Let Me Burn (Angel Sands 1)

“I’m not sure. A few months maybe.”

“That’s not fresh,” Griff pointed out. “That’s rancid. She’s probably ready for another date.”

“But she can do better than me,” Lucas said, shaking his head. “What have I got to offer her? I’m a firefighter. I spend half my life out on emergencies, the other half at the station. Most women would hate that.”

“Plenty of firefighters have relationships. I bet half your co-workers are married.”

“And the other half are divorced.” Lucas raised his brows. “Seriously, the job causes a lot of problems.”

“So what, you’re not going to even try?” Griff shook his head. “That’s messed up. And it’s not like you, either. You’re a strong man. Brave as hell. So what’s stopping you from making a move?”

It was a good question. Lucas pondered on it for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m going back to White City soon. That complicates things.”

“When are you going back?”

“In a couple of weeks.”

“You feel okay about that?” Griff asked. “After everything that happened?”

Lucas swallowed, deliberately looking out of his window at the beach to their left. “Yeah, I feel fine about it.” His voice was low. “I’m over it, it’s time to get back in the saddle.”

They stopped at a set of lights. He could feel Griff looking at him, even though he was still deliberately staring in the opposite direction.

“It was a terrible thing that happened,” Griff said.

Lucas felt that familiar tightness in his chest as he tried to take a deep breath in. A moment later he blew it back out. “Yeah, well what’s done is done.”

The light changed and Griff pressed his foot on the gas. For the next couple of minutes, until he pulled into Lucas’ cottage driveway, he remained silent. He parked, killed the engine, then turned to look at his friend.

“I know it sounds all kinds of sappy, and if you tell anybody else I said this I’ll deny it. But I’m proud of you, man. For everything you do, and I respect the hell out of you for it.”

Something about his earnestness hit Lucas dead in the chest, and it was all he could do not to get emotional again. Griff so rarely said something heartfelt – their relationship was based upon ribbing and jokes, after all. The fact he’d said it meant a lot.

“I appreciate it.” His voice felt thick as molasses.

“And if you’re brave enough to go back to work, then you’re brave enough to ask this woman out. White City isn’t that far away, an hour or so drive. People commute further than that, and yes, even firefighters. If you like her, don’t let that stop you.”

There was a truth to his words that hit Lucas right between the eyes. Griff was right, all his excuses were just masks to cover his fear. If he really liked Ember he should bite the bullet and tell her.

It was time to seize the moment.

16

This was definitely her favorite day of the year. There was nothing else quite like it. Ember closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in the aroma of popcorn, donuts, and sweet funnel cakes, as the sound of the marching band assaulted her eardrums while they practiced.

There were other sounds, too; the squeals of the volunteers’

children as they slid down the giant inflatables, laughing loudly as they reached the bottom and were caught in their parents’ loving arms. Then there were the shouts of the booth holders as they set up their wares, calling across to each other before they got too busy.

In the distance she could hear the creaking of the fair machinery. The Ferris wheel as it moved slowly around and the rollercoaster that dipped up and down, making their final test runs. Next to them was her favorite ride – the swing carousel – with empty seats that fanned out and up as it spun around and around.

Ember leaned on the counter of the ring toss stall. Frank Megassey had assigned her the first shift, assuring her she’d only need to work it until seven that evening. After that she’d have some free time to enjoy the fair with her friends. Though right now going home and curling up with a bottle of ice-cold beer sounded more appealing. Thank goodness the daytime shift wasn’t responsible for the dismantling. That honor had gone to the evening volunteers.

“We’re opening up. Are you ready?”

She looked up to see Frank Megassey standing in front of her. Although he was wearing his usual combination of plaid shirt and cream slacks, he was also wearing a bright yellow jacket with ‘Event Organizer’ emblazoned on it, carrying around a walkie-talkie that he spoke into every few seconds.

“Yes, I’m all set up.” She flashed him a big smile.