Chapter 100

Then her expression softened. "How is she- Abby?"
"She's good." Taren took her arm and led her toward the open bay door. "But do us all a favor and leave her alone."
"But I'd like to see her!" she wailed, teetering on her high heels. Taren held her arm, preventing her from falling, although he really would have liked to see her fall on her butt.
"The window for you to see her closed a long time ago." Making sure she was steady on her feet, he let her arm go. "Scarlett, go back to where you came from and leave us alone."
She smirked. "I just can't do that." Then she ran a finger along his cheek and he pulled sharply away. "I'll be in touch." She tilted her head to the side. "Or my lawyer will be." Then she turned and strutted away.
Taren's stomach turned as he watched her walk away, knowing he hadn't seen the last of her.
"Are you okay?" Erica asked behind him.
He nodded. "Yes, I'm fine- or I will be when she's out of our lives for good." He walked back into the fire station, with Erica hot on his heels.
"I thought she already was out of your life," Erica said behind him.
Taren turned to face her. "So did I."
He poured himself a glass of iced tea and downed it, holding onto the edge of the counter.
"Who the hell was that?" Dylan asked behind him.
"My ex-wife." Taren filled his glass to the brim with tea again, and downed it, too. If he hadn't been working, it would have been a beer. He poured more tea into his glass and returned the pitcher back to its place in the refrigerator.
"What did she want?" Dylan's eyebrows pulled together in concern.
"Abby." Taren took another sip of his tea.
"What?" Dylan's voice rose a few octaves. "You're going to fight her, aren't you?"
"Yes, of course I will." Taren downed the rest of the tea and then set the glass in the sink. "But I can guarantee that she really doesn't want Abby. If she did, she would have come back long ago, instead of waiting until she was six years old." He laughed without humor. "And she had the gall to ask me to take her to the Fireman's Ball."
Erica leaned against the door facing, listening, with Patrick right behind her. When you mess with one firefighter, you get them all. Scarlett didn't know the can of worms she had just opened.
"You're kidding me?" Dylan asked in disbelief. "You said no, of course."
"Yes, of course." Taren bit his lower lip, trying to control his anger. "She must really want to go because she threatened to take me with Abby. When I refused, she told me she'd see me in court."
Dylan leaned against the counter, holding onto it behind him. "Don't give in to her, man. If you do, she'll blackmail you with Abby for anything she wants for the rest of your life- anything."
Taren sighed. "I don't intend to. I know we had our differences when she left, but I never dreamed she would do something like this."
Dylan gave Taren's shoulder a manly squeeze. "No one ever does."
Just then, the alarm blared and the lights flashed brightly throughout the station.
"Time to rock!" Patrick yelled as he ran into the bunk room for his gear.
As Taren rushed down the hallway, pulling on his heavy turnout coat, he tried to push the thought of Scarlett from his mind and concentrate on the task at hand. He just hoped that she didn't try to go for Abby without him being there. He quickly slipped into his gear and jumped into the passenger seat of the fire truck as the rest of the crew took their places.
As Dylan pulled the truck out onto the road and the sirens blared, Taren texted his mother. If Scarlett comes by, don't let her take Abby. Lock the doors and keep Abby inside.
What? When did you see her? his mother texted back. Please tell me that you didn't see her again.
Just now. She came to the firehouse. Taren let out a deep breath. Going on a call now. No time to talk. I'll call you later.
Okay, his mother texted back. Be safe.
Always.
Taren closed the phone and slid it into his pocket.
Dylan made a sharp turn and turned down another road and then looked over at Taren. "You okay, man?"
Taren nodded, as he propped his elbow on the door and his hand to his lips, lost in thought. "Yeah. I'm fine." His eyes scanned the white winter scenery whizzing by, but he saw none of it.
"Don't worry," Dylan said, claiming his attention. "Nothing's going to happen to Abby. We'll all testify on your behalf, if we need to."
Taren let his hand down and nodded, looking into his eyes. "Thanks, man."
"Anytime." Dylan smiled as he pulled down the street and saw the smoke coming from a house, and then the flames. People lined the street, but moved quickly out of the way when they saw the fire truck. Dylan pulled it to a stop. "Let's go to work." Then he opened the door and climbed down.
Taren followed suit, climbing down from the cab, hoping that Dylan was right.
***
Taren and his crew battled the blaze all day and later that evening, the fire had died down and then was finally out. They had managed to save the people in the house, a young man and woman with two small children, but the house was totaled. They tried to salvage what they could, but in the end, they could only contain the fire to keep it from spreading to the other houses. The ground was wet from having snowed so they didn't have to worry about ground fire. But the flames were so high that it could have jumped to the next houses. Luckily, that didn't happen.
"Take a break." Erica patted his shoulder. "I'll relieve you."
He shook his head. "No, I have it. You go ahead and help the family."
This time, she stood to the side of him, claiming his attention. "You've held that hose long enough. Time for a break."
"I'll back her," Patrick walked up and then inclined his head away from the house. "Go ahead. You need a break."
Taren chuckled. It was good to know that his crew had his back. "Now, wait a minute! Aren't I your boss?"
Patrick took the hose and braced himself. "Yes, but right now, you need a break. Go on."
Erika placed her hands on Patrick's back, steadying him. Even though she had said she would take the hose, Patrick had beat her to it. "You heard the man."
Too tired to argue, Taren nodded and stepped away. His arms hung limp at his sides, dead weights. He hadn't felt the pain while he was holding the hose, but now, his arms ached. He had been grateful for the distraction. But the whole time he fought the blaze with his crew, he never once thought of Scarlett. His thoughts were only of Kiki.
He found that when he was away from her, he counted the minutes until he was with her again. Unable to wait any longer, he pulled out his phone.
What are you doing? he texted her.
He waited for a minute, but there was no response.
Kiki? Are you there? He thought for a moment and then added, I'm on a call right now and had a break. Call me when you get this.
A moment later, she texted back. Are you all right?
He smiled at the phone. Yes. I just missed you and wanted to hear your voice. Can you talk?
There was another pause and then she texted back, Not right now.
He nodded at the phone as his heart sank. When?
Listen, Taren, she began. He had a bad feeling about where this was going. Now's not a good time. I'll talk to you later. Stay safe. There was another pause and then she added, And thank you for- everything.
He stared down at the phone in his hand. Why did her text feel so final? How could he have lost everything all in one day? He put his phone away, knowing that it was just as well. After all, he had fallen in love once, and look how that ended. No, it was better not to give his heart- but he feared that it was too late. He already had.