Ride the Fire (26 page)

“I believe so.” She peered out, to make sure. “Yep.” Opening the door, she greeted Westfall and Coleman, letting them inside.

“Hello, Miss Marshall,” Westfall said pleasantly as he stepped into the living room, his partner behind him. “Sorry to keep bothering you, but we really need to wrap up so we can get back to Virginia.”

Sean spoke up from his spot at the kitchen table. “Hey, Nick. Good to see you.”

Westfall spotted him, and smiled. “Tanner, you’re looking good. A damned sight better than a few days ago, for sure.”

“I’m feeling good.” He stood, shaking both of the agents’ hands.

“And mentally?” They all knew the agent referred to how Sean had ended things with Jesse.

“I’m doing okay. I feel regret, but not for what I did.” This seemed to trouble him. “Am I going to face charges?”

Nick shook his head. “You’re facing a commendation for apprehending one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorists. I suggest you accept it gratefully and move on. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. God knows you have reason to be thankful this year.”

“Sounds like good advice.”

“The best. Do you mind if we take a seat? I need some notes for my final report and we’ll be on our way.”

“Sure. Where do I start?”

“You told us your history with Rose. I need the story of what happened the night he kidnapped you and your fiancée. Start there and take me through Jesse’s demise. Leave nothing out.”

Sean began to talk. Eve knew the whole mind-numbing story, until the part when Sean made her leave him alone with Jesse.

The missing piece of the tale broke her heart. For Sean. And strangely enough, for Jesse, too. When he stopped speaking, there was a long moment of silence; then Westfall put away his notepad.

“I think that gives us all we need.”

“That’s it?” Sean sounded a bit amazed. And a lot relieved.

“That’s it.” Nick rose and so did Coleman.

“I can’t believe it’s over. Or is it? What about Jesse’s other plans, to blow up the nuclear reactor?”

Westfall paused, as though considering how much to say. “One of Rose’s top men was in fact one of ours, undercover. Rose killed the agent’s partner, but never found out about him. He gave us what we needed to ferret out the men involved in trying to detonate the facility. Some were working on the inside of the plant, with Red Badge clearance.”

“Shit, that’s scary,” Sean said.

“Yeah. But the thing is, taking out a nuclear power plant is a lot harder to accomplish than we believe Rose’s group truly had the ability to pull off. Thankfully, we’ll never know. Our agents have rounded up most of Rose’s men.”

“Thank God,” Eve said with a shudder.

“Tanner, Miss Marshall, it’s been . . . well,
a pleasure
isn’t exactly right under the circumstances. But it’s good to know you, and I wish you both the best.”

“Thanks. Same to you.” Sean looked lighter than he had in days.

Now they could truly begin their lives together.

Spotting Eve in an animated conversation with Jules and Zack, he strolled over and inserted himself into the group. They moved aside to make room for him.

“Man, I don’t know where you get that shit,” Jules ribbed Zack. “The Titans are
so
going to win the Super Bowl.”

“Nope, my money’s on Dallas.”

Eve shook her head. “It’s too early to speculate. But as long as we are, I favor New Orleans again.”

After more friendly debate, Eve smiled at Sean. “You’re standing there looking like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. What gives?”

“Oh, nothing.” His grin refuted the claim.

“Come on, man.” Julian nudged him. Six-Pack and Clay walked over to see what was going on.

Six-Pack spoke first. “What’s up?”

Zack gestured to Sean. “The man has something going on, but he’s not talking.”

“You know we’re not going to let you get away with that,” Clay put in. “Out with it.”

“Okay, I have two surprises to share,” he said, barely able to contain his excitement. “Well, really three. But two of them will have to wait until the first is revealed.”

Clay wrinkled his nose. “Huh?” Thank God the guy was pretty, because sometimes he wasn’t the brightest bulb.

“One surprise first, then the others will follow.”

“Okay, so where’s the first?”

“Should be here any minute.”

They were exasperated with being put off, but if he had to deal, so did they. More men arrived along with Kat, Cori, Grace, Tommy, and Shea, and began to pick at the food, eyeing the spread like a pack of wolves. If his surprise didn’t get here soon, he wouldn’t be able to hold them off.

He was happy it didn’t come to that.

“Someone told me there was a whole station full of hunky firefighters here to share my Thanksgiving with me. Lord have mercy, I’m feeling really thankful right about now!”

Eve swung her attention toward the door to the bay, and gasped. “Mama!” Rushing to her mother, she squeezed her tightly. Drew back, her happy voice warming Sean’s soul. “I thought you were going to stay in California with Aunt Felicia this year!”

Amelia’s brown eyes sparkled. “My plans changed when a really good man who loves my daughter gave me a call and told me how much my baby needed me home. So here I am.”

Eve hugged her mother again, wiped her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here. Now we can really celebrate.”

Sean walked over to them, took his turn hugging his future mother-in-law. “Thank you for coming home. You’ve made us both very happy.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

“This is touching and all, but we want to know what the other surprises are.” This from Zack.

Sean let go of Amelia and addressed the gang. “Gather around, guys. I have a couple of announcements.” He waited until they’d moved in closer before he continued. “It’s not a secret anymore that Eve and I are together now. What you all don’t know, that we’ve kept to ourselves, is that I’ve asked her to marry me.”

“Hot damn!”

“You sly dog!”

After the cheers and whistles quieted, he went on. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather share this with than all of you, my family.”

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous as he pulled a velvet box from the pocket of his pants. Turned to Eve and held it out. Her hand went over her mouth, her love evident for all to see. “I want to do this again, and do it right. Here, in the place I love most, with the people I love most. Eve Marshall, will you marry me?”

With trembling fingers, she took the box. Opened it, and gazed at the big marquise diamond set in the gold band. “Oh, Sean, it’s beautiful.” Beaming, she launched herself into his arms. “Yes!”

More cheers ensued as his lady held him close. And kissed him, quite unprofessionally, in front of most of Station Five.

He’d never been happier.

“Put it on me?” She held out the box, and he removed the ring.

Placing it on her finger, he marveled at his good fortune. “Gorgeous ring for a stunning woman.”

“Hey, Cap,” someone called. “What’s the third surprise?”

Now would be the tough part. An exciting new chapter, but bittersweet. Letting go of his future wife, he gave her a reassuring wink, and addressed the group again.

“As you all know, Chief Mitchell is retiring at the end of next month, and a number of promotions have resulted.” A murmur rose, the men shifting. They knew what was coming. “I’m excited, but also sad, to tell you all that I’ve accepted the position of battalion chief, effective January first.”

This time there were no cheers, but the faces looking back at him were smiling wistfully, and some of the guys uttered heartfelt congratulations.

“We’re not surprised,” one man from C-shift said. “You’re the best, Cap, and everyone knows it.”

His throat threatened to close, but he went on. “I’m not so sure I deserved it, but rest assured I’m going to do my damnedest to fulfill that role to the best of my ability. Never forget you’re still my men, my friends, and my brothers. I’ll just have a hell of a lot more of you to keep in line, that’s all.”

This earned some laughs and a lot of agreement.

“Of course you’re wondering how my leaving will affect the station. Everyone involved said it was okay that I gave the news of their new positions, so here goes. Effective January first, Howard Paxton will be your new captain, Zack Knight your new lieutenant, and Julian Salvatore the new FAO for A-shift. Let’s show these guys the recognition they deserve.”

A round of applause met the completion of his announcement and he grinned. Before he could yell for everyone to eat, however, Howard stepped up.

“Before we chow down, Zack and I have a couple of surprises of our own, and our lovely wives said we could share the news.” The lieutenant, beaming, gestured for Kat. “My beautiful wife and I decided we’d tell you guys that our baby is going to be a boy!”

His news was met with a loud, happy cheer. When it finally died down, all eyes turned to Zack and Cori.

“And ours is a girl!” Zack shouted.

Sean joined the guys in slapping Howard and Zack on their backs and handing out manly hugs, and kissing the moms-to-be. Then he turned and yelled at the crowd.

“Okay, guys, what do you say let’s eat?!” he called over the hoopla.

That got everyone moving and a line formed at the food. Amelia was swept into the throng and gently pushed to the front of the line by his gallant men. The pretty woman soaked up the attention like a sponge.

Eve hooked her arm through his. “Thank you, for all of this. I’m so incredibly happy, I could burst.”

“Me, too, baby.”

After everyone was stuffed, he called the men together and they hung their stockings on the wall of the living room to kick off the holiday, a tradition they enjoyed. They also hung the ones for the men who weren’t present, with Amelia’s enthusiastic help.

There were three strings of stockings, one for each shift, and each stocking had the firefighter’s name on it in glitter. Well, a bunch of stockings and two felt menorahs, but the sentiment was the same.

Peace, love, and joy.

Sean’s stocking hung above the others, for the last time.

“They’re going to miss you,” Eve said softly, watching the men get into the holiday spirit. “At least I get to have you to myself at home.”

Home was her apartment, while they shopped for land to build a new one, together.

“I’m not going far. I’ll always be here for them. And for you.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, handsome.”

“See that you do.”

And then he swept her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly, regardless of who was watching. He figured, perhaps, they’d turn the other cheek.

After all, he was a man who’d lost everything.

And found redemption in the arms of a very special woman.