Rory was on the tail end of a long span of three days of twelve-hour shifts. Sandy and he had texted when they could, had snatches of phone calls, and tonight they planned on dinner at her place. He was more than willing to take her out, but she insisted she loved to cook and never had anyone to cook for.
Heading out to his truck, he placed a quick call. “Blay? You on duty? I had a couple of questions for you.”
“Just got off and headed to the Cock. You want to join me?”
“Yeah, I’ll swing by.”
It didn’t take long for him to pass under the bar’s sign and enter, quickly finding Blay with several other firemen having a beer. Greeting everyone, he and Blay maneuvered to the side of the group.
“What’s up?”
“Do you remember what Sandy was talking about the other night we were here? She was asking Bekki and Harper about Perkins Electrical.” Gaining Blay’s nod, he continued. “I got to thinking about the possibility of electrical fires in a building as massive as Partridge Tower. When I was volunteering for the fire department, we never had one of those. I just wondered what you can tell me.”
“Most electrical fires come from short-circuits, overheating ground faults, or arcing. That generally ignites the insulation that’s nearby the wires. They can also travel along the wires, causing rapid spreading.” Blay held his gaze, cocking his head to the side. “Is that what you’re looking for?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I know Sandy’s worried, and I was just trying to find out how serious faulty wiring in a multistory building can be.”
“Fuckin’ serious. I know there’s been a lot of studies done, but to be honest, I haven’t kept up with those outside our continued educational training. Generally, our professional development focuses on what our response is to the different fires, not what causes them. I know there’s something called flame–spread phenomena over wires that’s different from just the ignition. Wish I could tell you more, but that’s all I remember.”
“No, no, man, that’s good. I can let Sandy know she’s on the right track to make sure the wiring in the building is done to code.”
Blay rubbed his chin, shaking his head. “There should be someone from the city, an inspector that comes around and checks that shit. I know that there are different codes for buildings that are over seventy-five feet tall, which I’m sure includes Partridge Tower.”
“Yeah. I’ll let her know that as well.”
“So, are you going to join us for a beer? Or do you have somewhere better to be?”
Catching Blay’s grin, he bragged, “I’ve got a home-cooked meal waiting for me at Sandy’s place.”
“Good for you. She seems like a great girl.”
Bill had been standing nearby and suddenly turned around, his gaze moving between the other two men. “Sandy? You’re having dinner at Sandy’s place?”
Knowing she and Bill were friends, Rory kept his voice steady as he replied with a simple acknowledgment. “Yeah.”
“You know we’re just friends, but damn, Sandy gets around.”
“If you’re such good friends with her, why are you always trying to stir up shit?”
Bill’s hands jerked up in front of himself, and he shook his head. “Hell, I’m not stirring up anything. I saw her outside of some fancy-ass restaurant earlier today with a man who looks like he could buy and sell all of us with chump change.”
Rory heard Blay’s quick intake of breath, but he kept his gaze on Bill. “You know, I heard you tried the same shit with Sean and Harper when they were dating, and that didn’t get you anywhere, did it? If that’s how you treat your friends, it makes me wonder what your motives are.” Leaning closer, he kept his voice low. “But I’ll tell you this right now. I better not hear another insinuation come out of your mouth about Sandy, or you’ll deal with me.”
As he turned around, he caught Blay’s approving chin lift and nodded to his oldest friend. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a beautiful woman and a good dinner to get to.”
Thirty minutes later, he bounded up Sandy’s front stoop and lifted his hand to knock. The door was flung open, and she stood smiling up at him. Work clothes gone, she was dressed in a soft, slouchy blue sweatshirt with the neck cut to hang off one shoulder, the strap of a dark blue exercise bra peeking. Black yoga pants and pink fuzzy socks completed her outfit. Her long hair was piled up on top of her head, held in place by what looked like two chopsticks. Her eyes were bright and her crooked smile enduring. He fought to keep his eyes off the tantalizing skin of her exposed shoulder.
“I know my grandmother always said that a lady should never throw open the door in a rush, but I couldn’t wait to see you.”
He stepped over the threshold and wrapped his arms around her middle, lifting her into the air as he gave her a little twirl. “I couldn’t wait to see you either, Sandy.” He took her lips in a kiss, forgetting dinner and everything else until a loud meow interrupted. Looking down, he laughed. “Okay, Ocee. I get the hint.”
Setting her feet back onto the floor, he sniffed in appreciation. “Wow, what are you cooking?”
“Homemade chicken pot pie.” She had turned to walk into the kitchen, then stopped and looked over her shoulder. “I hope that’s okay. I can cook fancier, but I like simple, down-home cooking.”
“You’ll never find me complaining about a home-cooked meal,” he vowed. “And simple comfort food is perfect.”
“Come on in while I finish things up. I’m really hungry. I only had a
