The Firefighter Who Rescues Me

Chapter 7 ♚ New People

"Are you sure he's just a friend?"

"Yeah, he has to be." I must not have looked convinced because she added, "It's a long story."

So kept saying everybody in this town.

An hour later, I headed over to the arena. Even if I didn't know the way by heart already, just following the throngs of people walking down the streets would've guided the way. The whole town intended to show up to this game, which told me things could get intense.

If I squinted, I could almost imagine like all of these people were part of something bigger and more important. Like I was being transported to my early twenties, when fighting for the revolution had seemed the most important thing. Except here there would be no tear gas, no bullets. Even if the local team lost, I could bet good money that people wouldn't start beating each other up. That there wouldn't be mourners at the end of tonight.

Even knowing that, it was hard to get my blood to stop boiling. I focused on the fact that no one wore red to remind myself that I was in the present, not in the past. When I spotted Lena Lee and her family, the relief I felt hit me with unexpected force.

"Sorry, am I late?" It took me a second to realize how Canadian that made me sound.

The Sheriff shook his head. "Nope, you're good. We still have time to find the guys and buy some snacks."

"The guys?" My eyes shifted from one adult to the other.

We started heading into the arena when Lena Lee laughed. "That might as well refer to the entire town, actually."

It wasn't an exaggeration. The vast majority of the people around us were men. It wasn't that Silver Grove didn't have women, but their proportion was strangely a lot smaller than normal.

Why had I even come to this town? At least, I should've come sightseeing before taking the construction job. When I'd told Gina that I was ready to challenge a male-dominated world I meant work-wise, not everything-wise.

"There they are," the Sheriff said, waving towards someone in the crowd.

I shifted so I could look out from behind him and spotted an almost full row, occupied by a bunch of the same guys I saw every day. Including the firefighter.

"Great, they did save seats for us." The Sheriff turned to me, motioning that I should go first. "Go on."

I stood frozen, seeing that by going first I'd have to sit next to the firefighter for the whole game. But I couldn't figure out how to express that it was the last thing I wanted to do, without breaking Canadian etiquette. In the end, since I was holding up the whole line of people behind us, I ended up following suit. The space between the rows of seats was so narrow that I almost felt like I was at the gym as I scooted all the way until I was able to sit next to him.

"Good to see you outside of the gym," he said.

It was cold in the arena and the hundreds of people all around were unable to warm it up. His voice did, though. It had the same effect as the midday sun in my hometown, of making me break into a sweat and gasp for air.

Choked up, I said, "Uh, yeah."

To my right, Luke poked his head out and said, "Hi, Pace!"

The firefighter's face lit up. "Hey, little cub. Ready for the game?"

"Yeah!"

I couldn't bite off the smile, seeing Luke tighten his fists and screaming like a warrior.

When I turned back to the front, my head continued turning as if it were being pulled by a magnetic force. Which turned out to be Pace's eyes.