Rescue Me (Butler Island) Read Online Free

both
sides of the white casket. To the right, a wooden tripod showcased a large
picture of Jimmy, flashing his signature ear-to-ear grin, reminiscent of
happier times. And to the left lay Jimmy’s bunker gear, positioned as it would
be at the fire station, ready at a moment’s notice for him to put on.
    Movement at the podium snagged his attention as the
preacher stepped aside, allowing Chief Handler to proceed with his prepared
eulogy. The man looked every bit the fifty-eight years he was as he nervously
shuffled his index cards. In fact, Randall inwardly acknowledged Chief had
probably aged another ten years in the last four days alone.
    “How many ways can one praise a hero?” Chief Handler
began. “How many ways can one say ‘thank you’ for saving another’s life? The
truth is: there is no number. There aren’t enough sunrises and sunsets in this
lifetime.
    “Jimmy Phillips loved being a firefighter. He joined our
department ten years ago at the age of nineteen, fresh from the academy and wet
behind the ears. The first year of any probie firefighter’s career is a rite of
passage: learning the procedures, training… and in Jimmy’s case: fine-tuning
his prank abilities.”
    The guys from the department chuckled softly, recognizing
the playful side their fallen brother possessed.
    “No doubt about it, he was a hardworking, levelheaded,
skilled firefighter with a particular fondness for practical jokes. In fact,
that’s how he earned the nickname The Joker …”
    Randall’s eye’s shifted toward the row in front of him
where Lana and Conner sat, bravely listening as Chief Handler praised Jimmy for
his service. Conner sat surprisingly still for a five-year-old, and he couldn’t
help but wonder if the boy fully grasped the concept that his daddy wasn’t
coming back. The thought sent a piercing jolt through his chest. Conner was
going to grow up without a father…
    Damn it, Jimmy . Why couldn’t you be more selfish ?
    Why did you have to push me out of the way …?
    “…There’s only one thing Jimmy loved more than his life
at the firehouse… and that was the two of you”, Chief uttered softly as he
turned his gaze toward Lana and Conner. “Let me assure you, you were the
loves of his life. His eyes shined bright when he spoke of the two of you…”
    Randall allowed his gaze to settle on Lana as Chief
continued his heartfelt eulogy. From where he sat, he could see a portion of
her profile. Her stone-like, vacant expression gave nothing away. It was as if
her body was here, but her liveliness and vitality were gone—like her spirit
had died along with Jimmy.
    Lana’s weary eyes bored into the glistening white casket
as if she could will Jimmy’s lifeless body to resurrect. Her long, light brown
hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and she wore a simple strand of
white pearls and matching stud earrings. She looked every bit of the grieving
widow she was.
    A twenty-seven-year old widow…
    Damn it!
    He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when his
eyes returned to the podium, Chief Handler was gone, replaced by the preacher
as he said a few words in closing.
    Guess Lana wasn’t the only one that’d slipped into a daze
during the ceremony.
    The preacher slowly abandoned the podium and descended
down three steps, wandering toward the side of the church embellished with
brilliant stained glass. There were a few moments of silence while he made the
transition and then the familiar sound of three musical tones, like the ones
heard at the fire station when dispatch alerted the department with an
emergency, came over the loud speaker.
    “Last call…” The dispatcher began. “Last call for firefighter
James Phillips, Jr.”
    Chief Handler’s voice came over the loud speaker.
“Firefighter Jimmy Phillips, Jr. has answered his last call and has entered
into eternal rest… He will be missed—”
    “No!” Lana wailed as she covered her mouth, rocking back
and forth on the pew. “No!