Chapter 9 Parker
Parker
I shoot the basketball, it swirls around the rim before falling in. I let out a whoop, declaring my victory to my coworkers who just roll their eyes. This is what we do a lot during downtime at the station.
“You take the fun out of playing when you brag.” Jo rolls her eyes.
“I’m not bragging, I said I would win and then I did.”
“Try some humility,” she jokes.
“I don’t know what that is.” I shrug and she rolls her eyes.
Jo is in her late thirties and loves to give me shit.
It’s a prime example of a brother and sister relationship.
That’s how it feels with all my coworkers.
We’re family, we tease each other, but at the end of the day we know we have each other’s backs. I trust these people with my life.
“Trust me, we know,” Dave quips as I pick up the ball, bouncing it on the concrete a couple times.
I fake laugh, and Jameson just shakes his head at all of us, like he usually does.
“Don’t forget, we all agreed to go to the First Responder’s night at the park next week,” Jameson reminds everyone.
“Looking forward to it,” Jo says deadpan with an eye roll.
“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” I rib. “Nothing like showing off for the whole town how good we look.”
“I don’t think you have any trouble showing off,” she retorts.
My eyes catch on a car pulling into the parking lot next door that’s used for the grooming salon that is currently out of commission from the fire. Turns out it was electrical. The building was old, and a lot of the wiring wasn’t up to code and resulted in the whole thing going up in flames.
I don’t recognize the white car, but after it parks, I do recognize the blonde woman that steps out of the passenger side. I’m so focused on her, I hardly even notice the guy that steps out of the driver’s side. I’m already making my way out just talk to her, if only for a minute.
“This feels like déjà vu,” Jo says from behind me, but I’m already pushing out of the front door of the station.
“I don’t recommend going in there,” I call out.
Lily’s head whips around, and her eyes instantly narrow. She’s not the first one to say something, the lanky guy in front of her is.
“We’re here on business, don’t worry about it,” he states firmly.
I get closer and I’m able to see the guy more clearly. The boyfriend. He’s tall, probably about an inch or two shorter than me. His light hair is cut short and styled neatly. He’s wearing a polo and pants. He looks way too put together to be around here. And way too put together for Lily.
She likes reckless, chaotic, covered in dirt and fresh off the back of a horse. Not this guy who looks like he’s never even come within ten feet of a farm animal. I have no idea what she sees in him.
“I still can’t let you go in without the owner present, especially when it’s a current safety risk.”
“Oh shut it, Parker.” Lily rolls her eyes.
“Is the owner joining you?” I question.
“She doesn’t need to be, I have a key,” she sasses.
“I could call the cops for trespassing. Wouldn’t be your first run in with them, would it, Lil criminal?”
Her eyes narrow at me, and I can’t help my smirk thinking about the couple times we toed the line of legal trouble. Luckily, in a small town where everyone knows everyone it’s pretty easy to talk your way out of anything too serious. Especially as kids.
“You’ve been arrested?” the guy I forgot was standing there asks.
Lily shakes her head, “No, of course not.”
I stand a little taller, looking up at the stranger. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m Aaron, Lily’s boyfriend.” He stretches his hand out toward me. I ignore it.
“I’m Parker. Lily’s first.”
She chokes out, “Parker, fuck off.”
“I didn’t say what first. I’m talking about your first best friend of course.”
“You can leave,” she says through gritted teeth.
“First love too, but that was so long ago.” I can’t help myself.
“Ah, that Parker.” Aaron nods.
“Talking about me, Lil?” I ask her.
“You wish,” she scoffs.
“Appreciate your concern, but we have this handled,” Aaron announces and I glare at him for even being here.
“It’s still a safety risk in there, I can’t let you go in.” I fold my arms across my chest.
It’s hardly a safety issue. The structure is sound, there’s just a significant amount of damage to everything else.
“I need to assess the building to do my job.” Aaron is starting to sound even more annoyed, and I almost laugh.
“And my job is to keep people safe.”
“Pretty sure that’s a cop job, and that’s not you.”
My jaw clenches. Everyone knows firefighters and police have an unspoken rivalry.
“Fine, you go in and assess, but Lil can stay out here where it’s safe.”
“If you’re nearby, I’d hardly consider it to be safe,” she retorts, and I can’t help the smile pull at the corner of my mouth.
“Fine, whatever. Stay out here, Lily, I just need to take some pictures,” Aaron huffs and I don’t argue with him again as he steps inside the building. Alone.
“Really?” I turn toward her as soon as he’s out of earshot. “That guy?”
“Like you’re one to talk,” she scoffs.
“What does that mean?”
“Oh don’t act dumb, and don’t be a jerk.”
“How am I being a jerk? If the building comes down on top of him, that’s on him, not me.” I shrug.
“Go back to work, I’m sure you have lives to save and the rest of the women in town to annoy.”
“Aw, Lil, you forget that the only woman I like to annoy is you.”
“That sucks, because I’m not yours to annoy anymore.”
I look at her, taking in her bright blue eyes, the way they still shine when they look at me. Her pink pouty lips. Her head tilted back to look up at me. The way we have so much history between us, and something tells me it’s not all going to stay in the past.
I step closer to her, keeping my eyes locked on hers. “You sure about that?”
Her breath hitches, and she opens her mouth to say something, I hope it’s one of her on-brand Lily comments that will get me both laughing and questioning her mind. But she doesn’t get the chance because another voice speaks first.
“Got what I need,” Aaron calls out, and Lily immediately takes a step away from me, dropping her eyes onto the ground in front of her.
“Perfect, we can go home, and then this one,” she waves her hand at me, “can actually go back to work.”
“Speaking of work, when do you start yours, Lil?”
“Tomorrow night,” she grumbles.
“Perfect, I’m sure we’ll see each other quite a bit.” I smile.
“Let’s hope not,” she huffs, walking toward the car.
I bite back a laugh; I’m sure we will, we take plenty of people to the ER and I’m about to volunteer to take every single paramedic shift I can get to ensure my chances of seeing her as often as possible.
It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to turn and watch the car drive away as I walk the short distance back to the fire station. Before I reach the door, I hear the smallest sound. I stop to make sure I really heard something, and I’m not completely crazy.
The noise sounds like a squeak, and a meow so I’m not sure what I’m about to find when I try to find the source.
I step around the side of the brick building and in a shallow hole dug in the dirt is a puff of orange fur.
The kitten must only be a few weeks old, if that.
But I also know nothing about guessing cat ages.
I pick it up, and it makes the noise again, but doesn’t try to run away from me.
“Where’s your mom?” I ask the fur ball.
There’s no sign of a mom cat nearby, but I know there’s a chance she could come back. I now know the rest of my shift is going to be checking on the kitten and seeing if the mom returns.
Throughout my shift, I bring out water and some food, but never see any sign of the mom, or any other cat by the time my forty-eight hours is over.
I pick up the kitten, tucking it into my chest. “I guess you’re coming home with me.”