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Charlie grew up alongside Big Mike and their brother, John, but he bought Apple at twenty-six dollars and the rest was history. Although Big Mike had inherited the family ranch house, selling off lots little by little, Charlie lived in Rancho Santa Fe in a gated development with Bill Gates as a neighbor. John went on to medical school and lived near Charlie in a wealthy enclave of San Diego County.
Every time the men talked about it, they giggled. “Whodathunk a Saint would be rich?” Charlie was generous to a fault, buying cars for his brothers and supporting a hostile ex-wife. His sons were hardworking, the oldest, Paul, a firefighter at a station farther up north, and his younger son, Oliver, an education major at Cal State.
Now the men were closer as friends in middle age than they had ever been.
Tony pulled the Jag into his parents’ garage. “I’ll come inside and say goodnight to Ma.”
They trudged up the slate steps to the terrace. Roberta sat out by candlelight, drinking a glass of lemonade. Big Mike kissed her and excused himself to get a shower.
“See you at work tomorrow, son,” he said.
“I took your young lady home,” Roberta said when Mike had left. “She’s a lovely girl, Tony.”
“Thanks, Ma. I think so, too. It’s late, but I want to see her before I settle in tonight.” He bent down to kiss his mother.
“You smell like smoke.”
“Ha! Ya think?”
“Look, son, I’d better warn you. Patty was at Wild Pancake.”
His shoulders slumped over. “No way. What was it like?”
“Cordial. She wore her tiara, as usual. It’s getting a little tarnished. Then blessedly, the hostess announced that our table was ready. Bridget didn’t say anything about it, but we had such a nice time with Candy and Joey, and Flynn was an angel.”
“Okay, Ma, I’ll be back.”
“You’d better text her first.”
So he got out his phone.On my way over to say goodnight. I won’t stay long.
Seconds later, he got a reply.Bring pajamas.
Chapter 5
The light was on over the front door at Bridget’s apartment. It wasn’t something she had ever done, because she’d never had a nighttime visitor. Flicking it on, she paced, eager to see him, relieved he was safe. From the moment he’d received the alert on his phone, she’d started to worry. It was something she’d discover later, getting to know the women in the Saint family, that worry for their beloved’s safety was a constant companion. For some reason, when she was at the firehouse and part of the action, she felt like she had some control, albeit miniscule, over the outcome of the call. She knew the men were able-bodied and wise. They’d make the right choices and good decisions while they were out in the field.
Saying goodbye to him after church that day, that was another situation altogether. Closing her eyes, she went through the entire scenario. After they got the alert, Big Mike and Tony discussed which vehicle they’d take and which they’d leave for the women. Women and children. Nowadays, women were injured and lost their lives fighting fires, too. But that Sunday, it was her new boyfriend going out there, leaving her behind. He’d grabbed her upper arm, bent down, and kissed her on the lips. She felt his prickly beard already and he’d just shaved. And then he leaned over and kissed Flynn on the head. It was becoming theirgoodbyeroutine.
Watching him do that was so intense, emotion welled up almost uncontrollably. What if he died out in the field? In Arizona, the Yarnell fire had recently claimed the lives of nineteen young men, a freak accident for sure, but a perfect storm of what could happen to the best-trained hotshots in the land. Fire wasn’t always going to be controlled by man. It made her sick to her stomach.
Thinking about his safety along with the responsibility of Flynn elevated her to a new level; she was an adult. Headlights swept over the parking lot, and relief at seeing his shiny white truck flowed over her body.
She opened the door for him, watching him grab a bag out of the back. He took two steps at a time to reach her.
“I’m covered with soot,” he said, but gave her a peck on the cheek.
She could smell it on him, smoke and sweat, something else she wasn’t sure of but would later find out that it was common. From the hard work the men did, they’d blow off ketones from their breath, and it was a sign they needed to eat. The realization that she had to take care of him, much the way he took care of her and Flynn, took her breath away.
“I love you, Tony,” she said with urgency.
“I love you, too. Do you want to get in the shower with me?”
“Yes,” she answered, without hesitation.
By Monday morning, the few firefighters left on the scene to mop up were confident that it was out completely. Once the tender left, they grabbed their pickaxes and shovels and in single file hiked down the hillside to the waiting truck. Its driver was Tony Saint.
As soon as they’d gotten to work that morning, he’d kissed Bridget goodbye and left to help the remaining stragglers clean up and get back to the station. If it had been any other time, he’d have been exhausted after working the day before and ostensibly playing all night. But it was worth it. Brother Mike hopped in next to Tony. They’d wait for the rest of the men to climb on.
