Derek stiffened, and bit off every word. “A commendation. On your next performance review.”
“Like the sound of that.” Billy extended his hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal, boss man.”
They shook on it, but it wasn’t congenial. It felt more like a truce rather than an agreement. Billy turned to Clara and flashed a toothy smile.
“I’m not too busy. Could stay here and play with the runt. Or maybewecould play. The three of them could watch your boy while I take you out for drinks, turn your frown upside-down.”
I started walking forward without thought, hand squeezing into a fist once again. Taylor put an arm out to stop me. He was trembling with anger too.
Billy never saw either of us because he was focused on Clara. She snorted at him and said, “Tempting, but no thanks.”
“Isn’t your wife waiting for you at home?” Derek asked Billy.
Billy shrugged. “What she don’t know won’t hurt her.” He fixated his smile on Clara again. “Come on. One drink. I don’t bite.”
“Thanks, but I prefer my drinkswithoutroofies in them,” she replied sweetly. “But if I change my mind, I know who to call.”
I tensed while waiting for Billy’s reaction—he had a temper, and a mean streak. Guys like him didn’t react well to women saying no, especially with barbed insults.
But Billy barked a laugh. “I like her,” he said to us. “She’s got spunk. Just make sure you clean up the baby stink before we start our shift on Friday, yeah?”
He continued laughing to himself while strutting out of the firehouse.
I went to the window and watched him get in his car and drive away. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.
“That was close,” I said.
Clara made a gagging noise. “That guy ismarried, and he’s still acting all gross? Ugh. What a creep.”
“Try sharing a station with him,” Taylor muttered.
I turned to Clara. “Nice job, thinking up an excuse.”
“Twice, too!” Taylor chimed in. “The three of us were like deer caught in the headlights. Chief almost told him the truth.”
“Thank goodness I didn’t,” Derek said dryly. “But he’s suspicious, now. Even if he bought our story—which I’m not entirely sure he did—we need to be more careful.”
“He must’ve been suspicious already,” Taylor pointed out. “Why else would he hang around and watch the station? He knew something was going on.”
I stepped up to my boss and softened my tone. “Maybe it’s not worth it, Chief. Maybe we should hand Anthony over to Social Services now. That would be better than letting you get in trouble.”
Derek’s face hardened. “No.”
Taylor stepped up. “But your job…”
“Fuckmy job,” he replied, voice cracking like a whip. “We’re the only protection that little baby has in the world. I’m not dumping him off on a bunch of strangers until I know he’s going to agoodfoster home, and that’s final. I don’t want to hear any more discussion on the matter. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” both Taylor and I said in unison.
There was an awkward silence. It stretched for a few seconds, and then Baby Anthony started squealing happily in Clara’s arms.
She adjusted him, and the two of us shared a look.
How much longer could we keep this up?
23
Clara