Heartward Read online

  “Go potty, okay?”

  Abey ran across to the bathroom without closing the door and used the toilet, his little butt shining in the sun from the window. He flushed, pulled up his jammies, and ran back to the living room. Tyler sighed and did a little cleanup in the bathroom. It was good that Abey was independent, but sometimes independence came with a lot of work for everyone else.

  Tyler put Abey’s clothes in the hamper. He wasn’t going to fight with Abey, so he got dressed and bundled Abey into the car, still in his jammies, and took him to his mom and dad’s. His mom met him at the door, and after saying goodbye to Abey, Tyler hurried off to go into the station. He only needed to work until noon, just to cover a gap in the shifts, and he had paperwork to get finished and documentation to look over.

  He greeted each of the guys and went right to his office to finish some things up. He checked the turnover reports and made sure the tasks from the night before were done before checking the day’s roster.

  A knock on the door interrupted his routine.

  “Hey, Jerry.”

  “Any luck with the chief?” Jerry asked, and Tyler shook his head.

  “No. He doesn’t think you need that kind of training and says it isn’t in the budget.” He tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. There was no sense sowing the seeds of discontent in the department. “I can do the training any time, so it isn’t like we’re going to lose a single opportunity. Maybe after I settle in a little more and get to know the chief better, I can convince him to authorize the training.” If it was only that, Tyler wouldn’t fault the chief. He had only just started at the department, and proposing a training session was probably a little extreme, but the guys needed it. They needed to be brought up to date, and that wasn’t happening. And as far as Tyler could tell, there wasn’t a plan to make it happen either.

  “Okay. Some of us talked to him too. We thought it might help.” Jerry smiled and tapped the doorframe before hurrying away.

  Tyler dug into the paperwork, and when he was done, reviewed past files to try to get a better idea of the kind of work the department did. But it was frustrating at best, and he decided he needed to talk to the other captain to try to get a handle on what was happening. It made Tyler wonder what was behind it all. Why would the chief let things get this far behind? Yeah, he didn’t particularly like the man, but that didn’t make the chief incompetent. Lord knows Tyler had worked with plenty of people that he hadn’t liked in the past, but they had jobs to do. He was a professional, and he would do whatever was necessary to make this job and the department a success. It still worried him, though.

  A call pulled him out of his funk, and he got into his gear and out to the truck to ride with the men out to one of the homes in the country. “Step on it,” Tyler told the driver. “Full siren and let’s get out there.” They screamed down the country road, the few cars they encountered pulling over as they approached. Smoke rose as they got closer. This was going to be a bad one, he could feel it.

  The house was engulfed in smoke as they pulled into the front. Tyler jumped out as soon as they pulled to a stop. “Get hoses on the structure now,” he directed, pulling Jerry aside. “Find out if anyone is inside.” In the country, there were no hydrants, so they carried some water in their tanks. If they needed more, the difficult part was finding a water source. “Run a line to the creek, right over there,” he pointed, directing traffic as water jetted from the first hose and into the house, which sent up a cloud of steam. This sucker was hot.

  “Everyone is out, including the animals,” Jerry reported back.

  “Excellent.” Tyler turned to the second team of men. “Get suited up and ready to go inside as soon as that water source is ready to go.”

  Two men had their gear on and the hose set. As soon as water started flowing, they went in the front door, raising another cloud of steam.

  These were good men who wanted to do a good job, but Tyler found himself issuing numerous, minute orders because they needed so much direction. Things that should have been second nature had to be spelled out, and it was costing them time. Still, the fire was dying, but the sixties-era split-level home was most likely a total loss. That style of house often acted like a chimney, only encouraging the fire to travel within.

  Once the building was secured and the fire out, he assigned a team to check for hot spots and went to talk to the family. This was the hardest part of the job, facing people who had most likely lost everything they had. “I’m Captain Banik. Was anyone injured?” Tyler asked as he pulled off his helmet.

  A man about his own age shook his head. “We’re okay.” He stood with his arms around his wife and young daughter, who held a cat in her arms. The family German shepherd sat at her feet. “We all got out.”

  “I was cooking bacon on the stove.” The wife turned to her husband, wiping her eyes. “We rented the house last week and just moved in. I was cooking bacon for breakfast, and something in the stove caught fire and….” She buried her face in her husband’s shoulder. “I should have been more careful.”

  It sounded to Tyler as though there was something wrong with the stove, and he made a note to himself to look more closely once the house was secured and the site had had a chance to cool down.

  “Ma’am, I don’t think this is your fault,” Tyler said gently. “I’ll write up a report of the fire in a few days. Can I get your name and a phone number? You’re going to need a temporary place to stay. Do you have relatives in the area?”

  “No. We moved here because of a job. Our family is in Ann Arbor.” The husband was becoming visibly upset.

  “Did you have renters insurance?” Tyler asked, and the man nodded. That was a good thing. At least they had a chance to be made whole again and replace what they’d lost. “Then call the insurance company. Tell them what happened.” Tyler looked to see what else was going on and pulled Jerry aside, handing him a card. “Please call them. This family needs assistance.” Jerry hurried away, and Tyler turned back to the family. “We’re notifying the Red Cross. They will help you as well.”

  “Thank you,” they all said in unison as the three of them held one another and returned to staring blankly at what was left of their home and their lives.

  Tyler checked with the men, making sure the fire was truly out.

  As the team was starting to pack away their equipment, a car skidded to a stop up the road and a portly man with a cigar between his teeth hurried up. “What’s going on here?”

  “Sir.” Tyler took charge, standing between him and the now shell of a house. “This is still dangerous. You need to stay back.”

  “I’m Mason Peterson, and I own this house.” He marched around to where the family stood, and after talking to them briefly, began yelling about not being careful and that this was their fault. “I knew I shouldn’t have rented to you. I had a feeling, and I knew that people like you….” He wagged his finger at them like they were little children.

  “That’s enough, sir,” Tyler said, striding over. “We haven’t determined the cause of the fire yet, so there is no need to get angry. Please go stand over there, outside the cordoned-off area, for your own safety.” That was true, because Tyler was seconds from punching the jerk in the nose.

  He whirled around. “You must be the new guy. The chief told me all about you too. This town is going to hell if they’ll hire someone like you.” The hate and disgust in his eyes were palpable. Tyler felt all his colleagues watching him and knew he was going to be judged by how he reacted.

  “Jerry,” Tyler said through clenched teeth, then forced his jaws to loosen. “Please stand right here.” He took a step back and caught the attention of one of the police officers who were forming a perimeter on both ends of the road. The officer approached, and Tyler motioned him over and explained the disruption.

  “Sir, please move back to your car and exit the area. Hate speech is a crime—you need to remember that. Now, we need you back behind the cordon for your own safety.�
� The officer was huge and he was forceful. Tyler thought there was going to be an argument anyway, but the troublemaker backed away, grumbling as he stalked off in the direction he’d come.

  “Thank you,” Tyler said. He wasn’t going to stand for that kind of talk, and the people who had just lost everything they had certainly didn’t need to hear that as well. “May I ask, what has been going on in this town the last few years? I never heard that kind of talk when I was growing up. Now it seems it’s allowed.” He was more than a little confused and wondering what had happened to the small town he remembered. Tyler had brought Abey back to live here because he’d thought it would be a good place to raise his son, not a hotbed of intolerance and hate.

  “I wish I knew. People say it’s the overall political climate allowing that sort of talk and actions to be less hidden.” Jerry leaned closer. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. He owns quite a few properties….”

  Tyler was getting the picture pretty well. “Thank you for being honest.” He stepped back to a normal professional distance. “Please cordon off the house as a crime scene for now. The cause needs further investigation. My plan is to come out tomorrow to investigate once it’s cold. Do you want to have an officer accompany me?”

  The officer handed Tyler a card that read Officer Andrew Marks. “Just give me a call and I’ll come personally.” He didn’t elaborate any further, and Tyler nodded, thanking him before returning to make sure all their equipment was properly packed away. After calling in to dispatch, they pulled out and headed back to the station.

  Tyler messaged Alan that he was going to be late because of the follow-up paperwork. He did his best to get a preliminary report into the system before turning over the station and heading to his parents to pick up Abey. He sent a text to Alan as soon as he arrived to let him know when to pick them up. The clouds that had hung over the town all morning decided to open up just as he got inside.

  “Papa.” Abey ran up to him. “We go now? You pwomised?” He stood just inside the door out of the rain, still in his pajamas.

  “Yes, we’re going to go now.” Tyler pushed the morning’s events to the back of his mind, scooping Abey into his arms, hugging him tightly, closing his eyes as he forced his breathing to be as normal as possible. He was just going to enjoy his time with his son and be grateful for what he had, rather than dwelling on the hurt he’d seen and been able to do little about.

  “He refused to let us change him into different clothes,” his mother said, and Tyler smiled at her over Abey’s shoulder.

  “It’s fine. I appreciate you taking him again.” He held out his hand, and she squeezed it, then let go. “You and Dad have a great rest of the afternoon. I’m going to take him home and get him ready for some fun.”

  “Yay,” Abey sang as he leaned upright, then hugged him once again.

  “You need to get your jacket because it’s raining, and then we’ll go home, change clothes, and call Mr. Alan.”

  “Picnic!” Abey trumpeted, raising his hands over his head.

  Tyler chuckled. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do today, since it’s raining, but Mr. Alan said we would have fun.” He swung Abey from side to side with a grin, heading farther inside. He got Abey’s jacket on him, thanked his mom once again, and hurried out to the car. He buckled Abey in his seat in record time before heading home, his clothes half drenched.

  Are you ready? Alan’s text came through just as he got Abey inside. He answered that he was sorry he was late and that they just got home. Be ready in ten.

  Okay. Tyler got Abey changed and himself in the shower to rinse off the smoke and was dressing when the bell rang. Thankful he wasn’t in only a towel, he buttoned his shirt as he went to answer the door and let Alan inside.

  “Mr. Alan,” Abey greeted him, then chattered on, some of it words, but mostly just vocalized excitement.

  “He’s full of energy today.” Alan didn’t seem displeased. “The forecast doesn’t look like it’s going to improve, so I thought we’d go into Ludington to the Play Emporium. They have an indoor playground, a bouncy castle, and other things. There’s also food and even games that you and I can play too.”

  “Picnic?” Abey asked. He had a one-track mind sometimes.

  “Indoor picnic,” Tyler said, hoping he clarified enough that Abey would be happy. “Do you want to go?”

  Abey nodded, and Tyler lifted Abey into his arms and got them ready to go, eager to spend some time with Alan and to put as much of his morning behind him as he could. He was determined not to talk about work, or training, or the fire for the rest of the day. This was about fun, and he needed it as much as Abey did.

  AFTER PLAYING for hours and eating his fill of cheese pizza, Abey fell asleep on Tyler’s lap as he and Alan sat at the table in the corner of the Play Emporium. They were situated in the designated quiet room, which meant the bulk of the screaming kids were outside, and he and Alan sat with a few mothers who were also taking advantage of their kids’ propensity to nap.

  “I heard you guys had an active morning,” Alan said.

  “Yeah. I can’t talk too much about the fire itself because it’s still under investigation. Everyone got out, though.” That was always a blessing. “The hardest ones are when they don’t.” Tyler had been trained, and had helped train others, that getting everyone out wasn’t always the case. He knew that.

  “I heard that Mason Peterson showed up in one of his inglorious rages.” Alan didn’t smile, and neither did Tyler, even at his choice of words. “He’s a real piece of work.”

  “I know.” Tyler sighed. “Could we not talk about it, please? I need something much more positive to think about.” He half smiled, just looking into Alan’s eyes. “You know he’s only going to sleep for so long, and then he’s going to wake with more energy than he had before. Sometimes I swear he’s like an electric car. Charge him up with food or rest and he’s raring to go until he runs down again.” Tyler gently rubbed Abey’s hair.

  “I get that.” Alan leaned over the table. “What do you want to talk about? We could reminisce about high school. Or just agree that those were years we never want to relive again.”

  Tyler chuckled. “Amen to that. We could talk about the Lions’ chances?”

  Alan snorted. “Okay. Last or second last? Very short conversation.” The twinkle in his eyes was adorable, even as he turned away, angling to look out through the glass partition and to the outside windows. “Maybe it’s lightening up.”

  “Good. I would love to be able to take him outside and just let him run. But knowing him, he’d either jump in every puddle or stand next to them screaming.” Tyler briefly explained the episode with the television program. “I know he doesn’t really remember, but the feelings are there, locked inside him.”

  “Is that Abey or yourself?” Alan asked, and Tyler leaned back slightly. “Not that there’s anything wrong with forgetting, but sometimes, when you’re quiet, you have this look that reminds me that you’ve seen some pretty horrible things. Worse than finding and saving Abey.” He nodded and reached across the table. “Dang, I was supposed to find something fun to talk about. But it seems like I’m fresh out of sparkling repartee.”

  “Well, I don’t seem to be a fountain of light and flowers either.” Tyler sighed as Abey lifted his head, blinking a few times and stretching before angling to get down. “Do you want to play some more? Or do you want to play with Papa and Mr. Alan?”

  Abey took Tyler’s hand and reached out to Alan. Tyler certainly had his answer.

  “There’s a dance machine over there. I bet Abey can light up the place,” Alan offered.

  Tyler was pretty certain that was true. But what he didn’t expect was that there would be room for three and all of them would end up dancing to some techno beat. Tyler felt a little like a dying duck, but Alan was fluid, graceful, and difficult for Tyler to pull his gaze away from. Abey was the star. He shook it like he was having the time of his life,
and when the machine stopped, he looked down and stomped, trying to get the lights to start again. Alan added another round for just Abey, and they let him have his fun. Tyler wished he could have snuck in another round for Alan, but couldn’t figure out how to make that happen without having to dance once more himself.

  After the dance machine, it was on to Skee-Ball, and Tyler wiped the floor with everyone. “I was always good with balls,” he whispered to Alan, who snorted.

  “That was terrible.”

  “I never met a double entendre I didn’t like.” Tyler did his best to grin lasciviously, but probably came off a little like he was having a stroke or something. Still, Alan laughed, and Tyler threw another ball, which made the red light go off and Abey clap with excitement as more tickets poured out of the machine.

  Tyler leaned over the machine to make his next throw as a shadow fell over him. He held the ball and straightened up. “Afternoon. Are you here with your family?”

  “My grandchildren, actually.” The chief’s gaze bored uncomfortably into Tyler.

  Abey seemed to sense the tension and hung on to Tyler’s leg. Tyler bent, lifting him up. “This is my son, Abey.”

  The chief’s eyes narrowed. “I see.” A smile formed, but it was clearly forced, and Tyler wanted to step back. There was something off about this entire encounter.

  “Grandpa,” a little girl said as she came over. The chief seemed to snap out of whatever had clouded his eyes.

  “Have fun, sir,” Tyler said as the little girl tugged him away. Tyler watched them go for a few seconds and then put Abey down. “You ready?” He got the ball again, and Abey hurried into position, dancing once more when the red light whirled around. Tyler did his best to put the weird feeling that lingered out of his head, but it was pretty clear that Alan felt it as well.

  Finally, with Abey slowing down again, Tyler lifted him into his arms. Abey fussed that he didn’t want to go, but fell asleep in his car seat as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot.