Chapter 8
Roman
The familiar sounds of the firehouse wrapped around me as I stepped inside.
Boots thudded against concrete. A radio crackled somewhere down the hall.
The low hum of voices drifted from the common room, punctuated by a burst of laughter that echoed off the cinderblock walls.
The building smelled like brewed coffee, engine oil, and faint traces of smoke that never quite left, no matter how often the bays were scrubbed down.
Hailey was my home. In many ways, so was my parents’ house, but this place—this was my second home. My second family. The firehouse and the people who worked and breathed and bled for the people of Ember Hollow were my family too.
I had missed being here.
I inhaled deeply, letting the familiar scent settle my anxiety, and smiled as I greeted the few firefighters I passed on my way toward my office. One of my crew—a probie named Damian—stopped me, a big grin on his face.
“Chief!” He reached out for a handshake, and I took it. “It’s good to see you around. How was your vacation?”
My smile faltered.
I supposed my time off was considered a vacation, but it hadn’t felt like one. It had been time I needed out of necessity—something I hadn’t had a choice about. It was anything but relaxing.
As if sensing my tension, Damian’s bright expression fell. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You good, Chief?”
I gave a stiff nod by instinct. Then I clapped him on the back. It wasn’t his fault. Damian was a good kid. He’d been working hard to learn the ropes this year.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I said. “On my way to meet your brother, though. He better have taken care of this place while I was gone.”
Damian’s older brother was my deputy chief, and Damian often felt like he lived in his shadow since becoming part of the crew.
But he wasn’t letting that inhibit his progress.
Even during downtime on shift, Damian often chose to get in a second workout at the station gym, or helped out with meals without being asked.
“Of course he did.” He nodded, finally answering me. “He wouldn’t ever disappoint you.”
Pride swelled in my chest as I gave him another pat on the shoulder.
I continued farther down the hall until I reached a closed door.
My office.
I didn’t knock before opening it and stepping inside.
Two pairs of eyes shot to me.
Shawn—my second-in-command—seemed raggedly tired. Guilt hit me square in the chest. We’d been communicating every day since I’d been gone. He’d briefed me on everything that was happening, and we’d shared the paperwork load. Even so, I hadn’t realized how exhausted he’d become.
My gaze slid to the man standing on the other side of my desk, facing Shawn.
Nolan Davis stood before my desk with his arms crossed over his chest.
I closed the door slowly behind me, my stomach twisting. Nolan was one of my captains who specialized in fire investigation. If he was in my office, especially after I was called in, that wasn’t a good sign.
“Fill me in,” I instructed, immediately ready to get to business.
Nolan cocked his head to the side as he took me in from head to toe. “How much time do you have?”
“As much time as needed,” I said stiffly.
“I thought you were still on leave? Who’s got Hailey?” His green eyes narrowed. They weren’t as bright as my late wife’s had been, but there was definitely a glimmer of his sister there. When Jess first passed, it had been hard for me to look at Nolan for weeks.
“She’s fine,” I said. “I’ve got the time.”
Shawn’s face softened with relief.
“Brief me,” I insisted. “What’s going on?”
Nolan and Shawn shared a look. An uncomfortable feeling prickled at the back of my neck.
Shawn leaned back in his chair. “It’s about the fire at the church last night.”
Of course I knew about that fire. I kept an ear on all the calls the station got. They’d been busy last night, and today with the snow. From people using their fireplaces and generators improperly, to cars skidding off icy roads, there’d been little emergencies to attend to constantly.
The fire at the local Pentecostal church was a bit different.
It hadn’t been in the main building, but one of the smaller outbuildings they used for storage.
It was a fairly large structure, though, and engines from the surrounding counties had been called in to help get it under control.
It had been assumed someone had broken in to get warm and accidentally started a fire.
The way my deputy chief and captain were looking at me made me think that wasn’t the case.
When I remained silent, Nolan cut in. “I checked the place out early this morning, and I’m fairly confident there was an accelerant used. Kerosene.”
A muscle in my cheek twitched. “Could it have been someone using a kerosene heater?”
It seemed unlikely, but I wanted to exhaust every possibility but the worst one.
“No.” Nolan shook his head. “There was no evidence of a heater, and indications from the burn patterns suggest it was deliberately set. All evidence as of now is pointing toward arson.”
I sighed through gritted teeth. What a perfect way to return to work. It had been a long time since we had a serious structure fire from arson.
“Was there anything important or of value stored in the building?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.” Nolan shrugged. “From what the pastor said, they mostly store seasonal decorations, large props, and extra furniture. All together, it’s probably a decent loss, but nothing extravagant or crushing.”
“Cameras?” I asked.
“They have them,” Nolan said, “but not on that specific building. None of the surrounding cameras caught all angles of the structure. There are blind spots someone could’ve used to avoid being recorded.”
I stood in silence for a beat.
Given that nothing inside the building appeared to be a target, my brain ran through the idea of why. It could possibly be some kid getting themselves into trouble. That had happened before.
Ember Hollow was a small town. There wasn’t much to do to keep teenagers busy, and sometimes they made their own trouble. I could think of a few names off the top of my head—kids who liked to push boundaries, see what they could get away with.
Ones who might act out in a drastic way.
“I’ll coordinate with the police department if you’re sure this is incendiary.”
“I’m fairly certain at this point. I’ve gathered most of the evidence already. The presence of a lot of kerosene was fairly obvious. Whoever did this wasn’t trying to hide it very well.”
I exhaled slowly through my nose. “Understood. We’ll get in contact with a detective and see how they want to proceed.”
I glanced at Shawn. “Is there anything else?”
Shawn winced. “Nothing as pressing, no.” He shifted on the chair behind my desk. “But we’re stretched pretty thin right now with the weather.”
“The streets were getting better on my way here. Hopefully, the sheriff will downgrade the emergency level soon and things will start to calm down.”
Nolan crossed the room toward me, stretching his arms above his head as he did so. “Well, if you don’t need anything else from me,” he stifled a yawn, “I’ll get going.”
I tip my chin toward him in acknowledgment. “Have your reports ready for the police.”
He nodded. “Will do.”
When he stood next to me, he clapped me on the shoulder. A dark lock of hair fell over his forehead. “My niece’s birthday is coming up quick,” he said. “Mom’s been wondering if you’re throwing a party for her this year?”
My entire body deflated at the mention of her birthday. It was a day I’d never forget, but also one I dreaded. Every year my girl grew older, and every year was another reminder that her mother was no longer with me.
My mom always threw Hailey a party so I wouldn’t have to worry about it, but she wasn’t here to help.
I cleared my throat. “I haven’t solidified plans yet,” I mumbled.
“Well, when you do, let us know.”
Nolan gave me a warm grin before opening the door and leaving Shawn and me alone.
I let out a breath and rolled my shoulders, the familiar weight of responsibility settling back into place. It was heavy but also…right.
Shawn leaned back in his chair. “Sorry to drop all that shit on you.”
“It’s part of the job.” I shrugged.
Shawn pushed himself up from the chair, seeming relieved. “Gotta admit, I’m glad to have you back.”
I let out a genuine smile. “Me too.”
The desk was more cluttered than I liked—stacks of reports, half-sorted folders, a coffee mug that definitely wasn’t mine. I’d spend the rest of the day fixing it.
Shawn followed my line of sight and grimaced. “Sorry.” He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I was planning on cleaning things up before you officially got back…”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “I’ll take care of it.”
We traded places without another word, Shawn stepping aside as I moved behind the desk. The moment I sat down in the familiar chair, I started to organize automatically—straightening papers, stacking folders—muscle memory taking over.
I paused when the weight of Shawn’s gaze settled on me. I glanced up and raised a brow. “What?”
He hesitated, then asked, “How did you manage to come back from leave early? With Hailey and everything?”
Shawn was one of the few people who knew enough to ask that question. I hadn’t told him everything, but he knew my parents were gone for a while—and that childcare had been an issue.
“I found a nanny,” I said tightly, before dropping my attention back to the desk.
“Nanny?” Shawn perked up immediately, a little too interested for my liking. “What’s she like?”
I frowned, my hands still busy with organizing. “What do you mean?”
Shawn chuckled a little. “Is she like…hot?”
My head snapped up. I pinned him with a look sharp enough that Shawn flinched, the humor draining from his face instantly.
“That’s not an appropriate question.”
Shawn flushed. “Sorry, Chief,” he muttered.
When he did, I set the papers in my hands down more carefully than necessary.
What the hell was that?
Shawn was a good man. He’d been working hard to make up for my absence and I knew he’d been joking, but the sudden surge of irritation had hit me out of nowhere.
I swallowed and forced myself to regroup.
“It’s fine,” I said, my voice softer. “And…thank you. For all the work you did while I was gone. I appreciate it.”
Shawn’s expression brightened as he lifted his chin. “No problem, Chief. But—yeah. I am glad you’re back.”
Despite myself, I smiled.
Yeah. This was home, too.
Snowstorms, long hours, bureaucratic headaches and all—I’d missed it. The firehouse promised routine and the simple clarity of knowing what was expected of me. There were problems to solve here, sure, but they were problems I understood.
It was good to be back.