Saved By The Firefighter
Chapter 82

Ben's Point of View.

How is it, that four days on-shift feels like four weeks, and four days off, feels like four hours? Once upon a time, I was grateful to be getting back to work after my days off. But not now, as much as I love my job, I miss Lucy, plus given Cal and the kids are staying with us, I have had no quality time with her over the past four days.

Don't get me wrong, I do not regret my decision to let Lucy's brother and his kids stay with us, not in the slightest, but they do monopolise a lot of our time. Still, Kirsty and Dante are happy, they have good food in their bellies, and have spent a lot of time playing in the back garden, and before the storms hit, at the beach.

It seems that the boss and my mother's dates are going well, she has a glow on her cheeks. That is good news for her, but I cannot help but feel a little apprehensive about the whole thing. I just hope the boss doesn't hurt her. But so far, so good, however, tonight, my last night before getting on-shift tomorrow, we all are going to the mother's for tea, and guess what, my boss is going to be there, playing happy families with my mother. I am not sure how I feel about this, my need to protect her is strong, plus who wants to spend their last night off before four days on-shift with their boss? Not me, but I will, as Lucy said, be happy for them and be a good son.

"Hey, kids are all spick and span," Lucy shouts through from the room the kids are using.

I chuckle slightly, because she may have them all washed and cleaned, with brand new clothes on, but I would like to guess that, give it five minutes of getting downstairs, they will be covered in something or other.

"Thanks Sis, I am ready, you go get yourself sorted," Cal shouts through.

I pull on my dark wash denims and black V-necked pullover, as Lucy arrives in our bedroom.

"Give me five minutes, actually make it ten. I will just grab a quick shower and get ready," She tells me, passing like a blur as she rushes to the shower.

I sit on the end of the bed, lacing up my trainers, shaking my head slightly, with a small chuckle. Lucy had taken a half-day holiday from work, so that she could help get the kids ready with Cal. She is wanting them to make an impression on the boss, hoping they behave and not give him reason to bounce Cal's application.

"Calm down Lucy, it is only tea at the mother's," I shout through.

"Yes, with the Station Officer, I mean, Cal needs to make a good impression, and so do the kids," Lucy shouts through, still worrying.

"Hey, he may be shagging my mother, but honestly he would not expect the kids to be perfect, he has a grandson of his own," I shout through.

Shagging my mother, the thought sends a shiver through me. I really do not want to think about that.

"They are not shagging, well not yet," Lucy states, coming back into the room wrapped in a towel, her body glistening with droplets of water from the shower.

s**t, I really need some alone time with her, because I am rock hard, and want to sack off this tea, and just eat Lucy instead.

"How do you know?" I ask her.

"We may have had a talk yesterday." Lucy shrugs.

"Do I want to know?" I ask.

Lucy giggles slightly shaking her head.

"Probably not." She laughs.

s**t, I really do not want to know, but now find myself morbidly curious, although I am happy to hear they have not got jiggy with it yet, I cannot deny that.

Lucy pulls on a pair of mid blue, ripped at the knee, denims, pairing it with a black wrap top, slipping her feet into some black flats, she looks stunning.

"No time for make up," she declares more to herself than me.

I don't care, if I am honest, she looks amazing without make up, and I prefer it. Scraping her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck she does a quick check of herself in the mirror. "You look beautiful." I smile at her.

It is not a good boyfriend line, she really does look beautiful, she is so effortlessly stunning, and my heart does that flip thing again.

"Thank you." She smiles at me, as I lean in and place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Right, we best get going before the kids get messy again." Lucy smiles happily.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, she will make a perfect mother, and really, I am excited to start that part of our future together. Although I know the timing is not quite right for us yet, far to soon, and I want to enjoy time just us, plus, call me old fashioned, I would want a ring on it, before getting her pregnant.

We round up the kids into the car, as Cal states he will walk over to the mother's, as there is not a lot of room for two car seats and an adult in the back. The kids wave excitedly to him, as he sets off on the shortish walk, and I jump into the driver's seat. "Now remember kids, we must be on our best behaviour tonight," Lucy warns them for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, Aunty Lucy," Kirsty replies, sounding more like a fed-up teenager than the four-year-old she is.

I chuckle again, knowing that the kids are probably sick of hearing how they must behave, and shake my head. Lucy really needs to calm down.

As I pull up outside the mother's, Lucy gets out of the car and helps Kirstie get out of her seat, as I go to the other side and lift Dante into my arms, walking round to the path before placing him on his feet. Both kids immediately run up the pathway, and bang on the door to the mother's house.

The door opens, and Wow! Who is this woman, and where is my mother? She is stood in a pair of black denims, that mould to her legs, a long burgundy coloured shirt, her hair hanging down over one shoulder, with perfect make-up on. She looks stunning, and a good few years younger, not that she looked her age to begin with.

"Hey kids," she says to them, a grin on her face.

"Wow Joanne, you look amazing." Lucy grins at her.

I say nothing, just nod, because I cannot deny, my mother looks happier than I have seen her in a long time, and yes, she really does look great. Lucy nudges me with her elbow giving me a small frown. "Yeah, you look nice," I tell her, knowing it is an understatement, but hey, I am her son, so she is getting no more than that, it is the law!

We head into the house to find the Boss stood, looking uncharacteristically nervous in the kitchen, wearing my mother's flowery pinny, stirring something in the pan. Now, if I was like most of my teammates at the station, I would click a photo of this big boss man stood in a flowery pinny and make mountains of copies placing them all over the station. But I am not them, although I have to admit the temptation is there, only hampered by the fact that this new relationship, or whatever it is between the mother and the boss, is relatively secret, for now.

"Be thankful this is me and not Davey boss." I nod at him.

The boss looks down at his pinny shrugs and smirks.

"It is the only spare one your mother has." He shrugs, but I see some of the tension in his shoulders lift slightly.

"Where is Cal?" the mother asks.

"Walking over, it is to much of a squash to have him in the back with the car seats." Lucy smiles, handing the mother a bottle of wine.

"Ooo thank you, you didn't have to bring anything." My mother smiles.

"Nanna Joanne, is there any sweeties?" Kirsty asks.

"Erm, what is the little word?" Lucy corrects her.

"PLEASE," both her and Dante say in unison, smiling up at my mother.

"Yes, there are some sweeties for you, now, you can have one small one now, and the rest after your tea." My mother grins down at the kids.

The boss chuckles, then places his wooden spoon down on the side, before walking over and shaking my hand.

"I know this is weird for you Ben, to be honest it is for me, but it is important to your mam, and what she wants, she gets," the Boss tells me, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nod my head, not responding, because it really is weird. I cannot deny though, I am happy he is putting her needs before his own, so that is a tick in the box beside a very long list of things he has to live up to, for me to class him as good enough for her. "Right, we best get going before the kids get messy again." Lucy smiles happily.

Am I being overprotective, about this? Damn right I am, after what she has gone through with bozos in the past, I make no apologies for it.

Finally, Cal arrives, and he stands looking slightly nervous at the Boss, and I don't blame him, after all, one word from the Station Officer and his aspirations to join the brigade could be halted in their tracks.

"Come on, sit down, everyone is standing on ceremony, and I don't like it," my mother declares.

Everyone takes a seat, as Kirstie opens her small kinder bar, and promptly gets the chocolate all over her pretty dress, making Lucy sigh slightly before getting a damp cloth to try and clean her up.

We eat the food, all chatting, the atmosphere changing from being awkward at first, to being a lot more relaxed. I watch on as the Boss, smiles at my mother, every time she says something inappropriate, because she is nervous, he throws his head back bellowing with laughter. s**t, he seems happy, and clearly more than a little invested in her.

"Any news from the police about the arsonist boss?" I ask, wondering if they have been in touch over the past few days.

"Only that they released that Linda woman, pending further investigation. Although she was cautioned for stalking Josie. So, we are no further forward." He sighs out.

I shake my head; we really need to catch this bastard before more people are killed.

"Also, Station officer Morris, is finally retiring, I got an email this morning." He shrugs. "Oh, is he at your station?" Lucy asks.

"Nope, he is at Marley Potts station, he has been around forever." I smile at her.

"Yes, and they need to find a replacement." The boss nods.

"Anyone we know lined up for it?" I ask, as the Boss looks at me.

"There are a couple of names being mentioned," he states, not stating who or where they are from, and I know I will get no other information out of him.

Cal sits quietly, obviously still very nervous.

"Also, I had an email from HQ, I cannot say anything officially, but they are looking to get you onto the next fitness test. It will be sooner rather than later, if you pass the first part of the interview," the Boss tells Cal.

Cal looks up shocked. "So quick, wow," he answers.

"I need someone parttime, I cannot give you the reasons why, so I asked them to rush it through." The Boss smiles at Cal.

"Thank you." Cal smiles, looking shell shocked.

"When I get into the office tomorrow, I will send you the details of the first interview, and the fitness test over." The mother smiles at him.

"Boss, can I use the training tower with Cal, just to get him ready?" I ask.

"Yes, but it will have to be on a night, and when nobody has it booked in. Your mam has the schedule." He smiles and nods.

I have never seen him smile so much. Lucy looks at me, a smile on her face, but with tears in her eyes, and I squeeze her knee in silent support. I know she really wants this for her brother, we all do, but now she will have two of us to worry about, when we are on the job.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I take it out.

Davey - Kathline and I are living together, going to move my s**t out of mine when we are next off-shift. If Cal wants the house, it is his for the same rent. He can come take a look after we finish tomorrow night.

I look to Lucy showing her the text and the tears that were in her eyes fall onto her face, a wide smiled on her face.

"Hey Cal, fancy moving to a big three-bedroomed house with decent sized garden in Hastings Hill for the same as what you are paying now?" I ask him.

Cal looks over at me, shocked to the core, nodding his head.

"Yeah, Davey is moving in with Kathline." I grin, happy for Lucy's brother.

"Oh, that is great news. Although I think we need to organise a cleaning crew Lucy, he is a messy sod," my mam says clapping her hands with glee.

"Count me in, plus any building of furniture." The boss grins over at Cal.

I look at him, and just like that, I totally approve of his relationship with my mother.