AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shook her head. “I usually work the night shift unless I’m on a case. And there is nothing like my mom’s breakfasts.” Liv rolled her eyes playfully. “Mr. Favorite Fire Captain, I think we started some town gossip.” She looked around and saw some eyes on them.
“Hmm, I’ll take it. Maybe people will chill a little. Is there a male version of a spinster? I’m forty-two. I get lots of requests.”
Liv laughed. “You realize, a century ago, I’d be fourteen and promised to you.”
He laughed heartily, then his eyes focused on her. “You don’t have to tell me…but I’m going to be nosy. I need to ask. We’re all curious about how you got started specializing in arson investigation.”
“We?” Her sculptured eyebrow rose. Her deep and expressive hazel eyes held a quiet intensity.
“Station 3. And before you think it’s coming from only the guys, the women are curious too.” Jackson pierced her with his green eyes.
“So, you agreed to this breakfast so you could interrogate me?” She cocked her head, some of her auburn hair falling from the tight bun she wore.
Jackson's smile faded, replaced by a subtle smirk as he arched an eyebrow. “Are you always so direct?”
Liv met his gaze with a playful glint in her eye. “Well,” she replied, her tone dripping with suggestion, “I find that being direct tends to... get results.”
A flicker of heat passed between them, igniting a tantalizing tension that hung heavy in the air. Then Liv went on, “When some firefighters find out I’m a fire investigator, they’re skeptical and dismissive of my abilities. I apologize, but I get defensive.”
Jackson leaned back as if he was resigned to her choice to tell her story or not. She chose to share it.
“I was ten when our fathers were killed in that house fire. I grew up in a family of firefighters on my dad’s side. Three uncles in three different jurisdictions. Sunday dinners and the holidays were filled with stories. And I have firefighters in my extended family too. Fred Lamply is like an uncle to me and my sisters.”
Fred Lamply was the current chief of the Waverly Junction Fire Department. Jackson’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
“After my father’s death, I grew obsessed. I needed to learn the science behind fire behavior. My mom, trying to protect me and my sisters, wouldn’t talk about how he died. But I needed to know. I left Waverly Junction, headed to Purdue University and earned a degree in forensic science.
“After graduating, I was hired as a forensic analyst, specializing in fire investigation for the Waverly County Fire Department. I was a perfectionist. I grew more and more bitter when people didn’t work at the level I expected. It grew toxic. I blew up friendships.
“I looked to my blue family. My mom was deputy chief of Waverly County PD, Charlotte Whittaker. She worked under her maiden name. I decided not to waste my other legacy. I took the test and made the Waverly County PD. After solving a set of school fires, I caught the chief’s attention. I earned my silver shield and was assigned to the detective bureau.
“Six months ago, there was the building bombing in the county.” She pressed her lips together.
Jackson’s lids grew heavy. “It destroyed a nail salon filled with patrons. No one survived.”
She looked somber and nodded. “The chief made it official. I earned my gold shield—arson/bomb squad in the Waverly County PD.” She wrapped her hands around her mug.
“Did you ever consider going through the fire academy?” Jackson asked, his voice colored with empathy and curiosity.
“Once I was in blue…” She looked down.
“Chief Chuck Everhart left quite a legacy.” Jackson looked as though he was reaching for her hand but stopped and instead grabbed another sugar packet.
Her father died attempting to save others. A man who didn’t let his rank stop him from jumping right in. It was a connection that ran between them.
As they sat across from each other in the cozy café, she blurted out, “I think I would have applied to the fire academy if I hadn’t alienated my firefighting friends.”
“Would you still like to?” Jackson’s eyes twinkled.
Liv's eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure. “Are you serious?” After inhaling deeply, she exhaled with a calm smile, acknowledging the waitress as she placed their meals in front of them.
A flurry of excitement threatened to bubble over within her, fueled not only by the professional opportunity he presented but also by the undeniable attraction she felt. But she quickly reined in her emotions, drawing upon her stoic nature to maintain her composure. She understood the weight of this decision and the sacrifices it would entail, both personally and professionally.
With a calm voice that belied her racing thoughts, she replied, “Can I think about it?” Her gaze locked with his, searching for any hint of disappointment or impatience.
To her relief, his eyes softened, and he nodded in understanding. Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his calendar, a gesture that felt strangely intimate. “Our next group rolls through next week,” he informed her, his tone gentle.
“I'll let you know tomorrow,” Liv decided, her resolve firm as she met his gaze head-on. “I need to consider the commitment involved, talk to my partner, the other detectives and my boss. If he gives me the okay, then I need to clear my schedule.”
