Chapter 3: Jaxson
Jaxson pulled up to the fire station, his stomach a jumble of nerves. The city council had told him that he ought to start off with a sort of staff meeting to meet everyone, even though the term "staff" was taking it a bit far. He was the only firefighter who was on payroll, the rest of them only getting paid when they were called out to a fire.
For a town the size of Sawyer, it was pert near impossible to fund even a full-time fire chief, and anything beyond that was completely out of the question. To be honest, Jaxson had been surprised that the position they'd advertised for was full-time. Maybe they had deeper pockets in the City of Sawyer than he'd realized. A lot of fancy vacation homes with high property taxes to foot the bill? Perhaps.
However they were doing it, it wasn't really any of his business. He was hired on to do the job, and that's what he would do. Before this, he'd worked for the Boise Fire Department, which had almost two dozen stations around the city and just under 300 firefighters on payroll, so working in a town this size was gonna be...real different.
He looked around at the other vehicles in the parking lot - all of which were trucks - spotting a few hunting rifles in back windows and mud flaps the size of Texas.
Real different.
He swung out of his SUV - a late-model Ford Explorer - and grabbed the box of donuts. He'd only intended to get a cup of joe when he'd gone into the bakery, since he had yet to locate his coffee maker in the boxes stacked in his tiny living room, but hell, donuts had become a better idea the more he thought about it. Who wouldn't appreciate a few sugary carbs to start off their morning?
He walked into the fire station, donuts in one hand, coffee in the other, smile firmly plastered on his face. No reason for nerves. He was the new fire chief of the Sawyer Fire Department, dammit. Every guy in the building was his subordinate. He was going to be just fine.
The quiet chatter among the men died out as soon as he came walking in, every eye on him. "Hi!" he said, a little too loudly, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. He gulped. He sounded way too eager. "I'm Jaxson Anderson," he said a little quieter, spotting a table and working his way over to it to set down the donuts. He needed to shake hands, and he couldn't do it while juggling donuts and coffee like a damn circus clown.
Hands free, he turned back to his crew.
Who were all still just staring at him.
Graveyards were louder than this group.
He felt an overwhelming desire to flip a U and head back towards the door, to his SUV, and out of this town. His spidey senses were causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand straight up. There was something real wrong going on here but damned if he knew what it was.
And if he didn't know what it was, he was pretty damn sure he didn't want to have to fix it.
One of the guys, a tall, dark-haired man who looked about Jaxson's age, cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Hi Jaxson, I'm Dear, but everyone just calls me Moose."
Jaxson stared at him for a moment, his hand automatically going out to shake Dear's even as he tried to process what the man had said. " Dear'? As in Dear, would you fetch me some coffee?'"
Dear shook his head, laughing a little. "No, Deere as in John Deere. My dad owns the John Deere dealership in town. Said our family owes everything to the brand, so he ought to name me after it."
"And then the nickname Moose..." Jaxson felt a smile creep over his face as he put it together, and he laughed. "I just met a girl named Sugar and a guy named Moose. Let me guess, your name is Couch," he said, jerking his head towards one of the men in the group gathering around him.
The man's mouth dropped open. "How did you know?" he whispered, his eyes wide. Jaxson's heart stuttered to a stop - no damn way! - when "Couch" burst out laughing, the men around him laughing too and slapping him on the back. "Just kidding, sir," he said around gasps. "I'm Levi. No animal or food name for me, not even as a nickname."
"No one calls you Jeans' for shits and giggles?" Jaxson asked, a smile tugging at his lips.
Levi grinned. "Apparently, all of my friends just aren't creative enough."
"Well, aren't y'all just boring," Jaxson drawled, grinning and sticking his hand out to shake Levi's.
"As white bread," Levi confirmed with a firm shake.
Jaxson felt a little weight lift off his shoulders. He didn't know what he'd been worried about. Whatever was causing him to panic before was obviously wrong. He would get along just
"I'm James," a man said as he pushed his way out of the small crowd to stand in front of it. The chuckles and cheeriness disappeared from the room and everyone just froze, eyes bouncing between James and Jaxson.
"Hi James, nice to meet you," Jaxson said with a forced smile, putting his hand out to shake. This was it. Whatever was going on here with James, it wasn't pretty. Jaxson could feel it from the tension in the air - James was out for blood.
The older man grasped Jaxson's hand in a vice grip and he began squeezing. Hard.
A dick-measuring contest, eh? Instead of squeezing back and dropping James to his knees like he really, really wanted to, Jaxson just jerked his arm back, forcing James to let go or be pulled up tight against Jaxson's chest. He was pretty sure James would choose letting go, but he still let out a small sigh of relief when James actually did, ever so reluctantly.
"How long have you worked here, James?" Jaxson asked. A non-confrontational topic was best; a good way to head off...whatever this was.
"I don't. I'm a volunteer. You're the only one who works here." The sneer in his voice was almost palpable as he spat the words out.
Jaxson's spine stiffened. This James guy needed to take it down a notch, and pronto. Jaxson wasn't used to having people sneer at him, and he wasn't about to start letting it happen now.
Outwardly, he concentrated on projecting an aura of calm. He couldn't let James know he was getting under his skin. James would only needle harder if he got a rise out of him. All bullies operated the same way - they liked the reactions.
Jaxson wouldn't give him the satisfaction of one.
"You're right," he said evenly, keeping his gaze firmly locked on James'. He had a scruffy, longer gray-white beard and a significant potbelly. In the right costume, James would make a perfect Santa. Well, in the right costume and with a personality change. "So how long have you been a volunteer here?"
"Twenty-two years. I was Chief Horvath's right-hand man for pert near all of it."
Oh.
It all snapped into place. Chief Horvath had retired, which was why the city had an open position for Jaxson to apply for, but instead of hiring the previous chief's right-hand man, the city had chosen an outsider.
Oh Lordy. I'm in for it now.
"Then you'll have plenty of knowledge you can share with me to help me learn the ropes," Jaxson said calmly, trying not to let his worry show. He'd inadvertently walked into a personnel fight between the City of Sawyer and James the Right-Hand Man.
It wasn't Jaxson's fault, but it was about to become his problem.
James let out a bitter laugh. "If you think I'm gonna help you learn the job that was rightfully mine and stolen from me after years of hard work and dedication, you're an even bigger dumbass than I thought you were. Robert, let's go. We have deliveries to make. Some people have to work for a living." He spun on his thick work boot heel and headed for the door, a skinny older man following right behind him. The door slammed shut behind them, the sound ricocheting off the rafters.
Well, at least he didn't mumble his thoughts to me...