Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Finn
The chicken souvlaki was delicious. The restaurant was amazing. My date was finally calmer as he devoured his moussaka. I sipped my cola. “I feel like my world has tilted, you know?”
“Is you head bothering you? I should’ve brought food to your cabin instead of bringing you out.” He scanned the restaurant—likely looking for Timothea.
“Ulysses.” I waved my hand.
His attention snapped to me. “Huh?”
“I’m fine. Mild headache, no vertigo. Mom took me to see Doctor Raymond today. She trusts the neurologist, but wanted me to see my family doctor. To touch base, she said.”
“Your mother is a force of nature.”
“I believe she would see that as a compliment.”
“I mean it as such.”
“Yeah.” I sipped my drink again. “I talked to her about Giancarlo. She thinks I should consider getting counseling. Maybe up at Healing Horses Ranch. Maybe with someone like Justin.”
Ulysses cocked his head. “How do you feel about that?”
“About Giancarlo or about seeing a therapist? I’m really okay. I mean, I feel betrayed by a bunch of people—some of whom I trusted and some of whom I knew would screw me over eventually. Whether I should be surprised or just resigned now it’s happened is an open debate. One I’d rather not have.”
He squinted.
“Gerard and Marlon are fuckwits. Giancarlo has my number, and I won’t refuse to take his call.
Does anything else really matter? I see the neurologist in two weeks, and as long as there haven’t been any setbacks, I should be cleared to return to light duties with a goal to be back to fighting fires in about a month.
Don’t worry—I’m going to be honest with the doctor.
I don’t want to go back before I’m fit for duty. ”
“That sounds too easy?”
“Like I’m too accepting?” I ran my finger up and down my glass of cola. “I’ve always known Marlon was a jerk, He was my nemesis in school. Everyone knew he got his job because of his dad…and his dad wasn’t a great chief.”
Ulysses snickered.
I offered a small smile. “Yeah. So I think I’ve just been waiting for something bad to happen.
I just held my breath and hoped that whatever happened didn’t cost someone their life.
” I rubbed my forehead. “But a child died, and David. And all those dogs—” I swallowed.
Hard. “So yeah, I’m upset. Me being upset doesn’t change things.
That’s why I said I feel like my world is tilted. ”
“You consider applying for the job as chief?”
“What?” I eyed him. “I’m too young.”
“You’re good with people. You’re organized. You keep your head in a crisis.”
“I want to fight fires while I’m still healthy enough to do it.
Maybe when I retire from firefighting, then I’ll look at some kind of administrative job.
” He leaned closer. “The truth? I like our current mayor, but the last one was an idiot. So do I want to spend all my time embroiled in dealing with politics? Hell no.”
Ulysses smiled. “See? Just like I’d never want to be on the inside of law enforcement.”
I held out my glass.
He clinked his to mine and we both sipped our drinks.
Finally, he put his glass back down. “I have news.”
I held his gaze. “Yeah?”
“The Vancouver Sun called—they’ve offered me my old job back.”
My gut clenched. This was everything he’d wanted—and they were offering it to him. “Oh?” Casual.
“Yeah.”
“But what about what happened before?”
“According to the editor, I’ve done my penance and most people will forget about the entire thing.”
“Do you believe that?”
He closed his eyes for a moment. “Well, my part in the incident has been addressed several times in the last twenty-four hours and no one’s come after me with a pitchfork.”
“Did you expect them to?”
“Truthfully? Anything was possible.”
“So you’re going back to Vancouver?” That’s not so bad. It’s only an hour away. Maybe he can come out on weekends…or I can go in on my days off. Or—
“Uh, no.” He offered a smile. “That’s not the life I want anymore.”
This time, I blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“I also got offers from papers in Calgary and Toronto. Which is crazy because I don’t know those cities. I guess they figure I can adapt.”
“You can. And if that’s what you want, then you should definitely go for it. Grab that chance.”
“Like I said, though…that’s not the life I envision for myself.
I like the slower pace of a small town. And I know this might be all the excitement I ever see in Mission City.
I’m okay with that. I can nurture talent here.
I can encourage kids who are interested to pursue journalism.
Hell, I’ve been offered a chance to do a lecture at the university in Abbotsford.
And UBC called as well. They want to do a feature about me as an alumnus.
I said sure—as long as I could be a cautionary tale. ”
“Yeah, I can see that about you. But Mission City? Aren’t you going to get bored?”
“With Spring Dixon as my protégé? No, not likely. More like I’ve got to stay sharp and on my toes. Plus, I like Mission City. I like my boyfriend.”
I sipped my drink again as I tried to gather my thoughts. “So where does that leave us?” Heat raced to my cheeks.
He grinned. “I love when you blush.”
By now, I was certain my cheeks matched the red of my hair.
“I plan to keep working at the paper. I like what I’ve helped build with Spring.” Ulysses shrugged. “I’m going to finish the edits on the novel manuscript and I’ll consider—after a lot of soul-searching and deliberation—whether or not I’ll unveil myself.”
“You don’t have to. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”
He shrugged. “You were right—I hadn’t been honest with you. And that was my bad. You got me thinking—what if kids who look like me knew that being a novelist was possible? What if the literary world, who already know me, get to see the real me?”
“You’re not worried?”
“If someone isn’t going to buy my book because I’m Black, then I probably wasn’t who they thought I was anyway. I can take a hit to my sales. Now, my publisher might not like that.”
“Or your sales might increase, and they might be glad.”
“No way to know. This new book is one of my best—at least that’s what my editor says. If sales drop off, then we’ll have an inkling. I’m hoping readers won’t choose to read my books differently if they know what I look like.”
I sure as shit hoped they didn’t either. “So, no Vancouver, Toronto, or Calgary?”
He shook his head.
“Just small-town living?”
He nodded. “Oh, and I’m going to give you a month or two of getting used to me before I move into your place.”
“Oh?” I chuckled. “Why my place?”
“It’s bigger, of course. That loft looks perfect for writing.”
“I write poetry up there.”
“I know.”
“I could add a second desk. Hell, I might even give you the window.”
He waggled his eyebrows.
“You’ll be giving up your view of Mount Baker.”
He shrugged. “To be in your bed every night? Small sacrifice. Truly—I won’t miss the condo. It’s never felt like home.”
“Oh?”
“Home is with you—if you’ll have me.”
My heart skipped a beat. “That easy?”
“Well, I have bad habits. Oh, and we’re getting a dog. I’ve always wanted a dog, and since I’m the boss, I can bring one to the office with me.” He grinned.
My chest expanded. “I’ve wanted a dog since my last one died.”
“I know. So we’ll be doggy daddies.”
I rolled my eyes. “That sounds so bad.”
“Do you object?”
“Hell, no.” I held his gaze—getting lost in those dark-brown irises. “This still counts as a first date, though. And I’m not putting out. No matter how much you make my dreams come true.” I extended my hand.
Ulysses grasped it. “Bribery first—dog and all. The rest will come later.”
Should I be worried that he hasn’t spoken about love? Well, we’d sort of yelled that we loved each other after Gerard died. If we never said those words again, I was really okay with it. “Two months?”
“Give or take.”
“Yeah. Okay. Give or take.” I squeezed his hand.
He squeezed back.