Crossing Paths

chapter 5

He was what was commonly referred to as a man’s man. He liked going fishing, taking naps, watching football on the flatscreen, and eating barbecue… lots of barbecue… as hot as they can make it. He worked out to stay in shape, so he could be the best at his job. He was a firefighter––a damn good firefighter. Their crew works hard, and they played hard. They joked around and had a good time, but they took their jobs seriously. When someone was in need, they were there. When others ran away, they ran in. It was the job. And it was everything to them.

Before he went to the fire training academy, he figured the vocation would be a total panty-dropper, but he had no idea the extent of its power. There were loads of women who actively pursued anyone in a uniform. A significant number of those ladies were only interested in firemen. They affectionately called them hose chasers. The hose chasers were great for a good time, but he was starting to realize that he craved more than just a hot, but meaningless, roll in the hay. No one was more surprised about that shocking development than he was. For the past few months, Jessabelle, the beautiful, skittish woman that worked at his favorite square donut shop, had been popping into his head at all kinds of strange times. In the shower, while he was lifting weights, he was making his world-famous (Okay, fire station-famous) spicy chicken chili, and even in his dreams… not the wet kind.

It was more than just a s****l attraction to Jessabelle, although he did want to discover what those luscious curves that were always hidden beneath that short, pink uniform dress looked and felt like. Beyond that, though, he wanted to talk to her, hear her opinions, and find out how her day went. He wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. He’d never felt like this about anyone, but for some reason, he turned into a bumbling i***t whenever he tried to speak to her. He thought his awkwardness would ease with time, but she’d been working there for months, and he went there every day for breakfast, yet he still couldn’t manage much more than meaningless small talk with her. The thought of asking her out on a date made his mouth go dry. Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink when he came in and she always gave him a twenty percent discount, rather than the fifteen percent standard discount for emergency responders. He took those both as good signs, but she was very difficult for him to read. He couldn’t tell if she was just being nice or if there was a spark of interest on her end, too.

His crush on her was starting to become a ‘thing.’ He hadn’t told anyone about it, but anyone that went to breakfast with him could somehow tell. His buddy, Adam, called him out on it during his girlfriend’s restaurant opening last week. When he threatened to tell Jessabelle about his secret crush, Samuel nearly had a heart attack. Granted, he deserved it, for what he did to him with Evie, but that ended up working out in his favor.

His shift was almost over, so he decided to go to his apartment for a while. He didn’t spend much time there, and the succulents his mother gave him probably desperately needed a drink. If he couldn’t even keep some nearly impossible-to-kill plants alive, he definitely wouldn’t be able to nurture a real relationship with a sensitive woman, like Jessabelle. A mental image of her dark, blonde hair flashed into his head. He was not sure what it was about her that made him crave her so much from afar. He wondered for the millionth time if she would be interested in him but was concerned that she might turn him down for a date. At least, if he didn’t ask, he still would have hoped that she might go out with him.

It was not like him at all to be so insecure, but something about this woman made her important to him––too important to risk leaping asking her out. Besides, things might not have worked out. Then he would have to deprive himself of the best square donuts and crispy bacon in town. He slammed his locker shut, grabbed his duffel bag, and turned to leave. He barely made it two steps before the blaring fire alarm began ringing. Quickly shifting gears, he decided the plants will have to survive a bit longer without any attention. At least if they wither and die, due to a lack of love from him, they could be replaced. Any people in danger from the fire were irreplaceable. Quick as a wink, their crew was geared up, and they climbed onto the rig. As dispatch relayed the address of the emergency, he felt the blood drain from his head, just before his disembodied voice asked in a wary tone, “Isn’t that the address of the square donut shop?”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. She must be having some kind of horrific nightmare. This couldn’t be happening. Her body froze––rendered motionless by fear and shock. Her mind knew that she should be doing something to help, but her limbs refused to move. Until moments ago, it was an ordinary Tuesday. She was helping Mrs. Jenkins, one of their regular customers. She liked to dither before pointing out precisely which square chocolate yeast donut she wanted. Some of the other girls that worked there complained about her nit-pickiness, but she was always patient with her and let her take her time. She knew this was her big outing for the day, and she was happy to do whatever she could to help her enjoy it.

Working in a donut shop wasn’t a glamorous job, but she decided long ago that with anything she did, she was going to try her best and keep a positive attitude. The warm smiles she gave her customers were sincere. She truly cared about them and wanted to make their days better. The best way to do that was to give them a friendly morning experience with their fresh and delicious square donuts. Squared was the only square donut shop in the area, so people come from all over to try them. It was a bit of a gimmick, but it worked. People couldn’t resist a novelty, and once they tasted their yummy donuts and perfectly cooked bacon, they were hooked.

She gawked at the enormous new hole in their building. The sound as the city bus blasted through the brick wall was deafening. She was sure it was still loud in there now as people began to stir and scream, but the blood rushed too fast in her head for her to hear anything else. She was shaky as she tried to stand up from where she fell behind the counter. Her first thought is to call 9-1-1, but this big of a disaster in such a busy part of town must have already drawn the attention of numerous passersby. She was inside the heart of the destroyed building, so she would be more helpful assisting injured people than she would be talking to a dispatcher on the phone. Silently praying that real help was on the way, she gingerly made her way through the rubble toward the end of the counter, which had been shoved out of its normal position. Shattered shards of glass crackled under her shoes as she walked. Sparks were shot out from the overhead light fixtures.

A swatch of pink fabric was peeking out from the corner, so she carefully made her way over to it. One of her co-workers, Maggie, was on the floor with her body contorted at a strange angle. A large portion of the front display case had fallen onto her legs and had her pinned to the ground. Lightly shaking her shoulders, she said, “Maggie?” As she began to stir, she let out a miserable moan. “Don’t try to talk or move,” she advised her before adding, “I am going to lift this thing off you.” She strained and pushed, but the stubborn cabinet wouldn’t budge. She was waiting for her rush of super-human, adrenaline strength to kick in, but it didn’t seem to want to comply. Maggie turned to give her a wan smile before saying, “I’m okay for now, and I’m sure some big, strong emergency responders will be here soon. Go see if there’s anyone else you can help.” Although she hated to leave her, it was quickly becoming obvious that she was not going to be able to free her legs by herself. She looked deep into her eyes to check if she was truly okay for the time being as she said, “You’re sure?”

She nodded her head, so she turned to scan the rest of the building. It was beginning to fill with hazy gray smoke, which made her eyes water. The doorway to the kitchen in the back had crumbled, so she didn’t dare go through it. Besides, the bus crashed into the front of the shop, so most of the damage was likely up there. She climbed over a pile of wood and ceiling tiles in front of the stopped, steaming bus. When she reached the store’s front, she stooped down and pull the bottom hem of her apron up over her mouth and nose to keep from inhaling too much smoke. A tiny, crumpled pile caught her attention. She recognized the purple flower print of the dress Mrs. Jenkins was wearing when she waited on her. Even though it had likely only been a couple of minutes since she was helping the older woman pick the perfect donut, it felt like a lifetime ago. She scurried over to her. She was so tiny and frail that Jessabelle was scared to move her. When she stirred, she breathed out a huge sigh of relief before taking one of her hands into hers. She was not sure what to do other than try to comfort her, so she said, “It’s going to be okay, Mrs. Jenkins. We’re going to get out of here.”

Even though she had no idea if her reassuring words were accurate, they seemed like the right thing to say. Empty promises and a comforting hand were all she had to offer since she was not medically trained or mentally prepared to deal with this kind of catastrophe. She had no idea how long they sat there together. She kept her eyes on Mrs. Jenkins because she was sure there were other innocent victims scattered around the room. She didn’t know what to do to help, and despite how much she wanted to, she focused her full attention on the woman in front of her.

“Jessabelle!” she heard her name being shouted, but it was muted as if she was underwater. Her gaze darted around looking for the source of the sound. When she saw him, the air spew from her lungs in a relieved whoosh. He was even bigger when he was all suited up in his fireman’s gear. They made eye contact, and he was by her side in a flash. Before she even had time to register what was happening, he scooped her into his strong arms, and she was being carried outside. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let her hero’s name fall from her lips, “Samuel.”

Relief floods his system as he carried sweet, beautiful Jessabelle in his arms. He had never been so frightened as when he heard the address of Squared being called out by dispatch. He didn’t even want to imagine a world in which this wonderful woman didn’t exist. When she leaned her head on his shoulder as he carried her, he was tempted to just keep on walking and carry her as far from there as possible. The trust that arose in her gaze just before he picked her up made his protective instinct flare to unprecedented levels. Keeping her safe was all that mattered. But Jessabelle was only concerned for everyone else’s safety. As they walked outside into the fresh morning air, she suddenly raised her head. She scrambled for release from his arms, so he tightened his grip on her. Her eyes were wild as she saw the orange flames begin spreading past the front window of the shop. In a panicky voice, she said, “Maggie! Mrs. Jenkins!”

He used his steady, calming tone to say, “I’ll get them.” Her wide-eyed gaze locked onto his as she said in a flat-toned, faraway voice, “All of those people on the bus.” It was obvious that the gravity of this dire situation was beginning to set in with her. He needed to get back inside, but he couldn’t leave until he knew Jessabelle was going to be okay. His gaze was unwavering on hers as he promised, “We’ll get them all. This is what my crew trains for. You have my word that I won’t leave this building until everyone is out. Got it?”

“Yes,” she answered in a croaky voice as he placed her on her feet. Using a stern voice, he said, “Do not go back inside.”

She nodded her head in agreement. He quickly turned to head back into the burning building. His heart wanted to stay with Jessabelle to make sure she was truly okay, but his job was inside that growing inferno. More fire trucks arrived at the scene. It was a coordinated team effort as they fought the blazing flames and rescued injured victims.

The smoke was getting so thick, Samuel could barely see the small, crumpled pile on the floor near where he found Jessabelle. He scooped the fragile, older woman into his arms. As he carried her toward the door, she opened her eyes and beamed up at him. He said, “Are you, Mrs. Jenkins?”

“Yes,” she answered in a barely-there voice.

He winked at her before saying, “Let’s get you out of here, Mrs. Jenkins.”

“My hero,” she said as she rests her head on him, trusting him completely.

After delivering her to safety, he returned to the fiery building. A quick sweep of the shop confirmed that the customers had been cleared out of the front, so he climbed onto the bus to help the last few passengers that needed assistance. He had his arm around a burly man with an injured leg, helping him down the aisle toward the back exit of the bus when an explosion erupts. It was enough of a blast to knock them both down, and it turned the donut shop into a raging inferno.

As soon as Samuel recovered from the shock, he scrambled to get up and helped the man stand. He didn’t want him to panic, but it likely wouldn’t be long until this bus was toasted. Yelling to his newest crew member, Riggins, he said, “Do a final sweep of the bus to make sure everyone is off, then clear out!”

“Got it,” Riggins confirmed as he assisted the large man to hobble down the bus steps. They were only a few steps away from the bus when it exploded into a gigantic ball of fire. “Riggins!” he screamed, unable to believe the horrific sight before him. He tried to run back into the rear doorway of the bus but there wasn’t an opening in the roaring flames. The injured man fell to the ground from the blast. He saw paramedics running toward them to help him. He sprinted to the front of the shop, hoping beyond hope that the front of the bus was still accessible, so he can pull Riggins out. “Riggins is on the bus!” he shouted as he ran past Chief Montgomery.

Without pausing to wait for backup, he rushed back into the building. The front of the bus was burning, but not as bad as the back was. He stayed low as he made his way onto the bus and attempted to peer through the flames to see down the aisle. Riggins was face-down on the floor a couple of rows back. He lunged for him and dragged him to the front stairs. Once there, he hefted the large man onto his shoulders and carried him outside. After he lowered him onto the waiting gurney, he turned back toward the building. It was now completely engulfed in flames that their blasting water hoses were doing a little too slow.

“Samuel!” Jessabelle’s voice sounded frightened as she scurried over to stand in front of him. “I didn’t see anyone bring Maggie out. She was trapped under the display case by the door that leads to the back.” The fire was out of control. The last thing any sane person would want to do was go inside it, but that was the job. At least if he didn’t make it out, Jessabelle will know that he died as a hero. Nodding once, he said to the terrified woman, “I’ll get her out.”

A thunderous boom sounded as a portion of the building’s roof caved in. They all stared with wide, horrified eyes as the donut shop was consumed by the fire, as quickly as if the flames were a starving pack of animals. Two firefighters volunteered to go in to look for Samuel. The chief’s expression twisted into a mask of tortured uncertainty, making him seem torn about sending them into the inferno. Finally, he squawked into his radio. “Samuel, we’re coming for you.” With that, he nodded at the two volunteers, who took off at a jog toward the fiery structure. When they paused just before the threshold, Jessabelle was tempted to shout at them to hurry, until she saw the shadow through the flames. She blinked several times, not quite daring to believe her eyes. Sweet relief surged through her veins as Samuel emerged from the blazing building. People rushed forward to help him. When he unbundled his arms and released Maggie into their care, Jessabelle fell to her knees on the pavement. She’d been impossible to see when she was cradled in his protective embrace.

Her entire body shook as she realized that he rescued her. He did it! Maggie was whisked away in an ambulance. She wanted to go check on her but knew that she was not in the proper emotional state to drive at that time. Standing up from her kneeling position didn’t even seem like a viable option, since she doubted her wobbly legs would support her. She sat down on the sidewalk to watch as her hero quickly shifted gears and took over one of the fire hoses to fight the flames. It took a great deal of time and effort by all of the firefighters, but eventually, the fire was put out. The donut shop was now a black, charred, and smoking shell with the carcass of a bus poking out the side of it. If someone had shown her a picture of this mess yesterday, she wouldn’t have believed it could ever be true. The large crowd of gawkers had mostly dissipated now that the danger was over, but she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away. Watching Samuel and his crew in action had given her a whole new perspective on what it meant to be a hero. She always knew their jobs were tough and demanding, but she had no idea about the truly horrific dangers they faced with such stoic bravery.

As Samuel’s crew began to pack up, he removed his jacket and walked over to speak to his chief. The man nodded, and Samuel’s eyes turned to scan the small crowd that remained. When his eyes locked onto Jessabelle, he began moving in her direction. She could barely breathe as she watched the sexy, soot-covered man make a beeline for her. He reached her, stooped down, and lifted her into his arms as if she was light as can be. Once she was cradled in his arms, he growled, “You’re coming with me.” It didn’t even cross her mind to put up a fight, since there was nothing in the world she’d rather do than leave here with him. Words failed her. She simply nodded her head in agreement, silently hoping that he was taking her somewhere to claim her as his.