Chapter 10
Pace
Slippery like an eel, Sophie was.
If she slid out of my grip one more time, I’d be tempted to scoop her up like a tangle of fire hose and throw her over my shoulder.
She sure had a lot of arguments for somebody being helped.
Instead of manhandling her, I hooked her arm through mine, like the gentleman I was.
She had a deathlike grip on my forearm. That soft honey vanilla smell was stronger now, and her hand looked too small as it held me, shaking slightly.
I couldn’t tell if she was holding on for dear life or still trying to get away.
“It’s going to be great, you’ll see.” I smirked down at her, and she made an indiscernible sound.
I didn’t have time to stop at the station for the rest of my uniform. The text from Mason put me into action. The fire took precedence over all else. I’d assess the situation there first and then see if I needed to call for backup and get my uniform.
I hadn’t really thought this through, but when had I ever? It would be fine. I just had to make sure nobody was in danger, and then I would make sure the town wasn’t in trouble.
I was sweating by the time we arrived at the center of town, even though the walk had been short.
The planned bonfire was huge, casting a wall of heat on the dark, indecipherable shapes that surrounded it.
On initial glance, nothing seemed off. The smell in the air was what I dubbed a safe smell.
Having grown accustomed to various types of fires over the years, I fancied myself a bit of an expert.
No stinging of expectorants, no thick, sticky odors of melting rubber, no biting singe of body hair or worse.
All around, the people of Cozy Creek laughed and chatted happily, and the hope for a festive fall season hung in the air.
A few of the surrounding shops were open; soft, buttery light poured from the windows, where owners handed out drinks or delicious, calorie-dense foods like caramel apples and funnel cakes.
“Pace. I’m going to go. You don’t need me here,” she said again, and this time managed to snatch her arm free.
“We should talk more.” I turned to her.
Half her face was illuminated, and her eyes were wide and scared.
“Maybe we can knock a few things off that list tonight. I think a band is setting up now,” I said.
Her eyes, already large, widened even more. No words escaped, but her head shook minutely back and forth.
I threaded our fingers together, careful not to squeeze, noticing how small and vulnerable her hand felt in mine.
My tan, calloused fingers brushed against her pale skin, as tension trembled through her.
Her palm was clammy even in the cool evening air.
I held her hand gently, trying to convey that she could trust me.
This new gesture was far more intimate than I’d meant for it to be. An unexpected thrill raced through me. I casually touched people all the time; this awareness was weird.
Her mouth closed, and she swallowed with a decided nod.
“It’ll be great. You’ll see,” I reassured.
Her hand squeezed mine as if to check its hold, like tugging on a safety harness. I was used to providing comfort. I knew what most people needed to feel safe. I hadn’t expected the zing of awareness to pass through me with our clasped hands.
“For now, let me see if I can’t figure out what’s going on and where I’m needed. Then we will talk more,” I said.
She made a sound that might have been confirmation. That or she had digestion issues.
My head flicked from side to side, searching for any trouble.
“Paaaaace.” An obnoxiously loud voice yelled my name, dragging it out in deep tones.
A few yards away was a group of guys from the firehouse, huddled in camping chairs, peppered in with some women I didn’t recognize.
There was Mason, the newest and youngest of the crew, along with several other rookies from the station. None of them were in uniform, and they were all holding drinks. Definitely off duty. Chief Cole had strict rules about these things.
“Where’s the fire, man?” Mason asked, slurring his words. “Heh. Fireman. Fire, man. Get it?”
A few of the others joined in the drunken laughter of something that would never be that funny sober.
I scratched my eyebrow. This wasn’t the stellar first impression I’d like to give of my brothers to Sophie. Not that it mattered, but it also felt like it did.
“That’s what I’m wondering,” I said.
“Huh?” one of them asked.
“Nice pants,” Mason said.
“Do you just wear those everywhere you go?” one of the women I didn’t recognize asked. “Oh my God, that’s so freaking adorable. This whole town is like it fell out of one of those movies on that channel where it’s like twenty-four seven holiday movies.” A tourist then. An inebriated one.
I would never be a person who relaxed enough to drink around a fire this size. It just wasn’t in the cards for me.
“I got a text about a fire,” I said. “Is there one?”
“There’s no fire,” Jeff said, slightly more sober than the others. “I mean, besides the big one.” Jeff was full of jokes tonight.
“Then why the text?” I asked, pulling out my phone to show them.
Jeff, sitting next to Mason, smacked him upside the back of the head. “I told you not to text him about that.”
“Ouch. Damn, dude.” Mason rubbed his head with a frown. “I didn’t see you, and you said you were coming,” he said to me.
“And the badgers,” the woman added, as if remembering an important point.
“Yeah!” Mason leaned forward. “We need you to settle the debate.”
Sophie tried to tug out of my grip, but I just squeezed her fingers. She must have situated herself so far behind me that nobody could see her because they hadn’t mentioned her yet. Or they were too drunk to notice that I had a woman-shaped appendage.
I was looking for a good opportunity to introduce her to the group, but I didn’t want them to make stupid drunken jokes and make her outing a miserable one, especially since she had been so reluctant to come out as it was.
But hey, I was helping two fires with one hose, so to speak.
“Badgers?” I shook my head, trying to catch up. The massive bonfire caused the side of my face to swelter. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Before Mason could go on, I held up my free hand to stop him. “To be clear, there is no fire, and there is no danger?”
“The only danger is all the fun you’ve been missing,” Mason said, cracking himself up. “Where have you been? You’re two drinks behind.” I was further behind than that if I had to guess based on their bad humor.
“Pace doesn’t drink when there is a fire risk,” Jeff explained.
“You must never drink then,” the tourist said.
“Got it in one,” I said to her, tossing a wink without thinking and immediately catching myself mid-movement.
I had been worried about a possible fire and about making a good first impression to Sophie.
The schmooze just came out. I felt my own cringe.
The tourist giggled prettily with a hair flip. Mason pulled her closer under his arm.
I moved to the side to reveal Sophie. Not that she was here as my date, but if Mason saw her, he wouldn’t presume I was hitting on his.
“Hang on, I just need—” I said, but Sophie tucked herself further into my shadow.
“Wait. Wait. This is important,” Mason said with seriousness, leaning forward, arm waving to make sure I didn’t escape.
I looked one last time at the cagey Sophie before returning my focus to him.
“You need to tell them about the badgers. Issfuckingadorable.” His words were slurred incomprehensibly.
“Really drawing a blank here,” I said.
“No. No. Trash pandas.” Jeff leaned forward conspiratorially as if he were a genius.
“Oh.” It clicked into place for me then. “Are you talking about the raccoons?” I asked.
“Yes. That’s what I said.” Mason snapped the fingers on both hands, and the action rocked him backward. “You save them with your little ladder every morning.”
I huffed out a laugh. I was still frustrated that my conversation with Sophie had been interrupted for this, but I never passed up an opportunity for a rapt audience and thought maybe she would like the story too.
“It’s not every morning,” I explained. “It’s only when people leave the dumpster off I-25 open, near the town exit.
There’s that burger place there, and it always has good stuff for the critters. ”
“He goes and checks it every morning,” Jeff said.
“It’s part of my running path, it’s not like a big deal or anything.
” I scratched the back of my neck. I glanced around for Sophie.
I spotted her a few feet further away, drifting out like a rogue buoy but eagerly listening.
I flushed from the heat of the fire. I hadn’t even felt her wiggle herself free.
Looking back, I added, “And it’s not a ladder, it’s just a little plank of wood I leave there so they can climb back out.”
“I’m gonna show ’em the video. There are little babies there too, sometimes. It’s honestly ridiculously cute.” Mason pulled out his phone and played the video.
The women chorused “aw” in unison. One who wasn’t sitting too close to anybody eyed me up and down. I usually would have preened at the attention, but I brushed it off, feeling self-conscious at the leers. What did Sophie think about all this?
“Anybody would do it,” I mumbled and cleared my throat, stepping toward Sophie.
“He’s like a freaking Disney princess,” Mason said.
That was the second time today I’d been accused of that.
I turned to Sophie to see if she would jump in to agree, but she was gone now. Faded away into the shadows. This would have been a perfect opportunity to ease her into the conversation. Plus, I wasn’t in the mood to entertain the pretty tourist in cutoffs.
“Well, I’m glad I could clear that up for you, I should—” I started.