“Emily, there you are. Let the firefighters do their jobs.”
“But Mommy, you said if I ever needed help, to find a policeman or fireman.”
“I did, but I meant an emergency. This isn’t an emergency.”
Emily nodded furiously. “It is too.”
“Not the type of emergency that I meant.” The woman turned to Sam. “I’m sorry. Her kitten is stuck in the tree. I was looking for our ladder, and I guess Emily had other plans.”
Sam smiled at Emily. “You came to the right place. Saving kittens from trees is our specialty.”
Emily jumped up and down, clapping. “Yay!”
Emily’s mother shook her head. “You don’t have to. I’m sure the kitten will be okay until my husband gets home and can help dig the ladder out of the storage building.”
“Nonsense. Let me put this hose up, tell my crew, and see what we can do.”
Emily threw her arms around Sam’s leg and squeezed. “Thank you!”
Sam patted the little girl on the back, then made her way toward the engine and ran into Greer. “Hey, there’s a kitten stuck in a tree. I’m going to go see if I can help.”
“That’s so cliché. I’m in.” Greer turned. “Cap, we’re going to go do a citizen assist.”
Captain Bennett looked around, most likely assessing the progress of cleanup, then gave a thumbs-up. He’d never let them go if cleanup wasn’t mostly done, unless it was a medical emergency.
She started back to Emily and her mom and realized Greer was jogging right behind her. “I don’t need your help.”
“Oh, I’m not helping. I’m just coming for the entertainment. Cats are evil on a good day. Trap them in a tree and add in some fear and they become psychos. Once I’m done laughing, I’ll tend to your wounds.” He clapped her on the back.
She rolled her eyes. “Cats aren’t that bad. In fact, some people love them.”
“Talk to me after you’ve contracted cat-scratch fever.” He fell into step next to her, then let out a low whistle as they got closer to Emily and her mother. “Wow.”
Sam shoved him. “Oh no. We are professionals. We’re saving a cat and making a little girl happy. There will be no flirting.”
“I can’t make any promises.” He flicked his hair out of his eyes.
She gave him a side-eye. He may have sounded serious, but the twinkle in his green eyes suggested otherwise. “She’s married.”
“Disappointing.” Greer was a good guy. Definitely a flirt, but it was mostly harmless. The fact that he looked like a young Elvis, minus the pompadour, didn’t make it hard for him tocharm the ladies. Rectangular face with full lips and black hair. He even had older ladies fawning over him.
He was the guy you went to shoot pool with after work. But not the guy you invited to help you move house, because it would take hours longer than necessary. And he was never serious about anything except fitness and nutrition.
“Okay, Emily. This is my friend Greer. Let’s go see if we can get your kitten.” Sam made it a point not to introduce him to the mother. And not just because she didn’t know the lady’s name.
They followed the duo.
“You really don’t have to do this. The kitten will be okay until my husband gets home. It’s not the first time he’s done this.” The woman brushed hair back from her face.
“It’s not a problem at all.”
Emily ran up to a tall cottonwood tree full of deep green leaves. “He’s up there!” She pointed past the lower, thinner branches to the thicker, sturdier ones fifteen feet up.
Sam studied the tree. Definitely climbable, but not so much in her turnout pants, which were stiff and didn’t allow the maneuverability she would need. She shrugged off her jacket, unfastened the waist of her pants, and loosened the suspenders while kicking off her boots so she could strip down to her duty uniform.
“Here we go. You climb that tree like a spider monkey!” Greer laughed.
“You really don’t have to do this,” Emily’s mother said.
