Chapter Six #2
“Right!” Josh grinned. “He’s a nice guy too. Really does want to get his certification in water rescue. Mostly he’ll be the paramedic on call.”
“I almost freaked out,” James admitted. “Thinking he’d take my place.”
“Sorry.” Josh threw an arm around his shoulder. “But come on. Cal and I would never allow that. You’re our person. And a damn good firefighter.”
James snorted. “I guess you’re my person too.
” Honestly. Josh was a good friend. Cal was the best. Not only had Cal taken James under his wing but he was always checking on him.
Had his back. James hadn’t needed to worry.
Not that he thought that it would be the last time panic filled him thinking he’d lost his spot.
Until James was one of the few full-time firefighters, something could go wrong.
“McDreamy went up to clean up for dinner. Let’s go join him. I love it when Cal cooks,” Josh said.
“McDreamy?” James repeated. “Don’t call Brad that.”
“Why not?” Josh waggled his brows. “He’s going to bring all the tourists to our yard.”
“You are ridiculous,” James accused. He pushed his friend away before going back to grab his things.
He needed to stash his jacket and backpack in his locker.
He hadn’t been able to eat breakfast that morning since he was still worried about Jacob.
Would the professor ever talk to him again?
Or would James be looking for a new place to live soon?
Jacob had assured him that James could stay in the apartment as long as he wanted but that was before the professor had literally run from him.
“How’s having your apartment to yourself?” Josh asked as he started up the steps. “Lonely?”
“I haven’t had time to be lonely,” James replied. And it was true. He’d been stressing too much to miss his brother.
Josh turned after reaching the second floor. “Cal said he had breakfast with you, but just checking that you really are okay? After New Year’s Eve?”
James stepped up close. “It was hard. I’m not going to lie. I feel horrible that we couldn’t help those people.”
“They were already gone before we ever got there. We managed to get them out of the car before it went up in flames. Their families will be able to see them and recognize them before they’re put to rest. Sometimes that’s the best we can do.”
“I guess.” Didn’t make him feel any better.
“Listen to him, boy.” Cal strolled up, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. “We need your head on straight for this shift.”
“My head is the only thing that is straight,” James teased. “And don’t call me boy. That’s…weird.”
Cal lifted a brow. “Is it? Hmm. Weird.”
James rolled his eyes. Now Cal wanted to joke around? But James couldn’t get the normal word he used to tease Cal out. Not with where his thoughts had been lately. “Okay, Gramps. What’s for dinner?”
Cuffing him in the back of his head, Cal frowned. “I don’t know if that’s better or not.”
“You did deserve it,” Josh said with a laugh.
“I know.” Cal pulled James under his arm. “Walked myself into that one. Where’s the new kid? We need to eat before we get a call.”
“Not sure you should call him a kid,” James pointed out. “Just because you’re so old that—”
Cal growled while pulling James toward the kitchen. “Smartass.”
Being with his crew made all his worries disappear. At least for a few hours.
“Here. Give me your stuff. I’ll put them in your locker and track Brad down,” Josh offered.
James hesitated. He placed both the cape and his new action figure in his backpack before he’d left. James wasn’t even sure why he’d done that. It just didn’t seem right to leave those two items behind.
Josh grabbed James’s jacket and backpack before turning away.
“Everything okay?” Cal asked quietly. “You look weird.”
“You look weird,” James mumbled his dumb reply. Josh wouldn’t go through his things. James knew that. And if he did for some strange reason, Josh had already told James that he was a Daddy. Nothing for James to be worried about.
Cal snorted at James’s lame comeback before directing James toward the table.
James always ate the best when he was on shift. Cal was as talented in the kitchen as he was as a firefighter. He slid into the chair, sniffing to try to figure out what they’d be eating. Cal loved to spoil them.
Cal turned to the counter where a covered dish sat. He brought it over to the table as some of the other guys entered the room, with Josh and Brad bringing up the rear. The six of them sat around the table as Cal removed the cover on the dish.
“Yes!” James and Josh both cheered.
Brad looked confused.
Martin, the acting lieutenant for their shift, was already reaching for the serving spoon. “I love your homemade chicken and dumplings.”
“Did you make rolls too?” James asked as he shoved his plate toward Martin.
“Of course I did.” Cal turned on his heels to grab a basket overflowing with hot and fresh homemade rolls.
“There is no way we eat this good every shift,” Brad said with amusement.
Grabbing a roll, James took a big bite. “We do when Cal is here.”
Cal smacked him in the back of the head. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, boy.”
James swallowed. “Sorry, Gramps!”
“Shit!” Brad barked out a loud laugh. “I think I’m going to like it here.”
* * * * *
Jacob
Knowing James’s schedule made it easy for Jacob to be waiting for the boy’s return as James drove that damn motorcycle into the drive. He rose from where he’d been sitting on the bottom step up to the garage apartment as James cut the engine to the motorcycle.
Jacob couldn’t help that he hated James’s mode of transportation, but it wasn’t his place to say anything. He was done trying to force himself into James’s life.
When he’d found half that cake wrapped up on his backstep that morning, Jacob had been shocked. The superhero candle was a bigger surprise. So maybe James didn’t hate him. Jacob was there to offer a fresh start.
“Hey,” James said after removing his helmet.
At least the boy wore his helmet and leather jacket this time. “Hi. Did you have a good shift?” Jacob didn’t want to add to the boy’s stress if he’d had another bad day.
“I did. It was slow. There was one callout but it wasn’t a big deal.” James swung his leg over the side of his bike and stood straight. “Did you get your cake.”
Shoving his hands into the pocket of his loose jeans, Jacob nodded. “Yes, it was very good. Thank you for that.”
“You helped make it,” James responded with a shrug.
Jacob stepped to the side so he wasn’t blocking James’s way to the stairs. “I just wanted to thank you. Also…” He cleared his throat. “I won’t bother you again. I’ve overstepped my place as just renting you an apartment. I apologize for that.”
“Overstepped?” James shook his head. “You mean all the times that you ratted me out to my brother?”
He was a dick. Jacob’s night of reflection had been eye-opening.
No wonder why James hated him. Or at least avoided him.
Jacob didn’t blame the boy. “Yes. I…I’m not making excuses for myself.
” He was though. “I just wanted to make sure that you both remained safe. I knew it was your first time away from home and after Byron asked me to keep an eye on you both, I went overboard.”
“I knew Byron had a hand in this!” James said with a grin. “I’m so getting him back for that.”
Jacob nodded as he took several more steps toward his own house. “I just wanted to say that I was sorry. You’ve more than proven how capable you are. You won’t have any more trouble from me.”
“Uh, great. Okay. Thanks,” James replied.
“Great,” Jacob repeated. “Have a good night.” He turned away.
“Wait!” James’s voice rose.
Slowly Jacob turned back. Was his apology not good enough? Did the boy want him to grovel?
James set his helmet and backpack down on the step that Jacob had been waiting on earlier. He rolled his shoulders before facing him. “Are you scared of me?”
“No.” Jacob frowned. Did James want him to be?
“I’m very sorry that I raised my voice to you. It was rude and that is not how I want to handle things in my life.”
“I overstepped once again.” Jacob excused James’s reaction. “I hadn’t been thinking straight when I’d bought that toy.” He’d been consumed by the need to claim the boy. It was obvious that the boy didn’t want to be claimed by anyone. That he was not a little.
“You didn’t though,” James told him. His cheeks turned red. “And that was the problem.”
“I don’t understand,” Jacob admitted.
Leaning down, James opened the main part of the backpack and pulled out the action figure, now out of the package, before also removing a red cloth. He held them tight in his hands. “Do you know the type of relationship Michael is in?” James questioned.
“I do. I knew as soon as Byron reached out to me.”
James sat on the bottom step, placing the cape and action figure in his lap. “Because Byron is a Daddy?”
“We met at a club a few hours from here,” Jacob shared. He moved a little closer, curious about what James was thinking. “He’s a silent partner in the club and I was a member.”
“Which means”—James ducked his chin—“that you’re a Daddy too.”
Damn! Jacob rubbed the back of his head. This wasn’t the conversation that he’d planned on having. A quick apology. A promise to stay away. Jacob hated being out of his element.
“Sorry.” James started to rise. “I shouldn’t have asked that. It’s none of my business.”
“I am,” Jacob said quickly. He didn’t want James to go inside. To ruin this moment between the two of them.
James settled back down on the step. “It seems like I’m surrounded by Daddies and…littles.” He didn’t sound happy about that.
“If someone is pressuring you—”
James shook his head sharply. “No, it’s nothing like that.” He sighed.
Jacob shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He wanted to offer his advice. He’d just vowed to keep his nose out of James’s business.
“If you’re a Daddy, then it must be hard to rein that in,” James said quietly.
“I’ll do it,” Jacob promised again.