Passing the Boot and Hard Headed Women

Passing the Boot and Hard Headed Women

Hi everyone!!! I’m going to try to keep this upbeat and smexy, but I have a purpose…so you’ve been warned. I’m the author of Smoking Stilettos. The first short story in our fun and sexy Smokin’ Hot Firemen Antho. πŸ™‚ I’m super excited to be working on this with Delilah and all of the other authors. It’s great to see so many talented writers compiled like this! Woot!

Smokin Hot Firemen

Back to business. I wrote Smoking Stilettos in one evening. Honest. It just flowed out of me. I never really thought that this story would be more than just a blip in a book. But…it’s become so much more to me. I’m really proud that I wrote this story the way I did.

 

Some of you that follow my social media will already know, but my family lives about 10 miles outside of the small community of West, TX. My children go to school in West. And a little over two weeks ago, they both lost their schools in the Fertilizer Plant Explosion that put West on the map.

We weren’t affected directly, other than being inconvenienced with the media traffic and the kids having to be relocated 20 miles away to share a campus with another neighboring district. They only go for about six hours, and only get their core classes. It’s been an unsettling nightmare that has changed this peaceful community.

We knew some of the firemen that lost their lives. My kids were good friends with three children that lost their dads. It’s been a very sad last few weeks, but that’s not the point of this post.Β  I promise.

There’s a scene at the end of Smoking Stilettos that reminds me so much of what has happened over the last few weeks. It’s a moment of truth and a change of perception. When we think of volunteer fireman, do you really think of them as “real” fireman? Most would shrug and probably haven’t considered it, but I say yes! 70% of the US Fire Dept is made up of volunteers. That’s a staggering number of very good men and women that serve our communities for the single purpose of making sure that “we” are safe.

A few weeks before the explosion, I joked on FB about the hotties passing the boot and I had planned on giving you all a delicious post about that, but everything got a little chaotic. My daughter and I were sitting about 10 cars back at a red light. She asks me what the firetrucks are doing at the intersection. When I see their neon vests, I know.

“Passing the boot.”

She’s fifteen and still hasn’t figured everything out yet. “Why?”

“To take care of things that need to be done.”

 

At the time, I had her dig through my purse for the few loose ones I had scattered inside. She turns to me and says, “Mom, that’s your last few dollars.”

I smile and pass it to the hottie that is at my window. Now, I know that sometimes the fireman aren’t always in their early thirties, with jet black hair, and have a lean body, but this one did. *winks* I toss him my money, he grins and passes me a sticker for my window before waving at my daughter.

Shirtless Guy

 

I wasn’t worried about a few loose dollars. I had my debit card, lol. But, for people like that…the ones that take care of us when we’re suffering our worst…I’ll dig to the bottom of the couch cushions to find my spare pennies. Now, more than ever.

http://www.dreamstime.com/-image14684238

Like my heroine, Red, I think I taught my daughter a valuable lesson about giving and taking care of those that take care of us. When it came time to volunteer for donation duties in West, I had no idea that my daughter could work as hard as she did. All three of my kids–my oldest came home from college for the week–pitched in to help out where they could. Even if that meant being a shoulder to cry on for one of their friends that lost their fathers. Something like this is a huge lesson in humility, charity, and love.

I can’t wait for you to have a chance to read Smoking Stilettos. You can let me know if I succeeded in passing on these lessons to Red–my fiesty fireman’s wife. I told you I had a purpose. πŸ™‚ If you know a fireman, volunteer or payrolled, be sure to give them a hug and a thank you. I don’t think we can say that enough. And if you see a sexy hottie passing the boot at the next red light, scrounge for any spare pennies you can offer. You never know what you’ll be helping to provide to these men and women that sometimes sacrifice everything for us.

26 thoughts on “Passing the Boot and Hard Headed Women

  1. My son-in-law was a fireman & I saw the things he went through, the energy he put out, the disappointments of not saving family momentos….He is my hero. But no one better be lusting after him but my daughter!

    1. Is it ok that we lust after him from afar? I often look at the men but I never order everything on it.

      1. Laura, you can lust from afar!! I check out what’s good on the menu too, but would never cook my own goose

    2. Give that son-in-law a big hug for us! And tell your daughter what a lucky woman she is to have a hero in her bed. πŸ™‚ Thank you so much for commenting.

  2. Thank you for sharing the information about West. We live about an hour from there; what kind of help is still needed?

  3. Rachel Firasek,

    I’m from Ontario, Canada and here too a lot of small towns use Volunteer Firefighters. My ex is one and so is my Nephew In Law and Brother In Law. When they get a call out, and the fire is big the whole town pitches in to get them water, coffee, sandwiches anything they might need to keep fighting the fire. I always appreciate the firefighters and give where I can.

    I look forward to this book and your story.

    1. Thanks!! I look forward to sharing it. What a great way to give back to the community! I’m sure they had a blast at your breakfast. πŸ™‚

      1. Oops, that last reply was meant for Theresa. πŸ™‚ Laura, you know exactly what I’m talking about with the fear of letting your man go off to save the day. Volunteers make the difference and its so great to see so many coming from your stock of men. Woot!

  4. Awesome post! I live in a small town in NC and we have many volunteer firemen. Just recently our church hosted a breakfast for the firemen and police officers of our town. It was our way of saying thanks. It is a tradition in our area to do things like taking food to them or buying them a meal. Its good to remember the ones who keeps all of us safe!

  5. The firemen in Memphis have an annual “pass the boot” where they raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital, a truly worthy cause. I always roll down my window for them. And no, they’re not all hunky but heroes? hell, yeah.

    So sorry to hear about your kids’ friends’ dads. That fire was massive and scary, even to those of us who just watched it on television. Looking forward to reading your story!

    1. Cynthia, thank you so much. πŸ™‚ I love a man in uniform, and even if he’s a litle tubby or over weight, he’ll catch my eye, lol. They are all heroes. πŸ™‚

  6. Thank you for sharing, and yes, whenever I see a guy in uniform collecting money…I usually try to contribute what I can. Hugs to you and your family.

  7. Thanks for letting us know how things are going in West. Everyone has been on our minds and in our prayers. Here in Norfolk, Va, our local firemen/rescue guys/gals pass the boot at the redlight intersections taking up money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. No matter who they are raising money for, these guys are the greatest. Anytime I see one I always thank them for what they do each and every day.

  8. Thanks for shining the spotlight on the heroes of West, Rachel. I live 45 minutes away and am so saddened for that community.

    Love the title of your story! I’ll check it out when the antho is available!

  9. Thanks so much for sharing this, Rachel. What a moving video. There’s nothing like community to shed the light in the midst of a tragedy.

Comments are closed.

Comments are closed.