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“Are you kidding? This sounds a little like an adventure! How could I possibly be disappointed?”
He pulled out of the parking lot and down the road before turning onto the main road that went right through the middle of town. There was a part of him that still got a bit giddy over the fact that he was back in Sweetbriar. It was a beautiful day out, Ashlynn was at his side, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Do you want any clues?” he asked teasingly.
“Nope. I want to try to figure it out on my own. I’m guessing…”
But her words were cut off by the sound of the fire siren. Reid pulled over to the side of the road and looked around to see where the trucks were, and made sure they were out of the way. Up ahead, he spotted both the engine truck and the rescue one turning onto White Street.
“Do you need to go?” Ashlynn asked.
He shook his head. “They would have called, and even if I wanted to, by the time I went to the station and got into my gear, I’d have to drive myself over and…it’s all good. I hope it’s nothing major.”
They started driving again, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. Reaching for his phone, he pulled up his dispatcher’s number and put it on speaker.
“David, it’s Reid Baylor,” he said. “I just saw the crew go out. Is everything okay?”
“There’s a fire at the hair salon,” the dispatcher stated. “The crew should be getting there right about now.”
“Oh my gosh!” Ashlynn whispered.
“Any idea what happened?”
“Can’t say, Reid. We got the call that there were flames in the back of the building, but until the captain gets there, no one knows.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“No problem. And don’t worry. I’m sure everything’s under control. Enjoy your day off.”
“Thanks.” He hung up but almost felt bad that he wasn’t on the schedule. This would have been his first fire with the squad.
“You okay?” she asked softly.
“Yeah. Sorry. Just thinking about how this would have been my first fire event with the squad. Hopefully it’s nothing major.”
“Mmm…” she muttered.
“I wonder what could have happened.” They drove for several moments before he asked, “You worked there for a long time; was there anything unusual or any issues that would be cause for alarm?”
“Not really. It’s an older building, but…it always passed inspection.” She paused. “Although with all the hair products, the place is fairly flammable. It wouldn’t take much for something small to get out of hand.”
That made sense.
Then she let out a small sound of derision. “I know it sounds mean, but…it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.”
And yeah, her words were heavy on the sarcasm.
That’s when he remembered just how contentious her firing had been and knew he needed to change the subject.
“Okay, we’re through with the town and heading out of it. Any idea where we’re going?” Then he nudged her playfully. “Come on, admit that you need a hint. Come on…just a tiny hint. I promise I won’t make it too confusing.”
Beside him, Ashlynn laughed. “Oh my God! I bet you’re really bad at hide-and-seek too.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’ll bet good money that you snicker and laugh while you’re hiding and always get found.”
He frowned. “Um…maybe.”
