First Class Rescue (First Class Novels) (2 page)

And they were too. Tim walked Sam, played with him, bathed him,
fed him and loved him. When he’d died the week before Tim’s high school
graduation, his heart had broken. He hadn’t had the courage to think about
getting another dog, and Sam had died over ten years ago. His lifestyle didn’t
allow for a dog anymore.

But he still loved them and enjoyed his few minutes with
this one until he heard a whistle and she turned and ran. She turned at the
corner and disappeared from his sight. Tim put his gloves back on and climbed
onto the truck, ready to return to the station.

*****

The leaves were starting to turn brilliant shades of gold
and pink, and there was a slight chill to the breeze. Janie bundled up her son
and tucked him in the stroller and Matt zipped up his daughter’s coat, and the
doorman held the door as they stepped onto the sidewalk.

They walked a couple of blocks southwest and stopped at the
barrier. Janie closed her eyes and breathed deeply, filling her lungs with the
crisp air. She loved their family walks along the river. Ella wanted to walk on
the concrete wall, so her father swung her up and she landed on her feet,
giggling with delight. He gripped her hand tightly as she balanced herself and
walked the wall in tightrope style.

“Where shall we go after this?” he asked his daughter.

“Can we visit Uncle Mark and Aunt Katy?”

Matt turned to his wife and she smiled and nodded. “Well,” Matt
said to Ella, “Why don’t we meet them for lunch?”

Ella smiled and nodded. “That would be terrific!” she
agreed.

Matt chuckled and Janie pulled out her cell phone to make
arrangements with her best friend and sister-in-law. They would meet in an
hour. That would give Ella and Christopher some time to run around the park a
couple of times so they’d perhaps sit still in the restaurant.

The six of them met at an upscale eatery a few blocks from
Mark and Katy’s apartment. They lived in Greenwich Village three blocks from
Matt and Mark’s younger brother Andrew and about ten blocks from Tim. The
hostess seated them on the side of the dining room; Christopher’s stroller
pushed up against the exposed brick wall.

The men talked business for a few minutes while the women
got the children settled and occupied. Matt only spent three days a week in the
office now and was considering cutting back further. Mark supported his
brother’s decision to devote his time to his family, but made sure Matt was in
the loop in all areas of the real estate empire they’d built. They made Trump
look like a wannabe.

After about ten minutes Katy called timeout. “Okay, you’ve
had your work time, now it’s eating time,” she grinned.

Mark leaned over and kissed her with a smile. “Yes, ma’am!
The topics of conversation are all yours.”

“I’d like to talk about school,” Ella said, coloring in her
book without looking up.

“Yes?” Janie asked, intrigued at her daughters’ statement.
“What about school?”

“Well,” she sighed. “I love Aunt Nic and she will be the
best teacher I’ve ever had.”

Matt chuckled at his three year old daughter. “I’m sure she
will be Little L, but you don’t go to kindergarten until next year. Don’t you
like your pre-school teacher?”

Ella had only been in pre-school for a week but apparently
knew what she liked and what she didn’t like.

“Well,” she sighed again, “She’s not as pretty as mommy.”

“Nobody is as pretty as mommy,” Matt agreed.

“And sometimes she gets mad at Darren when he draws on the
table.”

“As she should,” nodded Katy.

“And when she reads the book in story time, she looks at the
pictures
before
she shows them to us.” She was still concentrating on
her crayons.

“Well I can see how that would upset you,” Mark grinned at
his niece.

“But I guess she’s okay,” Ella conceded. “And I only have to
go…have to go…how many days mommy?”

“You go three days a week,” Janie answered.

“I think I like the drive the best,” Ella stated.

“The drive?” Katy asked.

“Uh-huh,” Ella nodded. “With Ray. I love Ray.”

Ray was Matt and Janie’s driver. He was a trusted employee
and had become a good friend. Matt wouldn’t trust just anyone with his
daughter.

A plate of warm bread and butter was placed on the table by
their waitress and finally Ella looked up and grinned. “May I have some
please?”

“You may,” smiled Janie, and she began to feed her children.

Halfway through lunch they heard the sirens before they saw
the fire engine race past. Well, as fast as one can
race
through
Manhattan. Then the ladder truck drove past the restaurant.

“That’s Tim,” Mark frowned. He made the sign of the cross
across his body. “Keep him safe God.”

*****

The building was made of brick, pre-war construction, but
there was black smoke billowing out of the windows of the upper floors. Tim’s
truck was the third ladder to respond to the fire, meaning it was a big one.
They needed to get it under control fast.

Hoses were being run and firefighters ran in organized
chaos. Onlookers stood, mouths opened, down the street behind the police
barricades. The driver moved Ladder 5 into position and Bud, an experienced
firefighter on Tim’s team, began climbing to reach a window several floors up.
The window was already open as Bud reached it and he crawled inside the
building. Jeff, climbing quickly, was almost to the top of the ladder ready to
assist as needed.

They appeared to be on the floor below the fire, with one of
the other ladder trucks trying to access the floor above the smoke. Tim
silently prayed that they could get everyone out. Tenants from the lower floors
were running out of the front door obviously scared to death.

As Tim looked back up, Bud radioed that he had three adults
coming out to the ladder as the stairs were now unusable…the smoke was too
thick. An elderly woman came out first and with the help of Jeff she started
down the long ladder after being hooked in for safety. Then a young woman
climbed from the window and Bud hooked her up to the safety harness, and she
followed Jeff and the old woman down. Tim could see that she was extremely
agitated and was screaming at Bud, but Bud was trying to get an old man out of
the window and wasn’t paying any attention.

Tim helped the old woman that Jeff had safely brought down
the ladder, and the paramedics took her as soon as her feet hit the street.
Jeff carefully guided the young woman, who was now all but hysterical, off the
ladder and handed her off to Tim.

“My dog!” she screamed. “Cleo is up there! Let me go back!”

Tim grabbed her arms, trying to get her attention.

“PLEASE!” she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Bud had the old man on his back and was almost down the
ladder.

“CLEO!” the woman sobbed.

Tim climbed back on the truck and up to the ladder. He
helped Jeff and Bud get the old man off the truck and the word came through the
radio that the building had been cleared. Tim pulled the radio to his lips and
asked if anyone had recovered a dog. The answer was negative.

“Where did the young woman come from?” Tim asked Bud.

“One apartment over,” Bud nodded to the left.

“I’m going in,” Tim yelled as he grabbed the ladder.
“There’s a dog still in there,” he screamed over his shoulder as he raced up
the steps.

By the time he got to the window, smoke was filling the
floor and visibility was becoming difficult. With his mask on and oxygen
flowing, Tim shone his flashlight and found the front door of the apartment.
Black smoke engulfed the hallway and Tim had to feel the walls behind him to
find the door of the adjacent apartment. He opened the door and went in,
closing it behind him, trying to keep out as much smoke as possible. Visibility
was better but not great.

He pulled off his mask and yelled. “Cleo! Cleo! Here girl!”
There was no response and a dog didn’t appear. He kept walking through the
living room and down a short hallway. Opening a door, he called again. “Cleo!
Come on girl.” He whistled and heard a faint sound. He backtracked down the
hall to another closed door. Opening it slowly, he called again. “Cleo!”

A bark! Relief flooded through Tim as the big German
Shepherd ran to him, panting wildly. “Hey girl,” he sighed, rubbing her head.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Tim had been trained to bring bodies down a ladder, but he’d
never brought a canine down before, and Cleo wasn’t a little dog, and she was
scared which made the exercise even more interesting. One step at a time, they
made their way back to the apartment next door and to the open window. Jeff was
halfway up the ladder waiting for him.

Amazingly, Cleo let Tim hook her to him and then to the
ladder. Her big brown eyes looked up at him, somehow knowing he was saving her
and showing appreciation as she licked his face.

“Come on girl,” he whispered as they slowly took one step
and then another down the ladder. By the time they reached Jeff, Tim was still
talking to her with each step, his voice calming her and encouraging her. And
as they stepped on to the truck, Cleo looked up at Tim and he could see the
gratitude there.

“CLEO!” the young woman screamed as Tim guided the dog off
the truck. The dog ran to her mistress and the woman hugged her tightly. “Thank
you!” she cried. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome,” smiled Tim.
All in a day’s work!
 

Beth Collins checked into a hotel a couple of blocks from
her apartment. The landlord had been vague as to what was happening with the
building and when the tenants would be allowed back inside. The only thing
damaged by the fire on her floor had been in the stair well. Her apartment was
fine, other than being filled with black smoke and a small amount of water
damage. She’d contacted her insurance agent and hoped her displacement would be
very temporary.

Once the fire had been extinguished, one of the firemen had
escorted her up to her apartment to get a few things. She’d packed a bag
quickly and grabbed Cleo’s leash and her favorite toy, a stuffed octopus that
had a squeaker in each one of its furry ‘legs’.  She sat on the hotel bed and
unpacked her suitcase. She’d grabbed toiletries, her hair straightener, her
grandmother’s diamond and ruby brooch and a pair of antique diamond earrings.
She also grabbed the stack of manuscripts from her desk, thanking God that
they’d been spared. At least she could still work. There was no point in
bringing clothes…they all reeked of smoke. Tomorrow she’d go shopping, but now,
all she wanted to do was snuggle with Cleo and thank her lucky stars that the
nice fireman had rescued her faithful companion. She couldn’t imagine life
without Cleo.

*****

Maureen clapped wildly as she watched the evening news.
“Peter!” she yelled to her husband. “Tim’s on the television!”

A reporter told of the fireman’s rescue of a German Shepherd
and had footage of him climbing down the ladder, the dog being half carried.
“New York’s bravest,” the anchor had repeated with a smile as they went to a
commercial break.

“Hope he doesn’t keep the mutt,” Peter muttered as he came
as sat next to his wife. “He’s got a soft heart when it comes to dogs.”

“No,” Maureen shook her head. “They said the dog was
reunited with her owner.”

 “Good,” replied Peter. “Because you know we’d get stuck
with it while he was at work.”

Maureen smiled and nodded. “That we would.”

*****

“Isn’t that just precious?” one of the crew from Engine 24
mocked.

“The doggie hero!” laughed another.

Tim just shook his head and grinned. He knew it was all in
fun, but two weeks had been long enough. The video from the local news had gone
viral on the internet and he was starting to get a bit tired of it all.

“It’s good PR,” the Captain had said. “Great for the
department.” The good natured teasing had continued.

Tim was drying the truck after it’d been washed. The garage doors
were open and the crisp fall air crept into the firehouse. Barking made him
look up and as he did, a German Shepherd wrenched itself from its owners’ grip
and came at him at a full run.   

Stunned for half a second, Tim watched the dog flying
towards him. He dropped to his knee as Cleo pounced on him, licking him all
over, her tail wagging wildly.

“Hello beautiful,” he grinned and rubbed her back.

Cleo continued her love fest with her new best friend and
Tim chuckled as he accepted the wet kisses.

“I’m sorry,” a voice said, making him look up. “Cleo! Down
girl!”

Cleo pulled back and sat at the woman’s feet, her tail
sweeping back and forth, her tongue hanging from her mouth.

“It’s fine,” Tim laughed as he stood. “I’m glad she’s doing
well.”

“Me too,” came the reply. “And I have you to thank for
that.”

He immediately recognized the accent. She was English. Not
Adele’s accent, but real English, like Mary Poppins, or Keira Knightly in
Pirates of the Caribbean.

She stood with perfect posture and extended her right hand.
“I wanted to stop by and say thank you for rescuing Cleo.”

Tim accepted the outstretched hand and smiled. “Just doing
my job, ma’am.”

“Well, thank you. Here. Just a small token of our appreciation.”

Tim took the small box she offered. It had a clear plastic
window in the top. Cupcakes. “Thank you,” he smiled again. “But it’s not
necessary.”

“Of course it’s not necessary,” she replied. “But I wanted
to do…something.”

“Well, thank you.”

“I’m Beth Collins and you’ve already met Cleo.”

“Tim.” He stepped forward and scratched Cleo between her
ears. “Yes. We’ve already met, haven’t we girl?” Cleo’s tail continued to wag.
“You’re English,” he looked at Beth.

She smiled. “Yes.”

“I really like Coldplay.”

Beth nodded in agreement.

“ And Snow Patrol,” he added.

“Me too,” she grinned. “But they’re Irish.”

“Really?”

Beth pursed her lips, fighting a smile, and nodded.

“Huh,” he said.

“Well, I just wanted to say thanks. Bye.”

“Bye,” he said as she turned and led Cleo from the firehouse
and onto the street.

“Was that her?” Jeff asked, walking over to Tim.

“Her?”

“The woman and the dog from the fire?”

“Yep.”

“Damn! She’s hot!”

“The women or the dog?”

“Ha Ha!” Jeff smirked. “The woman!”

“Yes she is.”
Yes, she most certainly is!

*****

Beth led Cleo quickly back to her apartment. It was only a
few blocks. She’d just moved back in the day before. Her insurance agent had
arranged for the carpets and furniture to be professionally cleaned and a
cleaning service had come in and taken care of the rest of the apartment. She
had taken most of her clothes to the dry cleaners a block from her building and
the rest she was in the process of washing. Her washer and dryer would be
working overtime over the next couple of days.

She closed the door behind her and let Cleo off the leash.
She leaned back against the wall and shut her eyes and sighed. It was one thing
to see the firemen in their full gear, helmets and all. It was completely
different seeing Tim in blue slacks and a white polo looking all, all…gorgeous.
Beth shook her head and tried to shake the image from her mind. She had taken
the cupcakes over and said thank you. She needed to forget about Fireman Tim
and concentrate on getting back to work. The upheaval of the past few weeks had
left her far behind in her reading.

Beth Collins was an editor for a small publishing house. Her
parents desperately wanted her to return to England, but she loved her job and
she loved New York City. She would never consider herself American, but she did
consider New York her home now and she planned on staying much to the chagrin
of her family.

Her older brother Rupert had offered to come and help her
move back after her younger sister, Emma, had told him about the fire.

“I’m not leaving!” she’d stated for the umpteenth time.
“This is my home and I’m happy here.”

Her family had expected her to return to the family estate after
she’d ended her engagement to Edward three years ago. He had been her English
Literature professor at Columbia. After the semester had ended, they began
seeing each other, initially drawn together by the nature of them both being
English, both coming from wealthy families with a long and notable genealogy.
They’d gotten engaged a couple of years later and that had thrilled her
parents. In their eyes, he was quite a catch. Edward thought he was quite a
catch too and continued trying to impress his students long after he’d proposed
to Beth. She’d found him having sex with one of his all-too-willing students in
his office and was secretly relieved.

Edward was her parents’ idea of her ideal mate, and on
paper, he was hers too. But it never really clicked…on any level. They had
different political opinions, they hadn’t been able to agree on having children
– Beth wanted them, Edward didn’t, or said he wasn’t “sure.” Beth loved trying
the ethnic restaurants that made Manhattan as diverse as it was. Edward liked roast
beef and Yorkshire pudding, and Beth did too. She just liked to try other
things, new things, as well.  

He was a slob and that grated on her nerves like fingernails
down a chalk board. Just like Beth, he’d grown up with staff that took care of
the house and the children. He’d never picked up his dirty underwear until he
stayed over at Beth’s apartment a few times. She refused to do it and they sat
there for seven days before he finally got the hint.

“Why don’t you get a housekeeper?” he’d sneered when he
finally sacrificed his pride and picked up
his
briefs.

“Because I don’t need one!” she’d replied.

And then there was their physical relationship. He was a
selfish lover. If she had managed to orgasm before he did, she doubted he would
have minded, but he wasn’t willing to wait for her and he didn’t go out of his
way to “help” her, so she had been left unsatisfied…for years.

Yes. Beth was relieved to find him with his trousers around
his ankles shagging a blonde nineteen year old. It made it a whole lot easier
to leave the engagement ring on his desk and walk out, leaving the door wide
open for every passersby to have a good look, and telling her parents he was a
cheating bastard meant they couldn’t blame her for ending the engagement. She
was actually grateful he couldn’t keep it in his pants. She was much happier
without him.

But she didn’t go home. She didn’t pack up and head back to
the Collins’ sprawling estate southwest of London. She didn’t go back to the
smothering of her mother and her father who just wanted her to “find a good
chap”. She stayed in New York and was promoted to an Editor. She loved her job
and she wasn’t leaving it. She settled into the corner of the sofa, a new
manuscript in hand, and began reading.