by Ashton Cade
Blowing Smoke
The Wilds
Ashton Cade
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Jared
Chapter 2
Hunter
Chapter 3
Jared
Chapter 4
Hunter
Chapter 5
Jared
Chapter 6
Hunter
Chapter 7
Jared
Chapter 8
Hunter
Chapter 9
Jared
Chapter 10
Hunter
Chapter 11
Jared
Chapter 12
Hunter
Chapter 13
Jared
Chapter 14
Hunter
Chapter 15
Jared
Chapter 16
Hunter
Chapter 17
Jared
Chapter 18
Hunter
Chapter 19
Jared
Chapter 20
Hunter
Chapter 21
Jared
Chapter 22
Hunter
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Also by Ashton Cade
About the Author
Prologue
Hunter
There’s a chill in the air already despite summer not being fully gone. This time of year, things change fast around here, and before any of us knows it we’ll be waist-deep in snow, wishing for these summer days.
Some of us will be, anyway. The firefighters and smokejumpers of Gateway? Not so much.
Summer is our busy season, the time of year when we’re all on-edge, waiting for the next call to send us into the wilderness to battle one of Mother Nature’s deadliest forces. Summer’s the time of year when none of us knows the next time we’ll see home, when there’s almost always the smell of smoke in the air and practically no opportunities to relax.
Luckily, it’s on its way out. That hint of cold in the air is the first promise of precipitation yet to come, and once everything’s a little wetter around here, I can breathe a little easier.
Tonight’s one of the rare moments we’re not on a call or sitting around the station waiting for a call, so Tanner and I decided it would be a good night to head to Holly’s. We invited Jared, too, and Caleb’s always got a standing invitation to anything Tanner goes to. They’re kind of a package deal at this point.
That is still weird to me. Tanner and I have been friends since before our first fire, and he has never seemed the settling-down type. Hell, we hooked up for a while, and the only reason that even ended was because he thought it was too serious for his tastes.
I can’t say I blame him. Caleb’s a good guy, his daughter is cute as hell, they make an adorable little family. It’s still just such a surprise that out of everyone, it’s frickin’ Tanner James who settled down.
And even though I’m not exactly jealous per se, there’s part of me that can’t help but wonder what I’m lacking that Caleb has to offer. I don’t think Tanner and I were ever right for each other, but I’m pretty certain he was never even tempted to settle down when we were messing around.
No point dwelling on that, though. I’m happy for the two of them. My man will come eventually… I hope.
Things haven’t been exactly hopping in that realm lately, but if there’s one thing Hunter Saila doesn’t do, it’s lose hope. Take my farm, or what I call my farm, for example. I love animals and even if all I have is a dilapidated barn, the dream is alive and well and winding itself around my ankles as I walk.
Holly’s is pretty much the same as every other small-town dive bar I’ve ever been in. It’s mostly bar, with a couple of pool tables, an old jukebox that still plays records—though where she’s getting new vinyl for it is a mystery, because it plays a few recent radio hits—and a crowd of gruff gray-haired men that barely pay me any attention as I walk in.
I head right to the bar, none of my friends here yet, and take a seat where there are enough spots for all of us.
“What’ll it be?” Holly asks, wiping down a glass with a glance across the bar.
“Beer. Whatever’s on special,” I answer with a shrug. I’m not picky about my beers and she knows it. Holly’s got a few taps that rotate selections, but there’s not a ton of interest in Gateway for small-batch brews, so there’s normally some kind of special to offload the beer that’s been sitting around a little too long.
I’m happy to save a couple bucks and get to try something other than the same Bud Light that’s in every bar across the country.
“Make it two,” Jared says, sliding onto the barstool next to me.
Instantly my heart beats a little harder, there’s a lump in my throat, and the warm smell of cedar mixed with his natural scent hits me like a ton of bricks.
I’ve been friends with Jared for so many years, but I’m not exactly sure when this crush first started. It’s silly, and I don’t want to jeopardize the friendship we’ve had for decades, so I’ve been doing what I can to ignore it. But when he sits next to me like this, even my body reacts. It’s hard to pretend he doesn’t affect me.
“Caleb and Tanner aren’t gonna make it,” he says, nodding his thanks to Holly as she delivers our drinks. “Some problem up at the ranch. They said they don’t need any help, before you ask. I already did,” he adds, smirking at me.
“Oh… Well, that’s too bad,” I mutter, heart beating faster. Just the two of us, no buffer or distraction. Great.
“You boys hungry at all?” Holly asks, one hip against the counter.
“Think I’m good, thanks,” Jared says, sipping his beer.
Holly eyes him, lips thinning. “You sure? You look skinny,” she says, narrowing her eyes.
“I’m fine,” he chuckles waving her off.
“It’s that new job that’s keeping him too busy to eat,” I tease. I don’t think there’s anyone in this town prouder of Jared for becoming chief than I am. He’s worked so hard to be a voice of reason and a moral compass in this town that’s been stuck in the past for too long. Now he finally has a chance to do things his way.
“I eat plenty,” he grumbles. “I’ve gained five pounds this year, thank you very much,” he mutters, rolling his eyes.
I can’t stop myself from giving him a once-over, trying to see where he’s hiding those pounds. There’s not much to see with his layers, stupid cold Alaska weather. I don’t need to be able to see his body to know that it’s still in impeccable shape, though. I’ve seen Jared at work, I’ve seen him pursue people on foot, I’ve seen him chopping wood and moving heavy things. I don’t have any doubt that he’s got a body to die for and he’s just being modest.
“When’s Finn coming home?” I ask Holly, tilting my head to the side. Her mothering instincts are in overdrive; it’d be nice if her actual son was around for her to direct that energy.
She makes a face, wipes down the bar, then shrugs. “Less than a year if he doesn’t re-enlist again, the big idiot.”
I wonder if Ryder knows.
I’m not sure my brother would want to know about his ex coming back after two—or was it three?—tours overseas. Ryder never wanted to talk about how things ended, but I don’t think it was particularly amicable.
“Bet you can’t wait,” Jared says, smiling over the rim of his pint glass.
Holly huffs, then shrugs again. “Like I don’t have enough on my plate?”
She might sound annoyed, but neither one of u
s misses the hint of a smile curving her mouth, the little twinkle in her eyes. There’s no doubt she’s missed her son like crazy.
“Let me get you a refill. You sure you don’t want a menu?” Holly asks, taking both our glasses to the tap.
“I ate at work,” Jared says. “Someone brought in one of those big sandwiches… I think one of the receptionists is retiring.”
“You think? Shouldn’t you know, Chief?” I tease.
He snorts. “Probably. Can’t say I’ve got the full hang of this thing yet.” His tone is light and joking, but I sense a hint of truth in it, the worry a little too strong to hide.
“What’s a guy gotta do to get some shots around here?” one of the old-timers shouts toward the bar.
“Could start with asking nicely,” Holly shoots back, before sending an apologetic look our way. “Duty calls,” she says, patting the bar before leaving us on our own.
For a long moment, neither of us says anything, the silence growing and getting more awkward by the minute.
“You’re doing a great job, you know,” I say finally, the beer slipping through the wrinkles in my brain, lubricating my tongue into saying things I wouldn’t normally. “There’s no one in this town that could be a better chief than you. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Jared smiles and looks down into his beer. “Thanks. Means a lot coming from you.”
My heart flutters. I try to shove the feeling down, make sure to tell myself he’s not flirting with me because we’ve been friends forever and he’s never flirted with me. Why would he suddenly start now?
“Well, I mean it. Seems like the only thing that department’s done right in the last few years is put you in that position.”
“Hopefully we can fix that track record a little,” he chuckles softly, fingers tightening on his glass. He’s still worried about it. Whoops. I’m not sure I made it any better at all.
“I know you can,” I say, hardly finishing my beer before Holly’s serving up another one. If I’m not careful, I’m gonna wind up drunk, making decisions I can’t take back.
Would it be so bad with Jared?
I’ve had a lot of one-night stands with guys I barely knew and didn’t care about. What would it be like with him?
I shouldn’t even be thinking about it.
“Enough about me. How’re you doing? Glad the season’s over?”
I nod, turning the glass in my hand. “I guess. It’s always a little bittersweet. A relief that I made it through in one piece, but now I’ve got a whole winter to stare at the wall and twiddle my thumbs.”
“I’m sure you’ll find some way to keep busy,” Jared says. I’m sure I’m imagining the suggestion in his tone.
“I’ve always got the menagerie to tend to,” I say with a little shrug. “I don’t know… I guess I’ve just been feeling… off lately,” I admit, staring at the bottles lined up on the shelf behind the bar. My tongue’s definitely loose, words I don’t mean to say tumbling out.
Neither flirting nor talking about feelings is a thing we really do. And I don’t really know how to even convey these. What am I even feeling? Rejection isn't right—as much as I was once disappointed that Tanner and I never went anywhere, I made my peace with it a long time ago. It wasn’t so much about Tanner himself as it was about finding love, a solid relationship. Jealousy isn’t exactly it either. I’m happy for Tanner and Caleb, for their cute little family situation with Nina and the ranch.
I guess seeing the guy that never wanted to settle down actually doing it has just thrown me a little. Suddenly I feel like I’m running out of time. Like I’ll never find someone to be with. Jared’s always felt off the table as my best friend, but I can’t say I haven’t thought about him like that, as much as I try to push those feelings aside.
“Off?” Jared asks, brows furrowing as he leans toward me a little.
“Probably just boredom,” I say, waving off his worries. “The blues hit us all pretty hard at the end of the season, big adrenaline crash, you know?”
“Mmhmm,” Jared says, nodding though he doesn’t sound entirely convinced. “When I first got out of the Navy I didn’t know what to do with myself. Having freedom can be weird when you’re not used to it.”
I chuckle. “I should’ve known you’d understand. Sorry for dumping—”
“What’re friends for?” he asks, cutting me off.
“Uh… giving pep talks and drinking beer?” I ask, laughing. Yep, friends.
“And curing boredom, c’mon,” he says, standing from his seat, holding his hand out to me.
I tilt my head to the side. “What?”
“Let’s dance,” he says. “This song is too peppy to sit through.”
I look around the bar full of grizzled old Alaskans, then back to him like he’s lost his mind.
“You’re joking right?”
Now he grabs my wrist, tugging.
“Not even a little. You’re wasting the song, come on. Live a little.”
There’s no resisting his pull, but I’m getting very, very confused. I’ve never seen this side of Jared and I’m not sure what to make of it.
He’s right though: this song is too peppy to sit through. I don’t know who put it on the old jukebox—probably a mistake to be honest—but I’m happy to forget about everything else for a couple of minutes and just dance.
Neither one of us is a good dancer, and we’ve got each other laughing, nearly doubled over by the time the song’s done. The next one is a lot slower, and suddenly Jared’s hand is on my back, guiding me in a slow sway.
“You know, there are other ways we could cure your boredom,” he says, voice low and warm.
Am I having a seizure? Have I been harboring this secret crush for so long that I’m hallucinating?
“Oh?” I ask, equal parts confused and innocent.
He shrugs. “We could have a good time, is all. Unless someone else is filling that spot in your life?”
My face burns at the directness of the question. It’s not really a secret that I’m a bit of a manwhore, but it feels weird to have Jared acknowledging it so openly.
“Uh… No, there’s not. I’m… very single,” I say, heart beating so hard I feel like it might bruise my pecs from the inside. Is this really happening?
“That makes two of us,” he says, still swaying. He pauses, looking over my shoulder for a long moment before looking back to me, frowning. “I know it’s probably coming out of nowhere, but it seems like we could both blow off some steam… It doesn’t have to be anything else.”
My chest tightens. I’ve never seen Jared in a relationship of any kind, I wouldn’t expect that to suddenly change for me. Hell, I am not really the relationship type. Sure I fantasize about it, but if I’m honest with myself, a no-strings attached arrangement is perfect for both of us.
And he’s not wrong. I could use a release. It’s been way too long since I’ve had one of those one-night stands.
“Just two old pals having a good time?” I ask, our sway paused, the whole bar forgotten for a moment.
“Yep,” he says, fingers curling into my back, his touch sending a shock straight to my toes.
“We should close our tab,” I answer.
“That right?” he asks, the corner of his lip curving upward, my insides going molten.
Is this a terrible idea?
I don’t care. Not right now. Not tonight. I trust Jared more than pretty much anyone in the whole world, so if he says we can have some fun and blow off steam without it ruining anything, I believe him.
“And then you should come home with me,” I say, curling a finger through one of his belt loops, inching toward his zipper, my mouth dry, ears ringing with anticipation. I’m sure at any moment he’s going to snap out of it and tell me he’s changed his mind.
I think I hold my breath the whole time we’re waiting for Holly to acknowledge us, bouncing on my toes anxiously.
Suddenly Jared’s hand is on my lower back. “My offer’s
not going anywhere, there’s no hurry.”
He says that, but before we even get in my truck, he’s pushing me against the door, crushing his mouth to mine. It’s a fierce kiss, one that goes all the way to my bones, rattling me like, resonating like I’m a church bell. The truck’s cold at my back, but Jared’s warm enough to make up for it, his body hard through layers of clothes.
“Now we can go,” he says, pulling back while I’m still breathless and shaken, grinning at me with this gleam in his eye that I’ve never seen before.
What has gotten into him tonight?
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Hunter, I remind myself. How long have I wanted this to happen? I’m not going to miss my chance.
There’s only one stoplight in Gateway, but of course it’s red when we pull up to the intersection. I huff—it’s on a timer, it doesn’t care that there’s no one else coming.
Jared leans over and kisses me again. This time it’s a little gentler, but no less urgent. Instead of bruising force, his tongue is dancing with mine, a back and forth that I can’t get enough of.
“It’s green,” he says, pulling back, leaving me panting.
“Wha—”
