Page 36 of Arsonist’s Match (Blaze and Badge #1)

“ M om, are you sure you don’t want to come stay at my place?”

Flash’s hair was still damp from a shower as she paced her bunkroom floor, cellphone pressed to her ear. This conversation required quiet, not the raucous roar of firefighters returning from a challenging blaze.

“Honey, we’ll be just fine,” her mother, the unflappable retired music teacher June Cash, assured her. “It’s only a cat one and barely a fifty percent chance of hitting Galveston.” Her tone bordered on blasé.

“It’s no trouble,” Flash promised, fluffing her damp hair with her free hand.

“I know. We’ll come for a fun visit when it gets cooler. Houston is so stuffy compared to the beach.”

“Mom! It’s a hurricane.”

“Oh, Lisa,” she said in her “Mom” voice, still not letting go of her girly birth name. “You remember growing up here. We got them all the time and never evacuated.”

“I remember the time a tree took out our screened back porch,” Flash lamented. “At least you left for Harvey.”

“We had to. The governor issued a mandatory evacuation. This is entirely different, and you know it. Stop worrying and look forward to buckets of rain cooling things off and reducing the fire hazard.”

“What about Marie and Dexter? Presley?”

“Presley’s oil rig has an evacuation plan if it veers north toward Lake Pontchartrain,” Mom said, “but your sister and her husband’s marine biology lab is on full alert, ready to assess the storm’s impact on the ocean as soon as they’re cl eared for field research.

Really,” she added, as if Flash was stressing over nothing.

“It’s just some heavy rain and a little wind. Not even enough for beach erosion.”

“There’s always beach erosion,” Flash countered. “Just ask Marie—she’ll talk your ear off about it.”

“Well, I suspect you’ll have more trouble up there from traffic accidents, downed power lines, and stupid people doing stupid things.

Your alarm won’t quit for three days—even if Ivanna misses us altogether.

People panicking is the real danger. Now, stop worrying about me and Dad, and tell me how things are going with Athena.

” Her mother’s tone abruptly shifted from flippant to fascinated.

“We hit it off when you brought her to meet us. I hope you haven’t sabotaged your chances of making this one work. ”

“Ugh!” Flash huffed in mild annoyance. “As if? Actually, we made it through our first fight, as a couple, that is. Plenty of fighting beforehand, but things are good. I have to learn to communicate better, and Athena needs to relax more. All in all, I’m hopeful, Mom.

She doesn’t freak out about me being in danger and wants more than dating for kicks.

I think she could be the one. You know? Like you and Dad.

The jury is still out on the algae guy, but, hey—whatever makes Marie happy. ”

“Oh, honey!” Mom gushed. “I’m so happy for you. Fingers crossed. Remember, a relationship takes work, compromise, and sometimes sacrifice. If it’s with the right one, it’s worth it.”

“Yes, Mom.” Flash rolled her eyes. “I’m almost thirty. I’ve heard all your relationship advice.”

“You’ve heard it.” The smirk she imagined on her mother’s face was evident in her voice. “But have you followed it?” rang the tinkling “I told you so” implication.

Flash laughed. “I love you, Mom. You and Dad batten down the hatches, OK?”

“We will. Keep my baby safe up there in the big city.”

“I will.” Relieved satisfaction replaced Flash’s earlier anxiety. A Category 1 was nothing to worry about, but her mother was right about all the calls the firehouse wo uld be getting. Lucky tomorrow was her day off—if Ivanna even made it that far west.

The phone in her hand vibrated. Athena.

Any plans for tomorrow? read the text.

Maybe a walk in the rain. Forgot what it feels like.

Call me tonight when you have a minute.

Flash frowned. That sounded … serious. Official. Even if Athena wasn’t as into emojis as she was, a smiley face would have been nice. Did Flash need to worry? Was something wrong?

Sure, only now I don’t want to wait. What’s wrong?

A new message popped up. Nothing’s wrong. Too involved for texting. TTYL.

“Thank goodness,” Flash said to the empty room, letting out her held breath.

She replied with, ?? ?? ??

Tucking her phone in her pocket, Flash headed out to the break room where her crew was. Something smelled good.

“Woods, that you cooking again?” she called.

Snuffles hopped from Nita’s lap, racing like a greyhound on the track to greet her. Paws flailed, tail wagged, and a happy dance ensued. Flash picked her up, rewarded with puppy kisses as she pulled Snuffles to her chest.

“I love you too.”

Not a drop of rain or gust of wind, yet the traffic mania was underway.

Flash barely had time to grab a quick bite before the alarm blared into action.

Then it was one accident scene after another.

By ten o’clock that night, the rush of crashes had slowed enough that Engine Eight could return to the station.

Flash grabbed a bottle of water and a pre-made sandwich from the refrigerator, retreating to the bunkroom to call Athena.

“Hey, y’all must be busy out there,” Athena supposed when she answered. “The traffic was crazy even here on the northwest side, and I only had to drive two blocks.”

“Yeah,” Flash con firmed. “This is the first chance I’ve had to call since you texted. If it keeps up all night, I’ll be tuckered come morning. But I still want to hang out. What’s up?”

Athena hesitated. “If you’re going to be too tired—”

“No, no!” A burst of energy filled her words. “I won’t be too tired.”

“We’re planning to check out a rundown, abandoned building that could be linked to the arsonist. Chief Burks thinks it’s a good idea to bring someone from arson investigations, or at least a firefighter with some arson knowledge and experience. I thought—”

Flash plopped onto her bed, enthusiasm deflating.

“You thought you should take Bonnie and don’t want me to be mad about it.

Look, just because I don’t have bugles doesn’t mean she’s better than me.

And if something were to go sideways, how’s she going to react to being shot at?

I’m bigger and stronger than her,” Flash declared, her protective nature surging to the fore.

“I know, Ice and Hernandez, but they can’t do everything. ”

“Would you hold your rant for a minute?” Athena’s tone slapped a lid on Flash’s tirade. “Why are you reverting to that rank and title bit again? I thought we’d had this discussion already.”

“Sorry.” Flash hung her head. “You were saying?”

“Lieutenant Ballard volunteered to come with us,” she admitted.

Flash smirked. Of course she wants in—more time with Athena, play hero, edge me out, steal my girl right from under my nose. A vein in her temple ticked, but Flash kept her mouth shut.

“But I think you are the better choice to assist.”

Athena wants me to help with an investigation! A thrill shot through Flash at the realization.

“Damn right, I am,” she avowed. “But why me?”

“Don’t get cocky,” Athena cautioned. “You’re knowledgeable and experienced; so is Ballard.

And there’s the physical difference—an asset for sure.

The kicker is, I don’t know Ballard; I do know you.

I thought about you coming through the window in the middle of that harrowing Grove fire, how calm and take-charge you were, how protected you made me feel.

There are two important things I can c ount on you for—no matter what.

You’ll keep me safe. Second, you’ll follow my orders without question.

You proved that to me before. Maybe nothing will happen.

But, if it does, I have unwavering confidence in you. ”

Flash let her declaration settle for a moment. It was everything she’d ever hoped to hear from Athena. “I love you,” she stated. “I’ll do exactly what you need me to, no argument. And, yes, you bet your sweet fortune I’ll keep you safe. So, what are we doing?”

Tension melted, satisfaction settled in.

“I want to make sure you’re well rested,” Athena began, “yet still want to run this before any storms arrive. That’s why I set up our visit to Bubba’s Tire and Auto for one o’clock.

The latest weather predicts a sixty percent chance of thunderstorms, starting around four in the afternoon.

They are frequently wrong. Still, that gives us a big enough window to check for evidence that an arsonist was there. And there’s one more thing.”

Knowing Athena believed in her was all Flash needed, no matter how many other things were tacked on. “What?”

“It could be a trap, like the one the Los D’s set at Grove.

Ballard might be an arson investigator, but I’d rather have you in a raging inferno than anyone,” she declared.

“Maybe nothing—but he could’ve rigged the place to burn.

He might even be hiding out there. I know you can’t bring the firetruck for a maybe, especially with all the extra traffic as the hurricane approaches, but you’ll know what to do. ”

“I’ll bring a suit and a couple of extinguishers, just in case.” The alarm roared.

“I heard that,” said Athena.

“Yeah, gotta run. Can you swing by and pick me up?” Flash asked. “I can’t carry the gear on my bike.”

“We’ll do that. Watch for the van about a quarter to one. And Flash?” Athena’s voice brimmed with promise. “I love you too. Always.”

“Always.”

Yeah. She’s the One.