Light Up The Night: A Bad Boy Firefighter Novel Read online

  The guys all hazed him, making foreboding sounds and thumping their hands to a drumbeat on the table. Derek flipped them off and stood up. “He probably wants to tell me to stop following your dumb ass everywhere.”

  I shrugged. “Something along those lines. Yeah.”

  Derek sulked off down the hall, and I dropped into the seat he’d vacated at the table.

  “So?” Allen asked, cocking his head to the side. “What’s your punishment?”

  “Why are you so confident I’m getting punished?” I asked.

  Allen smirked. “Don’t ask me evasive questions. Spit it out.”

  I sighed. “I’m on hose duty until I can learn to obey the rules.”

  The guys all started chuckling. Trace shook his head. “Oh man. You’re going to go crazy. He sure took you down a peg. Knows where to hit you where it hurts.”

  “Tell me about it,” I mumbled. To go from Search and Rescue to hose duty was a serious hit to the ego. Not only that, but it would be incredibly frustrating for me to man the hose rather than rush in to help.

  Incredibly frustrating.

  “Don’t worry, Hayden. We’ll let you stand at the front.” Trace chuckled.

  “Or the back if you prefer,” Mav added with a sly smile.

  Allen, a man much too serious to indulge in this sort of thing, said, “It will be over soon enough.”

  Maddox snickered. “Or you’ll be sharing the hose with me for the next couple years.”

  All of us shot him a look.

  “That sink is looking pretty full, rookie,” Trace said, tipping his head toward the kitchen.

  Maddox blinked.

  “Yeah,” I said as I leaned back and crossed my hands behind my head. “I think the floor needs a good sweep too.”

  “And maybe clean out the fridge while you’re at it, kid,” Allen added.

  Mav grinned. “There’s some old shit in there.”

  We all laughed as Maddox’s smile fell and he looked around at all of us, waiting for us to tell him we were only joking. But we weren’t. This was the sort of shit you went through as a rookie.

  It built character.

  “Move your ass, kid,” I said, unable to stop the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

  4

  Mel

  It had been a long time since I was able to sleep any later than seven o’clock in the morning. I was awake every day before my alarm went off and spent the first half hour of my mornings laying in bed, staring at my ceiling or reading a book. Then, when my alarm went off, I’d roll out of bed and hop in the shower.

  This morning wasn’t any different. I showered and indulged in a bit of a longer morning routine. It was Saturday, so I didn’t have to wake Kylee up right away to get her to school. Instead, I could spend a bit of time pampering myself.

  I moisturized my entire body with my favorite rose petal oil and body cream. I did a clay face mask and ran oil through the ends of my wet hair before blow drying it. I even took the time to slap on a little bit of tinted moisturizer, mascara, and pink lip color.

  Comfort was top priority for me today. I decided to wear a pair of distressed blue jeans and a loose gray pullover. I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows and slid my feet into a pair of sneakers. Then, feeling ready to conquer the day, I slipped out of my bedroom and padded down the hallway to the kitchen, where I pulled out all the ingredients to make pancakes.

  Kylee loved pancakes.

  It was a tradition to have them on the weekends, either Saturday or Sunday, whichever was most convenient, and it was a tradition I guarded dutifully. It had started three years ago when Kylee was only two, and I planned on maintaining it all the way until she was old enough to move out on her own.

  That was a strange thing to think about.

  I buttered the pan and warmed it up slowly as I mixed the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Once it was all sifted together, I poured in the separate bowl of liquids and mixed it all up. I sprinkled in some chocolate chips—Kylee’s favorite ingredient—and set the bowl down on the counter to let it stand for a few minutes.

  I went back down the hall to Kylee’s bedroom door and knocked gently. She didn’t answer.

  I let myself in.

  Kylee was curled up on her side with her purple teddy bear, Sam, tucked under her chin. Her blankets were tangled up all around her, and her French braid was looking a little chaotic. I might have to redo it for her after breakfast.

  I sat down on the edge of her bed and reached out to rub her shoulder. “Good morning, sweetheart. Time to wake up.”

  Kylee stirred gently, and after about thirty seconds of me encouraging her, she woke up. Her big blue eyes looked up at me, heavy with fatigue, and she smiled. “Morning, Mommy.”

  “Morning, kiddo.” I smiled. “How did you sleep?”

  “Good,” Kylee said as a yawn broke over her. She pushed herself up so she was sitting and stretched her little arms above her head. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Like a baby.” I chuckled and tickled her ribs as she stretched.

  Kylee giggled gleefully and squirmed away. I chased her across the bed and gathered her up in my arms. She squealed as I tickled the backs of her knees and blew raspberries on her tummy. When she was huffing for breath, and so was I, I poked her gently on the nose.

  “I’m about to put pancakes on,” I said. “You hungry?”

  Kylee nodded.

  “Okay, good. Me too. Go to the bathroom and then wash your hands. I’ll meet you in the kitchen. What do you want to drink? Water, milk, or juice?”

  “Milk please!”

  I stood up, and Kylee launched herself off the bed. She raced across her bedroom and shot out the door down the hall to the bathroom. She closed the door behind herself as I walked by and went straight to the kitchen. I listened to make sure she ran the sink and washed her hands as I poured the batter onto the pan.

  As the pancakes cooked, I poured her a glass of milk and started a cup of coffee for myself. The rich smell of the beans filled the kitchen, and I stood, bracing myself against the counter, and inhaled deeply. I exhaled through my nose and expressed internal gratitude for all of my blessings.

  My healthy, smart, kind little girl.

  My restaurant and the family I’d built there, along with the income it provided me to give Kylee the life she deserved.

  My best friend Tara.

  My cozy home.

  I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds around me. The coffee dripping into the bottom of the pot. The pancakes gently sizzling on the pan. Kylee washing her hands. Birds chirping outside my kitchen window.

  Life was good.

  I flipped the pancakes and poured my cup of coffee. After throwing in a dash of creamer and a teaspoon of sugar, I sipped it and waited for the pancakes to finish. Once they were done, I put two on a plate for Kylee and three on another for me. I topped mine with some fresh raspberries and strawberries and then put the plates down on the kitchen table.

  I got the maple syrup from the fridge just as Kylee came down the hall and slid into her chair. She picked up her fork and stared down at the pancakes with a ravenous look in her eyes. “Yummy,” she said.

  “Eat while they’re hot,” I told her as I poured maple syrup on my plate. I passed it to her, and she did the same.

  We both stuffed our faces. It was clear to see that she was my daughter. She ate with the same vigor as me. I’d forever been a foodie; it was in my blood. Cooking and eating were my two biggest passions, and I’d thrown them together when I opened The Glade. But nothing made me happier than cooking at home, even if it was something as simple as pancakes.

  When we were done, we each took our plates to the sink. I helped Kylee rinse hers off, and then we put everything, minus the cooking pan, in the dishwasher. I cleaned the pan by hand as Kylee put the maple syrup away. When she was done, she sat back down at the kitchen table.

  “Mommy?”

  I looked over at her as I turned the pan on its si
de on a drying mat on the counter. “Yes, kiddo?”

  “How do you know if you like a boy?”

  “I’m sorry?” I blinked.

  “How do you know if you like a boy?” Kylee repeated.

  “Um,” I said, unable to think of the proper way to answer this question. I could feel my eyebrows drawing together on my forehead, and I focused on relaxing my expression. “Why do you ask?”

  Just then, the front door opened. Our door opened into a small foyer off the kitchen, and Tara came into it in a blur. She hung her purse on the hooks behind the door and came into the kitchen, grinning at both me and Kylee.

  “Morning, ladies,” she said, “Sorry I’m late. Did I miss pancakes?”

  I nodded at a plate on the counter with four pancakes on it.

  Tara clapped her hands together. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you as a friend.”

  I smiled. “Me neither.”

  Tara rolled her eyes at me and went about preparing her pancakes. After drowning them in syrup, she looked up at Kylee. “I’m sorry, squirt. I think I interrupted you when I got here. What were you and your mom talking about?”

  “Oh,” Kylee said, looking over at me. “Right. I asked Mommy how do you know if you like a boy?”

  I tried my best not to look at Tara, who I had seen out of the corner of my eye slowly look up from her plate. She was staring right at me, and I could feel the amusement in her eyes.

  Tara cleared her throat. “That is an excellent question, Kylee. How do you know, Mel?”

  I shot her a dark look. “You just do.”

  Kylee frowned and swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the edge of the chair. “That’s what my teacher said. But what if I don’t know? What if I think I know, but I’m not sure?”

  Tara put her fork down and went to sit at the table beside Kylee. “Is this a boy in your class?”

  Kylee nodded.

  I joined them at the table and sank down into my seat, trying to catch Tara’s eye to get her to drop the subject. She deliberately wouldn’t look at me. Clever.

  “What’s his name?” Tara asked.

  “Nelson.”

  “Nelson?” Tara almost laughed but didn’t, and she finally looked at me. “You hear that, Mel? The kid’s name is Nelson. I want to meet a five-year-old with a name like that. It’s so… hoity toity.”

  “Hoity toity?” Kylee asked.

  “Dignified,” I clarified for her.

  Kylee still seemed a bit confused, but she left it alone. Instead, she said, “I think I like him. I think he likes me too.”

  “What is he like?” Tara smiled curiously.

  Kylee looked back and forth between me and Tara. I sighed and nodded for her to go ahead. I didn’t have to like it, but I couldn’t stop her from getting crushes. They were bound to happen, and this one would be easier than the ones that would come when she was a teenager. A lot easier.

  “His favorite color is blue. His hair is the same color as yours, Auntie Tara. He likes soccer and tag, and he has a sandwich for lunch every day. His favorite superhero is Batman.”

  “Wow,” I said, nodding along to what she was saying. “You sure know a lot about him.”

  Tara chuckled. “Worried, Mom?”

  “No,” I said quickly.

  Tara waggled her eyebrows. “Maybe you should find yourself a boy. You know, someone sweet like Nelson. But maybe a bit older.”

  I stared at her blankly. “Ha. Ha.”

  Tara shrugged. “Just saying. What about those firefighters who always pop into The Glade? They’re all… nice looking. And friendly. And they tip well, so you know they have manners. I’d like to take one of them home and—”

  I widened my eyes at her and cleared my throat to cut her off.

  “Paint pictures,” Tara said, smiling. “I’d like to take one of them home and paint pictures of the ocean. Mind you, why limit myself? I could take two or three of them home, and then I would have even more art. We could spend all night painting.” Tara smiled sheepishly and mouthed the word “naked” to me.

  I rolled my eyes. “Go ahead and invite one of them. See what he says.”

  Tara shook her head. “No. I think you should.”

  I scoffed. “I don’t need a man. I don’t have time for one, either. My plate is full enough as it is, and I’m happy with how things are going.”

  “Firemen have full plates too. You could both lead busy lives together and live happily ever after.” Tara winked.

  I stood up, shaking my head. “No. The very last thing I need is a guy who risks his life on a daily basis. No thanks.”

  Tara leaned forward closer to Kylee. “Well. Your mom is no fun, is she? What do you say the three of us go to the mall today?”

  “Yay!” Kylee beamed, looking around at me. “Can we go to the mall, Mommy? Can we?”

  “Sure, kiddo.”

  Tara clapped her hands together as Kylee hopped down from her chair. “Maybe we can find you a cute new outfit to wear to school on Monday. Maybe something blue to get Nelson’s attention?”

  “Yes!” Kylee squealed.

  But I drowned her happy cry out with my very flat, very firm, “No!”

  5

  Hayden

  Holding the hose was like being dropped back into basic training at the academy. I felt like my twenty-year-old self, minus the wide eyes and eagerness to learn. This was dull. Unchallenging. Almost humiliating.

  The fact that the guy I was manning the hose with was Maddox only damaged my ego more.

  We’d been called to a grass fire that evening, more than likely caused by a pedestrian or motorist throwing a cigarette on the ground, and only one hose was required. So, lucky me, I got to stand there with the rookie and put it out while the other four guys looked on with a bemused expression on their faces.

  “You just had to run in there head first, didn’t you?” I grumbled to myself as Maddox pointed the spray toward the last flames. “You couldn’t have asked if anybody else heard it? You had to just go right in and—”

  “What are you saying?” Maddox called over his shoulder.

  “Never mind. Face forward, rookie.”

  Maddox did as he was told and worked diligently until the fire was out. Then we packed the hose back up and removed our gear as the crowd of pedestrians lingered around, keeping their distance.

  I stepped out of my gear and put it in the truck as Derek wandered over, strutting like a courting male bird, and slid his hands in his pockets. “You did a mighty good job out there, old boy.”

  “Bite me.”

  Derek grinned. “It’s just so easy. I can’t help myself.”

  “Rinehart’s watching your dumb ass too, so don’t get too cocky.”

  Derek shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t see the chief around. Do you?”

  “No,” I muttered. Rinehart had stayed back at the firehouse. He wasn’t needed for a small thing like a grass fire. He trusted us to handle something that simple on our own. If he didn’t, we’d have bigger problems than me being stuck on hose duty.

  At least there was promise that it was only temporary—until I had proven that I was capable of following the rules again. I understood where Rinehart was coming from, and I didn’t want to be a burden. I was good at my job. Excellent, in fact. I wanted to do whatever it took to get me back on Search and Rescue where I belonged.

  “Holy hell,” Trace groaned as he came around the side of the truck. “That was a rough one.”

  I rolled my shoulders. “I’m glad everyone thinks this is funny.”

  Trace shook his head. “Oh, no. We don’t think this is funny. We think it’s hilarious. You rode bitch while Maddox worked the hose. You poor bastard. And Maddox of all people.”

  “I know,” I said. There was nothing else to say. Rinehart had put me in my place, and he was going to keep me there for as long as he saw fit. I’d have to endure the taunting from the guys for the next few days—or weeks if Rinehart was particularly pissed
at me. I wouldn’t put it past the guy. He had an uncanny knack for punishment.

  I wiped sweat from my upper lip as the rest of the guys came back to the truck. “Anybody feeling up for some dinner? We could hit The Glade on the way back to the station.”

  “I could go for one of those peppercorn steaks,” Allen said.

  “I’m in.” Derek nodded.

  Mav and Trace also agreed, and Maddox nodded eagerly. “They’ve got good food there. I’d be up for a steak too.”

  “You have to stay with the truck, rookie,” I said.

  Maddox blinked at me. “Oh. Okay. You think you could bring out a meal for me?”

  I laughed at him. “Damn, kid. I was only screwing with you. We won’t make you wait in the truck.”

  Maddox laughed nervously as the rest of us laughed at him. I clapped him on the shoulder and steered him to the front of the truck. “You did good today, rookie. You did good.”

  “Minus upstaging Hayden, of course.” Derek winked as he climbed up and started the truck.

  “Nobody asked you,” I growled.

  * * *

  The sun was just starting to set as we parked in the lot behind The Glade. We got out of the truck and walked around the side of the building to the front door off the beachside. We were greeted with a wave of cool air from the air conditioner and a friendly smile from the hostess, a young teenage girl with a cheerful smile and a wild mane of red hair.

  “Good evening,” she chimed. “For how many? Six?”

  I nodded. “Yes, please.”

  We frequented The Glade a lot, and this hostess looked new. She collected six menus from beneath her podium and led us into the restaurant, where she showed us to an open booth by the windows. We slid into our seats, and she passed the menus around.

  “Our special tonight is the seared halibut with a mango chutney. Tap beer is also half price until nine o’clock this evening. Your waitress will be right back with a round of waters for everyone.”