“Hey, guys, we’re getting to know each other well.” Captain Noah Keaton scowled. “We’re putting in a new device this time.” A second firefighter approached them and handed him an alarm. “Free of charge, guys.”
The four men and a female firefighter walked inside, one holding a hose just in case.
Soon, the siren stopped. It took a while for the firefighters to exit.
“All set?” Heath asked.
“Yep. We had to clear the whole building first.”
“I’d hoped there was a problem with the last alarm.” Heath sounded angry.
“Maybe there is.” Noah put his hand on Heath’s arm. “We’ll check it out.”
The whole crew climbed on the truck and it pulled away.
“I’ve got to get some things from my office,” Scarlet said. “Anybody else have more clients?”
No one did. Scarlet hurried inside, grabbed her briefcase and walked back out. “See you all tomorrow.” She crossed to her yellow Camero, got in and took off.
She tried not to seethe on the way home. Her farm was on the outskirts of town, not far from here, so she arrived there still pissed off.
When she got out, she saw the barn door ajar. “Damn it.” She marched over and yanked it open further. And found a little boy in a cowboy hat petting one of the horses. “Seth!”
He jumped back. “Sorry Miss Scarlet.” A droopy frown. “Petting him makes me feel better.”
“Where’s your dad?”
“Right here,” came the deep voice from behind her.
She turned. Joe Larson, his father, with dimples on display.
“I’m sorry he breached your privacy.” He crossed to the boy and knelt down. “Son,” he tipped back the boy’s hat, “what did I tell you about coming over here without permission?”
“Not to.” His lower lip trembled. “It makes me forget.”
Scarlet blurted out, “What does he need to forget?”
“Go back home, Seth.” The boy raced off.
Joe rolled to his feet. “We’ve had a rough patch. His mama left us a year ago, without a word. He’s up and down about it. But something happened at his summer camp today to bring it back. Again, I’m sorry. I’ll talk to him.” He started away.
“Wait a sec,” she called out. He stopped and turned to her, his brow furrowed.
“I didn’t know all that, Joe. It’s okay if he comes over here to pet Stanley when I’m home. I usually lock it when I leave but I guess I forgot this morning. Tell him to knock on my door and he can pet the horse whenever I’m home.”
“That’s mighty nice of you.” He looked after where Seth had gone. “The poor kid.”
“I’m glad the horse makes him feel better.” It did for her too. “I just got him back from the breeder.” The stall was behind a wall which was why none of her colleagues saw it when they practiced here during the time they closed the collective.
“So he’s a stud?” His eyes smiled.
“Yeah, I guess he is.”
She turned to go inside. When she glanced over her shoulder, he was heading away from her.Nice shoulders, she thought before she could stop herself.
Chapter 3
Two days later, Oliver and Finn walked to their cars together. Oliver whistled all the way.