Moving Forward, page 10
Jen wrinkled her nose. “That’s crazy, right?”
Kristen shrugged. “I don’t know if it is or isn’t. It’s been my experience that relationships don’t always make a lot of sense. Even the good ones can be confusing.” Thinking about herself and Greg, she added, “I hate to tell you this, but it isn’t necessarily a lot clearer when you get older, either.”
“Great.” Sharing a smile, Jen added, “I kind of feel like I was thrown into the deep end of the pool and told to swim. I have no idea what I’m doing.” Lowering her voice, she added, “I’ve never really had a boyfriend, Kristen.”
“Maybe it’s time, then.”
“Maybe . . . oh! Not that Ryan has even said he wants to be my boyfriend.” She slapped a hand over her face. “And now I officially sound stupid.”
Kristen’s heart went out to the girl. Jen looked so hopeful but so unsure, too. And who could blame her? “Is Campbell still here?”
“No. She only stayed long enough to make me feel bad. And to embarrass me, too. She had a lot to say about finding me replanting and watering a bunch of perennials.”
“I see.” It didn’t feel great that Jen was embarrassed to be seen working there—the place that meant everything to Kristen—but she supposed that was only natural. It didn’t take much for some teens to locate other people’s vulnerabilities.
Kristen was just about to tell her to forget about this Campbell and get back to work when she realized something else was going on. Jen’s eyes were glistening; she looked like she was about to start crying. “Jen, why don’t you take a break?”
“I don’t need a break. I just needed to vent, but I’m fine.”
“We’re not busy. Go ahead.” When Kristen continued to gaze at her steadily, practically daring her to refuse, Jen nodded.
“Thanks. I’ll be back in ten minutes. I promise,” she said over her shoulder as she hurried out the door.
“Take your time, honey.”
After helping a couple who were buying some food for their rosebushes, Kristen leaned against the wall and looked out the front window. Poor Jen. She was such a mess of contradictions. At first glance, it seemed like she had it all. Nice clothes, good looks, and a bright future. However, the more Kristen got to know the girl, the more she worried about her.
Jen never talked about her mother—even seemed to go out of her way to avoid talking about her, and learning that she was saving to pay for classes at the community college was confusing, given where the girl lived.
True to her word, Jen walked in the door a few minutes later and went directly to her busywork task of wiping down shelves. Kristen always gave her employees small tasks to do for whenever things were slow.
She was just about to start her own busywork of straightening some stock when a couple with a list came in, followed by Samantha Carter from the fire department. The moment she spied Kristen, she grinned. “Hey!”
After greeting the couple, who said they wanted a few minutes to look around, she replied, “Hi, Sam. How are you?”
“I’m good, especially since I ran into you. I was hoping to find you here today.”
“I’m only open for four hours on Sundays, so you came at the right time. What do you need?”
“Plants, I guess?”
“I think we’ve got a few of those,” Kristen joked. “Want to give me a hint about what you’re looking for?”
“I have no idea. Maybe some daisies or something?”
“We can definitely help you with that.”
“Thanks. I want to look around, too. After we talked the other night I wanted to stop by and see this place for myself. It’s really cute.”
“I’m glad you did.” She was just about to suggest a tour when she noticed the couple looking visibly confused about something on their list. They were going to need help, too.
Seeing Jen was nearby, Kristen waved her over. “Hey, Jen, this is Samantha. She’s a firefighter here in Woodland Park.”
Jen’s expression perked up. “For real?”
“Yep.” Samantha smiled. “For several years, now.”
“That’s a cool job.”
“I think so. I’ve never wanted to do anything else.”
“Hey, Sam, I need to go help another customer, but Jen will take care of you.” Turning to Jen, she added, “Take Sam on a quick tour of the nursery, would you, please? She’s looking for daisies . . . maybe.”
“Sure thing.” She smiled at Sam. “Let’s start at the annuals.”
Kristen breathed a sigh of relief. It seems Sam was just what the doctor ordered. Already Jen seemed more animated and happier. Glad everything was right with her again, she helped the couple, who were looking for wind chimes.
After ten minutes, wondering where they’d gotten to, Kristen took a walk and spied Jen talking to Samantha by a display of herb garden kits. She’d thought Sam would find the tour helpful and that it would take Jen’s mind off her troubles. But it seemed that Jen was talking the poor firefighter’s ear off.
She joined them. “I bet she’s good now, Jen. Maybe you could make sure the back nursery is in order?”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that,” Samantha protested with a chuckle. “We’ve been having a good conversation.”
“Sam said I could come visit her next time she’s on shift,” Jen said.
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy that.”
“I would love to show you around. And now I’m going to love to pick up a couple of things.” Sam smiled at Kristen. “But I think I’m more of a bird feeder person instead of a plant one.”
Thirty minutes later, Jen was helping Sam carry her bags out to the car. Since it was time to close, Kristen counted out the cash register while she watched the two of them talk some more by Sam’s SUV.
“You two must have really hit it off,” she teased when Jen returned.
“We did. She was so nice! I must have asked her two dozen questions about being a female firefighter.”
“Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but why all the interest? I thought you were college-bound?”
“I am, but . . . I haven’t been too excited about it.”
“I’m sure when you start you will be.”
“Maybe, but I don’t know. I think I really am going to visit her at the station. Being a firefighter sounds a lot more interesting to me than college.”
“You’re serious, Jen, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “I was a decent student, but it was mainly because I didn’t have a choice. Plus, college is so expensive. Exploring another route sounds really good.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing what happens.”
Jen shrugged. “Maybe nothing will, but I want to look into it, you know? When it comes to work, I’d like it to be something that I choose instead of what everybody else thinks I should do. Plus, if I don’t push myself to go forward, I might really regret staying put.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
After she closed up the shop and went upstairs to her apartment, Kristen thought more about what Jen had said. She’d made a lot of good points. If you weren’t moving forward you risked being stuck and not going anywhere at all.
That was what she’d been doing with her life—with relationships—Kristen realized. It was time to stop being so worried about the bad thing that might happen and start concentrating on all the good things that could.
And that was what helped her make up her mind and give Greg a call. When he didn’t answer, she left a message.
“Hey, it’s me. I know you’re probably on shift. But when you’re free, consider yourself invited to dinner here at my place.”
Chapter 13
The day after Sam had extended the invitation to tour the fire station, Jen reached out to her brother. Bill was in the middle of work, but he was happy to take her to the firehouse. He had to go to a meeting afterward, so he told her to use his Lyft account to get a ride if she couldn’t find one from somebody else.
“Have fun, Jenny, okay?” he asked with a wave as he took off.
She nervously rang the bell at the door of Woodland Park Fire Station Number 1.
It was opened almost immediately by a tall, well-built man with a scarred face. Inwardly Jen gulped. It looked like he’d been seriously hurt in a fire. Could she really do this?
He studied her with a concerned look and said, “Are you okay?”
“Ye-es.” Oh, bummer, he could tell how nervous she was! Jen pulled herself together. “My name is Jennifer Ferguson,” she tried again. “Samantha Carter told me I could stop by.”
“Oh sure. Come on in.” He stepped aside so she could enter but didn’t move from the small entryway. “Are you her cousin or niece or something?”
“No. I only just met her yesterday.” Mentally giving herself a firm kick in the rear, Jen forced herself to sound more confident. “I’m, uh, interested in becoming a firefighter. Sam said the first thing I should do is visit the station.” She stood there uneasily while he looked her over. She wasn’t exactly short, but she knew she was thin and slight. Both were good when trying on clothes but neither screamed successful firefighter candidate.
“So you met her yesterday and then decided to come here?”
“Yeah.” When he didn’t say anything for a moment, she glanced down at the spiral notebook in her hands. All of a sudden, she felt even younger and more naive than usual. “Sam said I could come over today, but maybe I should have called and made an appointment?”
“You don’t need one.” He smiled as he motioned her inside. “Sorry if I seemed hesitant. Every once in a while we get a teenager who’s in trouble and looking for a safe house. I wanted to be sure you were okay.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Sam and I are good friends. She’s been saying for years that she wants to bring in some female candidates. I guess I’m looking at you so closely because she finally went out and recruited one. That’s great.”
“Doc, you aren’t scaring Jen off, are you?” Sam called out as she strode forward.
He winked at Jen as he closed the door. “Trying not to.”
“I was just telling him that you invited me.”
“I absolutely did,” Sam said as she patted Jen on the shoulder. “And I’m so glad you took me up on the invitation.”
“Me, too.”
“Now, did this guy even bother to introduce himself?”
What could she say? “Ah, no?”
“Sorry, Sam. I should’ve done that first off.” He held out a hand. “I’m Anderson Kelly, Jen. I’m a firefighter paramedic. That’s why a lot of people around here call me Doc.”
She shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m going to give her a tour and then maybe see if the cap can spare us a few minutes,” Sam said. “Where is he at?”
“He’s been in his office for the last hour. I heard he’s working on paperwork.”
Samantha grimaced. “Well, good to know. Come on, Jen. Let’s start that tour. Hopefully by the time we finish, Captain DeWitt will be in a good mood.” She lowered her voice. “He hates paperwork.”
“Oh.” Jen smiled.
“Have a good time, Jen,” Anderson said. “We’re glad you’re here.”
Sam, who was in a red polo shirt, dark-blue chinos, and suede tennis shoes, led the way down the hall. “I know you might be tempted to take a lot of notes,” she said, “but can I ask you just to relax and look around on this first visit? I want you to get a good feel for the place.”
“All right.” Jen slipped the pen she was holding back into her purse.
“Okay, here is the captain’s office. Next to it is a conference area and next to that are the bathrooms and a private room in case someone comes in who needs assistance or a safe place.”
Through the open door Jen could see a twin-sized bed, a chair and table, and a sink and mirror.
“We’re a designated safe place,” Sam continued, “so, say, a runaway is scared, or a woman is trying to escape an abusive situation, they can come here and we’ll help them.”
“Have you ever actually had anyone come in?”
“Oh yeah. Not all the time, but three times when I’ve been on duty.”
“Were you worried about what to say to them?”
“No. We’re trained for stuff like that.” She beckoned Jen to follow her upstairs. “Plus, all of us went into this profession because we want to help people, you know? It’s good to be able to help someone without having to save them from a fire.”
“I guess it is.”
“Here we are in our living quarters.” She showed Jen the kitchen, rec room, more showers, and the cubicles where everyone who was on shift could sleep. “Now let’s go down to where the good stuff is.”
“What’s that?”
“The fire engines, of course. That’s where all the guys are.”
Jen trotted down the stairs after Sam, then followed her down a short hallway and finally out to a huge garage bay.
Three men were working on one of the red fire trucks. One man was polishing chrome, another was doing something with hoses, and Anderson was on one of the steps writing something down.
“Way to get out of polishing chrome, Sam,” a man with glasses said.
“Sorry, but I had important work to do. I’m giving a tour. Everyone, this is Jen. Jen, please meet Mark and Dave. You’ve already met Anderson.”
“Are you working on a summer project for school or something?” Dave asked.
“No.” She glanced at Sam, then added, “I’m interested in becoming a firefighter.”
“You? What are you, in eighth grade or something?”
“No. I just graduated high school.”
“Really.”
Jen mentally took a step back. Dave wasn’t being rude exactly, but it was pretty close. She didn’t respond. What could she say?
“Dave, what’s up with you?” Sam asked.
“Nothing. I was just asking a question. You gotta admit she looks like a kid.”
“That kid is also standing right here,” Mark said. Looking apologetic, he added, “Don’t let Dave’s bad mood get you down.”
Feeling everyone’s attention on her, Jen shrugged. “I won’t. I know I look younger than I am, but I can’t help that. Besides, if I ever do get the chance to be a firefighter, I’m going to be covered up anyway, right?”
Mark grinned. “Right.”
A new awareness appeared in Sam’s expression. “Good for you. Just keep looking at the positive, Jen. That’s the best course of action.”
Feeling relieved that she hadn’t overstepped, Jen exhaled. “Okay.”
“Great. Now, let me show you these trucks.” Sam’s voice grew more animated as she described the operation of the engine, tanker truck, and ladder truck. She even let Jen climb up into the passenger seats, just to get a feel for what that was like.
Finally, after letting Jen heft some of the tools to get an idea of their weight and function, Sam led Jen over to a long line of cubbies on the back wall. Each had a person’s last name at the top. Inside were helmets, boots, and other parts of the uniform.
The pants and coat were tan and made of heavy canvas and, before Jen could stop herself, she reached out and touched one.
“What do you think?” Sam asked.
They looked intimidating but she couldn’t say that. “They look as heavy as I imagined they’d be.”
“Would you like to try my gear on?”
“Is that allowed?”
“Sure it is.” Step by step, she showed Jen how to put on the pants and boots, pull up the suspenders, and then fasten on the coat and gloves. Finally, Sam placed the helmet on her head. The whole uniform felt like it weighed fifteen or twenty pounds, and she wasn’t even wearing the breathing apparatus.
“What do you think?” Sam asked. The men in the area were watching her, too. No one looked derisive, though. Just curious.
Jen lifted her arms, displaying how the sleeves hung down over her hands. Sam wasn’t that much bigger than she was, but those extra three inches—and probably ten pounds of muscle—seemed to make a big difference. “I kind of feel like I’m a little girl trying on her mother’s clothes,” she joked. “It’s also bulky and heavy.”
“During training, you do practically everything in turnout gear,” Sam said, “which is really tough, but it’s good, because your body needs to be so used to the weight that carrying it feels second nature.”
“It sounds awesome.”
Anderson smiled at her. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Why?” Dave asked. “I mean, you look like a smart kid. Why aren’t you headed to some big campus?”
His direct question caught her off guard, but she realized she was glad to have the opportunity to explain herself. “It’s true I did okay in school, but I didn’t enjoy it that much. I also don’t want to rack up a lot of student debt. I want to help people and I want a job that pushes me both mentally and physically.”
“Those are all good reasons, but passing both the written and the physical tests is really hard,” he warned.
“A lot of things are hard,” she said before wondering if that sounded rude. “That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it, though.”
“All right, then.” Dave looked impressed in spite of himself.
“Thanks for letting me try this on, Sam,” she said as she unbuckled the coat. Just as she handed it over, a series of sharp bells rang out.
“MVA ignited a field near Rampart Range Road,” a voice called out. “Two alarm.”
Immediately, the entire atmosphere in the bays changed. Motor vehicle accidents brought a whole set of problems, but a two-alarm fire ramped everything up to another level. Sam reached for the pants. Jen had barely got out of them before Sam was pulling them on.
