by Elise Whyles
“Good friends.” Sean sighed, a wistful note to his voice. “Most of my old friends won’t even talk to me anymore.”
“Ouch, then they weren’t really your friends.”
“No, no they weren’t.”
Silence fell, broken only by the crackle of the radio and the rustle of the chip bag as Sean reached in. Ahead, Luke caught the flashing lights and sighed. He pulled over to the side of the road and killed the engine. “They’ll let us know when they’ve got the road open. Until then, you’d better get some more sleep.” He pushed the steering wheel upward, unfolded a blanket, and spread it over himself. Wincing when his knee connected with the steering column, he settled in for a long night.
Chapter 5
Sean stared through the binoculars at the thick forest around the station, searching for smoke. He spotted several deer and a couple of low flying birds, but nothing out of the ordinary. With a sigh, he tucked away the glasses and turned to trudge back along the trail. Three days of steady heat and calls from head office and the three lookout towers had kept him stuck in a room with Luke, and he was about ready to pull his hair out.
It was sickening how quickly, how easily, a routine had developed between them. Luke was always up before him, made coffee, looked over his schedule, and headed up to the half-loft where his office was. Sean was beginning to think he was avoiding him and silently cursed his father and his stupid reparative therapy. If his father hadn’t blathered on, perhaps Luke would be more comfortable. Maybe Luke was uncomfortable being around someone like him?
However, he had to admit he hadn’t gone out of his way to spend time with Luke. In fact, he avoided him as much as possible. The back porch was rapidly losing its interesting views.
A faint wind stirred, blowing in from the east. He inhaled and froze. The smell of smoke and burning wood was strong on the breeze. Sean broke into a run and headed toward the nearest clearing, only to stumble to a halt. A thin trail of smoke rose above the trees. Instead of the pale gray of a campfire, it was black, rolling, like a storm cloud. The embers flew up, and he reached for his radio.
“Luke, come in, Luke. We’ve got a problem.” Sean waited impatiently for Luke to respond.
“What’s your location?”
“I’m at marker Alpha 442. We’ve got smoke. Looks to be a fairly active fire. It’s due east of my location.” Sean glanced at his GPS and rattled off the coordinates. “I’m headed down to take a closer look.”
“On my way.”
Hurrying through the brush, Sean’s breath came in harsh, broken pants as he slipped down the slight incline of an embankment. Sweat rolled between his shoulders, trailing down his back to soak the band of his pants. His boots crunched the dried tinder beneath his feet as he raced along. Rocks and sand skittered and danced along the dry ground, creating minute landslides as he leapt from one log to the next.
Sean skidded to a halt, gasping, his lungs burning. He hovered on the edge of a narrow creek, his gaze locked on the opposite bank. He could smell the rich stench of smoke even stronger. He tilted his head and could hear the crackle of flames. His gaze lifted, and he cursed a blue streak. Flames licked along one of the tallest pines, devouring the branches mercilessly.
He reached for his radio. “Luke, we’ve got forty-foot flames here. The ground fire is small, looks to be a campfire left unattended, but I think we’re going to need a tanker to douse the trees around it.”
“Naw, we can handle it. I’m bringing up the portable suppressors…”
“Call in the tanker. This isn’t a camp fire. If it gets much bigger, we may not be able to control it.”
“But…”
“Luke. I know I’m a game warden, but I can tell when a fire’s too big for a person to put out without help. Call.” Sean ground his teeth together in frustration. A moment later, his radio crackled to life.
“Called one in. Should be there in five minutes. You may want to back up, since they’re dropping water, and it’s going to be on target.” Luke’s voice held disappointment and something else Sean wasn’t sure he could name.
Sean darted along the creek bank, headed for a more gradual upgrade to scale. A moment later, he lifted his hand to shield his eyes and watched the small crop-duster fly low, water spewing from the nozzles on each wing.
“Damn, wonder what started this one?”
Sean whirled, his heart in his throat as Luke dropped a hand on his shoulder. He shuddered at the flare of heat beneath the man’s touch, his heart tripping over itself. “Won’t know until after we have a look, but I think it was a case of someone’s campfire left unattended.”
“Even this early in the season we don’t need fires. Once the flames are out, we’ll head over and put out the hot spots.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And quit calling me sir, I’m not that old.” Luke winked at him and hurried down the bank toward the narrow spot in the creek.
Sean shook his head, his lips lifting in a grin as he followed. His gaze landed on Luke’s ass, and his fingers itched to touch. Would it feel as smooth as his? Would Luke’s body respond to his touch? He licked his lips and paused, sticking his hands into his pockets when Luke turned slightly. He hurried down to catch up to him, forcing an even tone. “You think we should call in the fire crews?”
“No, nothing too major happened yet. We’ll just make a note of what happened, file it away, and monitor the situation. Nothing more we can do.” Luke clapped Sean on the back. Luke walked away, his hand sliding along Sean’s shoulder.
Sean shivered in spite of the warmth of the day and watched him go. Damn, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here. The thought tickled before he pushed it away and followed his roommate back to the main trail.
* * * *
Luke padded behind Sean’s chair on his way to the coffee maker. He glanced over the man’s bare shoulder to see pages spread out. Pictures of birds, samples of feathers, and notes cluttered the worn, scarred table, pricking his interest. “What are you working on?”
“Recording the birds I’ve seen.” Sean glanced up, his eyes sparkling with happiness. “I’ve always loved bird watching, and since we’ve been here it’s been amazing what we’ve seen. I thought I’d keep track so when we head back to Drumheller I have a record.”
“You like birds?” Luke grinned at the thought. Most young men Sean’s age were more into women watching, not something he was particularly fond of himself, but still, it did make him curious. He poured a cup of coffee and settled at the table. “That why you became a game warden?”
“Yeah, that and I wanted to get away from the community I grew up in. Very old fashioned, very traditional. Needed to get away, you know.” Sean flushed pink and ducked his head as he jotted another note on a page before he tacked on a picture of a Harlequin duck.
“I can relate. I grew up in a farming community: loved it, loved the animals, but I just couldn’t stay there. It wasn’t really my thing, especially after watching my folks go broke more than once. Didn’t want to be like that, so I compromised. I can still work with animals in a way, pay is good, and the benefits are great.” Luke lifted his mug of coffee. “And all my friends had moved away, so what was the point in sticking around.”
“Your girlfriend…” Sean’s voice trailed off with the pealing of the phone.
Luke set his coffee down, the rich brew turning to cardboard in his mouth as Sean’s words sank in. He didn’t know about his not-so-secret secret, and it hurt worse than he’d thought it could. Obviously, Sean's avoidance of him had more to do with him as a person than it did as a gay man. He pushed aside his cup and rose to his feet.
“I don’t have time to deal with this right now.” Sean’s voice had turned cold, hardened, but Luke could still detect the thread of pain. “Look, why can’t you just accept…”
Luke perked up at the one-sided argument. His gaze traced over Sean’s tense body. Shoulders hunched, he gripped the phone in a white-knuckled fist, his eyes downcast. Every
once in a while he’d flinch, his entire body jerking as though from a physical blow. Luke frowned, the idea more distasteful than he’d imagined it could be.
“No, I told you already. Yeah, I know you sent them for my benefit, but I’m not interested. Damn it, Dad, if you can’t accept that I’m the way I am then don’t bother calling me. I’m not going to change my mind.” Sean paused. “You and Mom are welcome to stop by when you can accept me for me and not for the last link to your immortality.” Sean slammed the phone down and straightened. Without a word, he retreated to his room, closing the door with a soft click.
The soft sounds of pain reached Luke from beyond the door. He stood and shuffled to the door. Faint, Sean’s ragged breathing and sobs slipped through the wood. He knocked softly, opened the door, and peered in. “You okay?”
“Yeah, sorry, I, uh, didn’t mean to just vanish on you.” He turned. “Sorry, I think I’m going to head out and do the sweep. Check on the campers to the north of us.”
“Hey, it’s okay. No one says you have to be strong all the time. Contrary to popular myth, men can cry too.” Luke pushed the door open farther and hurried over to where Sean stood leaning against the wall. His palm curled over a muscular shoulder. “If you need a shoulder to lean on, I’m here, ’kay?”
“I guess.” Sean offered a quick shrug. “Look, I’m fine. I’ll get back to my desk.”
Luke pulled him into a quick hug, his arms tightening around Sean’s shoulders when he tightened. He rocked him, the soft whisper of Sean’s tears drawing a pain-filled shiver. He didn’t know what the issue with Sean’s parents was, but obviously it wasn’t good.
How long they stood together, Luke wasn’t sure. But, slowly, he noted the gentle rise and fall of Sean’s chest against his, the hot puffs of his breath against his neck. He shifted, putting a couple of inches between them at the tingles of awareness.
Luke stepped back and offered a quick smile. “Look, don’t worry about your folks, eventually they’ll come around.”
“I suppose.” Sean nodded and straightened. He stared at Luke, a flash of heat in his eyes before it was quickly masked. “Still, I should get out there and do a final sweep before we call it a night.”
“I’ll start dinner. Steak okay?”
“Sure, medium rare, please.” Luke forced himself to look at Sean until he glanced away. His gaze dropped, focusing on the tight ass in tan khakis.
Luke swallowed at the wave of heat when Sean brushed against him. His skin felt tight, hot, the tight confines of his briefs uncomfortable against the thickening of his shaft. He inhaled, the faint smell of Sean’s aftershave enough to harden him completely. He groaned with the closing of the front door and palmed his cock through his trousers. God, he wanted him. Wanted to be buried deep in that sexy ass, his lips and teeth tracing over every muscle in his body. He wanted Sean on his knees before him, his lips stretched out around his cock, sucking, licking, until he came.
“Wanting never did a damn thing but make me harder than hell with no relief,” Luke groused and headed for the kitchen. He’d just have to make sure he kept his distance until he had days off.
Chapter 6
Sean sank onto the hard wooden chair in front of the cabin and sighed. Every muscle ached, and his right hand throbbed where he’d gotten a tad too close to the flames of another fire. The wall map showed where they were, and he was suspicious. None had been outside of a thirty-kilometer radius around the station, and they were forming a neat circle around them. Could it be possible the old man wanted to punish him? Was that why the fires were so close? This last one was dangerously close to campers. He leaned his head against the wall and watched Luke move around the yard.
Covered in sweat, soot, and dirt, Luke stormed around, replenishing their supplies. Hoses, canisters of water, and several emergency blankets all landed in the back of the truck. Two-day packs, matching pumps, and backwoods’ duffels followed suit. Sean swallowed a groan when Luke peeled off his shirt, revealing toned abs and sculpted muscles made for touching. Tanned, with a dusting of dark hair that arrowed down beneath the waist of his Nomex pants. The waistband had slipped, revealing the high curve of his hips, the line of his groin flashing with each toss of an object in the truck.
What would his skin feel like? Would the hair on his chest tickle his palms? He eyed the pale skin above Luke’s trousers; it looked delicious. It was biteable, and he could imagine nibbling on it until Luke begged for more. The only problem was that Luke was straight, and Sean had no idea how to seduce him even if he wasn’t.
Stop thinking like that, it’ll only lead to trouble. Sean berated himself and rose. “You want a hand loading up?”
“Naw, keep ice on your hand. When I need help I’ll give you a heads-up,” Luke hollered back, one hand braced on the back of the truck box. He wiped a hand over his face, smearing the soot. He bent to toss the last bags into the box and started for the small shed next to the woodpile.
Sean’s body already betraying him. His cock twitched, and he leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees. He didn’t need or want Luke to see him with an erection from watching him. That was one explanation he didn’t want to have to come up with.
His gaze followed Luke across the yard to the woodpile where he grabbed the second ax. With the handle braced on his shoulder, Luke paced back to the truck and laid it in the bed. He grabbed his shirt and stalked toward Sean.
“I was thinking we should get the reports sent off to Craig tonight,” Sean stated. “Seems a bit odd we have had five fires in a month.”
“Yeah, I agree. This last one wasn’t a campfire gone astray, for sure. I’ve already called my boss at the Forestry Division. I assume he’s going to take over the investigation.” Luke settled on the top step, his hands hanging between his legs. “We’re not equipped to handle something like that. Besides, your job is to watch the animals, not fight fires.”
“What about you?”
“Me? I’ll keep an eye on it, but there’s not a lot I can do. I’ll head out first thing and do a bit of looking. See what I can find out before the evidence is gone. What we have already points to an arsonist.” Luke shrugged into his shirt. “I have to admit I’m not trained to deal with this.”
“Damn. Do you think they’re all connected?”
“Could be.”
Sean glanced behind him at hearing the angry peal of the phone. With a sigh, he picked up the cordless. “Good afternoon, Banff National Park.”
“Have you come to your senses?”
“I don’t have time for this, Dad.” Sean sighed, his stomach twisting into a hard knot. “I’m in the middle of working on a case.”
“Working? I doubt any such thing,” Louis snarled. “You think you’re so smart. Why don’t you do the right thing? I’ll send a couple of boys up there to pick you up for your treatment.”
“No, you won’t. I’m busy, just leave me be.” Sean saw Luke’s curious stare before turning away. There was no point in bringing him into it. “Look, I’m rather busy, can’t you just…”
“No, I will not. I raised you to be a good man, not possessed. The treatments will only take a few weeks, and you’ll be healed, cleansed. Then you and Marcia can be wed.”
“Not interested. In case you didn’t pay attention the first dozen or so times, I’m happy being me. And Marcia got married over the weekend, so even if I was so inclined, which I’m not, the answer is still no.” Sean exhaled. “Bye, Dad.” After hanging up on his sputtering father, Sean toyed with the phone for a few seconds.
“Your dad again?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty determined to fix me.”
“Why?” Luke held up a hand. “No, don’t answer that. Sorry, I tend to let my mouth do the talking at times. I’d better get washed up. That hand bothering you?”
“It’ll keep.” Sean handed him the phone and stood. “I’ll put dinner on.”
“Sounds good.”
* * * *
Luke pulled open th
e top drawer to lift out clean underwear and socks. He paused, glancing at the closed door before he pulled out the small black bag he carried. The worn cotton showed more than one round of use. It was a familiar item he packed when he was away. It made more sense to self-pleasure than to cheat and was a helluva lot less painful.
Desire licked along his nerves, the nagging need for Sean building as he pictured him lounging on the porch, his right hand pressed against his stomach. White T-shirt stretched across his chest, a cup of coffee braced against a knee. The Nemox material hugging his legs, snug along his groin. What would he look like without the layers of fabric? Luke was going crazy, he was certain.
He swallowed and pulled the small bag free, tucking it under the edge of his clean clothes as he headed for the shower. The banging of pots and pans from the kitchen told him he had at least ten minutes, maybe fifteen. As primed as he was, Luke didn’t think he’d need half that.
He padded on bare feet to the bathroom and hip-checked the door closed, setting everything on the counter. With one ear cocked toward the kitchen, he stripped naked. Luke adjusted the water and stepped into it. The pulsing water beat down on his shoulders, the heat easing the tension. He braced his hands against the cold tiles and dropped his head.
Luke watched the black swirls going down the drain. The smell of smoke hung thick in the air. He closed his eyes and leaned against the shower wall, images of the fire fading to be replaced by Sean at work. The bunch and pull of his shirt with each swing of his ax. The beads of sweat trailing down his temple, soaking his collar. The blood flowed south, and his cock swelled. Luke dragged a hand down his chest to his dick. He fisted it and pumped it, his hand rising and falling. He squeezed the tip before wrapping around the shaft and dragging his hand to his groin. The tickle of his pubes against his hand only added to the intensity.
With his eyes closed he could imagine it wasn’t his hand. Imagine, instead, it was Sean’s firm grip. It was Sean’s fingers teasing his scrotum and his balls. He sucked in a breath at the tightening, the coil of tension in his lower back. He moaned with each brush of fingers against his flesh.
