Chapter 2
CADDO
He'd often wondered when he was in high school why he wasn't named Murphy, since Murphy's Law had always been a close companion during his teen years. There were a few broken bones that he could have done without. Yet, the lessons he'd learned during that time was immeasurable.
When he'd gone to clock out of his shift the next morning, Caddo found himself excited to get home and look for the container of cookies he'd seen in Seaton's hands. He had no idea what she did for a living, but if she was home, he thought it might be a nice idea to stop by and say hello in person.
And that meant not showing up empty handed. It was a thing his grandmother had always told him. If someone brings you something in a 'good' container, not only should he give the container back but he should either put something in it, or to bring something along with the container.
He'd made plans to stop by a florist on the way home and bring her some flowers.
That would count as something to bring in thanks, right?
But the problem is, he didn't know what kind of flowers to bring.
He'd sent a message to Viviana Blaise, the wife of their fire chief, Ethan Blaise, to ask her what would be a good flower to buy. She hadn't responded yet, but he had time before he got to the florist.
A notification popped up on his phone telling him he had an unseen video from his ring camera.
Stepping to the side of the doorway, he opened up the app.
There was an older woman standing in front of the door, craning her neck to look into the camera.
At first he didn't know exactly who it was. The cloud of pale, white hair could be any number of people in his neighborhood. He was one of the youngest people to own a house in their subdivision.
She was petite. That was the word he'd decided to call her. Short seemed too simple for a women as cute as she was. When she turned her head to the side he saw her face and knew that she lived across the street. Her front walk was halfway between his walk and Seaton's.
"Hello?" She spoke into the camera. She frowned and squinted into the lens. "Oh heck, I don't know how these things work, but Seaton told me you have one of those video things."
Seaton?
Things were more interesting by the moment.
May turned sideways and gestured across the street.
She was talking but there was a wind so he missed some of what she said until she turned back to the camera.
"...came over for lunch today after she helped me get my groceries in.
" The older woman smiled and he found himself searching for her name.
He knew her but he hadn't seen her all that much around the neighborhood.
He was fairly sure that she was working and near retirement, or something similar.
"She was one of my students back when she was in High School. "
Ah, that's how she knew his neighbor.
"She was always the sweetest girl so I was a little concerned today when she dropped something and acted like.
.." The older woman looked away from the camera as her lips thinned into a pale line.
"I don't know exactly what to think or what to say, but I'm going to ask if you could talk to her a little.
Be a little neighborly when you can. I haven't seen that dear girl in years, but she seems to.
.. she seems to shine a little less brightly now. "
Sam didn't like the thought.
It had to be the better part of a decade since Seaton had been in May's class in High School so his instinct was telling him that May might not remember her all that well.
But then he thought about it. He'd bumped into one of his grade school teachers at an accident scene the year before and Mister Shoemaker remembered him and back when Sam had been in the man's class, he'd been more round than tall. So, maybe...
"Okay, then. I know you're busy, but as a favor to this old woman, please check in with Seaton, hmm?"
She was putting on her best 'actress' hat with her 'old woman' comment, because he knew that she had a sharp mind and a warm heart.
Even if she was a bit dramatic at times, that had likely made a great English teacher.
The novels they read in class were often read aloud.
He bet that she could really bring life to those stories.
"Okay, now... " She sighed. "If you have any questions, young man." May waggled her eyebrows with a sly little smile under it. "You know where to find me." She gave the camera a jaunty little wave and walked away.
The whole one-sided conversation made him smile.
He was definitely going to look out for his neighbor.
Although he didn't quite understand what May was talking about in regards to Seaton. She certainly thought that there was a problem and that was enough for him to want to check into it.
He'd only interacted with her over the Ring camera he'd installed, but that one conversation was enough to pique his interest.
Seaton Buchanan.
The name was unique and reminded him of the wind out on the water of the Gulf.
It had been awhile since he'd taken his boat out. And while Caddo Lake wasn't nearly the Gulf, it was a place where he could be calm and reflect.
When he'd dreamed about the lake in his bunk, he'd imagined a dark haired woman beside him, her hair spread out on a pillow and her mouth in a sweet smile.
He barely knew Seaton and he was dreaming of her on his boat?
Smiling to himself, he shifted his duffel back up higher on his shoulder as he made his way to the door.
Just outside, a few of the firefighters had gathered around Cowboy's truck.
Given that Cowboy had parked next to his own truck, Sam knew that he wasn't going anywhere soon. "What are y'all talking about?"
Sam set his duffel in the bed of his truck and leaned against the side.
Rush, who was also known as Oliver Quintero turned his phone around so they could all see the new photo he had.
It was a sweet photo of his family. Thora was a beautiful woman and she loved kids just as much as Rush.
They had their hands full with three kids: Gia, Paz, and Pax.
The photo showed the group at a pumpkin patch and everyone was dressed up in fall colors and big smiles.
"I was showing off my new photo while I was waiting for everyone to come on out. "
Sam looked around the group and realized that he was one of the last guys out from the fire house. Along with Rush,Q Palmer “Rhett” Butler, Lincoln Abe, Noah "Cowboy" Sadler, Stillman Rook, Warren "Peace" Vidal, and Callan "Fish" Bass were enjoying the time off-shift with each other.
Stillman Rook, who was engaged to Chief Blaise's daughter, Aylin, nodded at Peace. "Well, you've got us now."
Rush grinned at his friend. "I was thinking about our shift getting together two Saturdays from now."
The group nodded and many of them smiled at the idea.
"I was thinking we go to one of the rivers in the area, or a lake. I want the kids to experience the water in Texas, beyond the bathtub they treat like a pool."
Fish laughed out loud. He was raising a boy at home and there was talk around the firehouse that there might be another one on the way.
Their firehouse family was growing by the minute.
Lincoln wrinkled his nose a little. "I'm not big on swimming but I wouldn't mind somewhere we could fish."
Palmer, who the firefighters called 'Rhett' because of his last name Butler, brightened at the idea. "Fishing sounds good. And a picnic. That would be fun."
Sam snapped his fingers. "Sounds like we'll need more time than an afternoon or a day for this. I know a place where we can do all of that on a lake and camp there, too. Calaveras Lake Park isn't all that far from here. And if everyone is up for it we could do an overnight camping thing."
"Overnight," Lincoln hesitated again. "That's a lot of time near that much water."
Rook gave him a look and shook his head. "Don't tell me you don't know how to swim?"
The group turned to look at Lincoln.
Lincoln shrugged. "Swimming wasn't that big of a thing for me growing up," he explained. "I'm a guy that likes my feet firmly on the ground."
Cowboy chuckled at that. "Unless you're on the ladder during a fire."
Lincoln nodded. "Still, there's a ladder under my feet. I'm just not all that big on a body of water that could swallow me whole."
Sam could see his point. Some people just weren't 'water' people.
Another thought crossed his mind.
Was Seaton a water person?
He'd like to think so. He'd looked it up on his phone during the night when he wasn't quite ready to fall asleep. Seaton meant Town by the Sea.
Then again, maybe it would be the opposite.
He had met someone from Hawaii who didn't know how to swim beyond a cursory doggy paddle.
Maybe, he wondered, he should ask her if she'd like to go to the lake.
Their whole shift crew was growing and the women that had become a part of their lives were fun and covered the whole gambit in jobs and temperaments. There would likely be at least one or two who Seaton could become friends with.
"Caddo?"
He thought he heard someone talking to him.
"Hey, Caddo?"
He felt a hand on his arm and turned to look at the person standing there. He was surprised to see Aylin Blaise standing next to him. "Hey, Aylin."
She leaned her head on his arm and then nudged him in his side with her elbow. "You look like you were lost in thought."
Sam smiled at her. "I was." He continued on talking before she could ask him what he meant. "I love being out on the water so this sounds like a lot of fun."
Aylin nodded, excited. "I'm happy to do some camping, but I think it might be a little too cold to break out the bikinis."
Sam turned to look at Stillman and saw his obvious disappointment.
"Maybe around noon if we find a place where they have direct sun on the campsite."
Aylin nodded thoughtfully. "And you?"
Sam leaned back a little and shook his head. "I'm not wearing a bikini no matter what time of day it is or how much sun that's out."