Rescued By Love
Park City Firefighter Romance
Cami Checketts
Birch River Publishing
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Free Book
Pass Interference: A Last Play Romance
Two Hearts Rescue by Daniel Banner
Rescue Me by Taylor Hart
Rescue My Heart by Christine Kersey
About the Author
Also by Cami Checketts
Rescued by Love: Park City Firefighter Romance
COPYRIGHT ©2017 by Camille Coats Checketts
All rights reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
COPYRIGHT ©2017 by Camille Coats Checketts
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Birch River Publishing
Smithfield, Utah
Published in the United States of America
Cover design: Steven Novak
Interior design: Memphis Checketts
Editing: Daniel Coleman
To my Daddy for always telling me that nobody wants to dance with a girl with skinny legs.
Introduction
A Conversation from Summer 2016
3 Bestselling Authors (Checketts, Hart, and Kersey): Hey Daniel, we’re writing a firefighter romance series. Do you want in?
Me (on the inside): Yes I totally do, oh, I can’t wait, how long should my book be, when should I have it done holy cow you ladies are the greatest ever of all time!
Me (on the outside): Cool. Why me?
3 Bestselling Authors: You’re a firefighter. Oh, and uh, you have mad writing and editing skills.
3 Bestselling Authors (to each other): Should we tell him Nicolas Sparks wasn’t available?
Six months, seven million emails, and dozens of interviews later, four Park City Firefighter Romance books are ready to thrill you, touch you, inspire you, and make you swoon.
In my 15 years on the job, I’ve worked side-by-side with over a thousand of America’s Bravest. The men and women I’ve known make excellent studies for romance characters because they are fit, selfless, daring, passionate and without exception—imperfect. Kersey, Hart, and Checketts (dare I include myself?) have captured the essence of the beautifully flawed lives that so often result from a career that injects its members into the public’s worst day. When true love is added to the mix, sparks fly and things really heat up.
Experience the bravery, the struggle, the emotional pain, and the passion of heroes as they face their fears, their demons, and their pasts en route to finding lasting love. It may just surprise you who is the hero and who is the one in need of rescue.
It is my pleasure to introduce the Park City Firefighter Romance Series.
Chapter One
Though he kept a solemn look on his face, Captain Cameron Christian Compton, or Quad C as pretty much everyone on C Platoon called him, was laughing inside. They’d just been dispatched to a wreck on I-80, close to the Tanger Outlet stores on the west side of Park City, and his engineer, Emily, had squeaky toys in her boots, again. She squeaked as she rushed to the truck.
It was probably JFK who had pulled the prank. He lived to tease, especially when interacting with attractive women. Cam would need to reprimand him later, but the dose of humor was necessary, or they’d all go insane dealing with the stress and high pressure.
“Again?” he asked Emily.
“Sorry, Cap.” She shook her head. “I figured we were in too big of a hurry for me to take off all my gear and start again.”
“Not your fault.”
They were at the accident in minutes. Several police cars were already there. Old Guy and Link were right behind them in the ambulance and quickly carried a gurney down the hill. It had rained quite a bit earlier today, and the Cherokee must’ve hydroplaned then hit a dry spot and rolled down the embankment. An older lady stood outside the car shrieking about her granddaughter. Cam reached the wreckage first. The young brunette was struggling to get free, but it looked like her legs were pinned.
“Calm down, ma’am.” Cam instructed. “We’ll get you out soon.”
Her door was smashed, so he rushed around to the passenger side and muscled the door open wider, wondering how the grandmother had slipped out of that narrow opening. Cam shimmied into the car, pulled a knife out, and cut the seat belt.
“Thank you,” the girl whispered. Her brown eyes filled with tears. “I can’t get my leg free.” She pointed to her left leg.
“No worries.” He glanced over the smashed dashboard and steering wheel. If he cut away part of the dashboard, they could get her out, but they needed more room to work to avoid manipulating her back in case she’d suffered any spinal injuries.
He hollered to the new boot, Powers. “Grab the Jaws and cut open the driver’s side.”
“Got it, Cap.” He pounded back up the hill.
“We’re going to get you out,” Cam told the woman.
She grasped his hand and held on tight. “Please don’t leave me.”
Cam nodded. Powers and JFK were completely capable of cutting the door off and lifting the dashboard away. At least he hoped. Last shift, less than a week ago, they’d gone over the procedure … on paper. Cam squeezed her hand. “Sure. You’re going to be fine.”
“Thanks.” She licked her lips and looked at him beseechingly. “Are you married?”
Cam pulled back, but she clung to him. What kind of a question was that? He looked past her to his crew, pulling out the Jaws and making their way back to him. “No.”
“Oh, good.” She blinked up at him. “You’re really hot, and I was hoping I could make you some cookies to thank you for rescuing me. My applesauce cookies are almost as yummy as you.” She licked her lips. Cam thought she must not be in much pain to be flirting like this, so that was at least one good aspect of this embarrassing situation. On the other hand, maybe it meant she had hit her head really hard.
JFK stood next to the open door where Cam was wedged. Cam glanced up at him for help, though he should’ve known better.
“She’s pretty cute, Cap. I’d take cookies from her.”
Cam grunted. JFK was an idiot. Cam didn’t want to upset the girl during quite possibly one of the most traumatic moments of her life. “Thanks. I’d love … cookies.”
She smiled and leaned her head back against the headrest and kept staring at him. It was beyond awkward. JFK smirked as he handed a white sheet to Cam then hurried around the car to help Powers. Emily ran the hydraulic generator as Cam’s firefighters made strategic cuts to the A and B posts. The wrenching of metal was comforting to Cam. He covere
d the girl with the sheet to protect her from breaking glass and stayed in his awkward position as the girl clung to his hand. She occasionally smiled or winked at him, though it was obvious she was scared and uncomfortable.
His crew cut the door away like it was made of cardboard then stuck in the spreaders and lifted the dashboard. Even after eight years of doing this, Cam loved the procedure of removing a car from around a patient. It was a beautiful thing to see his crew in action, working as a team to carry out a textbook procedure and getting it done so efficiently.
Link and Old Guy were on hand with a C-collar and a gurney. They slid a long spine board under the patient and, with Cam’s help, carefully positioned her on the board. Luckily, she had to release Cam’s hand as they pulled her out of the peeled open side of the car. Cam slid out the other side and came around to follow the gurney. The grandma was by her granddaughter’s side, still crying as the girl reassured her that she was doing okay.
They lifted the girl into the ambulance. “I’ll be by with cookies, hot firefighter guy.” She called to Cam.
The police, paramedics, and other firefighters all gave him smirks or outright laughed at him. The grandmother turned to him and threw her arms around him. Cam stood stiffly. He wasn’t used to much physical contact. His sister, Caylee, hugged him every chance she got, but she was in California for school, so he didn’t see her often.
“Thank you for saving her. We love you.”
Cam patted her awkwardly, half-disappointed when she released him. Old Guy assisted the grandma into the ambulance. Powers jumped in behind him to be on hand for the ride down to Salt Lake. Link slammed the doors and hurried around to the driver’s side. The policemen drifted away, but Cam stayed in place, and his crew all stood around him, awaiting his instructions. The hug and profession of love from the elderly lady shook him. Why was he thinking of Grandma when he needed to focus on work?
“Dang, Cap. You always get the women chasing you.” JFK shook his head in disgust.
Emily rolled her eyes. “JFK, nobody wants to get hit on in an emergency situation.”
“Thanks.” Cam nodded to Emily. She shifted her weight, and her boots squeaked. “And nobody wants to sound like a chew toy on an emergency scene.” He gave JFK a pointed stare. “The joke’s old.”
“What?” JFK lifted a shoulder and hid a grin. That was high acknowledgment for him. He’d changed the prank to something different next time. Cam was just grateful his mouth wasn’t running for a few seconds.
“Let’s clean up and get out of here.” Cam ordered. Everyone scampered to obey. He still thought it was interesting that a cute girl smiling and offering to make him cookies held little appeal to him, but a grandma hugging him brought a desire for family he hadn’t indulged in for years. He shook himself and went to help his crew.
Chapter Two
Sage Turner pulled up to Park City Clothing Company on Main Street, glancing around desperately for a parking spot. Downtown was too stinking busy. Ski season was over, but the mountain biking and hiking had begun. Tourists adored her hometown, and she didn’t mind sharing, most of the time.
There was a red zone not too far from the store. She shouldn’t do it, but it was either park illegally, drive around until something opened up, or drive to the parking lot at the base of Main Street and run to the store. She didn’t mind running, but she was in a hurry to get back and help her mom, who was stressed about looking perfect for Luke Freestone’s party. She’d be two seconds in the store, and then she’d be back out.
Jamming her Jeep into gear, she leaned back and breathed in the fresh Park City air. Hallelujah that it was finally warm enough to have the soft top off. Her parents thought she was nuts driving a Wrangler around a mountain valley that was frozen a good portion of the time, but she loved it. It was still cool this time of year, high of seventy if they were lucky, perfect weather to have your top off. She could wear a coat and gloves while she drove. It was worth it to be able to taste the crisp air.
Jumping down, she patted her Jeep fondly. She’d restored it with her brother, and now that he was deployed, the Jeep was the remembrance of him she needed when the days without him got lonely.
She sprinted into the store. Her mom had begged her to run in and get her Wolford tights for her dinner party tonight. Her mom was in a tizzy about being invited to Luke Freestone’s mansion. Her parents had been friends with Luke’s dad, John, for years, but hadn’t had much contact with his sons. Sage had always thought all the Freestone brothers were good guys, but she had to roll her eyes at another request when her mom had twenty pairs of Wolford’s in her lingerie drawer. With her dad’s fibromyalgia getting worse every day, Sage wanted to help them however she could.
She found the tights within seconds, groaning at the long line snaking toward the cash register. Pasting on a smile, she hoped some random cop didn’t drive by and see her parked in the red zone. Most of the cops in town knew her Jeep and had given her a ticket at one time or another.
An older lady with blue-tinged white hair turned around and grinned at her. “You want to go in front of me, sweetheart?”
“Oh, no, I’m fine.” Had her worry been that evident? “I just parked in the red zone.”
The lady laughed, and her eyes twinkled. “As long as those hunky firemen don’t come by, you’ll be just fine.”
“I’m more worried about a policeman than a fireman.” Firemen? Oh, wouldn’t that be her luck.
The lady waved her hand. “Beautiful girl like you could talk them out of any ticket. Just flash them one of those long legs.”
Sage grinned at her, even though the reference to her long legs wasn’t necessarily a compliment. She’d been called everything from giraffe to giant. “I wish. I talk myself blue, but they always give me a ticket.” Her brother, Levi, on the other hand, got out of every ticket. He never groveled like she did, simply greeted the policeman with his friendly grin and said, “Do your worst. I probably deserve it.” Everybody loved her brother. For some reason, police seemed to have a radar where she was concerned. Maybe it was because she adored her Jeep so much and reveled in driving fast with the top off. She’d gotten a reputation with the local law enforcement during high school, and it hadn’t gotten much better since she’d graduated from the University of Utah and moved back to Park City to teach fourth grade at Parley’s Park Grade School. She reminded herself constantly to be a good example to her students, but sometimes a girl just needed to cruise.
Sirens cut through the air. Sage jumped, and the lady’s eyes widened. “Firefighters,” she whispered.
Sage calmed her breathing. They weren’t coming for her. Firefighters lived to help people, not cuss a Jeep owner for parking illegally.
The distinctive smell of smoke wafted through the store, and smoke detectors started going off throughout the shop. Sage glanced up at the sprinklers and hoped they weren’t going to start spraying.
“We’d better get a move on, sweetheart,” the lady said.
Sage hooked her arm through the older lady’s, having to stoop considerably as she was five feet and eleven point eight inches, but the elderly lady probably didn’t even clear five feet. She hurried with her new friend to the exit, now blocked with all the people who’d been in line or were browsing the store’s merchandise.
“The fire is in the restaurant next door.” A loud voice boomed. “Exit in an orderly fashion and please move to the south down the sidewalk.”
Sage peered over other women’s heads to see the fire truck parked parallel to her Jeep and the firefighters pulling their hoses. One really porky firefighter made rude gestures to her vehicle. She wanted to wilt right into the floor. Please don’t let them realize it was her that had been too impatient to find a parking spot. She had thought she could just run in and out quickly. Why had she done that? Dumb, dumb, dumb.
They cleared the door, and the lady whispered, “Ooh, they’re not happy with that Jeep, are they?”
Sage shook her head, her fa
ce blazing hot. Why had she parked there? She’d been afraid of a parking ticket, but had never even thought of a fire. The porky guy dragged the hose from the fire truck and flung it over the top of her jeep. Another firefighter hooked into the hydrant as Sage and her new friend shuffled south of the store and watched the action. Smoke seeped out of the restaurant next door, but it didn’t look like a huge blaze. A couple more firefighters ran into the restaurant. She guessed they were checking to make sure the people were all out.
The hose went taut as it filled with water. Before dragging the hose the rest of the way to the building, Porky drenched her Jeep. Just opened the nozzle right up and sprayed the interior of her vehicle.
“Hey!” Sage screamed. She disconnected from the lady and ran to save her baby.
The hose turned off and Porky whirled around to glare at her. “You’re the idiot—Oh, hey, pretty, gargantuan woman.” He eyed her up and down and puffed out his chest. “I got a little fire to take care of. Then you and me could exchange some digits.”
“You just soaked my Jeep!”
“Oh, sorry. Shouldn’t of parked there.” The other fireman ran up, and together they dragged the hose off into the building. Porky turned to give her a broad wink before he entered.
Sage stood rooted to the concrete. She knew she shouldn’t have parked there, but was soaking her beloved Jeep really warranted?
Firefighters, shouting, and smoke streamed around her as she stared into her Jeep, the floor was flooded with water. Did he ruin her Sony stereo system or Bluetooth? Would the leather seats recover? At least the floors were made of rubber, but the rest wasn’t, and it made her sick to think of Porky desecrating it like that.
The fire must’ve been small, like she’d originally thought, because the firefighters came back out pretty quickly. The first two in uniform were a beautiful girl and model-gorgeous guy. They walked past together, giving her slightly annoyed looks. She was formulating a groveling apology when Porky strode back out.
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