Love in the Light - Laura Kaye Page 0,57

the fucking chances?

“Can I help you?” came a voice from further inside.

Caden turned to see an older man with a beard and moustache standing by the end of the truck. “Yeah, sorry. My name is Caden Grayson. I’m E.M.S. over in Arlington County, Virginia,” he said, extending a hand to the other man.

“Well, how ‘bout that. Welcome. I’m Bob Wilson,” the man said as they shook. “What brings you over our way?” he asked with a smile. One of the things Caden loved about working in fire and E.M.S.—the community you could find with others in the same line of work.

“Something personal, actually. An accident that happened fourteen years ago.” Anticipation made Caden’s gut feel like he was riding a roller coaster about to crest the highest hill. “Any chance a paramedic named David Talbot is still around?”

“Dave? Hell, yeah. We tried getting rid the guy but he just sticks to us like fleas on a dog.” Bob smiled and winked.

“Shit, really?” Caden said, disbelief at this…good luck washing over him. “I knew it might be a long-shot.”

“Nope. We’re all pretty much long-timers here,” Bob said, gesturing for Caden to follow. “Come on back. He’s here. We had a call earlier, so you got lucky. Otherwise you woulda had to track him down at home.”

As they made their way deeper into the big building, nervousness suddenly flooded through Caden’s veins. The last time he and David Talbot had seen each other, Caden had been a wreck in every sense of the word. If anyone in Caden’s life had seen him at his lowest, at his worst, at his most vulnerable, it was Talbot. Caden was so unprepared for the possibility of ever meeting this man—this man who represented such a positive force in Caden’s life—that he wasn’t sure what he was going to say.

Bob led them into the firehouse’s dining room where eight men were sitting around the table talking and laughing, empty plates sitting in front of them. “Everyone,” Bob said, “this is Caden Grayson. He’s E.M.S. over in Arlington County, Virginia.” A round of greetings rose up, and Caden gave a wave. “He came to see you, Dave.”

Caden’s gaze did a fast scan around the table, but he couldn’t immediately identify Talbot. And then the man at the far end of the table turned to look at him, and Caden was suddenly sucked fourteen years into the past. When a man with a friendly face and a calming voice had put a traumatized fourteen-year-old kid at ease and saved his life.

“Me, huh?” Talbot said, rising and coming over to Caden. He extended a hand. “Dave Talbot. What can I do for you?”

Caden returned the shake, the oddest sense of déjà vu washing over him. “Well, Mr. Talbot, it’s about what you’ve already done for me. Fourteen years ago, you were the first on the scene of a single-vehicle accident. And you saved my life.”

What Caden needed to say was profoundly obvious, and he didn’t even feel awkward about saying it in front of the other men who were all blatantly curious about what was going on.

“I know a long time has passed, but I need to say thank you. And I need to tell you that what you did for me that day made me want to help people, too. It’s why I went E.M.S. I know we don’t always get to know what happens to someone after we transport them to the hospital, so we don’t get to know the impact we might’ve had. I wanted you to know that yours was huge. And I appreciate the hell out of it every day.” Bone-deep satisfaction settled into Caden’s bones at getting to pay respect to this man after all this time.

You could’ve heard a pin drop in that room.

Dave was visibly moved by Caden’s words. The older man studied Caden’s face then looked at the scar that jagged along the side of his head. “Well, I’ll be damned,” Dave said, his voice strained. “Overturned station wagon?” he said, almost as if thinking out loud.

“Yeah,” Caden said, a lump lodging in his throat.

“I remember you,” Dave said, clasping Caden’s arm. “It’s a real pleasure to see you, son.” He shook his head and cleared his throat, emotion plain on his face. “This is a helluva thing right now. Damn.”

“I remember that call,” another of the men said, coming around the table to join them. “Some of them stick with you, especially when there are kids involved, and that