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slept better than she had in years. It only took one more session to turn her into a Zack groupie.
    As they followed him to the tables, Andrea found that she was relieved that Zack had arrived when he did. She was starting to regret consulting her opinionated friends; with their conflicting opinions, they’d only left her more confused than she already was. Not that any of it mattered anyway. In the end the decision would have to be hers.

    Across town at the firehouse, Cal was finishing up his daily sixty-minute workout by adding another twenty-pound weight to each end of the pole and securing it in place with the locks. He glanced back at the doorway beside one of the gym equipment cabinets.
    â€œSomething on your mind, Jeff?” he asked, before shaking the light sprinkling of dust from his hands and positioning himself on the bench to lift the one hundred and fifty pounds over his chest.
    Jeff Collins froze in his hiding place behind the large metal cabinet. He glanced at the opposite wall, noticing for the first time the large mirror that revealed his presence. He’d assumed Cal was too involved in his workout routine to notice anything.
    Assuming what he hoped was a casual posture, he stepped out into the open. “No, not really.”
    Cal shrugged and lifted the bar. Pushing up with fairly little exertion, he completed ten repetitions before replacing the bar. Cal glanced at his friend. “Hey, man, I know that the promotion thing—I mean, I don’t want there to be any hard feelings.”
    Jeff stood over the bench. “No hard feelings.”
    Cal glanced at him. Something in Jeff’s voice said otherwise.
    â€œI’m just here to do a job.”
    Cal sat up, and grabbing a towel off a nearby bench, he wiped his face. “Glad to hear that.” Cal still felt the need to give a warning. He slung the towel around his neck and stood. “After all, a firehouse is no place for a hot dog.”
    â€œWhat are you trying to say to me, Cal?”
    Cal shrugged. “Nothing a veteran like you doesn’t already know.” With that statement, he turned and walked out of the gym.
    Jeff’s head swung around and his eyes followed Cal until he disappeared around the corner. Only then did he allow his face to relax. The ugly sneer that seemed to be a part of his permanent expression reappeared, along with the cool, dead look in his hard, dark eyes.
    Cal walked along the hall toward his office, mentally replaying the conversation. There was something not quite right about Jeff Collins since he’d been promoted. It was obvious the man was feeling the sting of being overlooked for a promotion he thought was guaranteed.
    It made no sense, considering Cal was the one to recommend him for the promotion. But ultimately, the decision had been in the hands of the council and they had chosen Cal. But there was something in Jeff’s eyes…the intense hatred he’d seen in the man’s eyes seemed excessive for such a minor offense. Maybe the guy had mental problems that were not listed in his departmental record.
    Cal rubbed his chin thoughtfully—wouldn’t be the first time an unstable person had gotten by the shrink at the academy. But with something like that only time could tell. For now, Cal thought, he would just keep an eye on Jeff, just in case.
    He was almost back to his office when he was approached by Noel, their district chief fire marshal. “Hey, Cal, got a minute?”
    Cal opened the door and motioned his friend inside. “Sure, what’ cha need?”
    Noel handed him a folder. “Need you to sign off on the Hadley building.”
    As the fire team responding to the call, Cal was obligated to verify the information in the report for any potential lawsuits. “Did anything seem strange about that fire?” Cal asked Noel as he scribbled his name across the forms, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
    â€œDo you mean about