Chapter 12
Wild
M y heart pounds wildly against my chest as I come to a stop at the end of the long dirt road. The sweat rolls down my forehead as I swipe it away with the back of my hand, using the other to switch the song playing in my earbud.
With a deep inhale, the crisp early morning air fills my lungs. Resting my hands on my hips, I take in the view beyond the fence line. The sun is just starting to peek out from the horizon, casting a gray light over the large hay field in front of me—strips of bright pink and yellow glow behind the few clouds in the sky. The world is so peaceful and calm at this hour. It’s easy to get lost in the sunrises—especially ones like this. Turning, I start to jog back to the house.
I’ve been running down this street my entire life. Those few years when I moved away, I hated jogging around Alokin Falls. It’s not a big city, per se, but compared to Twin Pines, it’s way too busy for my liking when I’m out for a morning jog before I start my shift.
Working out has always been a good stress reliever for me. It’s a great way to work off the built-up testosterone while keeping myself in shape for my demanding career, both mentally and physically. I’ve been at the fire department for six or seven years now– I’ve lost track at this point . I love my job and always knew it was what I’d do.
From a young age, I was drawn to the thrill I saw when someone’s parent came in for career day at school and talked about it. Running into burning buildings and saving people seemed like the coolest thing in the entire world to my seven-year-old brain. And I still think it is. It’s a stressful and demanding job, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.
My worn-in running shoes crunch on the gravel driveway as I make my way back up to the house. When I walk inside, I’m sure to be as quiet as I possibly can be. I know that Indie sleeps like the dead, but I hate being on the receiving end of her fury when she gets woken up early. I’ve never seen someone sleep in the way she can.
After a quick shower, I pack my bag up and head toward the door. I hesitate briefly, wanting to peek in on Ind and see her one last time before I go. The next seventy-two hours will be long ones, and I’m not afraid to admit that I miss seeing her when I’m gone.
Deciding against the crazy idea, I shut the front door and hop in my old Bronco. This thing has been with me since I was sixteen years old. My dad and I found it on the side of one of the streets in town with a for sale sign in the window. It needed a lot of work, but I busted my ass, pinching and saving every penny I could until I got it up and running.
Restoring this thing is one of the few memories I have with my dad. We would spend hours out in the shop working on things almost every night that first summer I had it. Cal would join us most nights as well. Wren would come out to the shop later on, bringing us snacks after we’d been out there for several hours past daylight.
It’s not that our dad was a terrible parent or anything like that. But after Mom passed, he was never the same again. He was quiet a lot, but the evenings out in the shop didn’t require much talk. We’d listen to the radio, and he’d teach me how to change oil and spark plugs and a hundred other things throughout the whole restoration process. It was the only time he really seemed alive to me.
Turning the key, the ignition roars to life, and I hear that purr that always gives me chills every time I hear it. There’s no way in hell I’d ever part with Black Betty. People give me shit for driving the old thing, especially since she’s a gas guzzler… But I can guarantee you I have fewer car troubles than any of these people with their newer cars. They just don’t make vehicles like they used to.
When I pull up at the fire station a short time later, I see a few of the other guys making their way toward the front door.
“Sup, Beckett?” Cruz pats my back with a heavy hand.
I nod in his direction, not caring to have a conversation with him.
Pulling the glass door open, I walk into the building, Cruz and a few other guys behind me.
“I heard a little somethin’ about you this weekend,” Cruz says, tossing his bag onto the large table in the kitchen.
“Oh, yeah? What might that be?” I ask, uninterested.
This guy is always looking for gossip. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he runs an online gossip blog or some shit. He’s been out of work for the past few months with an injury, so I’m sure he’s had plenty of time to dig up all kinds of things in all of his spare time.
“A little birdy told me you got a roommate.” He gives me a knowing smile.
My blood begins to boil hearing him talk about her. I’ve warned this fucking clown to stay away from Indie. Guess I need to add in not mentioning her to that list.
About a year ago, he slipped her a piece of paper while she was singing on stage at the coffee shop, asking her on a date. Fucking douche.
As soon as I saw my shot, I jumped up and put an end to it real quick, taking Cruz outside with me and letting him know just what would happen if he went anywhere near her.
She was pissed at me for a month after that. Said I ruined her date with the ‘hot coffee shop guy.’ Little does she know, I saved her from the world’s biggest fucking tool. But if I told her that, though, she’d have sought him out just to prove a point, and I wasn’t having any of that.
Indie could date whoever the hell she wanted, anyone besides this idiot.
“What the fuck do you care who I live with?” I bite out, doing my best to hold my anger in. Getting in a fight at work is at the very bottom of my to-do list today.
“Oh, I just found it interesting, is all,” he smirks, sliding into the wood chair.
Knowing that being alone with this guy can’t lead to anything good, I start to make my way out of the room toward the hallway.
I haven’t even taken my second step into the hall when I hear him calling from behind me. “You tappin’ that, or can I have a go now? I hear redheads are a real good time in the sheets.”
I freeze in place, biting at my lip so hard the metallic taste of blood hits my tongue. Clenching my fists at my side, I take a deep breath and spin back around to go into the room to clock the fucker.
“Woah, woah, woah! What’s goin’ on here?” Cap questions, placing a hand across my chest and looking back and forth between Cruz and me as he stands in the doorway, stopping me.
Peering into the room, I see Cruz still sitting at the table with that smug look. He plucks a piece of hard candy from the bowl in the center of the large oak table and tosses it into his mouth. I don’t give two shits that my brother made that thing—he can make another one. All I want to do at this moment is plow this fucking idiot through it.
“Hey, Cap,” Cruz says, walking up with a cocky grin. “Just givin’ Beckett a hard time. Apparently, he ain’t in the mood for it today.”
When I go to raise a hand toward him again, Cap tightens his hold once more and pushes me back toward the hallway.
“Don’t fuckin’ talk about her again. It’s the only time I warn you,” I snap, pointing my finger in his direction, feeling the heat emanating from my pores.
Cruz puts his hands up in mock innocence. “Hey, just a friendly conversation.”
Cap releases his hand from my arm as I turn toward the locker room. I have nothing else nice to say, so according to my sister, I should say nothing at all.
The rest of the shift goes by in a blur. Nothing too eventful: a few gas leak calls, a minor fender bender, and a hit power line. I do my job and keep to myself—even when we have to rescue a stray dog from a tree. Yes, a dog … from a tree. No idea how in the hell he got up there, but we were able to get him down pretty quickly.
I hate that I let this guy ruin my entire day. Normally, I’m the life of the party and talking with all the other guys. But today, all I’ve thought about is her. And the fact that my feelings aren’t going away.