Page 17 of Hearts & Embers

"I don't know."

Cole smiled. The captain possessed an annoying ability to observe things without appearing to pay attention, which made conversations with him occasionally feel like walking through a field full of concealed tripwires.

Fortunately, the next dispatch arrived before he could continue and the remainder of the shift unfolded without incident.

Calls came and went, reports accumulated and disappeared, and meals and sleep were interrupted, resumed, and interrupted again.

By the time the twenty-four hours finally ended, fatigue had begun settling into muscles that were accustomed to long shifts but still appreciated the arrival of time off.

I left Firehouse 99 shortly after shift change and headed home.

The following afternoon found me back in the South Loop after finishing a workout and several errands. Winter sunlight reflected from nearby buildings while pedestrians moved steadily along crowded sidewalks. The weather had improved considerably over the past week, encouraging more people to spend time outdoors despite the cold.

I stopped at a bookstore I visited occasionally whenever I wanted something unrelated to firefighting diverting my attention.

The store occupied two levels and carried everything from bestselling fiction to obscure historical texts. The atmosphere encouraged browsing rather than efficiency, which was probably why I liked it. Nobody seemed rushed.

People wandered between shelves searching for stories, information, or simple distraction while I spent several minutes looking through new releases before moving toward another section.

Then I heard a familiar voice. Not close. Not immediately identifiable. Just familiar enough to catch my attention. I turned slightly.

Aurora stood near one of the display tables several aisles away and for a second I wondered whether it was really her or if I was mistaken. Then she laughed at something Elyssa said, and recognition became immediate.

She was using crutches and her movements remained cautious. Even so, she looked considerably stronger than she had during our coffee shop conversation only days earlier.

Before I could decide whether interrupting would be welcome, Aurora looked over in my direction and recognition flashed across her face almost immediately.

Then she smiled. The expression appeared entirely genuine. And for reasons I couldn't quite explain, I found myself smiling back as I started walking toward her.

Chapter Nine

Aurora

I smiled when I recognized Jasper. Seeing him again was unexpected, but not unwelcome. After the coffee shop encounter a few days earlier, he no longer felt like a stranger connected exclusively to a bad accident. He looked different standing in the middle of a bookstore than he had at the scene of a crash or sitting across from me at the café, but the easy smile was familiar. Beside me, Elyssa followed my gaze and immediately identified the reason for my distraction. Fortunately, she remained silent for once.

Jasper started walking toward us, and I watched him approach without feeling any need to pretend I was doing something else. A moment later he stopped beside the display table.

"Looks like we keep running into each other."

"It would appear that way," I replied.

He glanced around the bookstore.

"At this point I'm starting to think Chicago isn't nearly as big as everyone claims."

I laughed.

"That would explain a lot."

Beside me, Elyssa shook her head.

"Maybe the two of you just visit decent coffee shops and bookstores."

Jasper smiled.

"That sounds considerably more likely."

The conversation settled naturally after that. Jasper asked how things had been going since the coffee shop, and I admitted that I was gradually becoming accustomed to life on crutches even if I still disliked them. The discussion then shifted toward the obvious subject surrounding us.