Preston

Sitting at the table, I couldn’t concentrate. “Ward, what the fuck? Are you going to play or stare off into space?”

Looking up, I glanced around the table. Nodding, I said, “Right, sorry. Um…I’ll take two cards.” Pulling out two cards, I put them down on the table and slid them to the center of the table as I picked up the other two cards.

Smiling when I saw the queen of hearts, I shook my head.

Sharp took one look at me and threw his cards in the middle of the table. “Aw, hell no. I know that smile, I’m out.” Soon, everyone was out except for the captain and me.

“You ready to show what you think you’ve got, son?” Captain Ryan said with a smirk on his face.

“Bring it,” I said with a grin.

Captain Ryan laid down his cards and everyone yelled out. Taking a look at them, I said, “Damn, three of a kind and a pair. Cap’s got a full house.”

Cap was pulling the pile of chips toward him when I said, “But…I believe my girl is with me tonight.” Spreading my cards, I laid out a royal flush. “The queen of hearts was all I needed and damn, Cap, you dealt it straight to me.”

Rolling his eyes, Cap got up and pushed his chair back. “Ward, I want to talk to you in my office. Now.”

Everyone laughed as I scooped up my chips and started high-fiving everyone. Sharp walked up to me and shook his head. “Damn, you know you pissed off the cap when he loses at poker and wants to talk to you in his office.”

Laughing, I nodded. “Right?” Placing my winnings in my hat, I took off toward the captain’s office.

Knocking, I pushed the door open. “Cap, you wanted to see me?”

Glancing up, he nodded for me to sit down. Setting the hat full of my winnings in the chair next to me, I sat down and smiled as I waited for him to start speaking.

Leaning back in his chair, he stared at me for a few minutes. “So, how did those counseling sessions go?”

Oh fuck.

Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “Sir, I never went to them.”

Shaking his head, he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at me. “You have a reason why you never went?”

“I didn’t think it was necessary.” As he raised his eyebrow, I threw in, “Sir.”

Clearing his throat, he let out a breath and began talking. “Preston, we’ve all lost people. You lost people before you lost Harmony’s son. You don’t find it strange that you couldn’t save her son’s life, you became involved in her life, and now you’re practically living with her?”

Moving about in my seat, I cleared my throat. “Sir, who told you I was living with her?”

“Your uncle John.”

Rolling my eyes, I let out a frustrated sigh. “Sir, I’m not really sure what this has to do with me not going to those sessions.”

Leaning forward, he said, “I’ve seen it happen, Preston. Firefighter can’t save the life of a loved one, or the victim is burned badly because you couldn’t get them out in time. What happens? The guilt eats you alive and you find yourself pulled toward that person out of guilt.”

Standing up, I pointed down at him. “I do not love Harmony because I feel guilty about her son. Do I wish she had never lost him—hell yes, I do. Do not sit there and tell me how I feel, Cap. My feelings for Harmony are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Sitting back in his chair, Cap nodded. “If she asked you today to walk away from this job, would you?”

Without even having to think, I answered, “Yes.”

Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Really? Like that, you would walk away?”

“I love her and I’ll do whatever I have to do to make her happy.”

There was a knock on the door and Captain Ryan looked around me. “One second!” he shouted as he looked back at me. “You’re like a son to me, Preston. Your daddy brought you to this station from the time you were little. I watched you grow up with my own eyes. I just want you to be happy.”

Dropping my eyes, I nodded. “She makes me happy, Cap.”

Standing, he reached across his desk and shook my hand. “Good enough for me, Preston. Now get out of here and go win some more.”

Smiling, I grabbed my hat and headed out. Stopping at my bunk, I pulled out my phone and found Harmony’s name.

Me: Hey, baby. How is your day going?

Harmony: Good! I painted the hallway a silver-blue-gray kind of color.

Me: I can’t wait to see it. I love you, Harmony.

Harmony: Is everything okay?

Smiling, I ran my finger over her name. I would lay down my life for that woman. There was nothing that I wouldn’t do to make her happy.

Me: I miss holding you in my arms.

Harmony: Me, too. I couldn’t sleep last night with you gone. Are we still getting a Christmas tree tonight?

Me: Hell yeah, we are.

Smiling, I decided to have a little bit of fun with my girl.

Me: Is that whole wearing the Yankees shit bet still on?

Harmony: Yes! Don’t even think about it, Mr. Ward.

Me: What if I made you another bet, would you be game?

Harmony: Sounds fishy?!?!?

Letting out a chuckle, I got ready to bring out the big guns. Harmony had been having a dream about the two of us last week and I was hell-bent on making it come true.

Me: What if I can make your dream come true?

I waited for what seemed like forever for her to respond.

Harmony: If you can make that happen, I’ll let you out of your bet.

The alarm went off, stating a minor car accident. Fist pumping, I stood up and sent her another text.

Me: Yes! Got to go. Alarm went off. I love you!

Harmony: Please be careful and I love you, too!

Smiling, I dropped the hat and took off. Only twelve more hours to go and I’d be home with Harmony wrapped in my arms.

Sharp walked up and hit me on the foot as I glanced up from the book I was reading. “What’s up?” I asked as I gave him a head bob.

“What did the cap want?”

Rolling my eyes, I waved it off. “Nothing. Butting into my personal life.”

Falling down onto his bed, he crossed his legs and rested his head in his hands. “He was asking me if I’d been around you and Harmony. What my thoughts were on your relationship.”

Sitting up, I dropped the book to my side. “What the fuck? Are you kidding me?”

“Nope, don’t get pissed, Ward. He thinks of you as a son. He was worried.”

“What did you tell him?”

Glancing my way, Sharp gave me that damn smile of his. “I told him I’d never seen you look at a girl like you look at Harmony. I also told him I’ve never seen you so happy.”

Smiling, I reached my hand out and Sharp slapped it. “Thanks for having my back, dude.”

Letting out a gruff laugh, he said, “I was only speaking the truth. I’m glad to see you happy, Preston. I know how much you want to settle down and have a family. I sure as shit didn’t see that happening with Sherry.”

Shaking my head, I mumbled, “Yeah.”

Sitting up, Sharp looked at me. “What is it?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I let out a sigh. “I want to start a family with Harmony. I just don’t want to push her. I mean, we’ve only been together officially for a month—before that we were best friends.” Pushing my hand through my hair, I let out a laugh. “Jesus, it’s all I think about. Dream about, really. It’s the same damn dream, over and over. Harmony chasing a little girl around in a house I built out in the country.”

Giving me a weak smile, Sharp said, “That doesn’t sound bad, Ward.”

Smiling like an idiot, I nodded. “No, it doesn’t sound bad at all.”

The alarm rang for a three-alarm fire. Jumping up, we both took off. Hopping into the truck, Sharp leaned over and shouted, “We have choices in life that sometimes we aren’t sure of, Preston. The best way to know which choice to make is to follow your heart.”

Pulling my head back, I stared at Sharp with a stunned expression. “Who the hell are you and what in the fuck did you do with Mitch?”

Throwing his head back, Sharp let out a rumbling laugh as we pulled up to the three-alarm fire. Stepping out of the truck, we both said, “Holy shit.”

Flames engulfed the building. Cap came walking up shouting orders. “Fourth floor there is a family trapped. Let’s move, people. Now!”

After getting on our breathing apparatus, we headed into the building. Smoke surrounded us as we made our way to the stairs. Stopping on the fourth floor, I thought I heard someone screaming. Yelling for Sharp, I pointed down the hall and quickly made my way to the last apartment on the left. Following our safety standards, we checked everything out before opening the door. Sharp and I quickly made our way around the apartment. The smoke was getting thicker from the fire on the floors above us. A woman with three small children was sitting in the corner trying to keep the kids’ mouths covered.

“We need to move fast. Cap said the structure is going,” Sharp shouted to me.

Looking down, I noticed the small little boy up next to his mother. My mind flashed back to Harmony’s accident as I stood there frozen.

Hitting me on the arm, Sharp yelled, “You’ve got to grab them, Preston! We need to get them out of here now!”

The ceiling caved in around us as Sharp grabbed the mom and one of the kids and started out of the building. Picking up the other two kids, I turned to follow when a large piece of the ceiling fell in front of us, trapping us in the room.

Hearing the screams of the mother on the other side, all I could think of was Harmony.

“The thought of losing someone else I love…it scares me to death.”