I don’t know what you think you’re doing with your bags, but….” He lowered his gaze.
“I don’t have a place to go,” she told him, her demeanor instantly changing.
“You aren’t staying here.” He shook his head. “There isn’t room, and I’m not going to put up with your antics.” He stepped back and closed the door, flipping the lock as Gizelle growled from outside. “God, what the hell? I’ll never understand how Johnny could have gotten involved with her.” He peered out the front window. Gizelle had sat down on the front step with her phone to make calls.
“Did she actually think you’d let her stay here?” Chase asked.
“God knows. With Gizelle, everything is about her. She’ll demand things, then barge in. If that doesn’t work, she’ll try sympathy and helplessness, all within five minutes. And she thinks that people will respond to her and forget that she’s a screaming lunatic. She disappears for years and then returns and expects to step right back into Peter’s life.” There was no way he could allow that to happen.
Chase peered out the window. “It looks like she’s settling in.”
“That’s Gizelle—if all else fails, try to wear people down. I suspect if we ignore her, she’ll find someone else to bother.” Even while he said that, he had to stop himself from looking out the window too. He hated that she was there and hoped like hell that she would simply give up.
“Peter?” Chase called from the bottom of the stairs. Peter ran down the hall and then hurried to Chase. “Do you and your daddy want to come to the fire station so you can see the big trucks?”
Peter bounced like a jackrabbit. “Can I see the fire dog too?”
“We don’t have one of those at the station.” He turned toward Jerrod.
“Yeah. Go put your shoes on and we’ll all go.” Maybe it was a good idea to leave the house. Gizelle could sit on the stoop all she wanted, but she wasn’t going to have an effect on an empty building. She had always thrived on drama, but she couldn’t cause any if they ignored her. It was the one thing Gizelle hated more than anything.
“Okay.” Peter hurried back upstairs and returned with his shoes on. He bounced through the house as Jerrod made sure the front door was locked. Then he pulled open the back, holding Peter’s hand as he locked the door behind him and then headed down the street to Jerrod’s truck. He got Peter buckled in the back seat and then climbed in with Chase as passenger, leaving Gizelle behind without a single word to her. Maybe now she’d get the idea that she didn’t have a place here, and if she wanted something, she needed to ask, rather than try to demand it.
Jerrod drove to the station while Chase made a call ahead. As they pulled in, the overhead doors were up, and Peter got out, looking at the trucks with his mouth open. “They’re huge.”
“They have to be because they have to have all the stuff we need,” Chase said before showing Peter the big hook-and-ladder truck. “We can extend that until it’s really high. And that one has a big tank so we can bring water to a fire when there isn’t some around.”
“You could use a hose,” Peter said. “Daddy has those.”
“You could,” Chase said, “but see how much bigger these are than the hoses at home? That means we can put more water on the fire and put it out faster.”
Jerrod stood back as Chase explained what each truck and piece of equipment was used for. He also showed Peter their gear and how they used it.
“That’s what you were wearing when you saved me?” Peter said at Chase’s fire suit. He touched the pants with a sense of awe.
“That’s what all firefighters do. We always try to keep everybody safe. That’s what all this equipment is for. We have ladders so we can put the fire out and get to anyone who might be trapped inside, like you were.”
Peter looked up at Chase, his eyes shining with hero worship. “Will you always be there if I need help?”
Chase grinned. “I’ll try. That I can promise you.” One of the other firefighters wandered out to join them. “This is Hayden. He and I work together.”
“Are you a hero like Mr. Chase?” Peter asked.
“Being a hero isn’t our job. It’s just helping people,” Hayden said. “That’s what we do.” He stood next to Chase. Jerrod remembered Hayden from the initial meeting he’d had about the fire report. There didn’t seem to be any bad feelings, which he was relieved about. Hayden let Peter try on his fire hat, and Jerrod took pictures.
“We should go in case they have to help someone,” Jerrod told Peter. “Give the hat back to Mr. Hayden and we can go home.” Hopefully Gizelle would be gone by the time they returned.
“But I wanna ride in the truck,” Peter said, pointing to the cab.
“Sorry, buddy, but that I can’t do for you. There are lots of rules about rides.” Chase smiled and handed Hayden back his hat. “Thank you for helping,” he told him. He stayed behind to talk a minute while Jerrod got Peter buckled in the back of the truck.
“Was that fun?” Jerrod asked as they waited for Chase.
“Yes. The ladder is so big,” Peter said, smiling.
“Mr. Chase was very nice to bring you here.”
“Yes, Daddy.” Peter laughed and then grew quiet for a few seconds. “I saw you and him kissing.” He giggled some more. “Boys are supposed to kiss girls.”
Jerrod sighed. He had hoped to put off this talk, but then again, they probably should have been more careful. “Boys can kiss boys too. It’s perfectly okay. You kiss people who are special to you.” He hoped that settled the issue, at least for now.
Jerrod was still trying to figure this out when Chase climbed into the truck. “Daddy and Chasey sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Peter sang.
Jerrod rolled his eyes.
“I see.” Chase turned and grinned at Peter before tickling him, earning a peal of high-pitched laughter. Peter settled when Chase turned back around, and at the drive, Jerrod made a left toward town. The tension in the cab grew the closer he got to the house.
The stoop was empty as Jerrod pulled to a stop in front of the house. There didn’t seem to be any sign of Gizelle. He got out and helped Peter down, then unlocked the door and went inside.
He nearly lost his shit when Gizelle stood up from one of his chairs.
“What are you doing in here?” Jerrod demanded, holding on to his temper by a thread.
“Someone from down the street approached me, and I told them I was waiting for you. He was nice enough to let me in.” She actually smiled like she had put one over on him. “I wasn’t sure where to put my things….”
“Chase, please take Peter upstairs,” Jerrod said, grinding his teeth he was so angry. Chase followed Jerrod’s instructions, and Peter followed him up the stairs. Then Jerrod turned on his former sister-in-law. “Get out now,” he told her, his voice as menacing as he could make it. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re a trespasser, and I have the right to protect my home.” He drew closer and pulled himself as upright as possible. “You get out right the hell now. You are not welcome here.” He picked up her bags, went to the door, and tossed them onto the sidewalk.
“But—” she began.
“Out. Never come back here again, and this incident will be reported to the court. Your parental rights were terminated, gone, done, over. You need help, and you need to get it. But you’re not going to stay here.”
“My son….” Her words were almost plaintive.
“You should have thought about that before walking out on your family and disappearing completely. Peter doesn’t even remember you, and I’m not going to have you hurt him again.” He pointed to the door. “Now, you get out and stay away or I will throw you out, and I’m mad enough to toss your backside all the way across the street.” It was only a threat. In truth, his mother had deeply ingrained in him to not hit other people, but Gizelle didn’t know that, and finally she headed for the door. As soon as she stepped outside, he closed and locked it behind her.
Jerrod stood in the middle of the living room, heaving in deep breaths as he tried to calm down. “Are you okay?” Chase asked as he came downstairs. Jerrod turned toward him, and Chase engulfed him in a hug. Almost instantly, the tension that had threatened to burst him into a million pieces backed away and leached out of him.
“What am I going to do?” Jerrod whispered as he held Chase tightly, wondering what he had ever done to deserve this.