Ward (Cinder County Fire Dept. #2)

One

Ward

My house isn’t conducive to babysitting a one-year-old. I’m a big guy, so how does it seem like everything I own is within Laney’s reach? Since she got here just a couple of hours ago, she’s already managed to pull herself up onto every piece of furniture in here, clearing end tables and ottomans of junk trays, books, pillows, trash … When did I accumulate so much shit, anyhow?

“Uh oh.” She gives me that big, gummy smile every time she does something naughty.

On cue, I walk over to pick up the picture frame she swiped off the TV stand. It’s got a crack now, but no big deal. I never even put a picture in it—it’s still just got the stock photo that came with the frame. I wanted to, intended to. I just never could do it.

“Uh oh,” she says as soon as I set it back and she knocks over the next thing.

The game of uh-oh is never ending. I could just leave it there, but she’s looking at me with those big blue eyes, bubbly with anticipation.

My phone rings from the other room, and her face brightens up even more. “Pone!”

“You know the word phone?” I lift her up into my arms and go to answer. It could be Penn or Hearth, calling to check in on Laney. They’re on their “babymoon,” since Hearth is due with baby number two in a few weeks. Both of their moms live close by and would normally babysit, but Hearth’s mom is at some big art show in Gatlinburg and Penn’s mom had a pre-planned girls’ trip in Charlotte which goes for another week, and Lord knows she deserves it. They’re both saints and deserve to take some time for themselves, too.

Would be nice if even one of the other firemen would get married already, or at least find a girlfriend. We’re the strangest group of bachelor firefighters—all except Penn. But he’s always been a little weird. Not Dante weird, but weird in his own right.

I wonder if Hearth and Penn know that when this little one starts really walking on her own, they’re in trouble.

“Pone!” she squeals out as it continues to ring.

“Yes, phone. Someone’s calling me on the phone. Very good, Laney.”

I glance at the screen and see it’s Hank calling. My elderly hermit neighbor who only contacts outside life in the event of an emergency or so-called “serious” complaint. I have to answer.

“Hey, buddy.”

“This is Hank,” he says brusquely.

“I know, Hank. Nice day out, huh?”

“Sure,” he grunts. “Nice. Listen, Ward. I need you over here ay-es-ay-pee to change out the batteries in these here smoke detectors. They won’t stop chirpin’.”

I peer down at the baby in my arms. She’s smiling and content right now, but we’re three hours away from naptime. She could wear five or more different personalities in that span. “I’ve kind of got my hands full over here, Hank—”

“It’s really botherin’ my tinnitus. My brain’s gonna explode here soon, buddy ,” he says in a disingenuous manner.

“They’re all chirping?” I ask.

“All of ’em!” he shouts indignantly. “Eh it’s fine. You’re busy,” he says disappointedly. “I’ll just call the fire department have ’em come out. You know I’m too old to get up on them ladders I got in the shed, dang thing’s probably rusted anyhow—”

“Don’t call the fire department, Hank.” The guys at the station get pissed over these kinds of bullshit calls. They find out I was right next door, even though my house isn’t super close to Hank’s, they’ll give me shit. But there’s no way I can bring Laney over to Hank’s house. His house is even worse than mine in terms of how suitable it is for a baby; much worse. I can’t bring the little Tasmanian devil there, and I definitely can’t leave her alone here.

My brain hatches a plan that comes out of my mouth before I can think it all the way through. “Look, Hank, I’ve got a kid with me but if you just give me an hour to drop her off with a friend, I can come right back and change out those batteries. That work for ya?”

“The fire department’ll get here sooner’n that!”

“City might charge you for the trip though. Who knows what that’ll cost ya…” I actually have no idea if that’s true or not but I’m trying hard to dissuade him. thing about Hank, he does not like to spend money on unnecessary things. It’s a wonder he has so many things . He’s just old and has never thrown away a thing in his life.

“Charge me?!” he hollers. “To help an old man!”

“Terrible, ain’t it? But you don’t have to deal with them, I won’t be long, Hank. You just sit tight.”

“Did I mention I gots tinnitus?”

“You did, hey, hang in there. Maybe go outside while you wait. Weather’s nice.”

“Yeah, you said that, Ward,” he grumps into the phone, then the call disconnects.

I glare up at my ceiling, releasing a deep sigh.

“Pone!” Laney squeals in my ear, causing me to look down at her little finger pointing at it in my hand, and I can’t help but smile.

“Good girl, yes, that was a phone call. I just have to make two more quick ones.”

“Down!” Her demeanor switches in the blink of an eye from sweet and cheerful to red-in-the-face adamant about being set down.

“If I let you down, you’re not going to go break the house?”

“Down!” she says again with her blond brow furrowed in fierce determination, borderline anger.

“Okay, okay.” I put her down on her feet and she folds over onto her knees and crawls out of my room with lightning speed.

There goes trouble .

I feel bad calling Hearth on her babymoon, but I hope to make it quick. It would be easier if I just had some family around I could drop Laney off to. I don’t. I lost my family. There’s only one other woman in a twenty-five-mile radius I know well enough to even consider for this.

“So you don’t mind?” I double-check with Hearth after asking her permission.

“Of course not, I adore Yvette! I know she’s kind of…”

“Kooky, crazy?” I offer. “Sets everything on fire like, all the time ?”

“Oh, she’ll be careful. I’m sure she will be. I don’t know, I just can’t help this feeling I get whenever I’m around her. It’s like I feel comfortable and safe, somehow. Or maybe just seen…?”

I have a feeling Hearth could go on like this for a while, and it’s not that I’m not interested, but the clock is kind of ticking. “I’ll call her now then,” I interrupt as politely as I can.

“Great, yes! As long as it’s okay with her to watch Laney a bit, it’s okay with me! Oh I bet Laney’ll have so much fun!”

“Someone’s having a good time.” I smile. “You sound great, Hearth.”

“Oh gosh, yes, it’s been amazing. Thank you again for watching Laney for us, Ward.”

“It’s really no problem.”

“I hate to say this as a mom, but sometimes it feels good to just get a break .”

“ Uuuuhhh ohhhh! ” I hear in a high-pitched voice from the other room.

“Oh, I get it,” I say, chuckling. I follow Laney’s path through the carpet to see what she got into.

“Let me know what Yvette says, will you?” Hearth asks before ending the call.

“Sure thing, of course.” Hanging up, I look over at Laney’s who’s got all the pots and pans and lids dug out from the lower kitchen cabinet.

“Uh oh,” she repeats, prompting a response from me.

“I’ve just got to make one more phone call, then we’ll put this all back.”

“Pone!” she claps.

“Yes, thank you,” I say a bit deadpan, running out of replies.

I take another deep breath, my fifth or sixth one in the span of what, fifteen minutes? Christ the time goes by fast. I’ve got to get moving. I’m not at Hank’s beck and call, but if I’m going to be at his house for a bit, I’d prefer he be in a decent mood. I’m not sure if Hank even has that setting, but I’d rather not test his patience.

I call Yvette, and her lyrical voice picks up right away. “Why, hello, hello, Ward.”

Fuck, that voice. My feet drag my body into the kitchen to clean up the mess now. It’s good distraction while I talk to her.

I give her the brief backstory and ask for the favor. When she answers “yes,” the deal is done. I’ll be at her house in about thirty minutes to drop off Laney, precious, wild-ass Laney…with a witch .

“I’m actually really good with kids,” Yvette chimes into the phone, as if she can read my thoughts. Hopefully she can’t, but I wouldn’t put it past her.

“It’ll just be for a couple of hours.”

“However long you need is fine. Oh, I’m excited!”

“Fantastic. Thanks.” I hang up and peer over at Laney, who’s bouncing on her bottom and grinning.

“Uh oh,” she says, but she didn’t drop anything this time.

“Big uh oh.” It’s not just that Yvette is “witchy” and nutty or that we get called out to her house like every fuckin’ other shift , which is the reason I even know her.

Truth is, like Hearth, I can’t help the feeling I get whenever I’m around Yvette, either. I’d never use Hearth’s words to describe that feeling. My words aren’t safe, comfortable, or seen, not even close. My words are irritated, horny, and… Actually that’s it. Just those two.

Irritated and horny is how Yvette makes me feel.