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This was almost too good to be true. A job back in Sweetbriar? A town where he still had friends? Moving there would not be a hardship in the least.
“And the position is for a firefighter at my rank? It wouldn’t be a step back into the probationary rank, would it? You know, because they’re growing.”
His captain studied him for a moment. “Reid, you’ve been very open about wanting to work your way up through the ranks to eventually become a chief or fire marshal or inspector. You’ve taken all the courses and are certified for all of it, but there haven’t been any positions open.”
“Well, there have been, but most stations seem to promote from within.”
“True. I’ve worked with you for the last two years and I know you’re more than qualified for those positions, but…you’re still one of the newer guys. Your work ethic is fantastic, but it’s a matter of seniority. That’s why I think moving to a small town could work in your favor.”
He nodded.
“It’s entry level right now, but from what I understand, they’re going to grow fast, so the sooner you get in and establish yourself, the better.” Pausing, he smiled. “So here’s what I’m suggesting: go and visit the fire station while you’re there this weekend. Introduce yourself and tell them you’re applying. And be prepared that they might want you to start ASAP.”
Another nod. “I can do that.”
“Excellent.” He handed Reid a large envelope. “This is all the information you’ll need and the links to where to apply online.” He smiled again. “I hate to lose you because you’re a damn fine firefighter, but I want to see you achieve your dreams, so…good luck.”
They stood and shook hands, and Reid had to hold in the urge to whoop with excitement. He knew something would come up eventually, but to have it come up in a place he was not only familiar with, but that was the closest thing to a hometown that he’d ever had? It almost seemed too good to be true!
All he wanted was to tear open the packet and read through it, but he was still on the clock and there were a ton of chores to be done. Just because there wasn’t a fire anywhere didn’t mean the squad could just sit down and relax. So for the rest of his shift, he forced himself to focus on his task and to forget about the envelope in his locker.
But when his shift ended, Reid was the first one out the door.
He only lived fifteen minutes away, but it seemed to take forever before he was finally home and tearing the packet open.
The more he read, the bigger his smile grew. This position felt like it was custom-made just for him. There was constant talk of advancement and he knew if, given the chance, he could climb the ranks and be on his way to a senior position before he was thirty.
Just the thought of all of this falling into place practically made him giddy, and if he didn’t tell someone soon, he would burst. The most logical choice would be to call his parents, but he opted to call his friend Leo—the friend whose engagement party he was going to this weekend. Reid figured maybe his friend could help him navigate the best way to simply show up at the station.
“Reid! Hey! What’s up? You’re not canceling on me, are you?”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Why is that the first thing you thought of?”
“Because we’ve had a couple of people cancel today because they’re sick, so…”
“Ah, yeah I’m fine. Perfectly healthy. No worries there,” he confirmed.
“Whew! Avery will be relieved. The closer we get to the party, the more she’s freaking out.”
“Really? Over a party? Does she know it’s going to be like ten times more stressful when it’s the actual wedding?”
Leo groaned. “Dude, please. I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Sorry.”
“So what’s up? Are you still planning on getting in Thursday night?”
“That’s the plan,” he agreed. “Listen, my captain gave me a heads-up on a position opening up in Sweetbriar with the fire department, and…”
“Are you kidding? That’s freaking awesome!”
“I’m actually really excited about it. He gave me the link to fill out the application and suggested I stop in at the station and introduce myself.”
“Sounds logical.”
“Do you happen to personally know any of the firefighters?”
“Me? No. No, um…yeah, no.”
