him there. Generosity didn’t enter into his offer; ulterior motives did. He wanted to see if she’d planned on coming or going with that EMT Colton, but her eager acceptance of his offer reassured him.
Liam resisted reaching for Ellie’s hand as they descended the stairs to the brightly lit basement. The place buzzed with the sounds of hammering, chatter and laughter. The scent of raw wood and paint permeated the air.
“I promised to paint some of the signs and to help Mary corral some of the younger kids. We’re providing nursery services to our volunteers,” Ellie said with a touch on his arm. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Brody waved Liam over and wasted no time putting him to work constructing a booth for one of the carnival games. Brody gave him a rough sketch of what it was supposed to look like. After helping with Meg and Riley’s renovations, this would be a cinch.
As Liam got busy laying out the precut wood Brody had supplied, a towheaded boy of around ten came to stand next to him. The boy shuffled his feet but didn’t speak.
Liam picked up the first pieces. “Hey, there, I’m Liam. What’s your name?”
“Craig.” The boy glanced at his paint-stained sneakers. “Are you Miss Ellie’s fireman?”
The pencil in Liam’s hand jumped and messed up the line he’d been marking. Calm down. He’s a kid asking a question, not making an observational statement. “I’m a fireman.”
The boy’s gaze rested on Liam. “I always wanted to be one.”
Liam’s heart turned over at the look of wistfulness on the boy’s face. Did this kid have cancer? Or was he one of the survivors? The boy’s choice of words hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Have you changed your mind about it?”
Craig shook his head. “Nah. But my mom gets a worried look on her face when I talk about becoming a fireman...like she wants me to pick something else. She’s been like that ever since my cancer.”
“You still have lots of time to decide what you want to be when you grow up.” What the heck was he supposed to tell the kid? Liam glanced around but everyone was busy building or shooing young ones back into one of the side rooms being used as a nursery.
The boy shrugged. “Yeah, the doctors say I’m in remission, but my mom still worries.”
Liam knew how the kid’s mom felt. He worried about losing more people to cancer, including Ellie, but he couldn’t say that to the boy. “Do you think you could help me get this put together? I could use the extra hands.”
Craig’s face lit up as he vigorously nodded his head. “I sure would.”
“Okay.” Liam handed him a peanut butter jar full of nails. “You can hand me the nails when I ask.”
The kid looked disappointed so Liam rushed to explain. “That way, I don’t have to stop and grab one each time. This will go a lot faster with your help. And I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about firefighting as we work.”
Craig seemed to consider it. “I just wish my mom wouldn’t get that scared look when I talk about being a fireman.”
“Well, you’re still a little young to join. Maybe by the time you’re old enough, your mom will feel better about you becoming a firefighter.”
“I hope so. Does your mom worry?”
Had Bridget McBride worried when he joined the fire department? If she had, she’d kept it hidden. Of course, following in his dad’s footsteps may have made a difference. He honestly didn’t know if she worried because she’d never said so. “She might have.”
“My mom says it’s dangerous.” The boy pulled his mouth in on one side.
Liam put his hand out for a nail. “I won’t lie and say it isn’t, but that’s why you attend the fire academy for rigorous training and learn all you can about the job before getting hired. Even after you get hired, you’re on probation.”
“Huh?”
Liam resisted the urge to ruffle Craig’s hair. Chances are the kid would be insulted. “It means you’re still learning from the older guys.”
Craig carefully laid a nail on Liam’s outstretched palm. “You gotta go to school to be a fireman?”
“You sure do. Lots to learn about fires and staying safe.” He hammered the boards together. At least with firefighting you had training and were in control of the equipment. It wasn’t as if you could train for cancer. And doctors and others were in charge of the equipment to fight it, leaving you helpless. “We do all that training so we know exactly what to do to make it less dangerous. I can talk to the crew here in Loon Lake and see about taking you on a tour of the fire station. Maybe see what it’s like to sit in one of the rigs.”
Craig pulled out another nail. “That would be awesome. Thanks.”
Liam nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll talk to some of the guys.”
“Miss Ellie says you’re in Boston.” Craig scrunched up his face. “How come?”
Liam took the nail. “That where I live, and my dad and his dad before him were on the Boston Fire Department. That’s why I joined up.”
“My dad’s a lawyer. Is your dad still a fireman?”
“No, he’s retired.” Even after several years, it still felt weird to say that. Liam always thought Mac would be one of those guys who stayed until they carried him out the door. Had his dad let Doris talk him into retirement? He liked his dad’s new wife. It had been awkward at first, seeing him with someone other than his mom, but now he was glad they’d found happiness together.
“What about your mom? Can you ask her? Maybe she can talk to mine and tell her it’s okay.”
Liam shook his head and swallowed. “I’m afraid not, buddy. My mom died.”
“Cancer?”
“Yeah.”
The boy nodded, looking much older than he should have. “That’s a—” He broke off and glanced around. “That sucks.”
“It does.” Liam bit back a laugh. What had the kid been about to say? He caught that because he’d had to watch his language around his niece, Fiona.
“But Miss Ellie says you can’t live your life afraid because you had cancer or you wouldn’t have a life.”
* * *
Liam began cleaning up after Craig left. He’d have to track down some of the guys at the Loon Lake station and see if they could arrange something for Craig. Maybe even something for the boy’s mom to set her mind at ease. Ellie had said how she’d had to fight her parents’ need to smother and hover even after she’d been in remission for the golden five-year mark. Her words, as repeated by Craig, kept coming back to him. You can’t live your life afraid because you had cancer or you wouldn’t have a life.
“I wanted to thank you for pitching in.” A deep voice behind him caught Liam’s attention.
He turned to Brody Wilson. “Hey, man, no problem. Glad to help.”
Brody chuckled. “And earning Ellie’s gratitude probably doesn’t hurt, either.”
Liam couldn’t deny he liked putting that light in Ellie’s golden eyes. “Looks like you have your hands full.” Liam tipped his chin toward the curly-haired toddler chasing another boy around under Mary’s watchful eye. Earlier, Brody had been chasing after his active son.
“Yeah, Elliott’s a handful. When he’s not sleeping, he’s full speed ahead. He has no neutral.” Brody’s love and pride were evident in his voice and the expression on his face as he watched his son.
Liam knew from Ellie that Brody had adopted Mary’s young son from her previous relationship with