Free The Fire Inside by Kathryn Shay Page A

cooked a big dinner of fried chicken, fancy potatoes and
salad. They’d just sat down, when the chief in charge sounded the
alarm for a call over at the smokehouse. Except for two teachers
who went with them, the staff had stayed behind, laughing at the
traditional initiation every recruit class experienced. Now, when
she smelled chicken cooking, she remembered that night.
    As she sped up her walking, she remembered
other things: the joy at seeing every single recruit graduate, the
pride she took in herself for being part of their instruction. One
small eighteen-year-old, whom she thought maybe wouldn’t make it,
had come up to her after graduation and hugged her.
    Thanks for being tough on me, Captain
Righetti. Nobody is, because I’m so small, but keeping on me helped
me make it through. I won’t disappoint you.
    “Take that, Dr. Harrison!”
    Tess had been trying to keep thoughts of him
at bay, but it was hard, because he was tight with her family and
seeing him made her remember their time together. No matter, she’d
go back to Rockland soon. Maybe teaching up there, and being away
from him, would make her forget what it felt like to have his hands
all over her.
    Buck up, Tess , she told herself now. Stop the pity party.
    She’d just increased her speed again when
Cory Cameron came into the gym. “Lookin’ good there.”
    So was he. His blond hair was longish; he had
muscles to die for and killer blue eyes. Right now, wearing a damp
shirt and shorts that showed the sinew of his legs, he was very
attractive.
    Keep your head on straight about Cory
Cameron, Jack had said .
    Damn him for invading her thoughts.
    “Want some company? I got some free
time.”
    “Sure.”
    Falling in step beside her, he kept his
stride in time with hers. “Walking will strengthen those muscles
around the ankle.”
    “You think I’ll ever be able to run or at
least jog, Cory?”
    “Uh-huh. Six weeks isn’t that long to recover
from the latest injury. So you’ll probably be able to jog
soon.”
    When she started to chide herself that she
should have been more careful, she stopped. No sense in making the
situation worse by blaming herself because she knew all along she
might never be ready to go back on the line.
    “I know you talked to Ian.” Cory’s voice was
a low baritone. “He’s a great guy, isn’t he? God, I admire him.
Everybody here does.”
    “There’s a lot to admire.”
    Glancing over at her, he gave her a male
smile. “Ever seen his wife?”

    “No. Why?”
    “She’s a looker. A former Broadway star.”
    “Wow.”
    “She’s the light of his life now.”

    Again, she thought of how that didn’t seem to
be in the cards for her.
    After an hour, Tess was perspiring and
welcomed the simultaneous tired muscles and enervation of her
body.
    “That’s good enough, don’t you think?” Cory
asked.
    “Yeah, I do.”
    “Come on. There’s a spot to get water and
juice outside the gym.”
    Her hair damp, her clothes, too, she said,
“I’m a mess.”
    “Nah, you look beautiful.”
    They headed to the door, and he pulled it
open for her. “Sure wish you were stayin’ in town, Righetti.”
    “Yeah?”
    He slid his arm around her shoulders for a
friendly hug. “Yeah.”
    o0o
    Jack stared over at a man he admired more
than anyone else in the department. A man who’d become a close
friend. “I’m sorry, Mitch, but I’ve had recent experience with
Tess’s teaching that makes me object to bringing her on board.”
    “You said that before, but honestly, Jack,
I’m flabbergasted that you’d blackball her here because of a brief
encounter.”
    “Blackball?” What an ugly concept, one with
strong negative connotations. “I’m not doing that.”
    Noah got up, circled his desk and leaned
against the edge so he was part of the group. “I have to say, Jack,
I agree with Mitch about the blackballing—that’s what you’re doing.
But Mitch, if Jack has cause for concern, we need to know why.”
    “All