Rescued By Love: Park City Firefighter Romance

by Checketts, Cami

  “Sage was in it.” He admitted, striding up and down his yard. When he reached the forest, he’d spin on his heel and cruise the other way.

  “Ah, no.” Caylee was quiet for a little while then asked, “But she’s okay?”

  “Yeah, but … her and I.” He shook his head even though she couldn’t see. “We’re not okay.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I told her it wasn’t worth it.”

  Cam expected wailing and gnashing of teeth. The quiet on the line was worse. Finally, Caylee said, “Oh, Cam. Do you know how cruel that is?”

  “I didn’t do it to hurt her.”

  “Yes, you did. You did it to protect yourself.”

  She was right, and he knew it. He’d hurt Sage to keep himself from feeling more pain. He was a jerk. But being without her was much more painful than he could’ve imagined, even when he’d been in that ambulance freaking out about her dying. Had he made a mistake telling her love wasn’t worth it? Even if he didn’t want to fall in love, he was already there. He’d passed the point of no return and now being without Sage was an ache that was far worse than his fears.

  “How do you deal with relationships so well?” he asked his sister.

  Caylee gave a short bark of a laugh. Completely unladylike and much too real. “I never let them go past the fun.”

  “That’s why you date so much?” It made a lot of sense.

  “You got me. It’s sadly true. I burn through them, and if they try to get serious, dump them quick.”

  “Oh, sis, you’re not much better off than me.” They were a pathetic pair. But how else did someone deal with life besides shutting down and avoiding future pain?

  “Worse, I’d say.” Caylee had some life back in her voice. “You found the right woman for you. I don’t think I’ll ever find a man worth getting serious.”

  “I really do hope you find that man someday.” He paused then questioned quietly. “But how do you know she’s the right one for me?” As he said it, he knew. He’d found something with Sage that was worth it. She made him laugh and not have to follow every rule, and he’d fallen in love with her. She was worth it, no matter what it cost him. He needed to tell her that and quickly.

  “I know, all right? Sister’s intuition.” He could almost sense Caylee rolling her eyes.

  “What should I do?” He’d hurt Sage. That thought ripped through him, but all he could do was move forward and try to repair the damage.

  “What all men should do—beg your stinking guts out. And chocolate, flowers, and diamonds never hurt.”

  Cam laughed. It felt unfamiliar but really nice. The laughter spilled out, and Caylee joined him. When the laughter had burned itself out, Cam said, “I love you, sis.”

  “I love you too. Go get her.”

  Cam hung up the phone and smiled. He would. Now he just needed to pray that she’d forgive him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sage came home from the hospital dejected and depressed. Her throat healed quickly, and after a few days of being lazy, she was ready to get back into life. It was obvious Cam felt something for her, but for whatever reason, she wasn’t worth struggling past his doubts or worries. Luckily, Levi didn’t call because he probably would go AWOL to come and kick Cam’s rear. That image actually made her smile.

  School was closed until they could figure out where to hold it as they replaced the wing of the school that had burned to the ground. With her house clean and her parent’s house clean and their yard looking impeccable, she didn’t know what else to do but go to her cabin. She deep-cleaned the cabin, cooked and baked up a storm and took long hikes. It was gorgeous outside, and even the occasional spring rain storm didn’t stop her exploring the trails.

  Sometimes out in nature, she’d forget about Cam for a few seconds, but then it would return with the force of a jackhammer. Man, she loved him, and he’d turned into a big old jerk. He was a good guy—saving others, being a coach, and taking care of Braden and his mom, but to her overly sensitive heart, he was a dipwad. Unfortunately, thinking of every dumb name she could call him didn’t help her feel better at all.

  Slowly making her way back to her cabin, she decided she’d bake banana bread. There was already way more food than she could ever eat, but cooking or baking helped a little bit.

  As she pushed through the last grove of pine trees, her jaw dropped wide. A huge silver Chevy truck was parked next to her Jeep. Her eyes searched quickly around the yard and cabin, and finally she found him sitting on her porch swing.

  No. He had no right to be here. Not after telling her she wasn’t worth it. He had no right to make her hope that they might have something between them.

  She forced herself to keep walking toward him when all she wanted to do was turn turkey and run back up the trail. She steeled her spine. It was better to deal with him then get back to her wallowing.

  Their eyes met and held. His dark blue gaze was as intriguing as ever. He slowly stood, and Sage took it all in. The way his quadriceps muscles flexed as he straightened, his large, well-built chest and shoulders looking like they wanted to cradle her, his handsome face so familiar yet so exciting to her. She wanted to hate him, but she didn’t know if she had it in her.

  Sage stopped ten feet away from the cabin. Cam walked slowly down the stairs. Then he was there, within touching distance. Would she ever have the right to touch him again? No, that was wussy girl thinking. He didn’t have the right to touch her after saying she wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t worth it. The good-looking piece of dog meat.

  “Sage.” There was so much loaded into the way he said her name—he missed her, he wanted to talk to her, but he was scared and uncertain.

  Sage should’ve softened then. The look in his eyes was certainly soft and welcoming, but it ticked her off. She’d been wallowing, crying, and miserable for days. He’d broken her, dumped her, and he thought he could come back here and say her name all squishy and she’d rush into his arms? Bull stinking crud!

  “What do you want?” She spit out.

  “You.”

  Sage drew a ragged breath. He was good. She’d give him that. She tossed her hair like an angry bull and took a step closer to him. His eyes widened, and his appealing smile crossed his face. She wasn’t falling for it though. Then she made the mistake of inhaling—the musky, manly scent about did her in, but she was tougher than that. She kept rowdy children in control all day long. She could stay strong against one buff firefighter.

  “You can’t have me,” she said, her voice deceptively calm.

  Cam’s smile slipped. He swallowed and reached out his hand. Sage dodged his touch, backing away. If he touched her, she might falter. She wasn’t faltering. She wasn’t falling for him again and then letting him tell her she wasn’t worth it.

  “Why?” she asked, unable to control the angry words. “Why did you build me up, tell me I was pretty and you liked me being tall, pretending that you liked me, and making me fall so hard for you, just to smack me down like that?” She didn’t tell him everything. That she’d never been as happy as she’d been with him. That she loved him so desperately she didn’t know if she’d survive without him.

  “I …” Cam shook his head. “It wasn’t you. It was me.”

  “Ha!” Sage burst out. “You think you can make things better with that lame line? It’s not you. It’s me. You’re dang right it’s you! You’re so wrapped up in your tough firefighter mountain man image, you think you can just make me fall for you then ditch me when things get tough.”

  Cam nodded. “You’re right, and I’m sorry.”

  “Dang straight I’m right, and you should be sorry!”

  Cam smiled again. “Does that mean you’ll forgive me?”

  She gasped, incredulous. “No! I’m not forgiving you. I’m not falling for your tricks again. Just because you’re some hot firefighter you think you can draw any woman in and then dump her? Well, I’ve got a newsflash for you. I’m not one of your little groupies
.” She wanted to break down and cry, tell him how much she’d missed him and how she would forgive him if he’d just smile at her like that, but she wasn’t going to allow herself to be drawn back in.

  “Sage.” His voice was tender again, and she had to fight with everything in her to not go gooey. “I don’t draw women in and dump them. It’s only you. You’re the only one for me.”

  The words were right, but she wasn’t ready to buy them. Not in the least. “You’re a liar.”

  “Excuse me?” His brow furrowed, and she could tell she was starting to tick him off. Well, good, she was tired of being the only one frustrated, confused, and irrational in this conversation.

  “I’m not the one for you.” She shot at him. “You can’t even confide in me what happened to your parents. If you want a relationship, you need to talk to that person about everything.”

  His mouth thinned, but he said nothing.

  Sage stepped forward, grabbed his shirt, and yanked it up, revealing the scars on his otherwise perfect abdomen. “You can’t even tell me how you got these. Occupational hazard? I’m not slow, Cam. You wear those protective suits. You wouldn’t get burned on your stomach.”

  Cam kept staring at her. She released his t-shirt and stepped back, knowing that she’d gone too far. His burns were something so sensitive, he couldn’t tell her about them. She hurt for him, but she needed someone who could trust and confide in her. “If you wanted me, you should’ve given me all of you. You can rescue other people, but you’re never going to let someone rescue you.”

  His eyes darkened, but he still didn’t answer.

  Sage was embarrassed, mad, and regretting half of the angry words she’d just hurled at him, but she couldn’t stand here one more second or she’d probably throw some more. She whirled from him and ran back up the trail she’d just walked down. She was already out of breath from all the emotions. She was gulping for oxygen within a minute. Her lungs were definitely not healed.

  Cam’s loud footfalls came behind her. Sage increased her pace, but it wasn’t enough. Cam caught her, grabbed her around the waist, and whirled her around to face him.

  “You want to know about my scars?”

  Sage pulled in a quick breath. “Not like this. With me forcing it out of you. I’m sorry. It’s too late, Cam.”

  “It can’t be.” He held on to her waist and kept her facing him. “It can’t be, Sage. I love you.”

  Sage shook her head. He loved her? More lies. Yet she couldn’t find it in her to pull away from his warm grip.

  “My parents were killed when I was eight.” He released her and clenched his fists. “Our house caught on fire in the middle of the night. The wiring.” He drew in a ragged breath and pushed it out. “I don’t know what woke me, but I saw the smoke, and I remembered what the firemen had taught our school class. I dropped down to the ground and crawled to Caylee’s room. I pulled her off her bed and dragged her toward the hallway. She woke up, and we were trying to get to my parents’ room when everything seemed to explode. I guess my dad was still conscious and had opened their door. The fire had started in their room. The fire whooshed out and my shirt caught. Those flames took my dad. I don’t know when my mom died. Caylee has scars on her hands from trying to beat the flames out on my shirt. The firefighters came in then and rescued us, but it was too late for my mom and dad.” He lifted his shirt up and showed her the scars again then dropped it back down and almost glared at her. “I’ve never shared that story with anyone.”

  Sage hadn’t moved during his story. She wanted to go to him and comfort him, but she didn’t know if he’d welcome her touch after she’d told him off pretty harshly a few minutes earlier. “I’m so sorry about your parents.”

  His wide shoulders lifted and lowered as he pulled a long breath in and out. “Thanks.”

  They stood there staring at each other. Time seemed to stretch and pull, thick like taffy. Sage closed her eyes and then took a step forward. She opened her eyes and drew in a breath, needing more bravery than when she’d tried to rush into a smoke-filled building to save Braden and Cam. “You like to rescue people. Can you rescue my heart? It got fried a few days ago by a hot firefighter.”

  Cam’s handsome face cracked into a small smile. “My training on rescuing hearts is sadly lacking.”

  Sage nodded. “I’ve noticed. But I think I can help. It’s a practical course and very hands on.”

  “Really?” One of his eyebrows lifted, and his smile grew. “Mouth to mouth resuscitation involved?”

  “Oh, definitely.” Sage bit at her lip and wanted more than anything to fling herself into his arms.

  Cam opened those very appealing arms wide. Sage uttered a little gasp, and she wasn’t sure if she’d moved or he had, but she was encircled in his arms, pressed against his chest, and his lips found hers like they’d practiced this every day for a year. But there was nothing practiced about this kiss. It was needy, hungry, yet tender and full of light and promise. Sage stood on her tiptoes to bring him closer, loving that she needed to make herself taller.

  Yapping dogs registered in Sage’s mind from somewhere far away yet too close. She and Cam jerked apart as her nearest neighbor’s Great Dane and Alaskan Husky went yelping past them like the hounds of Hades were on their heels.

  “What in the world?” Sage gave a shaky laugh and pushed some hair out of her face that had come loose from her ponytail in the heated exchange with Cam.

  Cam laughed too, but then his eyes widened as he focused on something behind her. “Sage!” He yelled, grabbing her hand and tugging her down the trail. “Run!”

  Sage obeyed, keeping up with his sprint. She had no clue what she was running from and imagined everything from a bear to wolves to rabid dogs. The sound of thundering hooves was growing louder. Sage glanced over her shoulder and saw a moose charging at them. Its head was bowed and it was coming fast. Sage had no clue how they were going to outrun it.

  Because she wasn’t watching where she was going, her foot struck a boulder, and she lost her balance and went down hard. Cam was still holding on to her hand and tried to pull her back up, but the moose was on them. Cam dove on top of her and curled his body around her. Sage was insulated from the brunt of the attack, but could still feel the moose kicking and stomping on them. Sage screamed out then bit at her lip and held on to Cam’s arms.

  Cam went slack on top of her, and it was all she could do to not start screaming again. The attack seemed to have stopped, but she didn’t dare move. She wondered if she could move with Cam lying on top of her like he was. She listened hard and heard the moose stomp away.

  Sage was more terrified now than she had been during the attack. Why wasn’t Cam moving? She pushed and squirmed out from under him.

  “Cam?” she whispered.

  He was on his side, his eyes closed. His clothes were torn, and his body looked battered like he’d just been thumped in an awful fight, cuts and scrapes all over, but mostly on his face. Had the moose hit his head or was he unconscious from his other injuries? No, oh, no. He’d been trying to protect her.

  The only first aid training she had was from some continuing education course she’d taken, but she knew she needed to check for a pulse. Had she and Cam really been joking about mouth to mouth resuscitation minutes before?

  “Oh, Cam, wake up.” She begged. Pushing her fingers against his neck, she was at least reassured with a strong pulse. Leaning down, she put her cheek against his nose and sighed with relief again. He was alive and breathing.

  She glanced around. Her cell phone was back at the cabin, but her neighbor’s cabin was closer, just through the trees. She hated to leave Cam, but she couldn’t move him on her own. Standing quickly before she could second-guess it, she ran for the cabin and prayed that Cam would be okay and that horrible moose wouldn’t come back.

  Her neighbor was out in the yard with his dogs. “Dang fool things,” he said in way of greeting. “I think they musta come between a moose and her calf or so
mething. They came yipping into the yard like a bear was gonna maul them. I’ve been tracking that moose and her baby just up the hill from us. You don’t want to mess with them, you hear?”

  “Mr. Keller, call 911! My boyfriend got mauled by the moose.”

  “You kidding me right now?”

  “No! Call them, please. He’s just up the trail.” Sage turned and ran back toward Cam, praying her neighbor would listen and Cam would survive. He might have internal injuries, brain trauma, who knew? As she knelt by his side and prayed harder, she grew even more understanding of how hard it was on him when she’d been the one injured and unresponsive. But no matter how scary it was, being with him was worth it. If the Lord would only let her be with him again.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Cam fought his way out of a dense fog. He could hear voices but they were far away and distorted. One of those voices had to be Sage’s. He focused on it. She was calling to him. He could swear he could smell her, that unique sweet pear scent. He’d never noticed many smells with his sense of smell damaged, but he’d been close enough to her to notice and memorize her smell.

  He kept fighting and finally he pushed his heavy lids open and, through gritty eyes, peered out at the white-washed room. Hospital. He should’ve guessed. His body ached like he’d been run over by a freight train, especially his head. It throbbed with every heartbeat.

  He tilted his head and searched for Sage. She wasn’t there, but Caylee was smiling at him, blinking back tears. Caylee crying? That hadn’t happened since she hit fourteen.

  “You’re awake.”

  “Yep.” He groaned.

  “They said when the drugs wore off you’d come around, but oh, Cam, I was so scared.” Caylee laid her head down on his chest and sobbed.

  Cam lifted his heavy arms and wrapped them around her. “Hey, it’s okay, sis. I’m okay.”

  She yanked back up and half-smiled, half-glared at him. “Don’t you ever do that to me again! What would I do without you? How would I survive?”