Read Online The Firefighter Meets His Match (Red Hot Reunions Book 4) by Jessie Evans - Free Book Online Page B

finally be blowing over, but the floodwater would continue to cause problems for days. Jake would need to be ready to handle his responsibilities, which required sleep and a break from the constant stress, no matter how brief.
    When she walked into the station ten minutes later to find her husband hunched behind his desk, phone trapped between his ear and shoulder while he typed with one hand and flipped through a folder with the other, she knew she’d come just in time. The skin beneath Jake’s hazel eyes was bruised with exhaustion, and he had stubble that would do a lumberjack proud covering his chin and cheeks—even the skin covering his face seemed to be hanging a little looser.
    He smiled when he saw her, but a grin couldn’t hide the fact that he looked like hell.
    For a moment Naomi was filled with anger that no one else had thought to tell the chief to hit his bunk for a nap, but then she caught Jamison’s eyes across the room. He cast Jake a pointed look before lifting his arms and shaking his head, indicating he couldn’t do a thing with his older brother in his current state.
    Naomi nodded, her jaw firming up as she crossed the room to Jake and reached down to close the file folder on top of his hand.
    He scowled, but withdrew his hand, using it to hold his phone to his ear. “Okay, Nash. Naomi’s here. I’ll call you back if we hear anything.” Jake nodded, sighing at something the chief of police said. “I know. Thanks, we appreciate it.”
    He ended the call and stood, running a hand down his face that did nothing to banish the exhaustion from his expression. “What’s up, babe? Is Noelle okay? Did you—”
    “Noelle is great. Greta’s going to stay with her until I get back to the house,” Naomi said, hooking her arm through Jake’s and leading him toward the hall. “You, however, are not great. You need to get some rest.”
    Jake balked, stopping in his tracks. “I can’t, Naomi. Faith is still missing. I’ve got four search teams calling in every ten minutes, and I can’t—”
    “I can handle the calls for an hour,” Jamison said, appearing beside them, obviously sensing Naomi needed backup. “Go get some sleep. If you don’t, you’re decision-making will be impaired and you won’t be any good to anyone.”
    Jake shook his head. “My decision-making is already impaired. I just sent a psychic with no search and rescue training out in a boat with Brandon and Neil.”
    Naomi frowned as she glanced between Jamison and Jake. “A psychic?”
    “Lucy’s a psychic,” Jamison said, with a lot less skepticism than Naomi would have expected. “I wasn’t sure what to think at first, either,” he continued, clearly reading the surprise on her face. “But I called the detective she used to work with in Atlanta. He said she’s the real deal; helped them solve a shitload of cold cases and found dozens of missing persons.”
    Naomi blinked, processing the information before she nodded. “Okay, well…I had no idea Lucy used to work for the police, but that doesn’t sound like a bad decision.” Naomi placed a hand on Jake’s back, rubbing the place between his shoulders that usually helped him to relax. “I mean, if she checked out with a detective, that’s great. Maybe she can help find Faith.”
    “She can’t hurt,” Jamison said, the tension in his voice making it clear how worried he was. But then, Faith was more than a co-worker to him and Jake; she was like their younger sister, a girl they’d grown up with at the station. “At this point, I’m up for trying anything.”
    “Obviously I am too,” Jake said. “But I can’t send a woman I’ve never worked with out in a boat and go take a nap. I need to be by the phone in case Brandon or Neil call in with a problem.”
    “If there’s a problem, Jamison can handle it,” Naomi said, holding up her hand to silence Jake before he could speak. “That’s it. No arguing. Come to the bunks with me, and let me tuck you in.