Love in the Light (Hearts in Darkness, #2)(47)

“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 was one for me.” The man extended a hand. “Frank Roberts. I was real sorry for what you went through.”

“Frank,” Caden said, returning the shake. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

“I was on that one, too, said a white-haired man sitting at the table. Damn impressed that you’re in this line of work after that accident. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do that. Wallace Hart, by the way,” he said, giving a little wave.

Caden nodded, just about as gobsmacked as he could be that these men were not only still here but actually remembered him, too. Remembered what had happened. His father had never been willing to discuss the accident. Hell, his father had barely talked to Caden beyond that which was strictly required for basic life logistics, so to find people after all this time who’d been there, who knew what’d happened, who’d known Caden then. Dave was right. That was a helluva thing.

“You have time to sit?” Dave asked. “I could grab you a cup of coffee. And we have pie.”

A little overcome by their reaction to him, Caden nodded. “Does anyone say no to pie?”