Chapter 3 #2
It took hours, but finally Nolan and Flint reached Colton, Jack, and the two volunteers. Everyone was covered in soot, dirt, and sweat but the fire was contained.
“Great job, gentlemen,” Colton told the two campers who had helped.
“It’s our fault for not seeing the wind warning. We’re happy to help,” one who went by Teddy, told them, shaking their hands.
“Come on, I’ll get you all to the hospital to get checked out,” Flint said, slapping Teddy on the back as they walked across the grove, both Teddy and his friend in flip-flops.
“Flip-flops should be illegal in the woods,” Nolan said, with a shake of his head. That wasn’t all that was shaking. His arm muscles were twitching with overexertion.
Colton, Conley, and Jack chuckled as they walked slowly back to the tanker truck. Flint was already heading out with the ambulance when Nolan reached into the cooler in the truck and pulled out sports drinks for everyone. They dropped to the ground and chugged two down before even speaking.
“You need to call Forrest and get more of that stuff. I can’t believe how well it worked,” Colton told Nolan. “It saved our asses today. This could have been so much worse.”
An area close to the size of a football field was charred from the fire, but what few smoldering flames were left were not spreading. They’d manage to contain it.
“Think we can get Poppy to deliver us some food?” Conley asked, rubbing his stomach after pulling off all his gear. “I’m starving and it’ll be a long night sitting here making sure the fire is truly out.”
Nolan got up and reached into the truck. Maybe one of his friends could bring them something. “Holy crap. I have a hundred six missed messages on the Keeneston chat. Something must have happened.”
That caught everyone’s attention as Nolan began to scroll.
“Ariana went into labor. Jameson freaked out. Dani ended up driving them to the hospital after talking Mo down from taking the helicopter. Mo and Jameson sat in the backseat worrying while Ari and her mom chatted up in the front seat,” Nolan read off.
Ariana was Princess Ariana of Rahmi. She’d grown up in Keeneston as regular Ari to all who lived there.
The royal family was never treated differently there.
Her father Prince Mo and her mother Princess Dani ran a horse farm.
Ari was taking a leave from being the Rahmi representative to the United Nations to welcome her first baby.
“Aw, damn. The Rose sisters brought peach cobbler bites to the hospital.” Births were a huge deal in Keeneston.
The Rose sisters regularly made sweet treats to bribe the labor and delivery nurses to get the inside scoop on how mom and baby were, and whether the husband fainted.
The men groaned. The Rose sisters’ baked goods were the absolute best and they’d missed out.
“But who won the bet?” Conley asked.
The small town of Keeneston had a little habit of betting on .
. . well, everything. But especially relationships and babies.
The money raised by the betting app went into the community at Christmas.
New shoes for kids, paid rent for those in need, Christmas presents for people who couldn’t afford them, funding for after-school programs, and so on.
Because of that, the local law didn’t just turn a blind eye, but were active bettors themselves.
“Wick,” Nolan read the name of one of the newest people to move to Keeneston. “Ariana had a boy and they named him Harrison.”
“Speaking of babies,” Colton said, pulling out his phone.
“Is Cady pregnant?” Jack asked suddenly about Colton’s wife. Colton was the only member of the fire station who was married. The rest of them were bachelors.
Colton shook his head. “Not yet. We’re waiting until her new bourbon is released. She needs production up and running smoothly before she wants to think about a baby.”
“Bourbon babies are very important,” Conley said seriously, causing Colton to chuckle.
“But,” Colton said flipping through his phone, “I have five more cousins who are due in the next bit. And,” he said, turning the phone for everyone to see, “we have a supermoon coming up. Plus, the forecast is calling for a winter storm this coming weekend.”
Jack groaned as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the truck.
“I hate false spring. Everyone is going to think the snow and ice came out of nowhere and forget how to act. They’ll be out in their flip-flops, slip-sliding down the street, and complaining that ‘it was seventy just last week.’”
“What you’re saying is we have a full moon and a winter storm at the same time?” Nolan asked for clarification.
“That’s right,” Colton confirmed. “With five very pregnant cousins.”
“I’ll tell Flint we need to stock up on baby delivery items,” Nolan said with a sigh. “There’s only so much Jace can do as one doctor, especially when his wife is one of the ones who’s pregnant.”
“I’m sending a reminder to the Davies family chat about winter weather preparedness. But you know they’ll be sitting outside thinking it’s spring because of this warm weather and just ignore it.” Colton sighed and sent the text.
“Well, since we’re stuck here, let’s make a winter weather plan,” Jack said, standing to reach into the truck and pull out a pen and a pad of paper.
Nolan sat back and worked with his team as they went over all the items they’d need and how they planned to remind people to be prepared for the storm. Freaking false spring.