Chapter 8
Miles
“This must be your nephew,” JJ says, smiling down at him.
“I am, I am!” Noah shouts. “My name is Noah, and I love fire trucks.”
“Enthusiastic,” he says with a chuckle, glancing up at me.
“I told you,” I say sheepishly. “Everything okay in there?”
“Oh, yeah. Someone microwaved leftovers with the fork still in the container. Caused a bunch of smoke. Alarm went off. We took care of it.”
“Thank you.”
He shrugs. “It’s my job.”
“Can I go in the truck, Mr. Firefighter?” Noah asks. “Please, please, please? I’ll be good. I swear, I will. I even know how to drive it, but I won’t do that because I don’t have my license yet.”
“Not right now,” I say. “You have school, Noah.”
“Your uncle is right,” JJ says. “But maybe you can come by the fire station some time, and I’ll give you a tour.”
“No way!” Noah shrieks. “No way, no way!”
“You can do that?” I ask. How did I not know he could do that?
“Of course I can. I’m the Lieutenant.” Lieutenant? Why does that make him hotter? He winks at me, then pats Noah on the head. My stomach does a weird warm twisty thing. “Have a good rest of your day at school, bud.”
Some of the other kids have moved closer, all staring up at JJ like he’s an alien but they want to get to know him anyway. He waves at all of them, flashing a bright grin that has me melting.
“See ya later, kids,” he says. “Later, Miles.”
“Bye,” I say, though the word barely comes out. It’s more like a little gust of air.
“You okay?” Sheila asks, nudging me with her elbow.
“Huh? What? I’m fine.”
“Because your jaw is on the ground. You need help picking it up?”
I frown. “It is not.”
“Oh, it certainly was, honey.” She gives me a knowing smile. “And I don’t blame you. That man is hot.”
“All right, as soon as the trucks leave, we’re heading back inside, okay?” I say to the kids, ignoring Sheila and the way my face is burning.
“Okay!” the kids shout, sounding slightly disappointed. The noise reminds me of the aching headache I’ve had all day.
The trucks take a few minutes to leave, and once they’re gone, we head inside as orderly as a school of elementary school kids can. I pass Noah off to Mr. Carpenter and manage to get my kids back to class without losing one of them. Not that that’s ever happened before, but these kids are sneaky.
Mr. Kooley comes over the announcement speakers and explains what happened so the kids will feel more at ease, though I think most of them are just excited about seeing the fire trucks.
We’re not supposed to use our phones during the day, especially while in class, but I sneak a text to Audrey to explain what happened so she doesn’t worry.
She hates those cookie-cutter messages that get sent to parents during events like this.
They never give enough information, and I understand why.
Giving more information gives things for negative people to run with, for rumors to start, and for people to say terrible things.
I’d bet someone would say the staff member should lose their job over this incident, when it was purely an accident. It’s just unnecessary.
As a parent, or… pseudo-parent, I can understand why they’d want more details. Which is why I always give them to Audrey. Plus, she’s practical and realistic. She won’t blame the staff; she’ll just be happy to know there weren’t people smoking in the building or kids starting fires in the bathroom.
I don’t wait for a response because I need to get back to work. Sheila should be here in a few minutes, which will allow me to go to the nurse—hopefully she has something to help this headache. But until then, it’s business as usual.
“All right, kiddos, it’s time for art!”
“Aw, art stinks.”
“Not nice, Jeremiah.”
“I love art, you poop face.”
“Asher, my goodness, you’re spicy today. Don’t call your friends poop face.”
“He’s spicy every day, Mr. Montgomery,” Marie says with a huff.
I chuckle to myself.
That he is.
By the time I get back to my classroom after parent pick-up, Noah is waiting to leave, spinning around in my chair.
“You took forever!” he says when he sees me.
“I took as long as I always do.”
“Come on. We have to go see the fire trucks.” He hops off the chair, ready to go with his backpack already on.
“Whoa, we didn’t say we were doing that today.”
“But he said some day and today is some day.”
“Noah—”
“Uncle Miles, please!” He pouts. “I have a chance to see a real-life fire truck!”
It’s hard to say no to that face.
“But your mom is home waiting for us,” I argue gently. “She’s not working today, and I’m sure she has dinner planned.”
It’s not that I don’t want to go, but my head still hurts, even after the pain meds.
Noah nods, walking toward the door. “And she’ll be there when we get home.”
“How old are you?” I ask, shaking my head. I grab my things and we head out to the car. I make sure Noah gets in and buckles up right, then I get in too.
“Look, I have to make sure we can go by, okay? If my friend says it’s okay, then we can go, but if he says it’s too busy right now, then we have to listen and we will make plans for another day.”
He huffs an annoyed sigh. “Yeah, okay. Fine.”
“Don’t be ungrateful, Noah. Be happy you have this opportunity at all.”
He rests his hand on his fists. “I’ll try,” he grumbles.
I try to hide my laugh as I text JJ.
Me:
So, my nephew is freaking out about seeing the fire trucks today. I told him I had to run it by you to make sure it’s okay that we go now. I’m sorry, he’s just very excited.
I also send a quick text to Audrey, letting her know the plan before I put my phone down and put my seatbelt on.
“Let’s grab a milkshake while we wait for him to answer.”
“Yummy! Can I get double chocolate?”
“As long as you don’t tell your mother.”
He runs a finger across his lips and pretends to lock them, putting the key in his pocket.
This kid…
We head to Dee’s Diner, which is a few blocks away, and take seats at the counter. I offer to help Noah onto the stool, but he says he’s got it, so I watch him struggle. But, like he said… he’s got it. He gets on without falling off, so he wasn’t wrong.
“What can I get you two gentlemen?” the waitress asks, smiling at Noah.
I’ve seen her here a few times. She’s older with short, curly grey hair. Her name tag reads Martha. She’s always very nice.
“I want a double chocolate milkshake with lots and lots of chocolate.”
She laughs and the corners of her eyes wrinkle up.
“As long as that’s okay with Dad…”
“That’s Uncle Miles,” Noah says with a huff. He’s tired of correcting people.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Okay, as long as it’s okay with Uncle Miles.”
“Fine with me, just don’t tell Mom.”
She laughs, and I put in my order for a strawberry milkshake with extra whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. It’s not that Audrey will actually get mad at me or Noah for this, but I will get an eye roll or a scold for possibly spoiling his dinner.
I check my phone. I still don’t have a text from JJ. Who knows if he’s even still on shift? Or he could be out battling a fire. What a crazy thought… I’m here about to drink a milkshake and he could be risking his life. Wow.
Thankfully, there are milkshakes to distract Noah, and if we don’t get an answer by the time we leave, I’ll just tell him they’re too busy and we have to go another day. He’ll have to understand.
“Here you are,” the waitress says, putting down our milkshakes just a few minutes later.
“Whoa!” Noah says, his eyes going wide. His milkshake is almost the color of a chocolate bar with chocolate sauce drizzled on the inside of the glass and along the top. “That’s a lot of chocolate.”
The waitress winks. “You get what you ask for, cutie. Can I get you anything else?” she asks, looking at me.
“Just the check is fine, thank you.”
Nodding, she pulls her notepad from her apron pocket, writes something on it, then rips it off and hands it over. I glance at it, pull a twenty from my wallet, and leave it on top of the slip and slide it to her end of the bar. She grabs it when she walks by again.
“You can keep the change,” I say with a smile.
“Thank you so much. Enjoy your milkshakes.”
My phone vibrates on the counter.
“Is that him?” Noah asks, bouncing in his seat. He has chocolate all over his mouth.
My screen is lit up, and JJ’s name is right there.
“Is it? Is it?” Noah pushes.
“Hold on, Noah,” I laugh, holding the phone up so it catches my face to unlock it.
JJ’s text comes up.
JJ:
Come by whenever. I’m here until tomorrow morning. If I’m out, let them know you’re here for me. They’ll get you comfortable.
“He said we can go by,” I say to Noah.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” he says, wiggling his body and reaching for his milkshake.
“But that doesn’t mean down the whole thing. You’ll get a brain freeze.”
That doesn’t stop him. He still sucks it down. The little bugger doesn’t get a brain freeze though.
Me:
We’re at the diner down the street from the school. Can I bring you anything to eat?
I stare at my phone, idly sipping my milkshake as I wait for JJ to answer. Noah is sucking on his straw, the slurping sound loud and so very annoying.
“Noah,” I say. “I think it’s empty.”
He puts it down, then pats his belly.
“Wipe your mouth,” I tell him.
He grabs a napkin and wipes his mouth, but the chocolate is sticky, so it doesn’t help much.
“How about you go to the bathroom and wash your hands and face?” I point to the bathroom right around the corner. “Make sure you lock the door.”
Noah hops off the stool and heads into the bathroom. I keep an eye on the door the entire time, making sure no one tries going in and that he doesn’t come out and try to leave. Not that I think he would, but I guess you never know what’ll happen.
JJ:
Really? That would be great. I’m starving. Burger and fries?
Me:
How do you want it?
JJ:
Tell them it’s for me. They’ll know.
I wait to get the waitress’s attention, and laugh to myself as I recall JJ asking me if I order with hope… I try to be a little more assertive to get her attention, but I feel weird about it. I don’t want to be rude. Servers deal with a lot of nasty people, and I don’t want to be that person.
“Hi, sorry, can I actually put in an order to go?”
“Sure, honey. What would you like?” Martha asks, pulling out her pad again.
“My friend works at the fire station down the road. JJ? He said—”
She nods. “Got it. Burger with everything on it and fries well done. Give me ten minutes.”
Huh. Okay, then.
JJ:
I’ll give you cash when you get here.
Me:
Absolutely not. Consider it a thank you.
JJ:
Not necessary.
Me:
Oh well. See you soon.
Noah comes trotting out of the bathroom, his face chocolate-free.
“Good job, Noey.”
“Can we go now?”
“We just have to wait for food.”
“Food?” He groans. “But we had milkshakes.”
“It’s for the firefighter.”
“Oh,” he says, drawing out the word. “Okay, then.”
“That’s what I thought.”
The food comes. I pay and leave her another tip.
It takes only a few minutes to drive to the fire station. I park on the street, a short distance from the station, so there is no chance I could be in the way of them having to deal with an emergency. Noah is bouncing out of his skin again.
I pull open his door and say, “We have to be calm, Noah. There are a lot of dangerous things here. Give me your hand.” I offer my free hand once he’s out of the car. He takes it, his eyes big as saucers as he looks up at the building as if he’s never seen the thing before.
The bay doors are up, and there is an open spot, but there are other trucks here. I don’t know much about how a fire station works and what trucks do what or who goes where, but I assume that since some are still here, it means people are still here.
There is a regular door to the left with a sign above it that says public entrance, so we walk across the driveway toward it, but a firefighter pops his head out before we reach it. “Can I help you?”
“Hi, yeah. We’re here to see JJ?”
“Oh, right. Yeah, come this way. He said he was getting some visitors.” He grins, looking down at Noah. “You must be the new truck driver.”
Noah gasps, looking up at me with hearts in his eyes. I can’t help but laugh.
“Up to you, but I can keep him occupied in the truck if you want to head up those stairs to get JJ.”
I look at Noah. “You need to behave and listen to everything that—”
I glance at the firefighter.
“Sorry, name’s Jake. I am CPR certified, and I will take good care of your kid.”
“Oh, he’s my nephew.”
“Still your responsibility. Well, mine now.” He grins as Noah tugs on his hand.
“Excuse me, Mr. Jake, but can we please go see the truck now?”
Jake huffs a laugh. “Sure thing, pal. What’s your name?”
“Noah. And I love fire trucks.”
They walk across the garage, over to the truck on the far end, as Jake says, “Well, you’re going to be really excited in about thirty seconds.”
He pulls open the door, and Noah jumps up and down, clapping his hands.
Jake helps him inside and goes in there after him.
I pull my phone from my pocket to snap a few photos, then head up the stairs and into a large space.
There’s a living room/lounge area with a couch, TV, and a pool table further back.
On the other side is a long dining table with a small kitchen area beyond it.
There are a few firefighters around, and I spot JJ right away, standing by the pool table chatting with someone in similar clothes as him. He’s hard to miss. Definitely the hottest guy here.
“Can I help you?” someone asks.
“Oh, hi. I’m here for—”
“He’s here for me,” JJ says loudly, walking over.
“Hey,” I say with a smile, offering him the takeout container.
“Thank you so much for this,” he says gratefully.
“Getting special treatment now?” the guy who greeted me asks.
“That’s Lewis. Ignore him.”
“Hi, Lewis.” I wave.
“Nice to meet you…”
“Miles.”
JJ jerks his head toward the table. “Sit with me?”
“Sure.”
I sit beside him, which I try not to feel weird about, and listen to the guys chatter in the background about sports while JJ opens his container and grabs a fry.
“Did you eat?” he asks.
“We had milkshakes.”
He huffs a laugh. “I wish I had you as my uncle.”
“Audrey will have dinner ready when we get home.”
“Audrey is…”
“Oh, sorry. She’s my sister. Noah’s mom.”
“I assume he’s on the truck already?”
“Yeah, Jake was nice enough to wrangle him. Not sure I’ll be able to get him off that thing.”
JJ laughs and finishes his food quickly, then we make our way downstairs where Noah is absolutely having the time of his life.