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“That’s right. I gotta tell you, Jason, this might put you over the top for the fire chief job.”
“No, it’s probably too late for that,” said Jason.
“Are you talking about that douche who fell off the dock?”
“Yeah, he said he was the new fire chief.”
“Bullshit. Especially after I write up my report and make you look like Superman.”
Kendra laughed and exchanged a high-five with Colleen. “Now that’s how you do it. Seriously, he was a superstar. We heard the shouts and as soon as we figured out what was going on, he dove into that water and took care of business.”
“You were amazing too,” Jason said. He still had the blanket wrapped around his wide shoulders, and his arms looped around his knees. “She picked up the kid in a kayak,” he explained to Colleen. “And she called dispatch.”
“So uh…what were you two doing out here so late, anyway? Pretty lucky break for the Caldwells.”
“Well, you know, we had that concert, and there was a lot of cleanup, and…” Kendra realized she was starting to stammer.
Colleen laughed and waved off her explanations. “I’m teasing. You kids do whatever you want. Just take care of him, Kendra.”
It’s not like that, she wanted to say, but Colleen was already hurrying down the pier.
When she looked back down at Jason, she saw his eyes were drifting shut. Time to get Superman into a bed.
Eleven
When Jason woke up, he couldn’t stop sneezing. He also didn’t know where he was. He seemed to be in some sort of a cozy cabin. He was staring up at an A-frame ceiling made of raw pine boards. As he dragged himself into a sitting position, he noticed a piece of lined notepaper pinned to a nightstand by a paperweight shaped like a loon.
At least he was still in Minnesota.
The note was from Kendra.
Bad news: you have a fever. Good news: you’re kind of famous. There’s chicken soup and multiple hot dish casseroles in the kitchen. Holly will be here later. I’ll check in on you as much as I can. Kendra.
He sneezed ferociously and stumbled his way to the bathroom. He didn’t bother to check the kitchen for soup because his stomach would have thrown a full-on rebellion.
Instead, he went back to bed and didn’t wake up again until the door creaked open and Holly peered in. She wore flip-flops and torn cutoffs, making him wonder if he’d slept until summer.
“Oh good! You’re awake. You must be dealing with some major trauma from last night.”
“No therapy-speak,” he croaked. “Water.”
She disappeared and came back into the room with a tall glass of ice water. It helped. The fire in his throat eased, and he was left only with the fire in his head. Were his brains burning up?
“I have so much to tell you.” Holly sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed. “Where do you want me to start?”
“Uh…where am I?”
“The Harlequin Duck Cabin. Gina rearranged some reservations so you can stay here as long as you want.”
“Why not home?”
“Kendra said you were too exhausted to go home last night, and this morning you were running a fever so she didn’t want to kick you out.”
That made sense. But where was Kendra? He ached to see her. He had vague memories of a tender touch on his cheek and a warm blanket coming around him like grace itself. She hadn’t left his side, he knew that much. So where was she now?
Holly seemed to understand. “Kendra will be back later. She had an interview or something.”
The town manager job…did that mean she was still in the running? Maybe she hadn’t ruined her chances with that stunt last night.
