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“Never,” she said passionately. “I’ll never repeat what we talk about in the gym.”
They worked out together for the next hour, sharing stories. When they were done, she felt like she knew him as a friend. Big Mike was kind and gentle. He loved his wife and sons and, in turn, anyone whom they loved. The fact that she was going to school to get her bachelor’s degree impressed him. He was impressed with a lot about Geri Angel and was secretly happy Jake liked her. Jake wasn’t a problem child exactly, but they always worried about him taking the easy way out of things. He’d gone to the fire academy because that was what everyone else did. Maybe Geri Angel would inspire him.
“You lift more than your own weight,” he said. “You’re like an elite lifter. They can lift three times their body weight.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, sir,” she said, smiling. “But I am strong.”
“You lifted my weight squatting. I’m really impressed. What do you do for aerobics?”
“Trail runs over by your house, actually. That trail is seven miles start to finish, and it’s a gentle rise but enough to get your heart and lungs going.”
“I’d be afraid of breaking my ankle. We don’t even like walking back there.”
“Yes, I do have to be careful.”
They chatted for a while longer, and then one of the men announced that dinner was served compliments of a local restaurant.
“Their food is awful,” Big Mike said. “Roberta sent a ton of leftovers.”
“We’ll eat her food, then, by all means,” Geri said.
Smiling as they walked side by side, the friendship they were in the process of forging would sustain them both in days to come.
“My dad is impressed,” Leon told her while they waited in line for dinner. “He never talks to other women. Ever.”
“We worked out together. He teased me because I can lift his weight squatting.”
Leon grimaced. “I’m not even sure I can do that. I’d be afraid I’d blow out my knees. You’re tough. Where’d that come from?”
“Just strength training. No biggie.”
“I mean your mental strength.”
“Probably from being the only girl in my family. I’m always the only girl.”
She’d succeeded in embarrassing herself, and he could see she was blushing and frowning.
“There’s nothing wrong with being good at something, Geri. Trust me, we appreciate a strong crew member.” Then he got closer and spoke softly. “There are some guys here who can’t carry a fifty-pound bag of potatoes up to the kitchen without having to take a rest. That scares me.”
“What are you two whispering about?”
Big Mike came up behind her and gave her a hug. It was like her dad hugged her. “I want this woman on my crew the next time I go out,” he said, then in a lower voice, “She’s stronger than half the men here.”
“I just told her that,” Leon said, laughing.
They sat together and she listened to their stories of fires they’d fought and times when strength had saved a life. It was the perfect time to tell Geri about his son Mike Junior’s story. He and Devon Lyon had been on a crew that fought a wildfire nearby, and Devon carried Mike out on his back, but it was too late. During dinner the brothers consoled Big Mike as he related what had happened to Geri, filling her in on some details that had occurred after the tragedy, including Aisling’s marriage to Devon a year later.
“It’s so sad,” Geri said. “Your family has gone through so much pain.”
“When it happened, we discovered that so many people have lost a child. But we’re lucky because we have little Mika to remember Mike by.”
“You guys remembering Mike?” It was Devon, his hand on Big Mike’s shoulder.
“We are, Dev,” Big Mike answered. “Lettin’ Miss Angel know all about him.”
“He was my best friend,” Devon said, addressing Geri. “And by the way, welcome to the family.”
She glanced at Jake, who beamed. It felt a little premature, but she smiled beatifically and thanked him. What else could she do?
