First Impressions by M.A. Grant

Author:M.A. Grant
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance novella, short romance, contemporary romance, best friend's brother, firefighter romance
Publisher: M.A. Grant
Published: 2022-08-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

There’s no triumphant return to the station this time. We’re all too exhausted to waste precious energy like that and we’re hours over the end of our shift. Even though it’s two in the morning, we have to clean up and put away the gear, ensure the engines are ready to go out again if another call comes, and have our debrief meeting.

Captain Blake’s a stickler about debriefs. We all trudge our way into the kitchen and huddle around the coffee maker. Once the cups of the caffeinated sludge are given out, the captain gestures for us to take our seats.

“I’m going to keep this short so you can get out of here,” he announces after taking a long sip from his mug. “You did great out there tonight. It wasn’t an easy job on any level.”

“How about the three we pulled from it?” Ty asks.

Captain shakes his head. “The first two are in the hospital. They’re currently listed as critical.”

He hasn’t mentioned the third. Already, I know what he’s going to say. Cold sweeps over me, prickles working their way down my spine.

“The third woman didn’t make it. They called it at the hospital.” He looks from Ty to Jeff to me. “You did the best you could. I’m sorry it ended that way.”

The rest of the meeting is fuzzy. I don’t even realize it’s over until everyone around me starts to get up. Hands land on my shoulder as the rest of my crew leaves the room, heading toward the showers or the parking lot to head home. A few of the guys who are too exhausted go back toward the few empty bunks to fit in a quick nap before driving. I blink, eyes burning from a lack of sleep and the smoke from the fire, and try to force myself from the numbness that’s settling in.

Captain Blake sits down across from me and pushes over a bottle of ibuprofen. I swallow down some pills, washing it down with another mouthful of the foul brew in my cup.

“I’m sorry she didn’t make it,” he tells me.

I nod.

“How’s your head?”

“Sore. I’ll be fine before next shift.”

“Have you called Catherine yet to tell her you’re safe?”

I shake my head.

“What about that girl who was here tonight? Maya, wasn’t it?”

“No,” I croak, throat sore. “I haven’t called her.”

Captain Blake leans back in his chair, looking down the hall behind me. “You’re good at this job, Jacobs,” he finally says. “You’ve said before you’re in it for the long haul. I know this isn’t the first person you’ve lost. But sometimes certain fires hit us harder than others.”

He looks at me and in that moment I know he saw my stumble at the fire. He saw my brain shut down and he must have recognized it had nothing to do with the physicality of the job. I appreciate him waiting to bring it up until now.

His expression is a mixture of sternness and concern. “When that happens, you need to take the time to process.

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