Jupiter Point Hotshots Box Set

Chapter 8-1

8

Sean threw himself into the task of getting the crew geared up. Their crew buggies arrived—two green box-like trucks fitted with storage cupboards and space for hotshots to pile in and drive wherever they needed to. The freshly painted black lettering “Jupiter Point Hotshots” gave him a special thrill. Once the fire season started, they’d be practically living in those things.

In the meantime, the barracks would be the home for all non-local members of the crew. As soon as the cots arrived he and Josh spent half a day setting them up. He ordered gear from the nearest fire cache, and almost every day, a truck arrived with a delivery. Chainsaws, spare chains, gloves, helmets, gear duffels, line bags, canteens, boot grease, bug dope, sleeping bags, tent, everything that the hotshot crew would bring with them to a fire.

All the hard work kept Sean from thinking too much about Evie, and about all the ghosts of his past that lived here in Jupiter Point. He focused only on the task at hand. But that ended when a police car drove onto the base a couple of weeks after the city council meeting.

Sean put down the box of gloves he was unloading and watched, hands on hips, as a six-foot-seven-inch-tall black man unfurled himself from the car. Sean remembered him all too well. He was the arresting officer Sean had slugged that fateful night. Looking at the man now, it was hard to believe he’d had the balls to lash out at someone so intimidating.

He strode toward him, hand outstretched. “Officer Brady Becker.”

“Chief Becker now. Been police chief for five years.”

“Congratulations.” They shook hands and eyed each other with mutual wariness. Josh strolled over from the supply cache to join them.

“Josh Marshall, Chief Becker.” Sean watched as they shook hands. He mentally skimmed through all his recent actions. Had he broken any laws? He didn’t think so.

“You’re really whipping this place into shape.” Becker cast a dubious glance at the boxes of supplies littering the pavement.

“We’re getting there. Bit by bit. What can I help you with, Chief?”

“Can I talk to you in private?”

“Is it necessary? Josh is my assistant and needs to be in the loop on everything.”

“Up to you.” Becker clasped his hands behind his back, and readied himself to speak.

But before the chief could say anything, Sean decided to get something off his chest. He heaved in some air, then went for it in a rush. “I need to apologize for losing my temper that night. I shouldn’t have gone after you guys the way I did. It was wrong.”

Becker lifted his eyebrows. “Accepted. I gotta say I was surprised to see you back in Jupiter Point, considering how things went down.”

The chief’s tone of voice made Sean feel like a troublesome teenager again instead of a fully-grown adult, and he didn’t like it one bit. “All that’s in the past. I’m here to do a job, that’s it.”

“You had a job, didn’t you? You left the Fighting Scorpions to come here.”

“This is a better job.”

Becker continued. “I remember you in that holding cell, raging at the entire world. You swore you’d never come back to this piece of s**t town. That’s a direct quote.”

Sean winced at the reminder. That night, all his grief and anger had exploded. He barely remembered half the s**t he’d said. It was probably a really good thing he’d been behind bars. “I was seventeen, and I was a little f****d up at that point.”

Becker raised his eyebrow again in that silent, maddening way.

“Okay, a lot f****d up. But that was then, this is now. Why are you here, Chief?”

He heard the edge in his own voice, and saw Josh give him a ‘cool it’ gesture. Good idea—the last thing he needed was a repeat performance of that night.

“Can I ask what brought you back, besides the job?” Even though his tone was pleasant enough, the look on his face said otherwise. Sean felt a familiar anger build inside. Back in high school, he’d gotten that look a lot—that suspicious, “you’re up to no good” look. It drove him nuts.

But he’d come a long way since then. He was much better at channeling his emotions in a good direction. “I’m not sure you have the right to ask that,” he said evenly.

Becker considered him for a long moment. They stood in a sort of standoff, High Noon style.

Josh stepped into the tense silence. “I have to interrupt for a second. Sean is here because he’s the best possible man for this job. I can vouch for that. You guys in Jupiter Point are lucky to have him.”

Sean reminded himself to buy Josh a beer or two. It felt damn good to have someone stand up for him. Really damn good. But he knew some of the townspeople had to be worried about him being back. Was the chief here on their behalf?

Becker scrutinized them both. When he spoke again, his tone had shifted.

“Look, Marcus. I cut you a few breaks back then. You used to do some wild, reckless dumbass s**t. How many times did you sneak into Barstow’s?”

“Barstow’s?” Josh perked up. “Is that the place with the two-dollar drafts on weeknights?”

Becker ignored him. “You had more energy than you could handle. But you got a tough hand dealt to you, I knew that. I always saw you as someone who could turn his life around. Looks like you did, and I’m glad to see it. Mind if I ask where you went after you took off?”

Sean let out the breath he’d been holding. Since Becker was no longer addressing him like a rebellious teen, he didn’t mind answering a few questions. “Would that put your mind at ease?”

“It might,” Becker said. “I had a responsibility, and it always bothered me that you just disappeared after the Dean came and got you.” He actually offered up a smile, a wry twist of his lips.

“Chief…” Something struck Sean in that moment. “Were you actually worried about me?”

“Of course I was. I knew you were hurting.”

And that, more than anything else Becker could have said, made Sean relax and answer the question. “I went camping after I left. I bought myself a tent and went into the Sierra Nevadas and hiked until my boots fell apart. Pretty nefarious, huh?”

Becker tilted his head, listening closely, so Sean went on. “When I got my head together, I went to Colorado, where my aunt lived, and got a degree in fire science. I didn’t intend to come back here, but…” He shrugged. “I had to. And that’s all I’m going to say.”

“All right, then. Fair enough.” Becker tucked his thumbs in his belt loops. “There’s one more thing you can do for me, Marcus. I’m following up on a threat you made to Brad White before you left town.”

“Are you kidding me? That was thirteen years ago.”

“And yet he was in my office the other day reminding me of it.”

Goddamn—the nerve of that guy. He must be completely sure that Sean would never say why he’d issued that threat. Actually, Sean would call it more of a warning than a threat. But if he kept up this bullshit, Sean might go for a threat after all.

As if he knew the direction of Sean’s thoughts, Becker said in a challenging tone, “Do you promise to stay away from Brad White?”

Sean’s jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. “I have so far.”

“And Evie McGraw?”

“Excuse me?”

“There were three kids there that night. You, Brad and Evie. I don’t know what happened, and I guess I don’t need to. But my job is to keep the peace. So I’m hoping you’ll keep a safe distance.”

Even though Evie was keeping her distance just fine all on her own, Becker’s request rankled. Sean had asked Evie to dinner, and he still hoped she’d come around. No way was he going to promise to stay away from Evie.

“You’re out of line, Chief.”

He threw up his hands. “You’re right, you’re right. Look. If you want to make a good impression around here, don’t mess with Evie. She’s had it rough herself, with her mother’s diagnosis.”

Diagnosis? Molly McGraw, the sweet, kind woman who’d invited him to live with them, had been diagnosed with something? Evie hadn’t mentioned anything about that. He wanted to ask for more details, but Becker was still talking.

“There’s something about Evie that makes people want to protect her. Half of my force is in love with her. One of my guys even put it into a poem. So my advice is, keep your distance.”

Josh pounced on that little detail like a cat on a mouse. “A policeman poet? Now I’ve heard it all.”

Becker swung a glare his direction. “It’s a beautiful piece of work. Mentions her luminous eyes and skin like pearls. Damn literary.”

“Okay then.” Josh was turning red from trying to restrain his mirth.

“Word to the wise, that’s all.” Becker shook both of their hands, then strode back to his unit. “Let’s keep things cool around here. Good luck with your boxes.”

As he drove away, Sean scrubbed a hand through his hair.

“That’s got to be a first.” Josh finally let his laughter burst out. “A warning and a poem, all in the same conversation. I like this town.”

All of a sudden, Sean felt the urge to be alone, to get away from this place, from Josh’s laughter. “I’m out. Back in a few.”

“Stay away from Evie,” Josh called after him as he strode toward the truck.