Wildfire Sweethearts

by Leigh Bale

  “Let me show you to the classroom where you’ll be speaking. The students will be arriving shortly.” Mr. Garvey led the way down a long hallway that smelled of damp paper towels and pencil shavings.

  Inside the classroom Tessa swept past rows of desks and chairs to the front of the room. Several other presenters sat looking expectant, their soft chatter filtering through the air as they spoke politely to one another. Following more introductions, Tessa took a seat beside an accountant and gazed out the wide windows onto the football field. The sprinklers were on, whooshing over the shimmering grass. She made a mental note of the door leading outside and the exercise equipment littering the area near the bleachers. That might come in handy.

  A shrill bell rang and Tessa inwardly cringed. As a gawky teenager, she’d never fit in with the other girls her age. She could do without all the primping, gossip and the pressure to dress and act a certain way. Instead, she’d preferred being with Zach and his friends. He’d never seemed to mind.

  Within minutes approximately fifteen kids piled into the room, an equal mixture of boys and girls. In a small town this size, Tessa recognized most of them, including Matt Morton. The boy’s mom was a widow who waited tables at Rocklin Diner on Main Street. The owner of the restaurant happened to be Megan Marshall, the FMO’s new wife. Tessa made a mental note to pay a visit to her good friend as soon as she got some time off from work.

  The kids barely glanced at the adults stationed up front, laughing and talking as they found their seats. They slouched in their chairs like they didn’t have a care in the world. One student looked up and spotted Tessa. Nudging the boy next to him, he smiled wide.

  “Hubba, hubba. This might be fun.”

  A shrill wolf whistle followed his comment, but Tessa ignored it. She didn’t like public speaking, but this wasn’t her first rodeo. She had learned to take care of herself in a work environment filled with men. She decided that she could handle a bunch of hormonal adolescents.

  Another bell rang and Mr. Garvey stood to give the introductions. Two law enforcement officers would go first, followed by the CPA and then a technology professor from the community college out of Reno. Sean and Tessa were dead last on the agenda.

  Hmm. This might take longer than she expected.

  Crossing her legs, Tessa put herself on cruise control and waited patiently. She enjoyed the respite, but inside she was quaking. Standing up to speak in front of a bunch of mouthy teenagers made her nervous, especially when she knew Sean would be watching her.

  When it was his turn, Sean stood. Ignoring the podium, he walked to the front of the room in his hotshot swagger that said he was in control.

  Tessa hid a slight smile.

  “Good afternoon,” he began, his deep bass voice filling the room like rolling thunder. He sure didn’t need a microphone.

  “My name is Sean Nash, and I’m the superintendent of the Minoa Interagency Hotshot crew.” He gestured toward Tessa, and she stood. “This is Tessa Carpenter, one of my crew members.”

  A piercing whistle split the air and someone called out from across the room. “Ooo, Tessa. You are fine, lady. Can I work wi’ you?”

  A round of snickers skittered across the crowd. Simultaneously, Mr. Garvey and Sean jerked their heads in that direction. Mr. Garvey glared and scanned the sea of faces as though trying to pinpoint who had spoken. The group of teenagers stared straight back, looking innocent as newborn babes. Tessa didn’t show any reaction whatsoever. But inside she was laughing. She’d been uneasy at first, but now she was in her element.

  “Tommie Wheeler, you’ll have to ask your mommy about that,” Tessa shot back, her face void of expression.

  Tommie’s gaze widened as though he was surprised that she knew it was him who had spoken. His face flushed red as a new fire engine, his eyes filled with embarrassment.

  “Ah-hum! Remember these people are our guests and you will be polite,” Mr. Garvey said in a stern voice.

  Dead silence fell over the throng. Tommie sat back, his eyes downcast.

  Sean gave a scoffing laugh. “I don’t blame you for wanting to work with Tessa, but you will have to prove you can keep up with her first. To be a hotshot, you’re gonna have to be in prime physical condition.”

  “I’m a hotshot. I’m prime.” A tall boy wearing a letterman jacket flexed the muscle of his arm.

  Tessa didn’t know the youth, so she held her tongue.

  Sean showed a tolerant smile. “Talk is cheap. If you want to be on my crew, you will have to prove yourself.” Always quick with a comeback, Sean didn’t miss a beat as he answered in a jovial tone, doing an admirable job of keeping things light. Rumbling laughter filled the room as several other boys jostled the athlete. It took several moments for the boys to settle down as Mr. Garvey cleared his throat loudly.

  Sean continued his dialogue. “If you were to become a hotshot, some of the things we would train you in are first aid, compass usage, GPS coordinates, chain saws, fire suppression and tactical field work. But first you’ve got to make the team. I don’t accept any complaints or whining, so you better leave that at home with your momma. Attitude is everything in this profession. Members of my crew can hike three miles carrying forty-five pounds on their back in forty-five minutes or less. And you’ve got to be able to swing a hand tool. All. Day. Long. And sometimes all night, too.”

  “Without sleep?” someone asked.

  Sean nodded. “Without sleep.”

  “Girls, too?” a female voice called.

  Sean nodded. “Girls, too. A crew is only as strong as their weakest member. So the women have to be able to work just as hard as the men and carry their own weight. In addition to that, all crew members need to run one and a half miles in ten and a half minutes or less. You’ll do twenty-five push-ups in under one minute, forty sit-ups and at least seven chin-ups. And that’s just a few of the physical requirements. There’s much more that we’ll show you once you’re ready to try out for the crew.”

  A stocky, medium-height boy with a peach fuzz beard gave a barking laugh. Wearing a sleeveless black T-shirt and sporting a skull tattoo on his right arm, he waved a hand in the air. “Ah, gimme something hard to do. That’s nothing.”

  Tessa recognized the boy. His name was Gavin Smith, and she’d heard the stories circulating around town that he was a troublemaker. Drinking, drugs, fighting, painting graffiti and suspicion of theft were just a few of the complaints against the boy. He wasn’t good news.

  Sean flashed a naughty-but-nice smile at the kid. Lifting his hands to rest on his lean hips, he arched one brow in a skeptical frown.

  Oh, no. Tessa knew that look, and it didn’t bode well for her, or Gavin.

  * * *

  “What’s your name, son?” Sean asked the braggart boy.

  “Gavin Smith. What’s it to you?” the youth replied with a challenging lift of his head.

  Sean wasn’t riled by the belligerence in the boy’s eyes. He’d heard a few bad things about Gavin. Getting into altercations with the police for suspicion of drugs and vandalism. Arrogant and disrespectful. Sean had been the same way once. And he thought that maybe he could make a difference for the boy. Gavin sat next to Matt Morton, one of the kids from Sean’s scouting group, so maybe the two were friends.

  “And you think you can do that many push-ups, sit-ups and chin-ups in under a minute each?” Sean asked.

  A flicker of doubt flashed across the teenager’s face before he gave a hesitant nod. “Yes, I do.”

  Ah, this was just what Sean was hoping for. He couldn’t have planned it better.

  “Okay, I’ll tell you what. Let’s all head outside to that chin-up bar near the bleachers and have a friendly competition. Tessa and you. Let’s see who can do the most chin-ups.” Sean jutted his jaw toward the window where the exercise equipment sat waiting near the f
ootball field.

  Out of his peripheral vision, Sean caught Mr. Garvey popping out of his seat, looking flushed and confused. Tessa shifted nervously by his side and Sean sensed that she didn’t like this idea, but she didn’t say a word.

  Turning, Sean met her eyes. “Are you okay with that?”

  She hadn’t come here to compete, after all. But he’d advised her that he might ask her to show the students a few exercises they could do to get themselves into pristine shape. She’d been warned. Kind of. But he also knew she might get beaten. Women didn’t have the upper body strength of men. A strong boy of sixteen or seventeen years might be able to do more chin-ups than she could. Tessa’s forte wasn’t in her muscular strength but rather in her pacing and endurance. And her determination. In fact, she was relentless.

  With a resolute lift of her head, she gazed at the teenager with passive interest. But Sean wasn’t fooled. He knew her too well. A spark of fire flashed in her eyes that told him no way was she going to let this snot-nosed kid beat her. Not without putting up a fight. Her gaze didn’t waver. Just a lock-jawed resolve that told him the game was on.

  “Yes, let’s do it.” She gave one nod, and that was that.

  She didn’t say another word and Sean had to hand it to her. In spite of her personal feelings toward him, she was staying professional and aboveboard. And he’d never been prouder of her than at that moment.

  “Come on.” He waved an arm at the kids and headed for the door.

  A mad scramble followed him as he led the way out onto the field. The air smelled of freshly mowed grass. The sun beat down on them like a baking oven, but Sean and Tessa were used to that and more. The students gathered close as he reached into his pocket for his stopwatch.

  “Stand back and give our competitors plenty of room,” he said.

  The kids widened the circle.

  Tessa and Gavin faced each other. Sean could see the teenage boy sizing her up. She was shorter by perhaps eight inches and at least forty pounds lighter. When Gavin flashed a confident smile, Sean knew the boy had seriously underestimated his opponent. And then Tessa did something that didn’t surprise Sean in the least. Locking gazes with Gavin, she showed a half-crooked smile that spoke volumes. That one expression said it all without saying a word.

  You poor sap. You just got had.

  Sean quickly organized the event. “We need someone to count each repetition.”

  Matt Morton stepped forward. “I can do it.”

  “Good. You stand right here beside the chin-up bar and count out the reps while I run the stopwatch.”

  With one nod, Matt took his position. Mr. Garvey stood nearby, as well.

  “Ladies first.” Gavin held out a hand to Tessa.

  “Oh, no,” Tessa replied in an even tone. “I’m not sentimental. You’ll go first.”

  It was an order, not a question. With that subtle command, Tessa had just taken control of the situation.

  Sean almost roared with laughter. He’d seen Tessa do this many times with the other members of the hotshot crew. There was something about knowing how far your competition could go that incentivized you to win. Tessa was strong, but she never beat any of her male crew members on the chin-up bar. But a smart-mouthed teenage boy like Gavin was something different. And Sean was prepared to enjoy this event immensely.

  Gavin stepped in front of the bar. He positioned his feet carefully, looked up then down at the ground. He exhaled a giant huff of air. When he glanced over at Sean, he nodded.

  “Ready when you are,” Sean said.

  The boy reached up, gripped the metal bar and began. Sean clicked the watch on, paying close attention to the second hand.

  Being young and inexperienced, Gavin pumped hard and fast. At first.

  “One, two, three, four...” Matt started to count at a fast clip.

  Gavin pulled a bit slower. Sweat broke out on the boy’s forehead, and his breathing became labored. One of his hands slipped and he almost fell off the bar. He gave a deep groan, latched on to the bar with a jerk and kept pulling.

  “Nine...ten...eleven...!” the crowd counted with Matt.

  Gavin slipped again and dropped to the ground, wiping his damp hands on his pants. He was out, but he’d barely made twelve reps. He gasped, red-faced from embarrassment and his exertions. And then he gave a deep hacking cough. Sean knew from the sound that Gavin was a smoker.

  “Hooray!” The kids cheered wildly, some of the girls jumping up and down as they clapped their hands.

  Matt and several other school jocks wearing letterman jackets pounded the boy on the back. Gavin grinned with victory, but a flash of doubt filled his eyes. He’d fallen before he could finish the repetitions he’d been capable of doing. He’d been too sure of himself and Sean believed it had spelled his doom. Twelve chin-ups in such a short amount of time was impressive, after all. But Sean knew the boy could have done many more. That didn’t matter in a competition, nor in wildfire fighting, either.

  “Time!” Sean called. “You could have gone on if you hadn’t dropped to the ground.”

  “My hands slipped. They’re all sweaty,” Gavin grumbled as he swiped them across his T-shirt.

  Tessa didn’t respond, her face void of expression. Sean knew that, for someone who usually said what was on her mind, she’d learned to keep her feelings to herself in situations like this. Mainly because she knew something that Gavin probably didn’t suspect.

  Twelve chin-ups was good. Very good. But the larger a person was, the harder the reps became because they had more body weight to pull up.

  Because of the calories she burned on the job, Tessa didn’t weigh more than a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet. She regularly pulled between thirteen and fifteen chin-ups every day during their exercise regimen. Not because she had to, but because she pushed herself hard at everything she did. To keep herself in prime physical condition to fight fire with the men.

  Wiping her hands against her pants to remove the dampness, she then rubbed them in the dirt to make sure her palms were good and dry. Reaching up, she gripped the bar and began. Moving at a steady pace, she bent her knees slightly. As she found her rhythm, she used her legs like a frog, pumping them in the air to help propel her upward as she pulled with her arms. She used her entire body, moving in an easy, steady rhythm, so she wouldn’t burn herself out before she met her goal. She’d done this so many times, she knew it by heart. And watching the clock became difficult for Sean. He wanted to watch her. He could hardly take his eyes off her graceful motions.

  “Twelve...thirteen...fourteen!”

  Both Gavin and Matt groaned in defeat. Some kids were more generous, especially the girls. Even if Tessa was the opponent, they got caught up in the moment and counted out her reps.

  “Eighteen...nineteen...twenty!”

  “Time!” Sean called.

  Tessa dropped to the ground, her breathing coming fast and hard. She’d reached a new record for herself. Watching her, Sean realized she’d worked hard but knew what to expect and how to get the most out of her body. No bending over and heaving and blowing for her. No, sirree. And Sean knew it was because she saw that as a sign of weakness. And there was very little weakness in this woman.

  Gavin stared at her, openmouthed. “Hey! How did you do that?”

  She smiled a knowing smile then reached out and clapped the boy’s shoulder. “Why don’t you come down and visit our hotshot base in the next week or two and I’ll tell you how. We could use a good man like you on the crew next summer, if you’re interested in fighting with the best. We can tell you how to get yourself in shape and put you through the training requirements. But you’d better give up the cigarettes first. They ruin your lungs and cause a lot of other health problems.”

  Sean almost swallowed his tongue. She’d said verbatim what he’d planned to
say to Gavin. Sean recognized raw talent when he saw it. Gavin might be a bit wild and rough around the edges, but they’d teach him, if he’d listen. If he would train and work hard. If the kid was willing, they could pull him out of his wild lifestyle and set him on the road to something beneficial and productive.

  Gavin flashed a smile. “Maybe.”

  His answer meant no, but Sean wasn’t deterred. He intended to help this boy, if he could. If Gavin would let him. The way that Zach and Tessa had once helped him.

  While Tessa faced the crowd, Sean handed Gavin a pamphlet with his name and phone number written at the bottom. He hoped the boy would call soon. If not, Sean would follow up with Matt and enlist some help.

  “You want to know what I do as a woman wildfire fighter?” Tessa spoke to the group in a loud, confident voice. “Well, I’ll tell you. I fight fire. Right alongside the men. I get just as dirty and work just as hard as they do. Don’t you girls believe it when someone says you can’t do what the guys can do. Most women aren’t as strong as a man, but there are other ways for us to compensate. Learn to pace yourself. Learn patience. And if you’re interested in becoming a hotshot, give us a call. If you’re willing to work hard, I’d be happy to help you along.”

  Several tendrils of golden-brown hair framed Tessa’s face and were slightly damp from her exertions. In spite of what she’d just done, she looked feminine and pretty. She brushed the hair aside and reached for the bag she’d brought and started handing out pamphlets. Kids crowded around her, including several girls. A heavy dose of respect gleamed in their eyes. Tessa laughed and joked with them, answering their questions.

  Watching her work, Sean stood back and folded his arms. He couldn’t suppress a burgeoning pride that welled within his chest. And to think she’d been nervous about talking to these teenagers. All he could think at that moment was what a remarkable woman she was.

  His woman. Or at least, she used to be. And knowing that he’d lost her punctured his heart. But he had no one to blame but himself.