“Her daddy didn’t like you?” Tony pushed.
“No, he didn’t like me, and I didn’t like him, and Emily kicked us both out,” I spat. “There, are you happy now that you know the whole story?”
“Whoa, she kicked you and her father out?”
“Her mother, too,” I added wryly. “It was a mess, and I haven’t talked to her since.”
“Well, maybe it’s for the best,” Tony offered, as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You know, maybe you avoided another shitty relationship and another messed up drama. Silver lining!”
“You sure changed your tune fast there, buddy,” I said, eyeing him suspiciously. “One minute you're all for it, and the next you’re telling me I’m a lucky guy. Which is it?”
“Dunno, ask me again when the two of you patch things up,” Tony grinned, as we entered the station and found the guys gathered around the breakfast table as Cal dished up sausage and eggs. I quickly stored my gear and pulled up a seat at the table. As soon as he’d finished buttering the toast, Cal took a seat next to me and filled his plate.
“Good eggs, man,” Tony said appreciatively, as the rest of the guys grunted in agreement.
“Hey, Blake, was that Emily Fowler you brought to the party last weekend?” Cal asked, as he poured hot sauce on his eggs.
“Yeah, why? You know her?” I mumbled with a full mouth.
“No, but I know who her dad is,” he said, as he took a piece of toast and broke it in half.
“Oh yeah, who?”
“Her dad is William Fowler, the oil tycoon,” Cal said, as he spread jam on half of the toast and then began scooping up eggs with his fork and shoveling them into his mouth at an alarmingly rapid rate. “He’s got more money than God, or so I hear.”
“Huh, is that so?” I said, as the wheels in my brain started spinning.
“Oil tycoon?” Tony said, leaning across me to look at Cal. “A rich guy, you say?”
“Yep,” Cal nodded. “Super rich. Didn’t she say anything about it?”
“Nope, not a word,” I said, looking down at my plate as my appetite deserted me. I didn’t know what to do with this information, all I knew was that I missed Emily and I didn’t know how to get her back.
“B, you need to get her back,” Tony whispered, as he nudged me with his elbow. “She’s an heiress or something!”
“Shut the fuck up, Tony,” I muttered, as I picked up my plate and carried it to the sink where I dumped the remains
of breakfast into the garbage and loaded the plate into the dishwasher.
The alarm sounded before Tony could respond and as the voice came through the intercom, we rushed out to don our gear. I hauled myself up into the cab, giving Cal the once-over to make sure he was properly dressed. We pulled out of the station and headed toward the fire. I tried to get my brain focused on what I’d do once we got there, but I couldn’t get Emily out of my mind. I wanted to know why she hadn’t told me about her family and why she’d kicked us all out. Most of all, I wanted to know if she was missing me as much as I missed her.
We pulled up to find the small house engulfed in flames, and two people, old enough to be my grandparents, shivering on the front sidewalk as they watched their home burn. The medics got them into the ambulance while the rest of us suited up to douse the flames.
“Gaston, I want you, Tony, and the rookie to take the front door,” Chief said as I pulled my respiration over my head and grabbed the hose. “The house is a loss, so don’t be a hero.”
I nodded as I looked around for Tony and Cal. Finding them, I motioned toward the front door and headed up the walk. I wondered what Emily was doing right at that moment. Was it time for Nina’s History class? I couldn’t remember. I felt someone tapping my shoulder.
“B, what are you doing?” Tony shouted through his mask. “Where’s the ax?”
I looked down and saw that I was holding only the hose. I shrugged and hollered, “Rookie! Go grab the ax out of the engine!”
Tony shot me a look as Cal headed back to the truck to grab the ax. I pulled off a glove and put a hand on the front door to test for heat. The door was hot, and the knob was too hot to touch. Not a good sign. When Cal returned with the ax, I put a hand on one of the windows next to the door and said, “Bust the glass, but stay back!”
Cal nodded and swung the ax. The sudden gush of air made the flames flare up.
“GET BACK!” I yelled, as I shoved Tony and Cal off the porch and ducked. The sudden increase in heat caused the five small windows surrounding the door frame to explode, sending glass fragments flying. I waited a moment before lifting my head off of the porch. I called out, “You guys okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” Tony replied, as he pulled Cal up off the ground and climbed back onto the porch. “You okay, man?”