The Fire Inside (12 page)

With a heavy heart, Tess rose from the bench
and knelt in front of her parents’ graves. Starting with her
mother, Tess cleared away the old flowers she’d put there two weeks
ago and set out a pot full of daffodils. “You would love this,
Mama. I’m staying with Aunt Sabina for a while. She’s so nurturing
and kind, like you.”

“Hey, Papa.” She rubbed a white stain off the
stone with a cloth she’d brought with her. “Remember how much you
always liked Mitch? I’ve spent time with his daughter Sabby. She’s
a doll, like her dad.”

Last, she moved to Joey’s plot. A heavy sigh
escaped her and she sank back onto her heels. “Oh, Joey, why did it
have to be this way?”

Up until this visit, she hadn’t voiced that
question for years. The pain hadn’t been as acute. But being back
with the Malvasos, talking about him with Bella and Ben, made her
miss him more. She plucked some weeds around the headstone. “Never
mind, Joey. Rest in peace.”

Closing her eyes she said the prayer she
always did here: “Dear Lord, thank you for these wonderful people
in my life, for the time I had them. I hope they’ve all found joy
with you and maybe even each other. I love you all.”

Getting up from the grave, Tess felt a bit
foolish. She didn’t know if she believed in God anymore, but her
parents, at least, would like for her to say a prayer over their
graves. And who knew, anyway, what people had in store for
themselves—now and in an afterlife?

Danny Mauro sat on his bed, leaning against
the headboard in a room he used to share with his brothers but now
occupied alone. At eighteen, he was still living at home. In his
hand, he held two acceptance letters; both came a while ago.

Letter #1

“Congratulations. You’ve been accepted into
the Anderson Fire Academy for the class beginning April 15. You are
being recruited to one of the finest organizations in existence,
the fire department. Pick up your uniform and information packet at
the Anderson Fire Academy before the above date, and come dressed
in daily blues, shoes shined, tie in place, hair combed. We will
welcome you then.

Noah Callahan, Fire Chief

Letter #2

“Congratulations! You’ve been accepted into
the next graduating class of Notre Dame University. We have
reviewed your transcripts, recommendations, SAT scores and essays
and find you are the type of young man we want to educate. Also,
because of your situation, a financial aid package is attached.
Welcome to our distinguished university.

The president of Notre Dame had signed this
one.

“Be careful what you wish for,” his father
always said, and Danny now mimicked aloud. “You might just get
it.”

Danny had wished with all his heart and soul
to be a Notre Dame man. His father had wished with all
his
heart and soul for his youngest son to become a fireman. Like Dad.
Like his two brothers. It was expected.

Because you let it be expected,
he
admitted to himself.

He hadn’t been able to disappoint his father.
Not that his dad would want him to do something he didn’t enjoy.
But in the Mauro family, it was simply assumed that you’d want
firefighting. How could he do anything else?

A knock on his door. “Come in.”

His mother poked her head inside. “Hey,
buddy. I came to say good night.” She smiled down at the letters.
“That your acceptance letter for tomorrow?”

“Yep.”

She studied him, and Danny was terrified she
saw behind his mask, like she’d done when he’d hid frogs in his
pockets or had a fight with one of the guys or was afraid to ask
Sally Slattery to the prom. “You okay, Danny?”

“Sure.”

Unconvinced, she came into the room and he
slid the Notre Dame letter beneath the fire department one.

She sat on the bed. Still pretty at fifty,
she had soft brown hair and hazel eyes. God, he loved her. And his
Dad. “You’ve been quiet lately. Reflective.”

“Just pondering my future, Mom.”

Again the scrutiny. “I’m not sure you’re
telling me the truth. If you ever want to talk to us, your dad and
I are here for you.” She squeezed his other hand. “Always.”

“Thanks, but I’m good.”

“Okay.” She headed to the door but turned
back before she left. “You know, no matter what you do with your
life, we love you to pieces.”

“I love you to pieces, too, Mom. And
thanks.”

After she left, Danny berated himself. She’d
given him a perfect opening, had even suspected something with her
mother’s intuition, but he hadn’t taken it. Maybe he did want to be
a firefighter after all.

So not true,
the voice in his head
echoed
. So freaking not true.

o0o

Tess stood before the stage at the side of
the gym, among the instructors, in front of the fifteen recruits.
They came to the Anderson County Fire Academy from all the
neighboring towns, including Hidden Cove. She studied the young
group—no grandpas among them like Jack had been—and listened to
Chief Hennessy tell them about the fire department. It was a
paramilitary organization…members were expected to follow orders,
dress correctly…be punctual. The first seven weeks would cover
classroom work and the second half would be practical hands-on
training. Those who made it in this class would start out as
rookies and rise as far as their talents allowed.

Turning to the side, Olive gestured to the
instructors. “These are the people who will teach you how to become
a firefighter and an EMT. After your induction into the fire
service, you’ll need to complete the EMS certification, but you’ll
receive first-responder training along with firefighting
techniques.”

Olive went on to introduce the teachers. One
was new—the EMS instructor, Larissa James, who was employed by the
city, not the Fire Academy. Tess hadn’t met her, nor had she been
in any of their previous meetings because Larissa was recently
appointed. The former EMS guy, Mark Lucas, had quit to take another
job in a bigger city. It was unexpected, but Noah said they were
lucky to have been able to draft Larissa. Not a firefighter but a
paramedic, she was tall and lithe, a bit delicate. She wouldn’t be
here full-time, but would cover the EMS segments.

“Now that the preliminaries are over,” Olive
told the recruits. “Go into the large classroom on this floor for
instructions on what we’ll study the first weeks.”

They headed to the large classroom off the
gym. Once inside, the recruits sat down at a desk that had been
designated for each of them by a tented name card.

“The
Essentials of Firefighting
text
in front of you will be your Bible during your training,” Olive
told them. “You’ll not only read it but mark it up, study it and
make the knowledge in it your own. Now turn to the table of
contents.” Pages ruffled. “Each of you will read aloud an area of
study.”

Tess watched as the recitation began.
Firefighter Safety…Rescue and Extrication…Building and
Construction… It wasn’t until halfway through that she realized why
Olive had started the class this way.

Recruit Liam Murphy read the title and blurb
of his area with confidence. Anita Cruz’s energy and enthusiasm was
palpable. Robert Johnson sounded nervous. Daniel Mauro read in
monotone. Their recitation gave insight into their
personalities.

Tess scanned them. They looked a bit
shell-shocked. The book contained a huge amount of information, but
if they didn’t learn it, they wouldn’t become firefighters. When
her gaze landed on the back of the room, she saw Jack leaning
against the wall. At his nod, Olive added, “I want you to meet one
last person from the Fire Academy. Dr. Jack Harrison.”

Looking very professional in the navy pants
and white shirt of an officer, Jack strode down the side of the
room with an easy gait. She’d never watched him walk much and
hadn’t realized even his stride was attractive. He joined the
others up front. From where she stood, Tess could see a little nick
he’d gotten from shaving. “I’m Dr. Harrison, or Captain Harrison,
if you prefer. I’m the Academy psychologist.”

No one even moved. The recruits remained
stone-faced.

“I’m sure that even in the first hours of
training, you’re overwhelmed. Know that is common. You’ll feel that
way until you get your fire legs.” Here he grinned broadly, and the
gesture made Tess’s stomach contract. “That’s our equivalent of
sea legs.
Meanwhile, I’ll help you navigate these new
waters. Every Wednesday and Friday afternoon, you’ll come to me at
four p.m. We’ll share some food, my treat, and then we’ll talk
about your experiences here.”

Again, Tess scanned the group. Now they
looked confused.

“I’m conducting this Recruit Concerns class
because the fire department wants you to have a place to share your
feelings.”

A couple of recruits sighed heavily,
stiffness leaving their shoulders. Hmm, Jack’s statement made them
less worried. Tess wasn’t sure that was a good thing. But Jack
seemed confident about the rightness of holding the class. Tess
hoped it didn’t come between them too much. Though they agreed to
be just friends, she didn’t want to go into combat with him.

As planned, Tess stepped forward. “I’ll be
leading you in your first fitness event. Go to your assigned
lockers, get dressed for physical training and store your stuff.
You have five minutes to accomplish all that. Don’t make me start
without you. After PT, you’ll shower, dress in your uniforms again
and be back here by eleven hundred. Pronto. Lateness will not be
tolerated.”

She’d made her voice purposely stern. Jack
could coddle them all he wanted, but she wouldn’t and hoped the
other teachers were closer in stance to her.

o0o

Jack’s intentions were good. He was going to
leave the classroom without talking to Tess. She’d turned to him
during the ordeal with Sabina, but she’d made it clear when he
visited the Malvaso house a few days ago that they were back to
square one. He needed to respect Tess’s wishes. But today, when he
got to the exit after the recruits went out, Tess reached it
simultaneously. Kismet or bad luck?

“Good morning, Captain Righetti.”

“Dr. Harrison.”

He studied her face. “You look rested.” She
did. Her hair shone in the overhead lights, her eyes were clear.
Even her skin glowed.

“Sabina is an easy patient, as you might
guess.”

“How is she?”

“Chomping at the bit to babysit the
grandkids. Mitch is having a hell of a time convincing her not to
do that anymore.”

“Was it fun spending so much time with
her?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” He squeezed her arm and said, “See
you later.”

As he walked away, he pondered the two sides
of Tess. From her behavior up front, she was establishing a firm
tone with the recruits. But in her interactions with Sabina and the
rest of the Malvaso family, she turned into a vulnerable woman. He
knew, of course, people had many facets to their personalities, but
he was having trouble reconciling these diametrically opposed
traits in her. He was still thinking about that when he reached his
office and found a tall, blonde woman at his door. His smile was
immediate. “Hey, Larissa. Good to see you again.”

“Same here. I’ve come for advice.”

Jack had worked with Larissa on city projects
at various times; she seemed confident enough, so he wondered what
she referred to. He opened the office door. “Come on in.”

Once they were inside, they took seats on a
couch. “So, what can I do for you?”

“I wasn’t prepared for this job. I’ve never
been in charge of EMS in a recruit class. I helped Mark over the
course of the years with different segments of the medical
training, but that was mostly during practicals. I’d like some
advice on how to approach them as students.”

“Hmm.” He was thoughtful. “I don’t hold the
tougher-you-are-the-better-teacher-you-are philosophy.”

“Me, neither, but…” She shrugged. “I don’t
look much like a teacher. What I mean is…”

“You’re young and beautiful and are worried
they won’t take you seriously.”

“I’m not that young. But essentially,
yes.”

He cocked his head. “I’ve always found you to
be professional and strong on knowledge. Let them know that you’re
in charge, that you know your stuff, and what you expect from them.
Those traits should go a long way in establishing your
authority.”

“Good advice.” She stood. She
was
beautiful with that blond hair and those light blue eyes.

“Jack, can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure.”

“Would it be unprofessional to have lunch
together sometime? Get to know each other better. I’m working here,
but it’s only temporary.”

He thought of Tess’s argument that seeing
each other would be unprofessional. “Well, I do have that Recruit
Concerns class. They might talk about you.”

“That’s a good point, but I’m not worried
about it.”

“All right, let’s do it sometime.”

She left the office, and suddenly Jack
realized he was flattered that he’d been asked out on a date.

o0o

The morning was warm and no mid-April breeze
cooled the air, as had been the case all week. A savage sun beat
down on them as the trainers and recruits headed out to trails
behind the Academy.

Cory Cameron joined the group today. When
they gathered together, he introduced himself. “Hi, guys. I’m the
physical therapist/trainer at the Academy. If you get hurt, I tend
to you. If anyone needs more physical training than you’re getting,
I run a class at six a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”

No one moaned. No one even moved a muscle.
Either these kids were scared to death, or they had a lot of
self-control.

Because she didn’t know what they were
feeling, Tess added, “It won’t be held against you if you need more
fitness training. You all passed the initial physical exam, but you
have to be in top shape, very soon.” Fitness was always an issue at
first. “Remember you can’t be a firefighter without stamina and
strength. So take Mr. Cameron up on his offer if need be.” She
thought of her ankle. “Let me tell you this now and get it over
with. I’m off the line because of a weak ankle that I injured in a
fire. I can’t jeopardize fellow firefighters by going into a
situation without being in top shape. So you have to be, too.”