Fireworks Over Fairfield Read online

  Hank’s pants were down around his ankles and he was pounding into a naked woman with another topless girl sitting next to them. She screamed and covered her breasts while Hank cursed as he tried to turn to see what was behind him.

  “Hey man, this is consensual. I just got here and they wanted to see the squad. We just were having a little fun.”

  An empty whiskey bottle on the floor rattled around as one of the women tried to sit up and cover herself.

  “My dad’s gonna kill me,” moaned the girl who had managed to get her bra back on.

  “How old are you?” Brock asked.

  Her face registered guilt as she glanced over at Hank.

  “I asked a question young lady,” he sternly prodded.

  “Sixteen, but he said it’d be okay.”

  Rob was on his cell, calling not only Mac but Jake as well. Giving them the location, he looked back at Hank. “I’d get my pants on if I were you unless you want your dick in your mug shot, asshole.”

  “Come on guys, I’m just havin’ some fun. I had no idea she was under eighteen. That’s on her, man. That’s her fault.”

  Mac and Jake pulled up at the same time, both getting out of their vehicles and stalking over. Rob grabbed his dad and said, “Chief, let Jake handle it.”

  Mac caught the implication in his son’s statement and halted immediately. “Oh, fuck it all to hell, son.”

  “Yeah, dad. Yeah.”

  Jake rounded the back of the ambulance and saw the pissed off mayor’s son and two women, one clearly under-aged and crying. He pulled out his cell and called the station. “Need a female officer at my location, stat.”

  Brock apologized, “I’m sorry, Jake. I never thought to get a female out here.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll take it from here and I need you to stay to get your statement.”

  Nodding, he moved over to where Rob was holding his father back.

  “How bad is it? I need the truth,” Mac said.

  Sighing, Brock said, “He had two females in the back. One he was banging, the other one half dressed. And she was under-age.”

  “Oh, sweet Jesus,” Mac moaned. “We need to get her help. We need to get someone out here to take care of her.”

  “Don’t worry, Jake’s on it.” By that time a patrol car had arrived and two police officers had come out. The female officer took the two women with her and drove to the hospital. The male officer hand-cuffed Hank, still protesting his innocence.

  Mac walked over, barely containing his fury. “You piece of shit, you’re fired.”

  “My dad’ll be talking to you old man,” Hank shouted.

  “And I’ll be waitin’ for him,” Mac growled.

  Jake turned and looked at his friends. “Rob, Brock. I’m gonna need your statements. You can do it now or wait until the morning.”

  Both men agreed to do it at that time, so Mac drove the ambulance back to the fire station.

  The next morning, Brock sent a text to Jean warning her of what was going to be in the paper. She read his text and then ran out to get the newspaper. The mayor was calling for a full investigation into the fire station policies but she knew that would not last long. Their mayor was all talk and very little action. Especially where his son is concerned.

  Knowing that Brock would be sleeping during the day, she took the opportunity to clean her house and do laundry. He would be coming over later and she wanted everything done before he arrived.

  As she moved through the house, dusting and vacuuming, she found herself thinking of Brock. In the kitchen when they cooked together. In the living room where they snuggled in the evenings. Her memories of Rick were not fading but were…slowly moving to the more distant places in her mind. She knew about grief, having studied it was well as lived it. I know it’s normal, but that still makes me feel a little guilty.

  Moving into the bedroom to fold laundry, she looked at the picture that now graced her bedside table. A picture of her and Brock together at the fire station picnic two weeks earlier. Gone was the youthful idealistic views of her and Rick’s pictures. No, those were of a very young woman in the throes of new love and life. The picture of her and Brock showed two adults…falling in love knowing what all life can give and what it can take.

  Dusting off the picture frame, she headed back to the kitchen to finish dinner, thoughts of the night to come filling her mind.

  That night showed her that even her imagination couldn’t have kept up with what Brock had planned.

  Showing up with a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers and wine for dinner caught her by surprise. After eating on her back patio, she flipped on the lights decorating the back yard and when she turned around he was standing with his hand held out, music coming from his portable Ipod speakers.

  Taking her by the hand, he pulled her close willing his dick to behave. Wanting to show her that he could be a gentleman and not just want to jump her, he held her in his arms as they slow danced around the patio. He held her tightly, feeling their bodies swaying to the music and as her scent drifted over him he realized that he was in love. No doubts. No second-guessing. Just real. Mature. Love.

  He wanted to tell her. Hell, he wanted to shout it, but just as he was opening his mouth, he looked down seeing a tear sliding across her cheek.

  “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he asked, lifting her chin to see her face.

  “Nothing,” she replied softly. Seeing the doubt in his eyes, she reassured him. “No, really nothing is wrong. Quite the opposite. Everything is perfect.”

  “Then why the tears?”

  Smiling, she said, “Haven’t you ever heard of happy tears?”

  “I have but guess I haven’t ever seen them,” he replied, chuckling.

  “Well now you have,” she added pretending to swat him, which only reminded her how solid he was built.

  Pulling her back in tightly to his chest, they continued their dance. As the music took each of them to their own thoughts again he was startled out of his musings when she said, “Brock? Can I tell you something?”

  “Honey, you can tell me anything.”

  “If I told you I love you would it make you want to run for the hills?”

  He halted in mid-step as he pulled away just enough to look into her face. “What?” he whispered. “What did you say?”

  “I…,” sucking in a deep breath and looking him directly in the eyes she repeated, “I love you.”

  Brock’s heart, long dormant, burst to life, pounding in his chest as though he had just outrun the recruits. Pulling her closer to him again, he touched her lips. A whisper kiss, speaking volumes.

  “Jean, I was just thinking of how much I love you when you said those words. Everything, they mean fuckin’ everything to me.”

  Seeing the smile on her face speared him directly through his soul. Warm. Comforting. Everything.

  Kissing her once again, this time his tongue plunged inside her warm mouth, tangling with hers. He sucked it into his mouth and captured the moan that escaped. Not willing his dick to behave any longer, he pressed her against his crotch knowing they were both seeking relief.

  Jean took him by the hand and as she led him inside, he clicked off the music and locking the door behind him, allowed her to lead the way to the bedroom. Watching her ass move as she ascended the stairs ahead of him, his mouth watered to taste every part of her.

  She glanced over her shoulder at him and caught him lusting after her ass. Giggling she jogged up the last couple of steps and squealed as he scooped her up, tossing her onto the bed.

  Tonight he slowly stripped her, taking over completely. When her hands started to unfasten her bra he nipped her neck admonishing, “Not tonight. Tonight is about me taking care of you. And you letting me.” Moving back so he could see her face, “Can you do that for me?”

  Unwilling to deny him anything, she smiled, giving over total control.

  With ease his fingers unsnapped her bra then pulled it slowly down until he could to
ss it to the floor. Her panties followed onto the pile. With her spread out before him, he slid his hand gently across her curves from her neck to her breasts, down her stomach to her hips. Moving to her mound, he slowly circled her clit, eliciting the most delicious moans from deep inside her chest. As moisture pooled between her legs, he inserted one finger into her sex then added another one quickly. With a scissoring motion, he had her writhing on the bed underneath his ministrations.

  Her hands grasped his hair, which she noticed was slightly longer than when she first met him. Feeling her body’s response growing, the coil deep inside becoming tighter and tighter, she grabbed the bedsheets needing to hang on to something.

  He felt her core begin to pulsate around his fingers and he leaned over and immediately sucked her clit. Her scream roared out as she gasped for breath, the sensations causing colored spots to dance behind her closed eyes.

  As her sated body lay on the bed motionless, he pulled his fingers into his mouth sucking her nectar as the scent of her response filled the air, causing his dick to swell even more. As her eyes opened when he reached her face, he captured her lips allowing her to taste herself on his tongue.

  Maneuvering his body over hers, his weight resting on his strong arms, he plunged himself to the hilt in her waiting body. A slow smile crept across her face, illuminating her beauty. Pounding into her, she clutched his biceps feeling the muscles move and tense underneath his smooth skin.

  He watched as her full breasts moved to the rhythm before leaning down to pull a rosy tipped nipple deeply into his mouth. His teeth nipped the bud before soothing it with his tongue then moved over to do the same tortuous, amazing things to the other breast.

  She watched the face of the man she loved as the intensity of their lovemaking was etched in every expression. His eyes peered deep into hers as he rasped out, “You close, honey?”

  Nodding her answer, she felt the rush of sensations explode over her again as she saw his face in a grimace of pleasure as his orgasm pulsated through him as well. Holding him tight as he rode her until the last drops were given, he fell to her side carrying her with him.

  They both lay, her breasts pressed to his chest as their legs tangled in the sheets. Neither spoke for several minutes as they allowed their heart rates to slow and their breathing to calm. He ran lazy circles on her hip as she smoothed his shoulder with her fingertips.

  “Baby?” he asked.

  “Hmmm?” was the only response she could give.

  Using his fingers to lift her chin, he raised her face so that he could gaze into her eyes. “I love you, Jean. Always,” he whispered as his lips touched hers once more.

  “I love you back,” came the heartfelt reply.

  Chapter Seven

  Mac walked over to the fire truck just returning from another fire, watching as his men disembarked making sure everyone was all right.

  Rob and Brock jumped down from the front, tired and dirty from fighting a fire in the shed of an abandoned house.

  “You men okay?” he asked as the others climbed down as well.

  “Yes, sir,” was always the response, but Mac knew the recent slew of fires had taken their toll on the station house. He oversaw the equipment being cleaned and put away properly. As the others went to shower and change, he pulled Brock and Rob to the side.

  “Anything new?” he asked, worry lines creasing his face.

  “Same old thing, chief,” Brock answered. He’d earned his firefighting certificate and was now qualified to travel with the fire truck. “Whoever’s setting these fires is good about covering their tracks.”

  “What concerns me is that they’re escalating. First just in a trash can of an abandoned house, then in a dumpster behind an empty building. Now the last two have been near where people live or work.”

  “Jake and Tom have any suspects?” Rob asked.

  “Well we all suspected Hank at first, but so far he has had an alibi for every one of them,” Mac answered.

  “Think his old man is covering for him?” Brock wondered aloud.

  “Can’t be. He’s been in full sight of a lot of people for each and every one of the fires.”

  “Could he have rigged something up ahead of time and then had it go off later when he was with people?” Rob surmised.

  “I thought about that too, but according to the state Fire Marshall who looked at the evidence, there was no evidence of any incendiary materials other than what was right there.

  Just then Jake and Tom pulled up to the station. Getting out of their truck, they walked over taking in Rob and Brock’s appearance.

  “You okay?” Jake asked.

  The two nodded and began their discussion about the fire once again. Mac, angry and perplexed, walked back to his office to talk to the state Fire Marshall once again. Hearing laughter behind him, he watched as the four men shared a joke as they tried to lift the mood. He smiled down at them, remembering Rob, Tom, and Jake as boys climbing around the fire trucks when they were not out playing football and chasing girls.

  Nice looking boys who had grown into handsome men. What was it his teenaged daughter, Suzy, called them? A hot wall of testosterone. He was certain he did not want to know what else she thought about men.

  “So you ready for tonight?” Rob asked Jake.

  “Yeah, it’s your big date night, isn’t it?” Tom chimed in.

  Growling, Jake just answered with a, “Fuck off,” as he walked away.

  “Don’t forget, Smokeys at about six,” Rob called after him.

  Brock lifted an eyebrow in question at the two friends still with him.

  “Laurie’s aunt Emma is moving to town today and we’re all meeting at Smokey’s tonight to welcome her. Laurie has kinda paired Jake up with her aunt.”

  “Why’s that such a bad thing?” Brock asked, not understanding the joke.

  “Jake’s got it in his mind that she’s an older lady and is dreading having to be her dinner date tonight. He’s too polite to turn Laurie down, but what he doesn’t realize is that Emma is actually the same age as Jake is.”

  “Carol and I cannot fuckin’ wait to see the look on his face when he finds out the dinner date he’s dreading is a gorgeous woman.”

  Brock threw his head back and laughed. “I’m sorry I’m going to miss it.”

  “Why don’t you come too?” Rob asked. “There will be a bunch of us there. You and Jean can join us.”

  “Thanks man, but I talked to Laurie about this. We both agree that I’ll meet Emma privately in a couple of days.”

  Seeing the look on Rob and Tom’s faces, he explained, “She was Sarah’s sister. It just seems like a lot to spring on both of us to meet in public. I’d like to have a chance to see her and talk to her alone, or with just Laurie with us.”

  “Sorry, man. That makes perfect sense. I should have thought about that myself,” Rob admitted.

  “It’s all good. A lot has changed over last couple of months and we’re all feeling our way around things.”

  As Brock headed to the showers, he thought about Emma and Sarah. His chest hurt when he thought about Sarah being pregnant and he never knew. Throwing up a prayer of thanks that she had a supportive family, including the woman who ended up raising his daughter, he just hoped that Emma would welcome his place in their lives.

  That evening, Jean noticed Brock’s quietness and wondered if he would tell her where his mind was. Finally, by dessert when very few words had been spoken, she could not take the silence anymore.

  “Honey, please tell me what’s on your mind. Is it on the fires you are having to battle?”

  Brock looked up, a flash of guilt crossing his face. “I’m fine,” he said, thinking that would placate her.

  Standing, she walked over and knelt by his chair taking his hand in hers. “I won’t pry and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but this is part of a relationship. You letting me in when there are things on your mind.”

  He rubbed his fingers across the back o
f her hand, loving the way her skin felt under his. He loved her so much and the idea of hurting her went against everything he felt. So how the fuck can I tell her I’m sitting here at her table, eating her food and my mind is on another woman?

  She stood and silently picked up their plates taking them into the kitchen. Rinsing them before putting them into the dishwasher gave her a mindless task to keep her mind from running away with all sorts of scenarios…none of them good.

  She felt, rather than heard, him come up behind her.

  “Sweetheart, I’m sorry,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

  Nodding, she was afraid to speak…afraid it would unleash tears she did not want to cry.

  He turned her, seeing the unshed tears in her eyes and sighed. Stepping back, he laced his fingers though hers and led her into the living room where he gently pulled her down into his lap.

  Cupping her face, he said, “I love you. You know that, right?”

  Nodding once again, she said, “Yes, I do. And I love you too.”

  “I was thinking about the past.” There, he said it.

  Her crinkled brow let him know that perhaps he had not said enough. Licking his lips, he began again. “Emma came into town today. She was meeting the others at Smokey’s tonight.”

  “Did you want to go too? Is that why you’ve been off all night?” she asked. “Because you can. We can go together or if you’d rather, you can go alone.”

  “No, no, baby, that’s not it. Laurie and I talked about it the other day and we both decided that it would be for the best if I meet Emma alone. Separately from a group of people.”

  “I don’t understand, Brock. Do you think that it won’t be a good meeting?”

  “I don’t know. She was Sarah’s sister. She saw Sarah when she found out she was pregnant. Watched her give birth and try to raise Laurie. She then had to stop her life and step in when Sarah and her mom were killed. She was with Laurie when my t-shirt was discovered. So I’ve got no fuckin’ clue how she’ll react. She may hate my guts for all I know.”