No Easy Choice by Kathryn Shay

Author:Kathryn Shay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: small town romance, strong female heroine, firefighter romance, good guy romance, female firefighter romance, marriage in jeopardy, career vs family
Publisher: Kathryn Shay

* * *

At the fire academy, Colin sat in the first official class required for a promotion to lieutenant. He was relieved to see Captain Harry Zander running the session. Everybody liked him.

“So,” Zander said, “I’m not going to start out with hard lines or threats that you won’t succeed. I’m here to help make sure you all pass the lieutenant’s exam.”

Obviously, his reputation was well deserved.

“So, let’s study what’s on the screen. No need to take notes. I have a handout.”

“First off is Preparation for Tour of Duty, which means you’ll need to know how to run a shift and prepare for each tour. The second one is a monster to most officers: Record Keeping (Completion of Paperwork), including documentation of what you do on each phase of the call. You’ll need to record information on the following, which also includes knowing how to do them: Alarm to Arrival; Size-up After Arrival; Fire/Emergency Scene Operations-Initial Steps; Fire/Emergency Scene Operations-Search and Rescue; Salvage and Overhaul; Fire Scene Operations- Ventilation; Medical Emergencies; Building Inspections; Administrative Inspections; and Training. The test will include questions that require a working knowledge of all of these.”

Silence. The seven participants all stared at him.

“I know it’s overwhelming on paper, but take out a sheet of paper. For the first three up there, Alarm to Arrival, Size-up After Arrival, Fire/Emergency Scene Operations-Initial Steps, write down what you already know about them.”

Colin wrote. He also glanced around at the others. They were writing, too. Ha! He got the point. They knew more than they thought.

The second half of the class was given to the physical part of the test. “Let’s head out to the bay.” Once assembled, Zander pointed to the vertical lanes already set up. “Put on your turnout equipment.”

He waited for the group to dress and then said, “Next, take a dummy over there. Each weighs 150 pounds.”

Wow. A lot.

“Hoist them over your shoulder, then run to the end of the lane and back, the fastest and safest you can.”

They started. Running fast, Colin got only halfway, and stumbled, fell to the ground. Holy hell! He looked at his fellow candidates. Everybody tripped at some point.

“Stay down. What’s the lesson here?”

“Better to be the tortoise than the hare,” Colin blurted out.

Zander laughed. “Yeah, O’Shea, that’s the point. But you’ll have to go faster than a turtle but less than a rabbit.”

The time flew because the captain let them participate actively. Colin didn’t think of Annie once since he got here. Maybe he was getting better at blocking. But on the way home at two, he was besieged by his behavior earlier. Had he actually ordered her not to see her friends? Hell. What was going on with him?

He saw a grocery store up ahead and pulled into the lot. Inside, he bought her a bouquet of carnations and drove the rest of the way happier. They could work this out, but he had to stop being such a hardhead.

Colin noticed an unfamiliar car parked at the curb.

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