Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 90721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Although, when I was younger, my mother liked to call me a ‘bastard.’ I was a bastard in all reality. My parents hadn’t been married when I, nor my sister, were conceived or born. In fact, my father had actually been married to someone else. Nonetheless, that was neither here nor there.
“It didn’t sound right to me either, although Sebastian is a mouthful.” She conceded.
“In more ways than one.” I grunted.
I was rewarded with more than a laugh this time. “Oh, man. That’s awesome. I wouldn’t know, but maybe after our first official date, I’d be willing to find out.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll come over after my shift.”
Which, hopefully, would work, pending a call at the end of my shift that required me to stay, or anything else unpleasant. Johnny was at his grandmother’s house, since it was Wednesday, and would be there for the next four days. She was taking him to her sister’s in Tuscaloosa, and planned to spend the week there visiting.
I didn’t mind. Although I’d miss the shit out of my son, I knew that I loved his ‘Gigi’ and would enjoy the extra time with her. Plus, I had plans on how to fill the time.
“Alright, I. I’ll see you later tonight. Be careful on your way over.” She instructed and rang off.
“Mackenzie!” The Captain’s voice bellowed from the bay area.
I hung up the phone reluctantly, and followed the Captain’s bellowing until I found him in front of one of the engines. Benton, since it was such a small town, only utilized two engines. They didn’t have but two medics. They relied on an ambulance service to transport patients for them if things got too rough.
The Captain was standing in front of Engine number two, the one I drove when the tones dropped. His face was nearly purple with anger.
“Captain?” I asked as I came close enough that I didn’t have to yell.
“This is completely unacceptable. I’ve told you numerous times that this is not a place to jack around. You’re getting written up for this!” The Captain snarled, pointing towards something on the front of the engine.
I walked around, and my temper finally got the better of me. “The kids of the first grade elementary classes made that. What did you want me to do, throw it away?”
The Captain was taken aback by the vehemence in my voice.
The thing that was so ‘unacceptable’ was a thank you poster from the children of the local elementary school for teaching them fire safety. Which had saved a little boy’s life in the apartment fire I’d worked the night I’d left dinner early with my friends, around a month ago.
“That’s not protocol. You cannot have that on the truck. Seconds count when it comes to getting to the scene of a fire or a call. We don’t have time to take this shit off the window.” The Captain tried to save face.
What he was doing was making himself look like a complete ass. Wanting to show him how stupid he sounded, I walked over to the front of the engine where the Thank you poster hung from the Engine’s front. It was held in place in between the glass of the windshield and the windshield wiper.
With a small tug, the poster came free, and I held it up for the Captain’s inspection. “I have to come this way to drive the engine, Captain.”
The Captain had nothing to say to that, especially in front of the entire fire department, as well as some police officers that were stationed right next door.
I wasn’t feeling vindicated though. All I had to do was make it two more weeks, and I’d bring this incident up with the head of the Fire Department. This wasn’t going to fly anymore. I’d been dealing with the Captain’s shit for entirely way too long. It was either going to be me, or the Captain.
By eight thirty, I was on my way to Baylee’s, and extremely happy to be away from that place. Sometimes the firehouse reminded me of a soap opera set, and I was glad that I could get some time to myself to ride and clear my head before it was time to meet Baylee for dinner.
When I pulled into her driveway thirty minutes later, I walked up to the front porch and rang her doorbell. When no one came to the door, I started to pull out my phone, but I decided to check in the backyard since she’d said she was going to get some work done in her garden.
With one glance over the fence, I saw her, ass in the air, as she picked what looked like weeds out of the middle of her garden.
Giving a low whistle with my teeth to warn her, I unfastened the latch on the gate and stepped inside.
“Sebastian!” She exclaimed when she saw me entering through the gate.
I returned her smile and walked up until my elbows were leaning against the gate that surrounded the garden and surveyed the spread. “This has really begun to grow. They were tiny little plants when I was here last.”
Her smile widened. “I’ve always had a garden. This one isn’t half bad. Next year I think I’ll extend it to run the length of the yard. I’ll just have to figure out a system that allows the pool water to drain when I need to, but keep it away from the plants. Chlorine will kill it.”
I nodded. Watching her work instead of talking.
Today she was wearing blue jean shorts that looked like they used to be jeans, a black t-shirt that said Bulldog Pride on it, and a pair of tennis shoes that looked like they’d been worn for years. Her legs looked magnificent. And I wanted them wrapped around my waist, or over her head, in the worst way.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked her, looking pointedly at the dirt staining her hands and arms.
She snickered, but got up, washed her hands with the water hose and a bottle of soap that was sitting beside the hose. Once done, she gestured, and I followed her inside.