Read Online Phoenix Feather by Angela Wallace - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Angela Wallace
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seemed all the more painful. How could she pretend that everything would be okay, that life could go on as though Chris was not fighting for his life? That’s the world. A war in Ancient China didn’t affect the Celts, separated by continents. A terrorist attack on the East Coast did not disrupt life on the West Coast for long. Because if all life stopped in its tracks in the wake of tragedy and destruction, then those forces would win, and nothing would be left to start over.
Phoebe held up The Princess Bride .
Aidan smiled. Okay, just this once, she could use some of True Love’s undying hope. “Perfect.”
Chris came back. “Twenty minutes.” He picked up the DVD case. “Excellent choice.” He sat on the couch and Phoebe sat next to him, linking her arm in his. Aidan moved to the floor, the desire to be close to them strong. It may not be her battle, but she was a fighter, and she was going to fight with everything she had.
***
Engine 25 rolled into the driveway of the station house. They had just returned from a house fire. No one had been home, but the house was a complete loss. Having been the first to arrive on scene, they had been the last to leave, responsible for going over the remains, salvaging evidence, and overhauling the entire structure to make sure the fire was completely extinguished. Then they reported every observation about the fire’s behavior and the state of the house during the suppression to the fire investigator to help him determine if the fire had been an accident or something intentional. As it turned out, someone had forgotten to turn the space heater off. Trent sometimes wondered how the most highly intelligent creature on the planet could be guilty of such stupidity.
He climbed down from the engine’s cab and took off the heavy, three-layered coat that protected him in a fire. He was covered in smoke and sweat and wanted nothing more than to take a cold shower.
Frank tapped him on the shoulder. “Isn’t that Aidan out there?” He pointed to a blue Corolla parked across the street from the station. Aidan sat in the driver’s seat, but the car wasn’t running.
Trent took off the yellow trousers so the only sign that he had been in a fire recently was the grime on his face. He walked across the street and knocked on Aidan’s window. She rolled it down.
“Hey.”
She looked up at him and wrinkled her nose. “You smell like smoke.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Comes with the job.”
“No, it’s good,” she said, her voice small, almost distant. “It’s strong, real.”
Trent frowned. “What’s going on?”
Aidan forced a smile. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t bother you at work. Maybe you could call me when you get off?”
He opened her door without asking. “Now’s fine.” She reluctantly took the hand he offered, and he led her back to the house where they sat on the front steps. Frank brought out two bottles of cold water. Trent took one out of need, but Aidan shook her head politely. She didn’t say anything, so he asked, “How did your midterms go?”
“Fine.”
Trent waited through a few more moments of silence. It was obvious she wanted to tell him something, but seemed to be struggling. He’d be patient. He didn’t want to scare her off when she clearly wanted to trust him.
“I think I need your help,” she finally said. She tried to laugh to lighten her tone, but it only made it sound more desperate.
Trent held his breath and took hold of her hand. She looked straight into his eyes.
“Chris has cancer.”
He hadn’t known what she was going to say, but that was one of the last things he expected. He tried to process the information before reacting. He had only met Chris once, but Trent had liked the guy. Knowing how important he was in Aidan’s life only made the news harder to digest. “He just found out?”
She nodded. “He’s at the doctor right now getting a CT scan and some other stuff to see if it’s spread.
Phoebe held up The Princess Bride .
Aidan smiled. Okay, just this once, she could use some of True Love’s undying hope. “Perfect.”
Chris came back. “Twenty minutes.” He picked up the DVD case. “Excellent choice.” He sat on the couch and Phoebe sat next to him, linking her arm in his. Aidan moved to the floor, the desire to be close to them strong. It may not be her battle, but she was a fighter, and she was going to fight with everything she had.
***
Engine 25 rolled into the driveway of the station house. They had just returned from a house fire. No one had been home, but the house was a complete loss. Having been the first to arrive on scene, they had been the last to leave, responsible for going over the remains, salvaging evidence, and overhauling the entire structure to make sure the fire was completely extinguished. Then they reported every observation about the fire’s behavior and the state of the house during the suppression to the fire investigator to help him determine if the fire had been an accident or something intentional. As it turned out, someone had forgotten to turn the space heater off. Trent sometimes wondered how the most highly intelligent creature on the planet could be guilty of such stupidity.
He climbed down from the engine’s cab and took off the heavy, three-layered coat that protected him in a fire. He was covered in smoke and sweat and wanted nothing more than to take a cold shower.
Frank tapped him on the shoulder. “Isn’t that Aidan out there?” He pointed to a blue Corolla parked across the street from the station. Aidan sat in the driver’s seat, but the car wasn’t running.
Trent took off the yellow trousers so the only sign that he had been in a fire recently was the grime on his face. He walked across the street and knocked on Aidan’s window. She rolled it down.
“Hey.”
She looked up at him and wrinkled her nose. “You smell like smoke.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Comes with the job.”
“No, it’s good,” she said, her voice small, almost distant. “It’s strong, real.”
Trent frowned. “What’s going on?”
Aidan forced a smile. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t bother you at work. Maybe you could call me when you get off?”
He opened her door without asking. “Now’s fine.” She reluctantly took the hand he offered, and he led her back to the house where they sat on the front steps. Frank brought out two bottles of cold water. Trent took one out of need, but Aidan shook her head politely. She didn’t say anything, so he asked, “How did your midterms go?”
“Fine.”
Trent waited through a few more moments of silence. It was obvious she wanted to tell him something, but seemed to be struggling. He’d be patient. He didn’t want to scare her off when she clearly wanted to trust him.
“I think I need your help,” she finally said. She tried to laugh to lighten her tone, but it only made it sound more desperate.
Trent held his breath and took hold of her hand. She looked straight into his eyes.
“Chris has cancer.”
He hadn’t known what she was going to say, but that was one of the last things he expected. He tried to process the information before reacting. He had only met Chris once, but Trent had liked the guy. Knowing how important he was in Aidan’s life only made the news harder to digest. “He just found out?”
She nodded. “He’s at the doctor right now getting a CT scan and some other stuff to see if it’s spread.
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