Chasing the Fire (Backdraft, Fully Involved, Flashover) by Kathryn Shay

you doesn’t matter.”
    He drove quickly to the Anderson County Fire
Academy as he’d done every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at six p.m.
both this week and the one before it. Hard cases needed regular
sessions. He entered the big chrome-and-glass-and-stone building,
took the elevator to the third floor and went to the office he’d
first visited two weeks ago when his life had fallen apart.
    “Come in.”
    Riley entered.
    Jack Harrison sat in a comfortable chair,
leafing through some papers. Probably summaries of Riley’s fuckups.
“Hey, Riley,” he said, glancing up.
    Dropping down onto the couch opposite him,
Riley gave him what passed for a smile. “How come you always look
like you’re happy to see me?”
    “Because I am.” Jack chuckled. “I expect you
to excel here like you do every place else.”
    Riley snorted.
    “Besides, I have good news today. I checked
up on your lieutenancy revocation.”
    Riley forced despair away. He needed to stay
positive, about his job at least. It was all he had left.
“Yeah?”
    “The paperwork’s been amended. I asked Noah
Callahan if I could tell you”—Riley had let all the brass know he
was in therapy—“and he said yes.”
    “Shoot.”
    “The revocation of your lieutenancy is only
temporary now. In six months, if you’ve had no more incidents, you
get the promotion.”
    “Yes!” He frowned. “I wish I could share the
news with Janie. Shit!”
    “Maybe you can tell your dad instead?”
    Riley nodded, still stinging from thoughts of
Jane.
    “Have you seen her?” Harrison asked.
    “No. She said not to call her.” He took in a
breath. “Let’s not talk about Janie. I’m into this retooling of my
life, whether she lets me back in hers or not.”
    Harrison smiled. “Yep, you’re gonna be my
best client.”
    oOo
    Week 3 after the breakup
     
    JANIE PULLED UP in the driveway to
find Riley’s truck parked in its old spot. He’d texted her, asked
if he could come over to do repairs on the deck and weed out the
garden; she’d said yes, she’d be out while he was here. And she’d
left. But she didn’t expect him to stay so late.
    As she went into the house, she lectured
herself that she shouldn’t want to see him. But they’d been
together all their lives and three weeks without talking to him,
touching him had been hell. Maybe she needed a little dose of him.
No, it was probably better to avoid him. Like it was better to
throw out the little ring she’d always treasured.
    Vowing to head right upstairs and stay there,
she snagged a bottle of water from the fridge and, keeping her eyes
averted, walked past the open sliding door to the backyard.
    Loud barks came from outside. Barks? She had
to be imagining things. She’d always wanted a dog, but they both
realized their unusual working hours wouldn’t be fair to a
mutt.
    She had to look.
    On the grass, Riley, dressed in plain, blue
shorts and a yellow shirt that highlighted his dark hair, was
throwing a ball to a little cocker spaniel. Though the pink bow
around the dog’s neck dwarfed her, she was doing pretty well
retrieving the miniature toy.
    Jane stepped out onto the deck and both man
and dog halted, though the puppy tripped over her feet. Then she
rolled onto her back as Riley approached her; he scooped her up
with one hand and headed to Jane.
    Their first face-to-face in three weeks since
she discovered he’d cheated on her was hard. Really hard. God, she
loved this man so much. She knew she’d never get over him, but she
had to learn to live without him. And she’d have to see him
sometime.
    He devoured her with his eyes. “Hi,” he
choked out in a hoarse voice.
    “Hi.”
    He held up the dog. “Happy Birthday, since I
had to miss the day this year.” Which she’d refused to celebrate
with anybody.
    “The first time in all the years we’ve been
together.”
    His look was questioning.
    “That you missed my birthday.”
    “I’d say I was sorry, but I know sorry’s