co-workers handle the worried parents and the clean-up of the scene. The cold air was adding to the stiffness creeping into his shoulders and neck. Finally, the sheriff walked over to him.
“The girls are shaken up but okay,” said Jeff. “They both admit they were messing with the CDs and not paying attention to the road. I’ll get the report typed up this afternoon, and you can pick up a copy tomorrow.”
Ryan looked grimly at damage to the front quarter panel of his car as he listened.
Jeff closed his notepad. “Parents say they have insurance, so this should be pretty simple.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows and met the man’s gaze.
Jeff looked at the prized Fastback. “I’m guessing you’re not going to take that to a shop.”
Still looking at him, Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”
”Want some help pounding that out?”
Ryan stood from the bench. “No.”
“Come on. You know you hate body work.”
“You are a good sheriff, Jeff, but a lousy mechanic.”
“But this is just pounding out dents, right?” said Jeff, holding his hands out expressively toward the Mustang.
“I’ve seen your work with a hammer.” Ryan started to walk away.
“One little mistake,” Jeff muttered.
Ryan stopped and turned partially back, pointing at Jeff. “You broke your thumb.”
“But it healed!” To prove his point, Jeff held up his left hand and wiggled his thumb.
Ryan grinned, shaking his head at the man’s enthusiasm. Jeff was great at dealing with people but all thumbs with the most basic tools. “You can bring the pizza, but I am not handing you a mallet.”
Jeff smiled broadly and called after him. “Just tell me your favorite soda and when you’re going to work on it.”
Ryan checked to make sure the wheel well was clear of the tire. Then he started his car and headed onto the fire station. He parked toward the back of the lot and walked up to the open door of his boss’s office. “Hey, Isaac.”
“Griffin. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back.I heard about the fender bender. You okay?”
“Yeah. Starting to get a little stiff, but not too bad.”
“Good. You ready to get back to work?”
Isaac Betton liked to get straight to the point.
Ryan sat down in the chair across from Isaac. “Well, sir, I’ve been thinking about going back to school.”
Isaac leaned back in his chair. “Haven’t you been taking classes the whole time you’ve been here?”
“Yes, sir. I have. But I was thinking about switching my focus just a bit.”
Ryan took a deep breath and tried to explain it the best he could. “My parents moved to a pretty small town about forty-five minutes south of Portland. Their medical care is a bit lacking.”
“Small town, huh,” Isaac nodded. “Ambulance service from Portland?”
“Yes, sir. Just a small clinic with rotating doctors.”
“You thinking about going to school to be a doctor?”
“Leaning more towards a physician’s assistant.”
Isaac looked at him for a moment. Ryan often had trouble reading the man. In his mid-fifties, Isaac had grown up at the firehouse with his fire chief dad. Oregon was in the man’s blood, and he could read people better than anyone Ryan had ever met.
Finally, Isaac nodded his head. “You’d be good at either. You have a personality that’s good with people, the instincts that make you great at triage, and a calmness under pressure and critical care. But I have another option for you to think about.” Isaac sat forward in his chair and leaned his arms on the desk. “Holmes just let me know he’s going to be retiring. I’ll need a lead paramedic and was considering you.”
Ryan sat back, placing his right ankle on his left knee. He struggled to control his enthusiasm in front of his boss. “I appreciate that.”
They talked more about the specifics of the job, the added responsibilities, and the small increase in pay. “I’ll need a decision before the end of February.”
“Understood,
“The girls are shaken up but okay,” said Jeff. “They both admit they were messing with the CDs and not paying attention to the road. I’ll get the report typed up this afternoon, and you can pick up a copy tomorrow.”
Ryan looked grimly at damage to the front quarter panel of his car as he listened.
Jeff closed his notepad. “Parents say they have insurance, so this should be pretty simple.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows and met the man’s gaze.
Jeff looked at the prized Fastback. “I’m guessing you’re not going to take that to a shop.”
Still looking at him, Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”
”Want some help pounding that out?”
Ryan stood from the bench. “No.”
“Come on. You know you hate body work.”
“You are a good sheriff, Jeff, but a lousy mechanic.”
“But this is just pounding out dents, right?” said Jeff, holding his hands out expressively toward the Mustang.
“I’ve seen your work with a hammer.” Ryan started to walk away.
“One little mistake,” Jeff muttered.
Ryan stopped and turned partially back, pointing at Jeff. “You broke your thumb.”
“But it healed!” To prove his point, Jeff held up his left hand and wiggled his thumb.
Ryan grinned, shaking his head at the man’s enthusiasm. Jeff was great at dealing with people but all thumbs with the most basic tools. “You can bring the pizza, but I am not handing you a mallet.”
Jeff smiled broadly and called after him. “Just tell me your favorite soda and when you’re going to work on it.”
Ryan checked to make sure the wheel well was clear of the tire. Then he started his car and headed onto the fire station. He parked toward the back of the lot and walked up to the open door of his boss’s office. “Hey, Isaac.”
“Griffin. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back.I heard about the fender bender. You okay?”
“Yeah. Starting to get a little stiff, but not too bad.”
“Good. You ready to get back to work?”
Isaac Betton liked to get straight to the point.
Ryan sat down in the chair across from Isaac. “Well, sir, I’ve been thinking about going back to school.”
Isaac leaned back in his chair. “Haven’t you been taking classes the whole time you’ve been here?”
“Yes, sir. I have. But I was thinking about switching my focus just a bit.”
Ryan took a deep breath and tried to explain it the best he could. “My parents moved to a pretty small town about forty-five minutes south of Portland. Their medical care is a bit lacking.”
“Small town, huh,” Isaac nodded. “Ambulance service from Portland?”
“Yes, sir. Just a small clinic with rotating doctors.”
“You thinking about going to school to be a doctor?”
“Leaning more towards a physician’s assistant.”
Isaac looked at him for a moment. Ryan often had trouble reading the man. In his mid-fifties, Isaac had grown up at the firehouse with his fire chief dad. Oregon was in the man’s blood, and he could read people better than anyone Ryan had ever met.
Finally, Isaac nodded his head. “You’d be good at either. You have a personality that’s good with people, the instincts that make you great at triage, and a calmness under pressure and critical care. But I have another option for you to think about.” Isaac sat forward in his chair and leaned his arms on the desk. “Holmes just let me know he’s going to be retiring. I’ll need a lead paramedic and was considering you.”
Ryan sat back, placing his right ankle on his left knee. He struggled to control his enthusiasm in front of his boss. “I appreciate that.”
They talked more about the specifics of the job, the added responsibilities, and the small increase in pay. “I’ll need a decision before the end of February.”
“Understood,
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