The Firefighter's Pretend Fiancee (Shadow Creek, Montana)

by Victoria James

  “The sparkles?”

  She gave a small shrug. “She’s this adorable six-year-old patient at the women’s shelter. She has a recurring medical condition that I think has been brought on by trauma. Her mother is wonderful, but she’s also trying to cope with everything they’ve been through. Now she needs to find work and a way to be strong for her daughter.”

  “I see. That’s rough,” he said, the teasing gone from his eyes. She knew Ben had a big heart. It was one of the reasons she’d agreed to this. He was one of those guys you never had to second-guess. He’d always treated his mother with love and respect, and he’d always shown her that kindness as well. Ben was a guy who’d do anything for those he loved. If she hadn’t been so young and hadn’t been so low…maybe if she’d called him first, before her mother, things would have been different. Maybe she’d be standing here as his wife.

  “I know. Well, anyway, long story short, she was having a pretty down day and didn’t want me poking around or having to do any more bloodwork so I tried distracting her. She told me her favorite movie was Frozen and her favorite character was Elsa.”

  His features softened, and for a second she forgot what she was saying. That never happened to her. She was ultra-focused, all the time. But Ben’s face was never…gentle…not anymore anyway. But the way he was looking at her was the way he used to look at her. She had forgotten that feeling, that special feeling that came from knowing someone else thought you were special. She looked into her mug and regained her focus. “I told her I loved that movie too and that I thought I might be related to Elsa,” she said, cringing.

  He smiled and fine lines crinkled at the corner of his eyes as he looked at her.

  “It wasn’t one of my finer moments, but I was desperate. I’d been working all these crazy shifts, and she hadn’t slept the night before either and was so short-fused. I hated lying to her, but I was all out of options. Before I could even think about my lie, it was out of my mouth.”

  He wasn’t smiling at her anymore, and the warmth in his eyes warmed her more than the mug of coffee in her hand. “She believed you, I take it?”

  “To her credit, she was skeptical at first, but I can be pretty convincing when I want to be. I’m going to stop in there this morning so I thought I might try and look a little like Elsa. I also may have purchased an Elsa doll,” she said, hanging her head.

  “I see.”

  She stood there, wondering if he was thinking about the big lie. She had lied to him. She was a liar, in all the ways that mattered. She had lied her way out of her relationship with him. He thought she’d cheated, but that was a lie. Now she was lying to a patient. But he said he believed her and that made her uncomfortable, sad, humble. Why did he believe her? What had she ever done to let him believe her? But the most terrifying thought was what if she had trusted him…what if she had gone to him instead of her mother? Would everything have changed?

  “I’d better head out. What time are you finished tonight?” he asked, grabbing his keys from the counter and waiting by the door.

  Her heart started beating faster, and it had nothing to do with the coffee she was inhaling at record speed. “Eleven.”

  He frowned. “How can you keep pulling these late nights and early mornings?”

  She shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

  “I’ll leave the light on for you. Have a good day,” he said, opening the door and leaving the house.

  She exhaled and leaned back against the counter, placing her coffee down. She had no idea what had just happened, but it felt like things were getting more personal, like he actually still cared about her on some level. That was scary. It was one thing for her to still care about him, but if Ben still had feelings for her, it was an entirely different ball game because she would cave. She would fall hard and fast all over again… The only problem was that he would demand the truth, and she didn’t know how she’d ever give that up. He would also assume she was that same girl, the one he fell in love with, the one who wanted marriage and babies. The only babies in her life were her patients. That was all she needed it seemed.

  …

  “Well, Elsa, it looks like you have an ear infection,” Molly said, trying to maintain a serious expression as she stared into the stuffed doll’s face. She knew her little patient beside her was watching her closely.

  “Poor Elsa,” Eliza said, taking the stuffed doll and cradling her.

  Molly looked up at her mother who was smiling and winked. “How about I look in your ears now? Elsa may have passed on her infection.”

  The little girl shook her head. “I hate having things poked at me.”

  Molly nodded and shifted on the single bed. She was pleased to see that Faith and her daughter were adjusting so well at the Shadow Creek Women’s Shelter. Faith had added some framed pictures of the two of them on the dresser along with some books and a vase filled with flowers. She admired Faith for the strength she always portrayed in front of her daughter, even though Molly knew the woman must feel as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Here,” Molly said, holding the otoscope in front of Eliza. “Why don’t we look in Elsa’s ear together? Then when you see how Elsa does it, maybe you’ll be okay with me looking in your ear?”

  Eliza eyed her solemnly for a moment and then nodded. Molly guided the otoscope to Elsa’s furry ear. “Now have a look through here,” she said. Eliza squinted and peered inside.

  Molly hid her grin as Faith shook her head, trying not to laugh out loud.

  Eliza sighed theatrically. “Well, I can see why Elsa was so angry. That’s a pretty bad ear infection.”

  Molly nodded seriously. “It is. And the longer she waits to take her medicine, the worse it will get.”

  Eliza’s eyes widened.

  “Well, I’d better get to the hospital,” Molly said, getting up slowly, hoping Eliza would relent and let her check her ears without a fuss. Molly opened her bag and was about to put her otoscope away when Eliza relented.

  “Okay, fine! You’d better check. I’d hate for Elsa to feel guilty that she gave me an ear infection,” she said, holding the doll on her lap.

  Molly smiled. “You’re a good friend. Okay, here we go. First, I’m going to look in the ear that’s not hurting, then I’m going to look in the one that is, so I can compare. Sound like a plan?”

  “Well, I guess. But don’t you know what an ear’s supposed to look like?”

  Molly swallowed her laugh as she looked into Eliza’s left ear. “Well, sometimes doctors forget things. Or what if you had crazy ears that were green inside?”

  Eliza squealed and barely noticed as Molly switched sides to look in her other ear. Molly winced as she spotted all the telltale signs of a nasty ear infection. “Well, Eliza, it looks like Elsa did pass along her ear infection. But the good news is that you’ll both be feeling a lot better in a couple days if you take your medicine.”

  Eliza nodded. “Okay, Dr. Mayberry.”

  “Now how about I have a quick listen to your chest to make sure it’s all clear?”

  Eliza nodded agreeably and Molly had the little girl breath in and out a few times. “Well, that sounds perfect so that’s great.”

  “She has another ear infection?” her mother Faith said, rubbing her daughter’s back.

  Molly scrunched her nose and nodded. “Maybe at our next appointment we can look at some options that might help prevent the recurrence. I’ve had some patients who’ve had a lot of success by removing dairy from their children’s diet for a few years. Let’s take it one step at a time.”

  Faith gave her a smile and stood up from the bed. “Thanks, Dr. Mayberry.”

  “No problem. I’ll call this into the pharmacy and have them deliver it,” Molly said, tucking her phone and Rx pad into her bag.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Faith said.

  Eliza scooted under the covers. “Bye, Dr. Mayberry. Elsa just whispered that she wanted me to tell you that she’s really happy to be living
here with us and that she has such a nice doctor.”

  Molly blinked back the emotion in her eyes and smiled at the little girl. “Well, let Elsa know that I’m glad you’re both here. Every time I see the two of you, my day gets a whole lot brighter.”

  Eliza beamed at her as she left the room with Faith following her. The two women walked down the upstairs hallways side by side. “This place is really coming along,” Molly said, noting the wallpaper that had been stripped.

  “It has. It’s a gorgeous old house. I think they’re almost finished with the rewiring up here, and then they have to paint the hall and they’ll be finished,” Faith said.

  “That’s great,” Molly said, shooting her a smile.

  “I wanted to tell you that I followed your advice and asked at that chocolate place if they could use any part-time help. The owners are both women, and they are so nice. I have a job!”

  “I’m so happy to hear that,” Molly said, hugging Faith when the woman reached out for her. Molly was well aware how she could have easily been in Faith’s position. Really the only difference was that Molly had been born into an affluent family that had pushed the importance of education and wealth…maybe a little too hard. But what made Molly ashamed or uncomfortable was that when she saw Faith with her daughter, it brought out all of Molly’s buried feelings.

  “I feel like I’m finally getting my life back on track. I mean, I have no choice, I owe it to Eliza. After what we’ve…she’s been through…I need to make things right for her. This place is great, and I can stay here while I finish my degree and work part time. It’s a dream come true.”

  Molly smiled at Faith. “I think you’re doing a great job with Eliza. She’s sweet and funny, and I’ve already noticed a huge difference in how relaxed she seems after only a month.”

  “That means so much to me. She’s my world. She’s everything to me, and I’ll always put her first,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

  Molly swallowed the lump in her throat. “She knows how loved she is. That’s why she’s coming out of her shell so quickly. You’ll find that this town is filled with good people…people you can trust. I know the world can seem scary and like there is no one you can trust, but I promise that will change. You’ll heal. Eliza will heal. You have so many good years ahead of you both.”

  They stopped walking as they reached the front door. “Thank you. I will never be able to repay you,” Faith said. “The first chance I get, I’ll pay you for the prescriptions.”

  Molly waved her hand. “Don’t. Please. It makes me happy to help.”

  Faith looked down. “She’s not…mine. Eliza is my sister’s daughter. He didn’t want my sister to keep her. When she found out she was pregnant, he wanted her to get rid of her. But there was no way. She could never. My sister was the bravest woman I know…knew. I’ll do anything to keep her daughter safe,” Faith said, looking up at her.

  Molly was floored by the revelation. She’d never once thought Faith wasn’t the little girl’s biological mother. And the horror of what she was insinuating was painful to imagine. Molly struggled for control, but it was hard to breathe because her chest was clogged with emotion, with regret, with an ache she knew would never leave. “You’re an amazing woman. If you ever need someone…even just a friend, I’m a phone call away.” She backed away and reached for the door knob.

  “That means a lot coming from you. Thank you.”

  “I’ll make sure that prescription gets filled right away,” Molly said, leaving the house, anxious to be by herself. She could dwell in her pool of regret as she drove over to the hospital. She was going to have to find a way to keep it all together. But Shadow Creek had a way of drawing her out of herself and making her believe second chances were possible, for a few seconds.

  Faith and Eliza were getting another chance, but that didn’t mean she deserved one. It was too late for her and Ben. She’d seen a softening in Ben toward her this morning, but she knew it could never go any further. She’d held on to her secret for so many years; she’d let it destroy all of her relationships, all her dreams.

  Chapter Six

  Ben stared at the sight in front of him and immediately knew it was bad. He and his crew had just arrived on the scene of a tractor trailer and car collision on the single-lane road leading out of Shadow Creek. His father had warned him and Finn that they would see gruesome things that would haunt them forever. He’d warned them they wouldn’t be able to save everyone. And he warned them that if they couldn’t handle it, when the night was over, they shouldn’t be ashamed to seek help.

  Ben took in a deep breath and focused on the overturned sedan and truck. As captain, he knew he had less than a minute to evaluate and begin giving direction. The SCFD was first on the scene, and police and ambulances would be arriving next.

  “Johnson and Merritt, position the trucks, establish our traffic barriers,” he said, knowing the importance of keeping his crew safe and keeping the other cars away from the collision. There was always some moron who would barrel through an accident and put the lives of the first responders in jeopardy. That wouldn’t happen on his watch. The trucks needed to be positioned on either side of the collision. “Ley, you see to the driver,” he said, pointing to the man who was leaning against the truck.

  Ben took in the sight, fuel pooling around the truck. “Matthews, Dawson, Garrison, you’re on that semi. Full gear, use foam,” he yelled as they started running. He didn’t like how close the truck was to the car. He knew those saddle tanks were going to burst, and they’d be dealing with 150-plus gallons of diesel fuel on fire, and they’d be on a downhill position, which wasn’t ideal. It was a Class B fire, and foam would be the safest way to deal with a fuel fire, suppressing the vapors and keeping it from relighting and then engulfing the car.

  Ben focused on the overturned vehicle, noting the way the tree had fallen over the roof of the car, removing the possibility of being able to take off the roof for extrication. They had to move now. He quickly barked out the rest of his orders, ordering three of his crew to get out their equipment to begin vehicle stabilization while he ran over to the overturned sedan so he could size up the incident and formulate a plan for safe and effective extrication. The engine was still running and he identified himself, speaking loudly over the noise of the trucks and hoses and yelling crew.

  He braced himself as he looked inside the vehicle. This was one of his most dreaded parts of his job, not knowing what he’d find. It was the stuff the public never really saw, the gruesome truth they hid as they placed blankets over the dead before news crews arrived. It was the stuff that caused nightmares, insomnia, PTSD. Every time he approached a wreck like this one, he remembered he was a guy who knew how to pray.

  He crouched down and spoke again, seeing the bloody face of a young woman. “Miss, can you hear me?” he repeated. “My name is Ben Matthews. I’m a firefighter with the Shadow Creek Fire Department.” Relief flooded him as her mouth opened.

  “Yes,” she said, her voice sounding like a cry. “My baby. I’m pregnant.”

  His stomach dropped, and he used the best of his abilities to keep his voice neutral. “Okay, it’s okay. How far along are you?”

  “Thirty-two weeks,” she said, her voice choking on a sob.

  “I’m going to reach in and take your pulse. Are you in any pain?”

  “No,” she said, crying. He knew she was probably in shock. Sometimes people were in shock and the pain didn’t come until later. She was pregnant and alone, and he knew she’d be close to losing it if they didn’t get her out of there fast. Pregnant women were in an entirely different category, and the collision could induce early labor.

  “We’re going to get you out of here as quickly as possible, okay? I’m going to assess the damage and find the best, and safest, way to get you out. You tell me if anything changes.” While he was speaking to her he was noting her position, the angle of the fallen tree, and taking her pulse. When his crew approached with extrac
tion gear, he knew it was time to execute his plan. “I’m going to step away from the car for a minute and talk to my guys, okay?”

  “No,” she cried. “Don’t leave!”

  He leaned in through the broken window, making sure she saw his eyes, that he was telling the truth. “I’m going to be right here. I’ll be able to see you the entire time. No one is going to leave you here, but we need to talk about the best way to get you out safely, okay?”

  “Okay,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut, tears spilling from them. God, they needed to get her out of here.

  “I’ll be right here,” he said, walking a few steps away. He wanted her to see him, but not hear what he was saying.

  “We’ve got one young woman trapped in the driver’s side. She’s thirty-two weeks pregnant. Conscious. I shut off the vehicle, air bags are deployed. Still buckled in.” He continued the quick pre-extrication briefing, making sure they knew what each of their roles were. He was experienced enough to know to make this quick and clear, because he knew it was Harris’s first year on their team and possibly the worst collision he’d seen yet. They had no time for mistakes or confusion once they started.

  Vehicle stabilization was first because the last thing they wanted was to have the vehicle move or shift during the extrication operations, which could be hazardous or fatal for his crew and the woman inside the car. They worked steadily, positioning the expandable jack on the A post, while he went to speak to the young woman.

  “How are you doing, miss?”

  “Amy. My name is Amy,” she said, and he could tell she was barely holding it together. She screamed as flames burst from the semi across the roadway. He cringed as he took a moment to look at the fire, but he knew Finn and the crew would be able to keep it controlled.

  “It’s okay, Amy. We’ve got a crew on that fire.”

  “It’s so hot. I’m so hot,” she whispered.