Burn So Bright

by Jennifer Bernard

  The nurse shook her head firmly and headed for Josh. “Chief Becker says Josh here looks like he’s hurting and ought to be checked out. You have a broken leg, right?”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t matter right now—”

  Ignoring him, she picked up his wrist to check his pulse. “Your pupils are dilated, your pulse thready. How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?”

  “About a twelve and a half,” he admitted. The nurse shook her head and pulled out her pager. “We need to X-ray your leg.”

  “But—”

  Suzanne gasped and slid off the hospital bed. “Josh Marshall, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were in pain while I’m babbling on.”

  “I want you to babble. I want you to answer.”

  “You’re crazy. You can’t just go around proposing to people when you’re having a medical crisis.”

  Two medical types in scrubs came into the room. They seemed to know what they were doing—which was to take charge of him and drag him away from Suzanne.

  “Just say yes!” he called as they helped him onto a gurney. “I don’t want to lose consciousness until I hear a yes.”

  Suzanne skipped alongside the gurney as they wheeled it out of the exam room and down the hall. “Shouldn’t we talk it over a little more? We should talk about the baby. Are you really ready to have a baby?”

  “Honey, I’m just getting an X-ray,” he told her. “I’m not having a baby.”

  He heard a few laughs from the orderlies pushing the gurney. Suzanne rolled her eyes. “Only you could make jokes at a time like this.”

  They approached the double doors that led to the operating room. “Wait. We’re not finished. Answer the question,” he called to her as she stopped outside the doors and the gurney kept going.

  The last thing he heard was, “Yes! The answer is yes!” before the doors slid shut.

  For a guy who’d never planned on proposing, he’d totally aced it.

  30

  The first work party to turn the old Turner farm into the Star Bright Shelter for Teens took place in November, By then, Josh was off his crutches but still using a cane. That didn’t stop him from acting like he was in charge, Suzanne noticed. iPad in hand, he hustled around the property. She’d set him up with a multitude of PowerPoints—a volunteer schedule, a task list, fundraising target goals. Since she was five months along in her pregnancy and just starting to show, he wanted to do everything he could to make things easier on her.

  As a good husband should.

  “I still haven’t forgiven you,” Brianna murmured in her ear. Dressed in her usual work uniform of grubby overalls and straw hat, she was directing a crew of girls putting in a vegetable garden. “I had the flowers all picked out for your wedding. Stargazer lilies and Blaze of Fire salvia.”

  “I’m sorry to break your garden-nerd heart, but we were in a hurry. We aren’t even doing a honeymoon. And I spent years planning other people’s. It’s funny how things turn out.”

  “It’s all right,” Evie smiled as she joined them. “I’m going to give you free rein at our wedding, Bri.” She put an arm around Suzanne and gave her a little hug. “In return, I call first godmother.”

  “First godmother? Is that a thing?”

  “I don’t see why not. You have a few contenders.”

  Suzanne grinned at her friends. That was true. All of her friends were excited about the baby coming—and about the Star Bright Shelter. Merry was interviewing the volunteers for an article in the newspaper. Cindy and the others from the Y had been working their butts off all day. But Brianna—Brianna probably deserved more thanks than anyone.

  “None of this would be happening without you, Bri.” Suzanne smiled affectionately at her redheaded friend. “I can’t believe you managed to talk that old farmer into selling. He’s the biggest grouch in the world.”

  “I have hidden powers of persuasion.” Brianna mimed brushing lint off her overalls. “It’s because I’m so diplomatic and such a smooth talker.” They all had to laugh at that one. Of all the ways Bri could be described, diplomatic wasn’t one of them. “Speaking of smooth talkers, what’s the latest on Logan?”

  “Well, police arrested the guy who set the fire and the police found a wire transfer to him from Logan. Logan’s facing criminal charges, which means his law career is in jeopardy. But the Rossi family has deep pockets, so who knows.”

  “He should pay for what he did!” Bri bristled with indignation.

  “Of course he should. But you know what, I’m going to focus on the good things about Logan.” He was her baby’s biological father, after all. “Maybe he’ll learn from this whole stupid thing.”

  Evie smiled kindly at her, but Brianna rolled her eyes. “You’re a lot nicer than I am. If he ever comes back to Jupiter Point, I have a few garden tools I’m not afraid to use.” She glanced around at the crowds. “So where are the rest of the hotshots?”

  Suzanne exchanged an amused glance with Evie. “Why do you ask? Is there one in particular you’re wondering about?”

  “No.” Brianna flushed a deep beet red.

  “Maybe…Rollo? The big, hunky bear with a trust fund, who you’re always hanging out with?” She had a soft spot for Rollo because he was the one who had rescued Josh in Yellowstone. Only someone of his caliber would be worthy of Brianna.

  “What? No! You know we’re just really great friends.” A mischievous expression crossed her freckled face. “Actually, I’m pretty sure Rollo has his eye on Merry. I’ve seen him watching her.”

  “Ooooh.” Suzanne hadn’t noticed that undercurrent. But she wouldn’t be surprised. Merry was beautiful and intelligent and a little mysterious, too. But she was very focused on her job and had never seemed impressed by the whole hero-firefighter thing.

  She changed the subject before Brianna got too uncomfortable.

  “Well, back to your question about where they all are today, there’s big news, as a matter of fact.”

  “Big news?” Merry joined them, notepad already in hand. “Something I can share with the Mercury News-Gazette? We’re desperate for news these days.”

  “It’s about that movie, Miracle in Big Canyon. The hotshots who were in the burnover are being interviewed by the movie studio right now. And guess what? Finn Abrams is in town.”

  “Finn? The one who ran away from the others?” Merry jotted that down. “He’s pretty controversial. I’m surprised he’s even here.”

  “Apparently he was burned pretty badly,” Evie said. “Part of his face, I heard?”

  “It’s not that bad,” Brianna burst out.

  Everyone turned to look at her.

  “You’ve met Finn?” Suzanne asked in surprise.

  That same beet-red color spread across Brianna’s cheeks. “It’s a long story.”

  “We have time,” Merry said promptly.

  “Nothing but time,” agreed Evie.

  “I just think people should be more thoughtful about someone who nearly died in a fire, and people shouldn’t jump to conclusions and think they know what really happened when there’s a lot more to the story, and—”

  In the middle of Brianna’s intriguing explanation, Suzanne caught sight of Josh gesturing to her. He had a playful grin on his face, and the fact was, she could never resist his smile.

  “Sorry, girls, gotta go check in with my husband,” she told her friends. “And yes, I do love saying that.”

  The other women laughed. She waved and headed for the wildly attractive fireman she’d married two weeks ago.

  “Hey, babe,” Josh said, yanking her close as soon as she was within range. “I’m doing all this hard work for free, the least you could do is throw me a kiss now and then.”

  She rose up on tiptoe and peppered kisses along his stubbly jawline. His hair brushed against her face and his laughing gray eyes gazed into hers.

  “That’s more like it,” he murmured. He put his hand to her lower back, which had been bothering her lately, and smoothe
d out the tight muscles. “You hanging in there?”

  “Better now.” She snuggled against him. Being with him always made her feel better. “Where’s Snowball?”

  “Doing that thing she does. Shepherding people where she wants them to go.”

  “She knows best.” They shared a smile. “Josh, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you.”

  “If you want to take back your ‘yes,’ it’s a little too late.”

  She swatted him on the arm. “Of course not. I nabbed you fair and square, and I’m not letting you go.”

  “Fair and square? You call scaring the life out of me fair and square? Your tactics were pretty low, if you ask me.”

  “Whatever it takes, hotshot. Results don’t lie.” She pressed another kiss onto the corner of his mouth, then got down to business. “But seriously. Josh, I know this is all a huge change for you. I don’t want you to feel…you know, trapped.” She cringed as she said the word that brought back so many bad memories. “If you need to take some time for yourself, maybe a trip to Fiji or New Zealand, or whatever…safari…hike Mount Everest…we have four months before the baby comes. I don’t want you to feel stuck here in Jupiter Point.”

  His smiled dropped as he studied her face. “You’re serious.”

  “Yes. Very serious. Your whole life has changed in a very short time. You probably have whiplash.”

  “Well,” he said slowly. “Here’s the thing. I didn’t plan to meet you. I didn’t plan to fall in love. I didn’t plan any of this. But I’ve never been much of a planner. It’s like in firefighting. No matter how much you work things out ahead of time, no matter how hard you train, you have to work the fire you’re in. Well, Mrs. Josh Marshall, you’re the fire. And I’m in. All in.”

  She hugged him, tears stinging her eyes. God, her hormones were out of control. How did women get through nine months without crying nonstop? “I really love you, Josh. It’s crazy how much. I never thought I could love someone the way I love you.” She sniffed. “I seriously thought my biggest passion in life was going to be Casa di Stella.”

  They shared a moment of sadness for her childhood home, which had burned nearly to the ground. The ivy was already growing over the remains of the foundation in a tumbling, romantic way.

  “I’m sorry you didn’t get your dream,” Josh murmured in her ear. “I’m really sorry. But you can just forget about me going anywhere right now. I have no intention of missing a single minute of the next four months. Or the next lifetime, for that matter. There isn’t a single tropical island, back-country trek, or surf break out there that could tempt me away from you.”

  Her sorrow over the fire evaporated in the face of his heartfelt words. This man was her future, her days and nights, her sunshine and starlight. Her life shimmered before her, wide open and filled with joy. She smiled up at Josh, feeling as if stars were bursting inside her, turning the whole world bright as dawn. “I have news for you, my love. I did get my dream. This is it.”

  She waved at the wonderful scene around her, then put her hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

  “My dream is right here, right now, with you. Just the way I didn’t exactly plan it.”

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for visiting Jupiter Point, I hope you come again soon! The next Jupiter Point book is coming in March of 2017. If you’d like to keep up to date on new Jennifer Bernard books, please sign up for my newsletter. You’ll receive exclusive bonus content, sneak peeks, giveaways, and a free story just for joining. I hope you consider leaving a review, and as they say in Jupiter Point, remember to look up at the stars.

  About the Author

  Jennifer Bernard is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “an irresistible reading experience” full of “quick wit and sizzling love scenes.” A graduate of Harvard and former news promo producer, she left big city life in Los Angeles for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She still hasn’t adjusted to the cold, so most often she can be found cuddling with her laptop and a cup of tea. No stranger to book success, she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name that she’s happy to share with the curious. You can learn more about Jennifer and her books at JenniferBernard.net.

  Connect with Jennifer online:

  @Jen_Bernard

  JenniferBernardBooks

  JenniferBernard.net

  Jen@JenniferBernard.net

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank Dana LaMothe for her gorgeous cover design work, Kelli Collins for her impeccable editing, and Wendy K for her careful proofreading and loyal assistance. I dedicate this book to my amazing friends in the Ever After Romance Authors group. Love you!

  Also by Jennifer Bernard

  Jupiter Point Series

  Set the Night on Fire ~ Book 1

  Seeing Stars

  (Prequel and Hope Falls Kindle World Novella)

  The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel

  The Fireman Who Loved Me

  Hot for Fireman

  Sex and the Single Fireman

  How to Tame a Wild Fireman

  Four Weddings and a Fireman

  The Night Belongs to Fireman

  Novellas

  One Fine Fireman

  Desperately Seeking Fireman

  It’s a Wonderful Fireman

  Love Between the Bases

  All of Me

  Caught By You

  Getting Wound Up (crossover with Sapphire Falls)

  Drive You Wild

  Crushing It