Chapter 2
2
“ T ime to shine,” I shout to the guys, adrenaline already kicking in.
A real fire.
Not a cat in a tree or something small—an actual fire.
In the station, we suit up fast.
“Let’s go, January,” I tease the oldest member of our crew while pushing back my blond hair and putting on my fire helmet.
He’s still tying his boots, and the rest of us are ready to go.
I don’t want to be like him, fighting fires when I’m approaching fifty, but I love this job and serving the community.
“I’m moving, August,” he shoots back, and I chuckle.
Ever since our calendar fundraiser, these new nicknames have taken hold.
“September, December, January.” I nod at the guys as they pile into the truck.
“Two minutes out,” I call over the radio, stepping in.
The truck zooms down the quiet small-town streets, sirens blaring.
High Five.
My buddy’s bar.
Everyone in this town has at least one good and one regrettable memory at High Five.
It’s a staple here in Lake Geneva, and Nicholas has kept the charm while pouring money into renovating the place since he bought it last year.
We can’t let it burn down.
As we pull up, a crowd has already gathered outside.
A dozen or so people are standing around the brick building, and all eyes turn to us.
I jump out.
“Anyone inside?” I shout.
“Claire,” a guy says.
Claire?
Why the hell is someone still inside?
We move quickly, rushing into the bar.
It’s eerily quiet, the stillness feeling wrong for a place like High Five.
Most nights it’s impossible to find a bar stool.
I spot smoke in the back corner and gesture to the guys.
Without words, we head toward it.
Pushing open the bathroom door, I spot her—red hair falling around her face, sitting next to an overturned trash can, a fire extinguisher still in hand.
The can is covered in that familiar white, chalky powder.
She scowls as soon as she sees me, her blue eyes meeting mine.
“Took you long enough.”
I blink, caught off guard, staring down at her.
“You didn’t have to do our job for us,” I joke, pointing to the mess.
“Well, someone had to.” She crosses her arms, one brow arching.
I huff out a laugh, more impressed than I probably should be by this sassy, short woman.
“Are you Claire?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s get you outside.”
“I’m fine.” She waves me off, standing and stepping around the extinguisher residue like this is just another Tuesday.
I block her exit.
“Smoke inhalation isn’t something to brush off. You need to get checked out.”
She rolls her eyes.
“I barely breathed in any smoke. I’m fine.”
I’ve never seen her around town.
Intrigued, I need to refocus.
“It’s protocol. You have to be evaluated.”
Claire gives me a long, measuring look, then lets out an exaggerated sigh.
“Fine.”
Outside, I look for the ambulance but don’t see it.
I part the growing crowd as I guide her to the truck.
People are always too nosey at the scene, standing too close to us while we try to work.
I softly smile and gesture to the bumper.
“Sit.”
“You’re bossy.” She plops down but glares at me like she’s doing me a favor.
“It’s my job.” I motion for a space blanket, but before I can wrap it around her, she grabs it and does it herself.
“I need to go,” she mutters, already pushing up to her feet.
I step in front of her, nearly placing my hand on her shoulder.
“No,” I say, maybe too seriously.
“You need to wait for the ambulance.”
Her big blue eyes search mine before she exhales sharply.
“I don’t have time for this. My daughter is sick, and I need to pick her up.”
I soften slightly at the mention of her daughter, but I have to hold my ground and do my job.
“Can you call someone? I can’t let you leave.”
Her jaw clenches.
“You can’t let me leave?” She folds her arms.
“Didn’t realize I was under arrest.”
I bite back a smirk.
“You’re not. But you inhaled smoke, and protocol says you have to stay put.”
She throws her head back, groaning.
“Claire.” We both turn at the sound of a familiar voice.
Aaron Olson jogs up, his expression tight with concern.
“Hey,” I say.
I’ve known him for years.
We’re not close friends, but we’ve gotten along since he was a freshman on the wrestling team when I was a senior.
Looking at him, you’d never know he wrestled at the lowest weight class.
Dude is jacked.
He’s been working at High Five for years now, and Nicholas made him the manager earlier this year.
“I need to get Gabby,” Claire says, her voice shifting into something more urgent.
I glance at Aaron.
“She has to be evaluated first.”
Aaron looks between us, then nods at Claire.
“I can get her.”
Claire presses her fingers to her temples like she’s exasperated, but I catch the flicker of relief in her expression.
“Fine.” She yanks her phone from her pocket, dialing quickly.
“There was a fire at High Five. Can my friend Aaron pick up Gabby? They won’t let me leave.”
I watch her as she talks, trying not to get distracted by her soft voice.
She must be close to me in age.
She’s somewhere in her early thirties.
Even covered in soot and frustration, she’s gorgeous, making a white T-shirt and jeans look too good.
And those freckles.
Focus.
But I keep noticing every detail.
The way her fingers tap against her leg.
The little crease between her brows.
She seems to handle stress well.
Most people would be freaked out by a fire, but it’s like it’s not even phasing her.
Where’s her husband or family?
Why is Aaron the one to help her out right now?
“Thank you, Aaron,” she says, hanging up.
“She’s at Tot Academy.”
Aaron nods.
“Should I bring her here, or?—?”
“How long until I can leave?” Claire asks, turning back to me with a pointed look.
“That’s up to the paramedics.”
She exhales sharply, muttering something under her breath that I don’t catch.
“My key is under the planter next to my driveway,” she says to Aaron.
He nods, then turns and heads off.
As he disappears down the street, I continue to assess Claire.
She’s still sitting on the bumper, and the blanket hangs off one shoulder, forgotten.
I should probably say something reassuring.
Something that makes this easier.
Instead, I cross my arms.
“You always this stubborn?”
She shoots me a sidelong look.
“You always this annoying?”
I fight back a smirk.
“Only when people put out a fire like it’s no big deal.”
Her lips twitch, like she’s holding back a smile, and all I know is that I shouldn’t be thinking about how much I want to see the full thing.