Backfire by J.R. Tate Read Free Book Online Page A

Hopefully Captain Rooker would keep the reasons generic and not go into the other issues.  Who was he kidding, though?  Everyone saw how he froze up.  Hopefully for once in the history of the firehouse, the guys would be mature adults about it.
    “You think so, Mikey?”
    Eva’s question pulled him from his thoughts and he had no idea what she was asking him.  Shrugging, he tried to play it off, but she read him like a book.
    “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”  She put her fork down and wiped her face with a napkin.  “Look, I know you’ve had quite the day, and I’m sorry for that.  But if you sit around and dwell on it, it’s just going to make it worse.”  She took a sip of water.  “What I was talking about was booking our plane tickets.  We should probably do it pretty soon, don’t you think?”
    Michael nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right.  We should do it with my mom. We can go over to her house tomorrow or something.”
    “Sounds good.  And Mikey, chill out.  Everything’s going to be okay.”
    All he could do was hope she was right.  For some reason, his gut was telling him otherwise. 

    Chapter Four
    Michael wouldn’t call Gregg Walsh a good friend yet, but since he had gotten back to work, he had seemed to bond with the other firefighter pretty well.  Gregg had transferred from another firehouse and seemed to fit right in with everyone instantly.  His chemistry with the other guys, especially in fires, seemed as if he had been with Ladder Twenty One from the moment he got out of the fire academy.  He was busy shining down the truck when Michael arrived for his shift.
    “Hey Mikey, fresh pot of coffee going if you’re interested.”
    “Thanks man, I appreciate it.”  Michael started to walk past him, but Gregg stopped him and pulled him aside. It caught him off guard and he tried his best to not seem annoyed.  “What’s up?” 
    Gregg hesitated and tossed his shine rag to the side.  “Look, I know I don’t know you very well or anything, and I don’t know much about what you went through, but I just wanted to say that if you need to talk to someone, possibly over a beer or something, you can always give me a call.”
    Michael smirked and folded his arms over his chest.  “Yeah, you don’t know me too well.  Talking over a beer isn’t such a wise idea with me.”
    Nodding, Gregg let out a laugh.  “Well, fine, we can talk over a coke.  You know what I mean.  I know how sometimes it’s hard to turn to people around here.”
    Usually Michael would have his guard up and not believe what he was hearing, but Gregg really seemed genuine and caring in what he was saying.  “Thanks Gregg.”  He shook his hand and was unsure of what else to say.  “I’m gonna go grab me some coffee.”
    “That is one thing I have heard about you.  Go get you some before you turn on me.”  Gregg went back to shining the rig, and for a second Michael debated on talking to him.  Deciding it was a little too soon, he went into the kitchen.  It was nice knowing he did have a friend if he needed it.  It would be nice to talk to a guy.  Eva was great, but sometimes her perspective was a little off compared to how he saw things. 
    “Everything squared away for your Texas trip?” Captain Rooker was at the table, his head buried in the newspaper.
    “Yeah, we’re gonna get the plane tickets tonight and be ready to go.” Michael poured a cup of the black coffee and took a long sip.  Sometimes it was effective enough to curb his occasional alcohol cravings. 
    “Sounds good.  It’s coming up in what, two weeks? You might be looking at some pricey airfare.”
    Shrugging, Michael sat down across from him and chose a bagel from the box of pastries someone had brought in.  “Maybe. Eva’s really good at finding deals and things, and I think she’s got a voucher from some time before.  It’s not a problem.”
    Captain Rooker stood up and patted him on