2. Ethan
Chapter 2
Ethan
G od damn, she was sexy.
The cherry-red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder gleamed under the garage lights, her elegant curves demanding admiration. I ran my hand over the smooth metal one last time before getting to work.
“Daddy, why are you looking at the car like that?” Ava, my eight-year-old daughter, was too perceptive for her own good. “You look like you want to eat it.”
Since I was a single parent, and childcare was in short supply, Ava had been spending a lot of weekends at the garage. I’d painted a little nook for her with rainbow patterns and put up an enamel sign that said, “Ava’s Corner”. She sat under the sign at a little desk, which was covered with reading books, paper, and felt tip pens.
I rubbed the scruff on my chin. “Just working on my plan of attack.”
She snickered. “You’re going to attack the car?”
“I mean for the stripes.”
“Go-faster stripes?”
“Not quite. These are pinstripes.”
I mixed the paint, slowly adding a stream of thinner until the consistency felt right. Years of doing this had taught me to always trust my own senses over a measuring jug.
“So, they don’t make the car go faster?” I loved it when Ava asked questions. Her bright blue eyes opened up so wide it was like she was taking in the entire universe.
“Nope, just fancier,” I explained. “And fancier means a better price, which means a better vacation for us.”
Ava grinned. “Promise you’ll take me to Disney World?”
“If I get these pinstripes good enough, I’m booking us the entire Disney experience. Breakfast with Goofy, lunch with Mickey, dinner with . . . Ronald.”
“Daddy!” Ava squealed. “It’s Donald!” She looked at the car, her expression clouding over. “But what happens if you make a mistake?”
I laughed sardonically. “I won’t.”
“Yeah, but what if you do?” Ava had a thing about mistakes. Really beat herself up over them. It had gotten so bad in recent months that she would spend hours triple-checking all her schoolwork.
She got it from me, no doubt.
“If I make a mistake, it’s fine. I’ll just go with the flow.” It was a lie, really, but I wanted it to be true. In reality, if I made a mistake, I’d obsessively redo the work until it was absolutely perfect, silently stew over it for days, and then analyze the experience for years to come, trying to make sure I never made the same mistake again.
“Go with the flow?” she asked, unconvinced.
“You know me. Mister Easygoing.”
“Good joke,” Ava said.
“Thank you. I’ll add it to my stand-up set.” I paused. “By the way, just so you know, we’re going to Disney World. I’m selling this car and taking you there. No ifs or buts. So don’t worry, okay?”
Ava nodded.
God damn, the girl deserved a vacation. A magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience that made her feel like the special girl she was. Not defined by her mom dying when she was a toddler, and her dad working himself to the bone at the garage to support her single-handedly.
I grabbed a brush. “Okay Ava-Raver, now Daddy’s gotta focus for the next half hour or so to get this paint job done. I can’t stop, ‘cause I have to keep the paint wet while I work. You need anything before I dive in?”
“How am I supposed to know?” She pouted, looking down at the pile of reading books I’d laid out for her.
I frowned. Something was eating at her. I sighed, set down the brush, and went over to her.
“Everything all right, darling?” I crouched beside her, studying her little face.
She brushed her glossy black hair behind her ears, scrunching her mouth up just like her mom used to. “I dunno. Just bored. I wish we didn’t have to come here at the weekend. It’s unfair.”
My eyes narrowed. I knew what this was about. “You sad we’re missing Lily’s wedding?”
Ava sighed. “Lexi and Rhea are going.”
“That’s different. Elara is the maid of honor. Lily only had space for a certain number of people.” Then, under my breath, I added, “That’s what happens when you have a wedding at a crappy dive bar with no proper seating.”
I couldn’t say I was disappointed not to be there. It didn’t seem right. Vlad didn’t seem like the kind of guy who deserved someone like Lily. It was like watching a reckless teenager take a classic Cadillac for a joyride. Not that I had a thing for Lily Lane, of course. Well, not a major thing. I mean, sure, I went into her store to buy coffee way more often than I needed to because I was a sucker for her pretty smile. And her long legs. And her wicked sense of humor. But a man was allowed to look, right? It didn’t mean I was obsessed with her. I just objectively appreciated the fact she was a tall, beautiful, redhead who excelled at selling ridiculously steamy novels.
And there was nothing creepy or weird about the fact I purposefully asked her for complicated coffees just so we could spend a little extra time chatting in the mornings.
Somehow, Ava heard me. “No fair. I want to be at a crappy dive bar.”
“You don’t—trust me. If even one person were to break wind in—”
“Dad!” It was a clumsy attempt to make her laugh, but it half worked.
“Seriously. They’d have to cancel the wedding.”
“I wanted to wear my new sparkly dress.”
“No chance. Didn’t you hear about the dress code? All black. Probably not even allowed to smile.”
“And Vlad was going to play music. I like music.”
I snorted. “Wouldn’t describe it as music. Noise, maybe.”
“Do you think they’re married yet?”
“Probably. I give it a month.”
“What does that mean?”
I paused for a second and tried to be diplomatic. “Well honey, there are different types of people in this world. You’ve got people like Lily, who’s kind, hard-working, and sweet-natured. Then . . . you’ve got people like Vlad.”
“Losers? Scrubs?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Your words, not mine. All I’m saying is that I’m sure, sooner or later, when the ‘romance’ has run out, Lily will realize what type of person Vlad really is. She’s smart.”
“So you’re saying she needs someone who’s hard-working and kind and all that stuff?”
“Sounds like she needs someone like you,” Ava said innocently.
I felt my cheeks redden, surprised by my own reaction. “That’s not . . . I mean, Lily’s getting married, sweetie.”
Ava’s eyes lit up. “Daddy’s embarrassed!”
“I’m not,” I protested, but my daughter’s delighted giggles told me she wasn’t buying it.
I found myself wondering what Lily was wearing today. She wasn’t in black, surely? I pictured her tall and slender physique in a silky white dress, her copper-colored hair falling in ringlets around her shoulders, her sky-blue eyes shining with happiness. I pictured her scrunching up that adorably freckled nose as she said her vows, looking out at Vlad from behind those sexy secretary tortoiseshell glasses.
Jesus, what was my problem? Was I just fantasizing about Lily because she was so clearly off-limits? Maybe I just liked her because she’d always been so kind to me. After Marie died, she brought round all kinds of healthy meals and snacks for me and little Ava. Kept saying she was “heartbroken” for us. Yeah. It was her kindness that was making me blush right now. Just her kindness.
“Daddy’s got a cru-ush, Daddy’s got a cru-ush!” sang Ava.
“Only type of crushing around here is what I do to little girls who tease me!” I grabbed Ava and she giggled as I pretended to squeeze her.
“Stop it!” she laughed.
“Never!” It was so good to hear her laugh, but I relented. “Now, I need to do these stripes, okay? I wanna finish before Gramma Susie arrives to take you to jujitsu.”
Susie was my stepmom. She taught jujitsu at the local community center. Ava adored her.
“Fine.”
“Good luck with the reading.”
She huffed. “I wish reading wasn’t invented.”
“You’ll get there. And remember, it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s how we learn.”
“I wish mistakes weren’t invented, too.”
I headed back over to the car. For a moment, I wondered what life might be like with someone like Lily in it. Not Lily, of course, but someone like her. I shut down the thought immediately. After losing Marie, I couldn’t even risk entertaining the idea of a relationship that might not last.
If someone else abandoned us, we might never recover.
Marie didn’t abandon you. She died.
I gritted my teeth, pushing the thoughts from my mind, then looked at Ava. “Now, I want no jokes while I’m doing this, okay? If you make me laugh, it’s game over.”
“Don’t worry,” said Ava solemnly, “you’re too dumb to get my jokes.”
I chuckled and turned back to the Ferrari, then picked up my brush. I took a long, deep breath, then dipped it into the paint, carefully wiping off the excess. Slow and steady. That was the key. But not too slow. And not too steady. This job needed confidence and flair, as well as a measured approach. Everything had to be balanced just right.
As I zoned in, the rest of the world melted away. There were no worries, no bored children, no dead wives, no nothing. Just me and the line, stretching off into the distance.
The feeling of calm focus continued for a few blissful minutes until a loud buzz pulled me back to reality. My damn phone, going off on the workbench beside Ava.
“Ava, honey, can you see who that is?” I called out, not daring to look up from my work.
“It’s. . . .” She paused. “Chef Hawkins?”
“ Chief Hawkins?”
“Yeah. That’s what I mean.”
My hand froze in midair, the brush quivering. Hawkins ran the fire brigade in Bluehaven Beach and Goldharbor Bay. He was one of the officers that had tried to save Marie. It was a car accident—a drunk driver from out of town, while Marie was driving home from the shopping mall. A whole fleet of emergency vehicles had shown up—police, firefighters, paramedics. Chief Hawkins had been the one to cut Marie out of the car. The paramedics went through their protocol, but it was already too late. I hung on to that fact sometimes—she had been killed instantly. The drunk driver was killed too, which brought me no relief.
I think some people assumed I wouldn't want to work with cars after Marie died in one. In fact, it only made me more determined to do it. To make every vehicle I worked with as safe as possible. Beautiful, yes, but safe, too. It wasn't a car that had killed Marie, anyway. It was a person. An irresponsible person. So, I'd spent my life trying to be as responsible as can be. Raising my daughter firmly but fairly. Making every car that came into my garage as reliable as could be.
Still, it wasn't enough. After seeing what the local emergency services had been through trying to save Marie, I’d sworn to give back to the community. To take on even more responsibility. I didn’t have the brains to work as a medic, or the stamina to work for the police, but sliding down poles and putting out fires was definitely in my wheelhouse.
I’d waited until Ava was six, to make sure she was settled in school, before telling Chief Hawkins that I wanted to join the service. Only part-time, as I still had a garage to run, but I wanted to give what I could. The chief said he could use an extra pair of hands, but the trouble was, in a district like ours, the budget for taking on new firefighters was tiny. I’d offered to work as a volunteer, but Chief Hawkins said they still needed a budget for training and insurance. I’d been waiting for two years, but I’d had no luck so far.
The chief never normally rang me, so maybe this was the call I’d been waiting for. I hesitated, torn. I’d been waiting for this opportunity for so long. But the pinstriping. . . .
Screw it. Some things were more important than paint.
I set down the brush and wiped my hands on my jeans, heart pounding as I crossed the garage in three long strides. I picked up the phone, hitting the green button with a shaking finger.
“McCoy here. What can I do for you, Chief?”
“Ethan, I’ve got great news,” Chief Hawkins said, his deep voice crackling through the speaker. “The funding came through. You’re in—if you still want the position, that is.”
I nearly dropped the phone. “Seriously? Two days a week, as we discussed?”
“Yep. Fully paid. Can’t have you giving up all that time for free, not with Ava to provide for.”
I glanced at my little girl. The real reason I wanted to take on this firefighting role was for her. To show her that I hadn’t forgotten what had happened to her mommy. That we wouldn’t let the dark side win. “Great,” I said. “I’m in.”
“Welcome to the team, son.”
I looked over at the paint on the Ferrari. I’d have to take it all off and start again. Still, it was worth the hassle for this new opportunity.
“The training will be intensive,” said the Chief. “The academy is about fourteen weeks, and then there’s the EMT certification, which can take a few months. To begin with, there will be some nights involved.”
“Nights?”
“Right. We like the rookies to get a feel for what it’s like to work here at all hours. Sometimes you’ll be called in at short notice, too. We can’t predict when there’ll be an emergency, and I want you to experience as many of them as possible. Make sure that your evenings are clear for the next few months.”
Clear evenings for the next few months? I looked over at Ava. She grinned at me, clearly following what was going on. Ava knew how important this was to me—I’d chewed her ear off plenty of times about wanting to be a firefighter.
“I’ll have to get a nanny for Ava.”
“Sadly, I’m not available.”
I laughed. “Shame.”
My mind reeled, trying to process it all. This was everything I’d been working toward since Marie died. A chance to make a real difference, to keep other families from suffering like we had.
“So,” Hawkins said, “does this all sound in order to you?”
An idea popped into my head. I’d chatted to Susie about helping out with childcare in the past. Maybe she could step in for a while. Only problem was that she’d have to stay at my place overnight in case I got called out. I hoped she’d be all right with it.
“I’m ready. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he chuckled. “Wait ‘til you see the training.”
When I finished the call, I stood there for a second, still holding the phone, letting the news sink in. It felt as though the universe was finally giving me a chance to put the guilt and sadness behind me.
“Are you gonna be a firefighter, Daddy?” Ava asked, setting down her pencil.
“Seems like it.”
“Like, with a uniform and everything?”
I chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Yep, the whole shebang. It’s going to be a lot of work, especially over the next couple of months. I’ll be training during the day and sometimes at night, too.”
Ava’s excitement dimmed. “But what about me? Who’s going to take care of me while you’re off being a hero?”
“I’m going to ask Gramma Susie to live with us while my training is going on. Maybe Grandpa, too.”
“Fun!”
Fun wasn’t the word I’d use for it. I hadn’t lived with Dad for a long time and didn’t relish the thought of it. He and I got on fine, but we weren’t exactly close. Cole was his favorite, mainly because they ran a building company together.
Before I could respond, the sound of a car pulling up outside caught our attention. I glanced at the clock, realizing it was already time for Ava’s jujitsu lesson.
“That must be Susie,” I said, standing up and brushing off my jeans. “Why don’t you go grab your gear while I talk to her about the nanny situation?”
***
“The Jujitsu World Championships?” I repeated, my stomach sinking.
Susie’s eyes sparkled. “In Brazil! Paddy and I are going to do a mini tour of South America. Maybe Costa Rica, maybe Argentina! Take a good few weeks.”
I raised an eyebrow. “How did you get Dad to agree to spend any money?”
She laughed. “I had to use a chokehold. Once you cut off all the oxygen to someone’s brain, you’d be surprised what they agree to.”
I chuckled flatly. “I see. I was hoping you could watch Ava while I do my firefighter training. Been waiting two years for this opportunity.”
“Oh, Ethan. I’m sorry, I thought you knew.” Susie squeezed my arm. “Why don’t you hire a nanny?”
I glanced over my shoulder, lowering my voice. “I can’t risk it, Suze. We need stability.”
Susie nodded. “Is there someone you know who could do it? Someone Ava trusts?”
“Ida’s too busy with the diner,” I said with a sigh. “Elara has the bakery. Plus, she’s pregnant and planning a wedding.” I rubbed my forehead, feeling the tension building. Maybe this wasn’t the right time. Maybe I’d have to wait until Ava was old enough to leave home.
Susie reached out to squeeze my arm. “I know how important this is for you, Ethan. I wish I could help. You know, in jujitsu, we learn to adapt to new situations. Sometimes, the grip you want isn’t available, so you find a new one.”
“Like when you taught me the spider guard, Gramma?” Ava chimed in, appearing beside us.
“Exactly,” Suzie said, ruffling Ava’s hair. “Now come on, let’s hit the mat.”
As the two of them walked out of the garage, I turned my attention back to the car, my mind still churning. I picked up the paint remover and grabbed a new brush. If I couldn’t show Ava I could be a hero fighting fires, then at least I could take her to Disney World. Just as long as I got these damn pinstripes done.
“Right,” I said. “Time to make some magic happen.”
Just then, the roar of an engine cut through the quiet afternoon. I looked up to see a car speeding toward the garage, black and purple and menacing. Going way too fast for Bluehaven Beach’s sleepy streets.
“Is tha—” I muttered, but my words were cut off by the sound of screeching tires and a thunderous crash.