Chapter Twenty-eight
Sheila walked back downstairs. “Doris?”
“In here,” Doris called out.
When Sheila walked in she was doing a word search at the desk. “Any updates?”
“The fire is out. They just called it in. They’ll be heading back soon.”
Sheila let out a long sigh.
“Oh honey. I didn’t realize you were that worried. I’m so sorry. This is business as usual around here. Everything is going to be fine.”
Sheila nodded, spotting the coffeepot across the room. “Do you mind if I make myself a cup of coffee?”
“No. Help yourself. There are a ton of cookies and stuff in the kitchen too.”
“I couldn’t eat. Just coffee, thanks.” She poured a cup and added a little creamer.
“I was just getting ready to come up and say goodbye. I’m not needed for anything on this one, so I’m going to head out. Can I give you a lift somewhere?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got my car. I’m just going to wait here for Tucker.”
“Why don’t you go home?” Doris put on her coat. “Officially it’s Christmas Eve,” she said. “You’re welcome to stay and wait for him here if you like, but he’s going to be beat when he gets back, plus he’ll have some paperwork to do.”
“I think I’ll wait just a little longer.” Sheila sipped her coffee and watched as Doris pulled out of the parking lot in her minivan.
She sat on the edge of Tucker’s desk. Everything was done upstairs. She had two choices. She could go to Orene’s and worry and hope Tucker would call her, but he might think it would be too late to call, and then she’d worry all night long. Or she could sit tight.
Leaving didn’t seem like an option.
Finally, one of the fire trucks pulled into the parking lot and the firefighters got out, rearranging tools and hoses and stuff. She watched, looking for a sign of Tucker.
She went and got her purse and coat from upstairs. Still waiting for Tucker to come in.
The other fire truck rumbled into the parking lot. The backup alarm sounded as it backed up to the doors and the team started doing whatever they did when they got back from a fire.
The firefighters talked as they worked, decompressing as they moved around.
Sheila put her jacket on and walked outside. “Hey, sorry to bother you. Is Tucker back?”
“You’re Natalie’s friend, right?”
“Yeah, Sheila.”
“They took Tucker to the hospital. Nothing too serious. He’ll probably call you in the morning.”
“Of course. Yeah, thanks for letting me know.”
Her heart sank. Her body was pulled as tight as a rubber band pulled around too many books. Hurt?
She looked at her phone. No missed calls.
Call me.
She got in her car, pulled around to the front, and got out to talk to one of the EMTs. “Can you tell me which hospital Tucker is in?”
“Yeah. One of the guys drove him over to Christiansburg.”
“You think he’ll be okay?”
“Definitely. He’ll be home before you could get there. Go get some sleep. It’s Christmas Eve morning.”
So everyone keeps saying. “Thanks for filling me in. I guess there’s no reason for me to drive out there then.”
“Probably not. He wasn’t even going to go to the hospital, but it’s policy.”
She drove back to Orene’s and went upstairs and tried to go to sleep. It was hopeless, though. Her mind was reeling and she was more mad than worried at one point.
She had just fallen asleep when her phone rang at seven thirty in the morning.
“Hey, girl. I hope you got a good night’s rest. It’s Christmas Eve,” Tucker said.
If one more person said that to her, she was going to scream. “I was worried.” The words came out clipped.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I figured you went home when I didn’t come right back.”
“Well, I didn’t. I finished all of the boxes, and then I waited around for hours.”
“Oh? I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, you could have called.”
“You’re right. I could have. Look, this is my job. It’s random. The hours are long and things aren’t all lined up in a pretty little row. I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. I’m not used to having someone to check in with. I was waiting for it to be late enough that I wouldn’t wake you.”
“You didn’t.” It wasn’t quite true, but she was mad, or hurt, or both. Whatever it was she was feeling, it wasn’t good.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he said.
“You’ll have to,” she said, and hung up the phone. She was mad. Mad at him for worrying her. Mad at herself for being mad. His job was dangerous, and although she’d known that all along, it bothered her that it had scared her so much.
Why am I letting myself get all tangled up in his tinsel? It was flirty and fun, but now it’s done. I’m fine alone. I don’t need this.
She regretted feeling this way, especially on Christmas Eve.
Better get up now, else I’ll wallow in this all day long.
Dressed, and feeling better for it, she walked downstairs. Orene was singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” scooting around the kitchen doing all the hand gestures and repeats. Nose. Nose. Nose.
Sheila leaned against the doorway, enjoying seeing the spirited woman enjoy the season.
Glows. Glows. Glows.
Sheila slid into the kitchen in her socks, like Tom Cruise in that scene from Risky Business, to join in.
“‘… used to laugh and call him names.’”
Like Pinocchio.
“‘… join in any reindeer games.’”
“Aren’t you in a fun mood today?” Orene giggled. “Alexa. Stop!” She pulled her hands on her hips. “Guess you know my whole morning routine now.”
“And I thought it was all about the tea,” Sheila teased. “If this is your fountain-of-youth secret, I’m going to be dancing with Rudolph every morning the rest of my life.”
“It does please me. Don’t you tell anyone.”
“Your secret is safe with me. As long as I get to join in.”
“Any time, dear. You slept in late. I guess the box project with Tucker really was an all-nighter.”
Sheila just let the comment ride. “I can’t believe it’s already Christmas Eve.”
“I know. There’s always such a whirlwind of activities that it goes by faster than I’d like it to as well.” Orene got up. “Get your coffee. Let’s sit in the living room and enjoy the Christmas tree.”
“I’ll follow you.”
“Are you going to tell me about your date with Tucker?” Orene asked as they walked to the other room.
“I wondered how long it would take you,” Sheila teased.
“I was wondering the same thing. What are you not saying?”
Sheila looked away. “You know, I’m kind of struggling with how last night went. I’m a little upset, and I know I don’t have a right to be.”
“What in goodness’ sake does that mean?” Orene sat forward, balancing her teacup on her knee.
“It started out great. All the time I’ve spent with him has been… well, it’s been fun. We both know I’m going back to Richmond, so I shouldn’t have expected anything. It’s silly.”
“What happened?”
“They had a call while we were putting the boxes together last night.”
“Right. I heard the siren.”
“Yeah, well, I was there for hours. The trucks came back, I still waited, and finally I had to ask someone to find out he’d been hurt.”
“Tucker? Is he okay?”
“They said it wasn’t critical. I don’t know what the bell curve is on firefighter injuries, but he could have called. I was there waiting all that time.”
“I see.”
“I finally just came back here. Mad, frustrated. Worried.”
“Because you care about him.”
“Yes and it was selfish. He knew I was there. He left me working on his project. How could he not at least update me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Me either. Does it even matter? I’m leaving anyway. It was fun for a while.”
“Sheila. That is ridiculous. If you didn’t have some sort of feelings for him, you wouldn’t have yourself all twisted up like this. Have you considered perhaps he thought he was keeping you from being worried?”
“He wasn’t doing a good job of it if that was the case.”
“He’s a man.” Orene took a sip of her tea. “Do I need to say anything more?”
Sheila wasn’t giving him a pass just for being a man. It was Good Manners 101 to let someone know if you were going to be late, and not coming back was later than late. “Maybe that he should know better?”
Orene laughed. “Honey, their idea of knowing better and ours, well they aren’t always the same thing.”
Natalie called out from the front door. “Knock, knock. Merry Christmas Eve.”
“In the living room,” Orene called out.
Randy and Natalie walked in carrying presents. “Thought we’d drop off your presents today, so you can open them in the morning.”
“You two are too good to me. Thank you. Come in. Sit down.”
Randy stepped wider. “Looks like you two were having a serious conversation. Are we interrupting?”
Natalie tucked the gifts under the tree.
Sheila shrugged. “Good morning.”
“How’d it go last night?” Natalie asked.
“He didn’t come back.”
“At all?”
“Nope. All the trucks came back and he wasn’t on any of them. Turns out he got hurt.”
“Oh no.” She raced to sit next to Sheila. “How is he?”
“Fine. He called a little bit ago. I don’t know the whole story, but he sounded okay.”
“Wait. That doesn’t make sense.”
Randy said, “Sounds like it was a rough night.”
“For me,” Sheila said. “I sat around all that time worried.”
Randy withheld comment, taking a step back and sitting in the chair.
Sheila saw the look that passed between them, as if they’d already been discussing it. “What?”
“He’s a good guy. He has a dangerous job. An important one,” Natalie said. “This is just part of getting to know one another. Y’all are getting along so well.”
“We were.” Sheila shrugged. “I’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow anyway.”
“No. I thought you were staying through New Year’s.” Natalie looked at Randy. “Tell her to stay.”
“She’s not going to listen to me,” he said. “And I might regret this, but go talk to him, Sheila. At least give him a chance to explain, and you really should stay until New Year’s. We’ve been so busy we’ve barely had time to really visit.”
“I’ve had fun,” she said. “This has been the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time. I should leave while I remember it that way.”
“You have to at least take him the present you made for him.” Orene told Natalie and Randy about how Sheila spent the day in the kitchen making soup and cheddar bites as a holiday gift for Tucker.
“Did you make us some?” Randy asked.
“We have plenty in the kitchen,” said Orene. “Can I get you some?”
“Yeah. We used to get those things delivered to the police station all the time. I haven’t had any in a long time.” Randy got up and followed Orene into the kitchen.
Sheila looked at Natalie, who was staring at her.
“What?” Sheila slumped forward.
“I’m sorry you’re upset.”
“Me too. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I was so worried, and then so mad.” She shook her head. “I know I shouldn’t have been that mad about it, but it struck me so wrong.”
“You should really go check on him. Just because he’s not still in the hospital doesn’t mean he doesn’t still need some help.” Natalie lifted her right arm in the air and flopped it around. “He could’ve broken his arm, or all of his fingers. He can’t hold his coffee cup.”
Sheila laughed. “Okay, you don’t have to be as dramatic as I’m being.”
“Well, if he’s like you without coffee, not being able to lift his coffee mug could be dangerous for us all.” She laughed. “Go see him.” Natalie pressed her hands together. “You should. You’ll never know if there’s something here worth fighting for if you don’t at least see it through. I can go with you.”
“No. I’ve got this.” Sheila stood. “I have a right to be mad, don’t I?”
“I don’t think you’re mad. I think you were worried. That’s different.”
“Okay.” Sheila got up and pulled the band out of her messy bun, letting her hair hang long across her shoulders.
“I’m going to wait for you,” Natalie said. “You better come right back, or call so we don’t worry.” Natalie’s face showed that she was mocking her, like only a best friend could get away with.
“Don’t push your luck.” Sheila got up to get the Christmas gift for Tucker from the kitchen, and grabbed the other small gift out of the Tesla on her way out. She decided to walk to his house, to burn off some of her nervous energy, and figure out what she was going to say.
The short walk didn’t feel long enough. She was still nervous, and disappointment still hung heavy on her heart.