Chapter 37
Wyatt
Bumping my elbow into Brody’s, I give him a side eye and say under my breath, “You good, man?”
He grunts in return. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to mean yes or no, so I give him another nudge, then half turn so I’m leaning against the bar, looking at him. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, raising one shoulder before it drops.
It’s as much of an answer as I’m going to get.
Two minutes ago, we found out Nate and Savanna are trying for a baby, and while the man beside me is wearing what he probably thinks is a smile, it’s far more grimace than anything.
One look at him and I could see it blatantly.
The way his forehead wrinkled and his jaw tightened beneath whatever is going on with his lips—it ain’t a smile.
For whatever reason, this news isn’t welcome, and he’s doing a shit job hiding it, which is unlike his typically stellar poker face.
“Fix your face,” I mutter for only his ears. “Someone else is going to notice.”
Immediately, his features soften and he pushes a smile onto his lips. One that doesn’t look quite as forced, though his look might still give little children nightmares.
A minute later, Bryn pours shots to celebrate the success of the night and news for our friends. We all grab one, sans Savanna, and lift them into the air, clinking against the ones to us.
“To the third annual Save a Firetruck, Date a Firefighter auction,” Nate says from his spot behind the bar.
Savanna holds up a glass with clear liquid—the water she’s been drinking all night. She eyes Brody and me. “To the most successful one yet.”
I give the big guy’s shoulder a playful shove. “Fucker had to beat me.”
“You gave him a run for your money, though,” Quinn pipes up.
It has my eyes darting to her, silently telling her to keep her mouth shut. Of everyone in this room, which consists of only our fire crew—Nate, Brody, Liam, and Luke—plus Savanna, Quinn, Jordan, Hailey, and Bryn, Quinn is the only one who knows the truth about the plan I devised with Ruby.
If she’s not careful with her words, I’m going to have to tell them all how I went to Ruby the day after saying yes to the auction and asked her to use every penny that she’d otherwise spend paying me—something I never actually wanted—to ensure I didn’t need to take anyone on a date that wasn’t Bryn.
Ruby, being the meddling woman that she is, was more than happy to help.
Though after spending six grand on winning a date with myself, I’m hoping to hell that Ruby keeps breaking things around the house on purpose, so she’ll keep me around to pay off the enormous bill.
Half of us have our shots to our mouths, the other half already finished, when a loud metallic pop fills the air, followed by a hissing sound from the kitchen.
None of us has time to react before the fire alarm is wailing like an angry banshee ready to rip our ears out, the strobe lights flashing like some kind of fucked up party.
“Everyone out!” Nate yells, taking off after Liam, who was two steps closer to the kitchen.
When he says everyone, we all know he means the non-firefighters. Like hell any of the crew is leaving. Bryn’s gaze crashes into mine as she moves past the bar and I towards the kitchen, her hands over her ears, wincing at the sound.
I’m a step behind Brody, who is a step behind Luke, the three of us going through the kitchen doors one after the other.
Thick, black smoke swims near the ceiling.
The rest of the place is covered in white residue, the suppression system having done its job to put the fire out.
Despite being around fire and smoke for years, the smell is pungent, making me pull my t-shirt over my nose and mouth.
Grease, chemicals, and smoke, mixing together.
“Gas line confirmed off,” Nate shouts.
The rest of us fall into roles without being asked. Luke’s on the phone, calling it into dispatch. Liam is after the electrical panel. Brody grabs a fire extinguisher just in case something flares, and I head straight to the back door to ventilate the inside so it’s easier to breathe.
“Electrical is shut down,” Liam communicates from the panel.
Flames flare out of nowhere as I open the door, and I nearly tumble out of the entry. Gripping the door handle tightly, I swing with it, letting it hold me up as I cover my head with my arm against the heat that feels like it’s singeing my eyebrows.
It’s instinct to yell, “Extinguisher!” into the kitchen before I even realize what’s going on.
Brody’s there, aiming the red canister into the dumpster that’s been moved in front of the door, allowing just enough room for the door to swing open. The flow of cool air hits my arm a second later, and I lower it, the night breeze salvation against my skin.
“What the fuck,” I growl, kicking the dumpster a couple of feet from the door.
A motorbike starts at the end of the alley, drawing both of our attention in time to see taillights light up, an engine roaring before it takes off around the corner. Towards the front of the building.
The girls.
“Front, front, front!” I yell, running back through the mess in the kitchen.
I end up sliding partway from the slippery solution of grease and suppressant on the floor, catching my footing just as I hit the doorway into the main bar, the others on my heels.
If that was the arsonist, and my gut tells me it was, my heart will live in the pit of my stomach until I see that Bryn is okay.
Slamming into the front door and out into the night on the opposite side of the building, everyone in the parking lot turns to stare at me. Most of them have their arms wrapped around themselves, trying to keep warm in the Santa Rosé October air.
Bryn takes a step towards me, and I have no doubt she sees the panic I’m wearing, though it eases when I see her safe and sound.
“What’s wrong?” she calls.
“Did any of you see the bike that went by?”
Nate’s at my side. “What bike?”
“Yeah, it was loud and black,” Hailey shouts as the whole group of them start moving back toward the building. “Everything okay?”
In answer to her question, sirens erupt in the otherwise quiet night. A full engine with guys in gear ready to suppress an already suppressed fire. They’ll be sorely disappointed when they get here to find everything out.
“Everyone stay here,” Nate commands, pointing them back to a safer distance. “I’ll grab your bags and jackets, but no one is coming back in.”
“Nate?” Savanna says, fear evident in the way she says his name.
“It’s okay,” he reassures, giving her a nod.
“Just a bit of a fire. We’ll get it sorted out.
” He turns away from them and points to Liam and Luke.
“You two stay here. Keep them safe. Direct the engine into the back when they get here. Brody’s got the extinguisher, he stays inside.
” Then he looks at me. “Come show me what happened.”
He leads the way inside. When the door closes, he glances at me expectantly, but I wait until we’re in the kitchen, heading towards the back door where Brody is still standing with the fire extinguisher, propping the door open for ventilation.
Keeping an eye out for a flare-up, or if anything got up into the ceiling, or is burning from below, while also keeping himself within fresh air.
“Opened the door and fire reared up,” I tell him. “It was the dumpster. I kicked it away from the door.”
Nate walks through the back door, glancing at Brody before looking over the edge of the dumpster.
“It was the arsonist,” Brody says, setting the extinguisher down inside the door.
Nate runs a hand through his hair, stepping back from the dumpster. “I really don’t want to hear it right now, man.”
And the tension that’s simmered between them for months is roaring to life just like the fire in the dumpster. Brody’s arms cross over his chest, and he looks ready to say something else, but I shake my head at him. Now isn’t the time. Nate’s bar just about burned down.
I’m not sure if Brody would have heeded my warning, but I don’t give him a chance to ignore it, instead asking Nate, “What do you need from us right now?”
The sirens are getting closer, so it won’t be long before someone on actual shift is taking charge of the scene. It’s going to be a long night for Nate, though.
Nate shakes his head, then seems to change his mind. “Grab as much as you can of everyone’s stuff. Savanna’s and Bryn’s are in the office, I’ll grab that after I talk to these guys.”
These guys being the engine that just turned into the alleyway.
“Let me know if there’s anything else,” I tell him, clapping him on the back. “We’re all here to help. Now or later for the cleanup and repairs, man.”
“Appreciate it,” he nods, but his eyes are distant, watching the engine get closer.
Giving him a pat on the shoulder, I head inside, glancing back when Brody doesn’t follow. He stands quietly at Nate’s side. I just hope, for the sake of them both, he stays that way.