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“Who wants a treat?” She moved toward the container and carried it away from the back door. All the dogs obediently followed. Except Ash. Who stayed pressed to my leg.
I stroked her head. “I’ll see you soon.” Though I wasn’t sure if that was true. “Go get a treat.”
She stayed next to me.
The other dogs were in a semi-circle around Pepper, mostly patiently waiting for a dog biscuit.
“Pepper.”
She tossed a treat to Sadie. “Thank you for everything.” She wouldn’t look at me. And I didn’t fault her that. She’d told me something intimately personal and humiliating. I imagined it wasn’t a fact she shared often, if ever.
I stalked toward her, careful not to step on any dogs. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “This changes nothing.” I was not a coward.
I hoppedout of my truck at the station.
Heavy.
That was how everything felt. These past few weeks had been a lot.
Normally, I’d be glad to have a long shift. This was where I was meant to be. My extended family.
Maybe the twenty-four on was a blessing. I could get out of my head for a bit and hopefully have some perspective.
But I hated how I’d left things with Pepper.
She could probably use a minute to sort things out for herself too, but I hated the way she’d withdrawn from me.
Ifeltit.
And I didn’t like the distance.
Did she think I’d want nothing to do with her because of her past?
On the drive over, the farther away I got, the more it seemed that way. I didn’t want her to believe that. Hadn’t she seen by now, there was nothing that could keep me away?
Except she practically pushed me out the door.
“Yo.” Burke fell in step beside me as we approached the firehouse.
“You back on? I thought you worked last night?”
“Got a message to come in.” He shrugged. “I could use the overtime.”
“Any word on the fire?”
“Not yet.” He shuddered. “I hope they were already dead before it started.” Then he smirked. “Cassano would’ve called them crispy, the sick bastard.”
“Or marshmallows.”
He’d had a depraved sense of humor. Turned out I missed that. Burke must have one too.
There was a somber silence for our lost brother as we entered the station. Burke forked toward the bunks. I went the opposite direction.
“Yo. Where you headed?”
“Been called to the principal’s office.”
“Ooooh.” He slapped me on the back.
