Wildfire Sweethearts

by Leigh Bale

  Tessa could just imagine. She’d worked with Sean long enough to know he wouldn’t tolerate any shenanigans.

  Out of her peripheral vision, she caught a glimpse of Gavin. The boy waved goodbye before turning to leave.

  “Hey, Gavin! Wait up and I’ll go with you,” Matt called.

  Gavin paused, waiting for Matt to join him. As the two boys sauntered toward the street out front, Tessa hoped Gavin wouldn’t lead Matt into any more altercations with the law.

  “Be good,” Sean called after them with a wave of his hand.

  They waved back and disappeared around the corner.

  Turning, Tessa glanced at Sean again. She liked this fatherly side to him. She just hoped he wouldn’t abandon these boys the way he’d abandoned her.

  * * *

  “Okay, let’s take a look at that report.” Sean blotted the front of his damp shirt with a dish towel.

  Standing inside his kitchen, he tossed the towel onto the counter and took a deep inhale to steady his nerves. Owen and the boys had left. Finally, Sean could have a moment alone with Tessa.

  He wouldn’t have asked her to come over here if it hadn’t been important. Jared Marshall had called right as Sean was leaving work today and announced that he had some extra funds available. If Sean could get him a list of necessary items, he might be able to purchase most of it. But Jared needed the list first thing in the morning. Since Tessa was responsible for maintaining the inventory logs, and Sean had a Scout meeting tonight, he’d asked her to update the information and bring it over to him.

  “Here it is.” She handed him a manila folder then twined her hands together, the movement telling him that she was nervous.

  He stepped into the living room and spoke without looking at her. “Have a seat.”

  She followed him into the brightly lit room and perched on the edge of a recliner. The blinds were still open on the wide picture window, showing a warm azure sky that gleamed with the faint dusk of evening.

  He sat on the sofa. As he perused the file, she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed she still wore her hotshot uniform. She obviously had come here right from work.

  “I think what you’re doing with the Scouts is amazing. What made you decide to start working with them?” she asked.

  He shrugged as memories of his own childhood washed over him. “Some of the boys like Matt and Gavin don’t have a father. After the way I grew up, I thought maybe I could help them.”

  He didn’t add that he was also trying to atone for losing her brother. He couldn’t bring Zach back, but maybe he could make a difference for these boys.

  “Matt told me that you’ve really changed his life. It’s great that you’ve taken him under your wing,” she said.

  “Actually, I think it’s the other way around. These boys have changed me. I love being with them.”

  “That’s nice.”

  He nodded and leaned back, the folder resting on his right thigh. “I remember making some of the same stupid mistakes when I was their age and wishing someone had been there to stop me.”

  “I’m sure their parents appreciate what you’re doing.”

  “I think Cathy Morton needs the most help. She’s doing her best to be a good mother and keep Matt on the straight and narrow path, but it’s hard to raise a teenage son on your own. She reminds me of your mom.”

  “Yes, she does. I hear that Cathy is dating Rich Wilcox,” Tessa said.

  Sean nodded. “Rich is a good man. Cathy’s an overworked mom who’s worried about her boy. My only regret is I can’t be around for Matt as much as I’d like. He’s become good friends with Gavin Smith. Gavin’s a nice kid, but he’s got a wild streak in him. I think he’s really struggling with which side he wants to be on. And right now I think it could go either way. He’s quite a handful for his grandpa.”

  “Do you think Gavin will lead Matt astray?” Tessa asked.

  “There’s no telling at this point. Hopefully Matt will make a difference for Gavin. The Scouting activities help a lot. I don’t want to lose either boy. I’m determined to make sure that Matt gets his Eagle Scout award. If nothing else, he has his friends here and they’re focused on service projects instead of being hoodlums. And he has me. I’ll do what I can for all of those boys.”

  “Good. I think that’s great,” she said, but her voice held a tinge of doubt.

  An uncomfortable silence followed. So much for small talk, but it felt good to discuss these simple things with her. It seemed so normal. Chatting about their day. Speculating on the outcome. Trying to do some good in the world. It’d be so easy for Sean to let down his guard. To forget the past and pretend that everything was okay.

  He reopened the folder and scanned the lists. “You think we need more goggles?”

  She nodded. “I do. The guys keep losing them. And the lenses get scratched easily.”

  “Maybe we need to buy a better quality lens. What about more Nomex shirts and chain saws?”

  “Yes, we need shirts, mostly in sizes medium and large. And some more shovels and Pulaskis, too.”

  He flipped the page. “Where are the hand tools listed?”

  She stood and slid next to him on the couch. Reaching in front of him, she thumbed through the pages before pointing. He caught her fragrant scent. Something fresh and citrusy. Her shoulder brushed against his and her warmth sent an electric sensation zinging down his arm.

  “Right here,” she said. “You can see that we’ve dulled numerous blades on the shovels. We’ve sharpened them so much that they’ve been ground down to nubs. And we’ve also broken several handles. It’s time to replace a number of them.”

  She turned the page. “And here, you can see that we need lots more files...both for sharpening the teeth on our chain saws and regular files, too.”

  He chuckled. “You got that right. I don’t know what Harlie does to his saws, but he goes through them faster than anyone I know. Of course, he’s also one of the best sawyers I’ve ever seen.”

  “Except for Zach. He could saw through anything.” She laughed.

  He chuckled, too. “That’s true. And your report looks better than the ones Zach used to turn in. Remember all his crazy notes and chicken scratch when he was in charge of the inventory? None of us could read his handwriting. It was insane. I was so glad when he turned the job over to you. You keep nice, tidy records.”

  “Yeah, I always teased Zach that he used rotten handwriting on purpose, just so that I’d give in and do the reports for him,” Tessa said.

  Sean’s mouth quirked up on one side. “I’m afraid you’re right. There wasn’t a lazy bone in Zach’s body, but I wouldn’t put it past him to purposefully get rid of the inventory assignment.”

  “Neither would I.”

  They both laughed, not at all bothered that Zach would do such a thing. No one liked keeping the inventory list up-to-date, except that Tessa was so good at it. She seemed much more organized than the guys.

  They turned and faced each other at the same time, sitting so close that Sean could see the flecks of gold in her green eyes. Her breath whispered past his chin. Then her eyes widened and she sat back. For just a moment they’d both forgotten that Zach was gone. They’d forgotten to be sad. And for those few moments it had been wonderful. Then it all came rushing back.

  She scooted away. “I’m sorry.”

  He took a cleansing breath. “No need.”

  A loud silence followed.

  Turning, Sean flipped through the inventory report again. Anything to avoid the look of recriminations written across her face.

  “Thanks again for bringing this by,” he said. “Based on the extra funds Jared said he has, he should be able to buy most of this equipment for the crew. You did a nice job.”
/>   He hoped she’d take the hint and leave.

  “Yeah, anytime,” she said.

  She stood and stepped toward the front door. He let her go, making a pretext of reading the report. Watching her leave, he saw her hesitate, her hand resting on the knob. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her turn and look over her shoulder at him.

  He forced himself not to acknowledge her. He didn’t move a muscle for long, pounding moments, but he heard the door close. Heard her start up the engine to Zach’s truck and heard her drive away. Just a handful of months and she’d be out of his life for good. He had to hold on through the summer. Then he’d be free of her, and she’d be free of him. So why did that thought leave him feeling empty inside?

  Chapter Seven

  The following week Tessa and the rest of the crew helped with Community Cleanup Day. Happy chatter filtered through the air as people from town scavenged the area with their families, picking up trash, chopping out dead bushes and trees, working together to make their neighborhoods look nice.

  As she worked, Tessa glanced over her shoulder and saw Gavin standing next to Matt, pointing with the hand saw he held. “Hey, your mom’s pretty chummy with Sean.”

  As usual, Gavin wore his sleeveless black T-shirt, but Matt wore his Scouting uniform. The two boys were taking a breather from pruning dead limbs off a ponderosa pine tree.

  The heat of the day felt oppressive and she tugged off her Nomex jacket. As she tied the sleeves around her waist, she followed the two boys’ gazes. Sean stood a short distance away, talking to Cathy Morton. In her late thirties, the pretty woman’s blond hair glistened in the morning sunlight. Sean’s mouth curved upward and he laughed. Laughed! And a blaze of jealousy pierced Tessa’s heart. Not because she thought Sean and Cathy were romantically involved, but because he used to laugh like that with her.

  “They’re just friends,” Matt said. “Mom’s dating Rich Wilcox. I think they’re getting pretty serious.”

  Gavin snorted. “That old grease monkey? You don’t want him for a stepdad. What does she see in him?”

  Matt frowned. When he spoke, his words sounded a bit defensive. “Nah, he’s okay. He’s good to Mom and me. He’s a truck driver just like my dad. Sean says he’s a hard worker and a good man.”

  “Sean says this and Sean says that. You sure like the guy,” Gavin grumbled.

  “Yeah, I do.” Matt rested the point of his long pruning shears against a large rock, seeming oblivious that Tessa stood no more than a stone’s throw away. She kept busy with her work, showing no sign that she could overhear their conversation.

  “Hey, why don’t we ditch this place?” Gavin said in a conspiratorial tone.

  “And go where?” Matt asked.

  Gavin gave a low scoff. “Anywhere but here. I’m sick of pulling weeds. Let’s get out of here.”

  Tessa tensed, waiting for Matt’s reply.

  “No, I promised Sean I’d stay for four hours. I’m working on another merit badge. I can’t quit now.”

  “Ah, who cares what Sean thinks? We can slip away and no one will even notice that we’re gone,” Gavin prodded.

  Matt shook his head. “Sean and Mom would notice. You do what you want, but I’m staying. I want my merit badge.”

  Bravo! Tessa was so relieved to hear Matt stand up for what was right.

  Gavin creased his mouth in a look of disgust. “Well, I’m not working on a merit badge. I’m outta here. I’ll catch you later.”

  Without waiting for Matt’s reply, Gavin hurried up the side of the embankment to the road. Glancing around to make sure he wasn’t spotted, he ducked behind the big trucks, hiding himself from view. Tessa pretended not to notice. His furtive movements attested that he wanted to make his escape without discovery. Matt stared after him, a look of half betrayal and half disappointment filling his eyes.

  Tessa was about to praise him for his good choice when he turned and climbed out of the embankment toward the trucks parked alongside the road.

  Was he leaving, too? Tessa held her breath, raking leaves into a tidy pile. From lowered lashes, she watched as Matt paused at the back of a truck. He retrieved a bottle of water out of the ice chest, popped the lid and downed the liquid in several long swallows. When he was done, he tossed the empty bottle into the recycle bin then gazed at a drip torch sitting on the ground nearby. Tessa had seen Ace put it there earlier. It was faulty, leaking fuel out of the nozzle even when it was turned off.

  Matt picked up the torch and Tessa didn’t hesitate. Earlier that morning Sean had told the boys that only the hotshots would do any of the burning. Matt had no business touching the torch. He wasn’t trained on the equipment, and any misuse carried all sorts of liability issues with it. In this dry vegetation, it wouldn’t take much to start a fire burning out of control.

  “Matt,” she called.

  But too late. He lit the torch and it immediately dripped fire onto the cuff of his blue jeans. With a cry of surprise, he dropped the torch. A dribble of fire spread into the tall, dry grass along the roadside.

  “Sean!” Tessa yelled to get his attention.

  Matt screamed. He flailed about, his eyes wide with fear as he ran down the road, the flame on his pant cuff whipping around his ankle.

  Barely conscious of Sean and Cathy hurrying toward them, Tessa whipped the Nomex jacket off from around her waist and lunged for Matt, tackling him. The hard ground slammed up to meet her. She landed on her right side, grappling with the thrashing boy. Pain shot through Tessa’s rib cage, but she fought to keep her hold on Matt. She blanketed the flames with the retardant cloth, snuffing out the fire. In the process, Matt’s booted foot clipped her jaw. Rockets of pain erupted from her face, and stars filled her eyes. Shaking her head, she blinked, trying to clear her dazed mind.

  Strong hands lifted her up. The left side of her jaw throbbed unbearably.

  “Are you okay?” Sean knelt beside her, cradling her close to his chest. His strength surrounded her. For the first time in a long time, she felt so safe.

  She gazed up at him in wonder. His eyes were crinkled with concern, but another wave of pain made it difficult for her to focus.

  “You sure got clobbered. Are you all right?” He lifted his hand to her face, his calloused palm gentle and warm. He was her boss. It was his job to check on her. It didn’t mean anything. Not to him, and certainly not to her.

  “Can you talk to me, Tess? Who am I?” he asked.

  “Sean Nash. I’m fine,” she said, her voice sounding tense and strange to her ears.

  She pulled away so she could sit up, knowing this wasn’t right. Trying to make sense out of it all. Trying to ignore the comforting safety of his arms. Her head was spinning, her heart hammering. And she honestly didn’t know if it was because Sean was holding her or because she’d been kicked in the face. Once more, this man was turning her world upside down. She’d thought he couldn’t hurt her anymore. That her shattered heart was too broken to feel any more pain. But she was wrong. He didn’t love her anymore. And she didn’t love him. So why couldn’t she get her feelings under control?

  “Oh, thank you, Tessa.”

  Cathy Morton was crouched nearby, bending over Matt. The boy sat on the ground, the tattered hem of his pant leg pushed up above his knee. His boot and sock lay beside him, his foot bare. The flesh of his ankle and calf looked completely unharmed.

  “There are no burns. I can’t believe it. You saved my boy,” Cathy said.

  “Yeah, thanks, Tessa,” Matt said, his eyes shimmering with amazement and gratitude.

  Tessa sat up and blinked. Sean helped her stand. She staggered, but his strong hand on her arm steadied her. She pulled free, not wanting him to touch her. Wishing she were anywhere but here.

  Several people stood around gawking uselessly. Little kids hugged close to
their parents’ sides, their eyes round with shock. Tessa didn’t care. She just wanted to get away from Sean’s penetrating gaze.

  “Are you okay, Matt?” she asked the boy, desperate to divert attention away from herself.

  He nodded, a sheepish smile on his face. “I’m sorry I lit the torch. I thought I could do it. I just wanted to help, but I won’t ever do that again.”

  Along the side of the road, Tessa could see several of her team members shoveling dirt over the fire that Matt had caused. They’d contained the flames, but a couple of them tossed looks of disgust in Matt’s direction. She knew what they were thinking. Matt had been thoughtless. The kind of kid who frequently started wildfires out of carelessness.

  “I think you’ve learned a valuable lesson today. Don’t play around with fire,” Sean said.

  “I sure did. I’m sorry for all the problems I’ve caused.” A note of sincerity filled the boy’s voice.

  “I’m just glad you’re okay.” Cathy hugged her son, smoothing a jagged thatch of hair that fell over his high forehead.

  Tessa nodded and showed a half smile then leaned against the pumper truck. Chris brought the first-aid kit and cleaned the scratches on her face.

  Sean eyed her with a dubious frown. “I saw Matt clip your face with his foot. Can you move your jaw?”

  She opened and closed her mouth and moved it around to test its soundness. “Yes. It’s sore, but not broken.”

  Resting his hands on his hips, Sean frowned. “You may have a nasty bruise after this. Maybe you should sit down for a little while longer, just to make sure you’re okay.”

  She backed up a step. “No, I’m good. It’s nothing a couple of aspirin won’t handle. I... I’m just glad Matt’s all right.”

  “He’ll be fine, thanks to you,” Sean said. “You got to him before he suffered any injuries. It’s a good thing diesel fuel burns so slow. A few more seconds and we’d have been rushing him to the hospital with some severe burns.”