The next day, Eddie’s on the phone with Athena as he packs up his car.
“The crowds always get bigger every year, and every damn year you keep nagging me we need to make the show smaller. Exactly how much smaller am I supposed to make it before there’s not a show at all?”
Athena, on her end, moves to the wanted poster board, telling Eddie, “I’m not nagging, and you know it. This is me respecting the fact that you have a limited state license for fireworks, while doing my job as a cop to make sure no one gets hurt. There’s the possibility it’s going to be even bigger than the last two years, so we need to take them all into account.”
Athena hangs the newest person of interest flier, with Buck’s face on it, without looking at it, as she walks back to her desk.
“Or do I need to give you the lecture on firework safety again?”
Eddie looks horrified at that, begging, “Please, no. I’ve heard the lecture so many times I practically have it memorized.”
Athena tells him, “No, this one’s been updated. But that’s not even my point, Edmundo.”
Then Chris comes out of the house with his new crutches, asking, “When are we going, daddy?”
Eddie tells Athena, “Hold on.” then turns to Chris, “We’ll get going soon enough.”
Then he turns back to his phone, “Look, I’ll come in to take a look sometime later in this week.”
Wouldn’t you know it, that’s right when Buck pulls up, and don’t think Chris doesn’t notice.
“Bucky!” he calls out, moving his crutches as fast as he can.
Eddie watches him the whole time, phone still to his ear.
Quickly, Buck stops the car, rolling the window down, “Hey, Superman. What’s up?”
Chris asks him, “Can you, can you come to the beach with us?”
Eddie has to call out, “Chris, he isn’t...” then changes tactics. “We’re heading to the beach.” Eddie adds apologetically, phone still to his ear.
Buck calls back, “Yeah, I can see that.”
Chris turns around to tell his dad, “I need Bucky to come with us!”
That gets some lighthearted laughter out of both Buck and Eddie, before Eddie has to tell Chris, “Chris, I’m sorry, but Buck’s not coming with us today.”
Chris pouts adorably, “But I want him to!”
Buck agrees, “Actually, I wouldn’t mind. That sounds really good.”
Eddie asks, surprised, “You serious?”
Buck nods, “Yeah.”, then turns to Chris, “Whaddaya say, Superman?”
Seeing he’s outnumbered, Eddie caves, “Alright. Okay.”
Still on the phone, Athena says, “ Eddie? ”, which prompts Eddie to turn back to the phone,
“Look, I gotta go.”
Athena tries to protest, “ Eddie, don’t you dare hang up on me-- ”
Which is exactly what Eddie does, and once the car’s packed, they walk to the nearest swimsuit store for some trunks.
Buck flips through the racks with Chris inside, while Eddie, never taking his eyes off of either of them, is on the phone with Chimney about this new development.
“And you’re okay with this? ”
The question surprises Eddie, “With what?”
“With Buck joining you and Chris at the beach? ”
YOU ARE READING
Sanctuary
RomanceEvan "Buck" Buckley moves to LA, determined to make a new life for himself. He takes a job as a firefighter and keeps a low profile, but he is soon won over by the warmth and caring of the close-knit fire family, especially that of widower Eddie Dia...
