by Sable Hunter
“Sounds good.” And she meant it. There was nothing more Shane wanted than some solitude and a truce. “Thank you, Mr. Walton.”
During the next couple of hours, Shane made her way through a couple of training films. True to his word, Brodie left her alone. After his meeting with the Chief, she caught him staring out a window as if he was peering into days gone by. He had the saddest look on his face that she’d ever seen. Again, she wondered about his past. What could have happened to make him so sad? It had something to do with the woman called Mary. He lost her, that much was obvious. But how? She honestly couldn’t imagine letting someone like him go. If he turned that same energy and intensity into loving someone, the woman would be the luckiest female on the planet.
When her stomach began to growl, Shane noticed the clock. High noon. Not really feeling like mixing with the others, she decided to go out and grab some lunch. Shutting off the computer, Shane picked up her purse and made it out of the station without running into anyone else. Not knowing the area well, she drove around until a small restaurant caught her eye, a taco place. Central Texas was famous for their gourmet tacos, so she pulled in, determined to find something that she would enjoy.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Shane decided she could pass muster. She grabbed her purse, exited the car, leaving the window cracked to keep the interior reasonably cool. When she approached the door, she was surprised to find a man waiting for her, holding it open with a smile.
Sawyer Lewis, friend of her nemesis.
“Hello, and thank you,” she greeted him. “How are you today?”
“Better now,” he answered in a flirtatious manner. “I’m glad we ran into one another. Would you join me for lunch?”
The idea seemed like a good one. “I’d like that,” Shane agreed. A friendly face made her feel immensely better. “Is this a good place to eat?”
“I think so, everything is homemade and spicy.” He placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her up to the counter.
Shane waited to feel something, but while he was handsome and sweet, there was no zing or thrill at his touch – dang it. Of course, he was probably just being nice. “Great, I’m starving. My treat,” she offered, wanting to thank him for defending her in front of his friend.
“Wow.” Sawyer grinned. “I’m flattered; I don’t often have a beautiful woman offering to buy my lunch.”
Shane ignored his flattery and studied the menu. “What do you recommend?”
Sawyer pointed out a couple of his favorites. “I prefer the roast chicken with avocado or the pulled pork with chipotle.”
“Those sound good.” They ended up ordering two of each. While Shane paid for their food, Sawyer filled their drink cups. “Is this table okay?” he asked once they were ready to sit down.
“Perfect.” Shane followed him to the rear of the rustic restaurant, admiring the eclectic decorations covering the walls, everything from western art to movie and music posters. “Where do you work, Sawyer?” Sitting across from Shane, he added sugar to his ice tea and cleared his throat and smiled as if he was about to relay surprising information. “What? Are you famous and I’m not recognizing you?”
“Oh, heck, no,” Sawyer shook his head. “I’m the most boring individual you’ll ever meet. Actually, I’m a farmer of a sort. I own peach orchards, pecan orchards, and a few grape vineyards.”
“You own a winery?”
“No, I sell my grapes to a winery. I take great joy from growing the grapes, but I don’t have the patience to make the wine.”
“How interesting. Your life sounds very satisfying.” Shane was impressed. She set out to pick up the full taco and maneuver it to her mouth for a bite. “Hmmm, this is good!”
“Yes, they are.” Sawyer took a bite also. “Yes, I’d say my life is pretty full. Different times of year are busier than others, but there’s always something to do. Where did you live before coming to Stonewall?”
“Houston.” Shane nodded as she swallowed. “Divorced.” She chose not to elaborate.
Sawyer nodded as if he understood. “Me too.” He chose not to pursue the topic either. Instead, he veered into a direction that Shane had hoped to avoid. “How are you liking your job?”
Shane took a long sip of her drink. “I love the work. Helping people is my greatest joy.”
“Nice.” Sawyer chuckled. “Very diplomatic answer. Your boss isn’t proving to be the easiest man to work with, is he?”
Shane rearranged her food on her plate while she searched for the right words. “He is a challenge. I can tell he is committed to the job, and I’m sure with anyone else, he’d be great. Mr. Walton and I got off on the wrong foot and I’m not sure how to make it right.”
Sawyer stopped eating and focused on Shane. “Be patient with him. When Mary was killed, we thought we were going to lose Brodie. If it wasn’t for his focus on getting the dedicated EMT unit for our community, I’m not sure he would’ve survived.”
“What happened to Mary?” Considering her job, she wasn’t one to ask a lot of questions. She saw enough sadness without seeking it out, but Shane could tell this was important.
Sawyer pressed his lips together, took a deep breath and began to speak. “Happenings like this used to be unusual. Sadly, they’ve become more and more commonplace. I don’t know if you remember, but a few years ago there was a senseless random shooting at one of the local restaurants. A gunman just walked in off the street and killed nine people. One of those victims was Mary Masterson, Brodie’s fiancé.”
“Oh, no.” Shane’s heart broke for Brodie. “They were to be married?”
“Yes.” Sawyer wiped his fingers on a napkin. “He’d just proposed earlier that day. They’d been together since high school. The only reason they weren’t already married was Mary’s commitment to take care of her mother after she’d been diagnosed with cancer. Brodie stood by her, waiting patiently for her to be free to become his wife.”
Shane was moved, she hastily wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m so sorry.”
“He blames himself, which is irrational. Mary died instantly, no one could’ve foreseen or prevented her death.”
Sympathy for Brodie Walton overwhelmed Shane. She pushed back her plate. “I’ve been so angry at how he’s been treating me. I guess it’s because I’m a woman, but I don’t think he’s being discriminatory, I think he’s still mourning and I’m a reminder of some kind. Do I look like Mary?” she asked, meeting Sawyer’s sincere eyes.
Sawyer shook his head. “No, not at all. Mary was…” He moved his hands around absently. “Blonde, beautiful.”
Shane laughed and Sawyer had the good grace to realize his gaffe. “Not that you’re not beautiful.”
“Oh, let’s get real, Mr. Lewis. I have no illusions about my looks. I know I’m no bombshell, even my mother called me her plain brown wren.”
“Now, I didn’t say that, I didn’t say any of that.”
Sawyer started to elaborate, but Shane already felt uncomfortable. “No need to explain anything. I need to get back.” She stood and her lunch companion stood with her.
“Please don’t think I was making any type of comparison. Mary was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, but…”
Shane held up her hand. “No offense taken. Learning about her death upsets me far more than any reference to my appearance.”
Sawyer didn’t look convinced. In fact, he looked fairly miserable. “Thank you for lunch and I do apologize.”
With a sincere smile, Shane left Sawyer watching her leave. She made her way quickly to her car, finding sanctuary behind its closed doors once she was inside and had her seat belt buckled. “Whew!” she murmured, brushing her bangs from her forehead. Clasping the rearview mirror, she turned it so she could see her on reflection. “You’re not beautiful, but you’re a nice person. I like you.” Her own affirmation gave Shane a measure of comfort. She certainly didn’t blame Sawyer for his explanation, she hadn’t been fishing for a compliment anyway. T
he reason for the question was her just trying to get to the root of Brodie Walton’s resentment.
Poor Brodie, she had a completely different view on things now. Glancing at the dashboard clock, Shane saw it was time to get back to the station. With renewed determination to fit in and do a good job, she put her red Honda CR-V in gear and headed out.
No sooner had she pulled in to the station parking lot, her radio began to sound. “Wilder! Where are you?”
Answering as she exited her vehicle, Shane made her presence known. “Coming in the door. What’s up?”
The next words she heard were yelled in front of her. “We’ve got a call. Load up!”
She ran to climb into the ambulance, listening to the dispatcher as she finished her instructions. “Head-on collision. A Camry with a gravel truck. Hurry, Brodie.”
“Copy. We’re on our way. Those gravel trucks are a hazard.”
A car wreck. Shane took a deep breath and steeled herself. There was no telling what they were about to face.
“Good lunch?”
Brodie’s question caused Shane to jerk her head toward him. “Yes, good.” Should she tell him she shared it with his friend? No. Probably not. “Yours?”
He was prevented from answering when the radio came back on. “The highway patrol who came upon the accident tells us we have two victims. The driver of the gravel truck is okay, but there is a mother and a child in the car.” Rose’s voice filled the cab.
“A child.” Shane said the words in a regretful manner.
“Are you up for this?” Brodie asked as he turned on the siren.
His inquiry made Shane frown. “Absolutely.”
“Good to know.”
She ignored his clipped comment. After hearing Sawyer’s story, she was much more apt to give him the benefit of the doubt. The man’s heart was broken. If giving her a hard time made him feel better, she was big enough to take it. “How much farther?” Shane was straining to look down the highway.
“Not far.”
About the time he answered, Shane saw the flash of red and blue lights in the distance. Adrenaline was running high in her body. He’d no more than pulled to a stop before she was out and grabbing her gear. Together they ran toward the car.
Two highway patrol officers met them. “Walton.”
“Fill me in.” Brodie headed toward the wreck with Shane following close behind.
“The mother is unconscious, but alive. We’re going to need the ‘jaws of life’ to get her and the little girl, she’s pinned in the backseat.”
“Hays County has one, did you call it in?” Brodie asked, his eyes already on the scene before him. The front end of the car was crumpled in on itself. He picked up the pace, beginning to run, every second counted.
“They should be here any minute.” As they hurried the last few steps, one of the men nodded at Shane. “Ma’am, my name is Drake Boone and this is Blaine Michaels.”
“Shane Wilder.” She gave them a quick smile before joining Brodie at the scene of the accident. The mother had come to, now she was groaning, crying, and trying to console her child. Shane could hear the girl crying in the back.
“You go around to the mother, Wilder. I’ll see if I can reach through the window to get to the child.”
“Don’t you want to wait on the hydraulic rescue tool?” she asked, even as she followed his orders.
“There’s smoke.” He pointed toward the hood.
“Oh, Lord,” Drake muttered, noticing the same thing Brodie could see.
“Ma’am, we’re here to help you.” Shane tried, in vain, to open the door.
“Use the window punch glass maker,” Brodie directed. “Help her, Blaine.”
Shane found the tool and was ready to use it when the dark-haired patrolman came to her aid. “Here, let me do it for you.”
Time was of the essence, so Shane welcomed the man’s assistance. As he safely removed the glass, she gazed in at the woman whose face was covered with blood. The airbag hadn’t fully deployed and she’d hit her head on the steering wheel.
“Help me, help my daughter, please.”
As soon as the glass was clear, Shane leaned in and did what she could, checking the woman’s breathing and ascertaining if she could move her limbs. “We’re going to get you out, get both of you help as soon as possible.”
The sound of a truck approaching told Shane that help was on its way. She stepped back out of the way while First Responders from Wimberley opened up the car so they could get to the woman and her child.
As soon as the way was clear, Shane began working on the woman, stabilizing her so she could be moved. Brodie was having more trouble with the little girl whose legs were pinned underneath the front seat, which had been pushed back toward the rear end of the car. The firemen used extinguishers to ensure that the heat emitting from the engine didn’t break out into a full-fledged blaze.
“What’s your name, ma’am?” Shane asked, trying to calm the lady as she and one of the Wimberley firemen eased her onto the backboard, affixing a brace around her neck.
“Jilly Steiner. I need to call my husband.”
“Someone will notify him, ma’am.” As Shane spoke, she checked the woman’s breathing.
“How’s my daughter?”
“They’re working to get her out now.” Even as she tended to the woman’s wounds, cleansed the deep cuts on her face and neck, Shane couldn’t help but be aware of Brodie caring for the near-hysterical child.
“Easy, sweetheart, I’ve got you,” he told the little girl.
“I’m scared. My legs hurt!”
“I know, baby. It won’t make much sense to you, but that’s a good sign.” Brodie continued to try and staunch the bleeding, all the time crooning to the little girl. “You’ll be out of here in a minute and safe with your mother. Miss Wilder has her all ready to go to the hospital so the doctor can help you both.”
Shane couldn’t help but smile. This was a side of Brodie she hadn’t been fortunate enough to see before. The realization that she was seeing the man as he used to be before Mary’s death struck Shane with clarity.
“Hotshot!” Brodie called. “Help me here.”
The Wimberley first responder came to Brodie’s aide. “What can I do?”
“I’ve wrapped her legs to protect them. When I push the front seat forward, you pick her up and ease her out. I don’t think there’s any spinal damage, but be as easy as you can.”
“Anya?” Jilly Steiner cried out, hearing part of the conversation.
“Mama!” Anya answered as Hotshot picked her up. Shane ran to help him, getting the other backboard in place.
As soon as they had the woman and her daughter ready to transport, Shane and Brodie loaded them up and got on the road. Shane rode in the back, reassuring the couple as they traveled. From the look of the car, things could’ve been far worse. Thankfully, in a few minutes they pulled into the ER unloading area and delivered the victims to doctors who could help them.
Brodie briefed the doctors as Shane gave a nurse the notes she’d made on their vital signs. When the mother and daughter were rolled into triage, she joined her boss, noticing how tired he looked. “Are you okay?”
Brodie shifted, throwing an inquisitive look toward Shane. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She shrugged, not wanting to spoil their momentary camaraderie. “No reason.” Now that she knew about Mary, she admired Brodie for being willing to put himself in circumstances again and again that would bring his grief back afresh. “Ready to go, boss?”
“Yea, let’s go, Wilder.” He moved ahead of her and to Shane’s surprise, held the door of the ICU open so she could pass through.
“Thank you.”
Despite their difficulties, Shane was ultra-aware of him as a man. She harbored no illusions that he could feel the same, even if his past and loss of Mary weren’t part of the equation. Seeing him work so well with others, his tenderness with the small child who was hurting, and knowing
that he’d fought tirelessly to bring an EMT unit to his community in memory of the one he loved – all of these things touched her heart. At that moment, Shane made a decision. If there was a war to be waged between them, Brodie would wage it on his own.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Dang, these smell good if I do say so myself.” Shane held the plate of warm chocolate chip cookies up to her nose. She’d made a triple batch so there would be enough for all of the firefighters, with one platter exclusively for her supervisor, Brodie Walton.
As she approached the bay door of the station, Chief Logan Gray saw her coming. “You baked?” His smile told her that he appreciated her culinary efforts. “I need to introduce you to my wife, Jenna. I bet you two would hit it off.”
“I’d like that,” Shane admitted with a smile. There hadn’t been too many opportunities to meet anyone outside of work, and since she was the only female, the situation was even a bit more complicated.
“I’ll have her call you.” Logan promised as he took a bite of cookie, then closed his eyes in bliss. “You have a job here as long as you want it, Miss Wilder.”
“Wilder!”
A familiar harsh voice drew her attention. “Thanks, Chief.” She gave him a smile as she veered over to Brodie’s office. On the way, Ronan Greer came to relieve her of the platters of cookies.
“Want me to put those in the kitchen for you?” he asked with a hopeful look, licking his lips.
“One of them, please.” She gave him custody of one platter while holding onto the other. “My boss gets one batch for himself.”
“Lucky man.”
Shane noted his look of surprise. “I need to sweeten him up,” she whispered.
Ronan crossed his fingers and gave her a conspiring wink as she headed on to her destination.
“Good morning,” she greeted Brodie with a smile. “I made you cookies.” Shane set them in front of him and was gratified when he couldn’t resist taking one.
