by Marie Fraser
“Great,” Danny smiled.
***
Rebekah felt like a princess, finally getting a week off work. She’d been swamped these last two weeks and hadn’t heard or seen hide nor hair of Danny. She didn’t like to dwell on the comings and goings of men she slept with, but Danny had been different. He’d actually cared, about more than his jollies in the sack.
She was pulling up to his apartment complex when she saw his brother coming out of the place, a couple boxes in hand. “Hey,” she called, waving from her convertible.
“Hey yourself,” he smiled. Cade was cute, but he wasn’t Danny. Of that she was certain. “You here for Danny?”
“I was going to stop by, see how he’s doing. I finally got some time off so-“
“Danny’s not here.”
“Oh, do you know when he’ll be back?”
Cade looked uncomfortable and Rebekah felt it in the pit of her stomach. Something happened. “It’ll be somewhere around a year or so.”
“What?”
“He took a contract with his firefighting crew. He’s out in Longforks, Montana.”
“Oh,” Rebekah said, swallowing the hurt. “Well, thanks.”
“Rebekah,” Cade said, touching her arm. “I know…I know it can seem like Danny just up and left after, everything. But he’s not like that. Granted, he’s running, but not from you.”
“Oh, well,” Rebekah stumbled. “Let me know when you figure out what he is running from.”
“You ever think you love someone, that they love you?”
“Sure,” Rebekah shrugged, her dark hair swaying with the movement.
“Hurt like hell when you found out they didn’t feel the same?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s what Danny’s scared of,” Cade said. “I may be the baby, but I know my brother. He’s terrified of feeling something for you that you don’t feel for him.”
“Thanks,” Rebekah said. She started her car and headed home, her mind occupied with inward thinking.
Chapter Five: Heating Up
Danny wiped the sweat from his face and put his shield back in place. Another two hours and he’d finally get a break. He shoveled the rest of the debris past the fire line and headed for the exit that would lead him out of the danger zone. “You ready?” Alex said, slapping his friend on the back.
“Hell yes,” he said, giving Ava a small wave. The three friends were on the path when Danny gripped Alex’s arm. “Look.”
Danny stared as Alex and Ava took in the sight before them. The exit, the only exit, to freedom was blocked by a fire that looked fully engaged. “We can’t get around that.”
“No shit,” Alex said, grabbing Ava’s hand. “Is there another way out?”
“Not from the looks of that fire,” Danny said, turning his head to see the way the smoke lingered in the air.
“So what do we do?”
“We clear a fire line and hope it doesn’t jump it.”
“And if it does?”
“Then we deploy our fire shelters. There’s nothing else we can do.”
* * *
Danny worked until his arms ached, first felling a tree and then clearing debris as Ava and Alex both felled trees as well. Heat pressed down on him, soaking his undershirt, outerwear and even seeping into his flak jacket.
“We’ve gotta get this done!”
“Almost there,” Alex said, letting another tree fall. “Can we leave these as a sort of fuel deterrent?”
“Not if we want the chance to extinguish this blaze,” Danny said pointing up the ridge. “If we leave it, it’ll just consume it and keep coming at us.”
Another hour crawled by as the fire stepped dangerously close, testing their fire line. Flames licked small trees, saplings and leafy debris they hadn’t managed to move. Danny’s arms wept and his whole body screamed for a break as he continued to shovel debris back from the fire. “I should have suggested a trench.”
“We couldn’t have dug one fast and wide enough,” Ava said and Danny knew she wouldn’t last much longer. She looked as if someone had run over her with a steam roller.
“That’s why I didn’t,” Danny said, letting a soft smile curve his lips. Then he turned serious again. “I hate to break the bad news, but I’m thinking we need to put up our fire shelters.”
“You got a spot in mind?”
“I cleared one when we first learned our exit was cut off.”
Alex and Ava followed Danny about a hundred yards back from the fire line to a small clearing. There was easily enough space for three fire shelters, although none of them wanted to face the danger of being alone as the inferno raged around them. “When do we climb in?”
“When we can’t take the heat anymore,” Danny said, already feeling as if the fire was cooking him from the inside out.
***
Rebekah landed in Longforks as twilight came calling. By the time she made it to the hotshot’s headquarters she was certain it was nearing two in the morning. “Hello?” she called. She noticed the sleeping bags and fire pit. There seemed to be a small storage space and a yurt where cooking supplies had been set up. But there was no one around. With three sleeping bags on the ground, she wondered where everyone else was.
Taking out her cell-phone, Rebekah prayed she had a signal. Dialing information she asked to be connected to the main hotshots headquarters for the Helena, Montana area.
“Jackson Pike,” a man answered when she finally got through.
“Hi um, I’m not sure if this is normal or not, but I’m at the Longforks headquarters and there’s no one here. All I see is sleeping bags and a cooking yurt.”
“It’s not normal to only have three sleeping bags lying around. Are you sure no one’s there?”
“I’m standing right here,” Rebekah said, unable to keep the fear from her voice.
“Can you smell fire or see smoke anywhere in the vicinity?”
“Yeah,” Rebekah said, turning to the north. “North of Whitefish it looks as if there’s quite a blaze going on.”
“Alright. Listen, ma’am-“
“Rebekah.”
“Rebekah. I want you to stay where you are and radio in every hour. Ask for me and keep me updated, okay? We’ve got crew members out there who seem to need some back up. Can you do that?”
“Is Danny Carpenter one of your men?”
“Yes he is.”
“I’ll be here.”
“Thank you. Every hour, okay? If they come back before then, call us as well. We’re on our way.”
***
Danny watched Alex and Ava climb under their shelters before he did the same as he prayed that they would all fare better than the Yarnell team had. As the ranking member, he was the last to enter his shelter. He could feel the sting of fire burn on his skin and hoped Alex and Ava would fare well despite waiting so long to get in their shelters.
The first hour passed and Danny could feel the fire pressing down on him. Not so much from the heat, but simply because fires had a way of stepping on you until you ached for things like air and a cold drink. “You okay Alex?”
“Yeah,” he called back.
“Ava?”
“Yeah!” she returned. Danny took a deep breath of relief.
Two more hours passed before Danny felt the first breath of relief. “It feel cooler to either of you?”
“Some,” Alex and Ava agreed.
“Stay inside,” he called. “I’ll check it out.”
Danny slowly lifted his fire shelter to the site of scorched earth. Around their shelters the ground had been blackened by the fire that was now behind them, so long as the wind kept itself under control. “Alright you two, let’s get back.”
***
Danny was never so glad to see his Lobo crew as in the moment when he saw Jackson Pike coming toward him. “Welcome back,” Jackson said, shaking Danny’s hand and then yanking him into a back slapping hug.
“Glad to be back,” Danny sighed. He lo
oked up and saw a few of the guys from his crew. Jackson’s wife Sarah was there, not something that was rare for them. Their significant others were as much family as the men and women he served with and when she smiled at him, he gave her a hug as well.
“We’re so thankful you made it.”
“Me too, ironically,” he laughed. Danny saw Harry and his fiancé, Katie. And he assumed that Katie would want to interview him or Alex and Ava for her special on the six o’clock news. She’d gone from beat reporter to anchorwoman of her very own show and the Lobo crew couldn’t have been more pleased. A few of the yearly’s were there too. JJ and Steve Jansen, and even Hunter Green as well. Danny was glad to see them all.
But it wasn’t until he looked further into the crowd that his heart nearly gave out on him. There, standing in the back, looking worried and forlorn, was Rebekah Cortez; the sexiest barhop this side of the Mississippi, or anywhere for that matter. He didn’t rush to her, too afraid he’d crush her to him.
Instead, he walked slowly, just as unsure of what to say as she seemed to be. “Hey,” he finally managed.
“Hi,” she said, looking anywhere but at him.
“You didn’t have to come,” he offered, giving her an out. “We’re fine.”
“Oh, I…” she paused and Danny could see the uncertainty in her eyes. How had he managed to tell himself that he didn’t want her, that he didn’t need her in his life? Grinning, Danny reached out and grabbed Rebekah’s hand.
“Come here,” he said, motioning to a bench near the cooking yurt. “No matter your reasons for coming, I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad I had the chance to talk to you again.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes and she closed them to will them back. “I told myself I’d just drive by, you know, when I didn’t hear from you. I said, Sure, I’ll just drop by and see what he’s up to, no big deal, no pressure.
“Then I saw your brother and he told me you’d gone back to work and I couldn’t brush away the hurt-that you’d leave and not tell me. So I flew out here, ready to give you a piece of my mind and I found your camp deserted, as if no one had even been here.”
“Oh, baby,” Danny said, brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. He drew her into an embrace and just held her. “I’m sorry we scared you.”
“Scared?” she said, giving a watery chuckle. “More like terrified. I didn’t know if this was where I was supposed to be or not. Then I finally got hold of Jackson and he told me it wasn’t normal for the camp to be deserted round the clock and that something must have happened.”
“You called Jackson?”
“I looked up the headquarters closest to Helena and it gave me the number for your crew. He was great, he calmed me down and kept my mind busy by checking in with him while they headed this way.”
“Jackson’s like that, calm during the storm, falls apart after.”
“Yeah,” Rebekah chuckled. “Me too, I think.”
“You seem pretty cool to me.”
“Danny I don’t know if what I feel for you is the real thing yet. But I know that I want to find out. I want a chance to see if what we have means something more than just really good chemistry.”
“And sex,” Danny added with a smile.
“Yeah,” Rebekah grinned.
“Rebekah I think you’re an amazing, smart, beautiful, talented woman and I’d be honored to spend my free time with you, until one or both of us figure this out.”
“Does that mean we’re exclusive?”
Danny laughed, knowing exactly how he felt. “It means that I’m not going to be seeing anyone while I’m seeing you, okay? If you can do that too, great.”
“Alright,” Rebekah grinned.
Danny kissed her then, feeling as if his life had literally just been given back to him. Second chances didn’t come around often and he knew he wouldn’t be wasting this one. Wrapping Rebekah in his embrace, Danny introduced her to the Lobo crew, enjoying her surprise when he told her they could all shift into wolves simultaneously if need be, or individually which was usually the case.
An hour later, they were snuggled in sleeping bags, watching the stars play in the sky and Danny couldn’t think of a better place to be or a better person to have by his side. Rebekah Cortez, he hoped, would always be his plus one.
Keep your eyes open for the next Wild Tinder Book: Hunter
Hunter Green loves fire. No fire is too big or too small for this pyromaniac and being a hotshot fire fighter is like living a dream every day, especially when they’re called out to gain control of one that just might get away.
Harleigh Adams was raised by earth loving hippie genre parents who can’t stand to see the way people abuse Mother Nature. That being said, she too finds it irresponsible at best to see the earth’s natural resources stripped, even if it means saving lives by creating a barrier a wild fire can’t jump.
When Harleigh spends a weekend observing the Lobo Crew hotshots, she butts heads hard with Hunter who can’t wait to strip the land and make a swath large enough to control a fire that wants to rage.
Can these two ever see eye to eye when it comes to weighing the health of the earth against the safety of humanity? Will they learn to compromise or will stubborn pride keep them apart?
**Bonus Book**
Careful What
You Fish For:
Book One in the Bear Lake Trilogy
By Marie Fraser
This publication is part of a series of products and publications. For more information, please visit: http://www.Operation40k.com/.
To get more information on Operation $40K, please visit: http://www.Operation40k.com/.
Copyright 2018 Marie Fraser
All RIGHTS RESERVED. One or more global copyright treaties protect the information in this document. This Special Report is not intended to provide exact details or advice. This report is for informational purposes only. Author reserves the right to make any changes necessary to maintain the integrity of the information held within. This Special Report is not presented as legal or accounting advice. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owner.
NOTICE OF LIABILITY
In no event, shall the author or the publisher be responsible or liable for any loss of profits or other commercial or personal damages, including but not limited to special incidental, consequential, or any other damages, in connection with or arising out of furnishing, performance or use of this book.
All Characters, events and locations in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, dead or living, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover art: Sabrina Ihadadene
Prologue
A beat up old Ford pulled into a dirt parking lot from a long, winding road leading into it. Surrounding it were cabins of all sizes and in all sort of disrepair. The scenery is exquisite, with lush foliage in all shades of green and brown. Huge trees that seem centuries old with moss growing haphazardly on them. From the windows of the car the lake appears to glisten in the background and they could hear the echoes of loons overhead. Trees stood still in a quiet solute to nature. Wild flowers were growing everywhere and you could see sunflowers peeping up from the sides of the cabins, all pointing their faces to the sun. It was obvious, even from their limited vantage point that the landscaping would need some work, as patches of grass grew to the height of a man’s thigh in certain areas. Cattails were growing by the water, grouping around large rocks, where the water tended to gently lap.
Byron, the driver and the oldest of the three turned to the others, “Well boys, it looks like we finally did it. We got out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
“Some fire,” Jess said. “This place is great.”
“Speak for yourself,” Kevin said. “From what I can see all I have is tons of work to do. There’s no way this place is ready to go in two months.”
<
br /> Byron had a rough look to him. He had a wild head of black hair and an unruly beard to match. His facial features were almost lost in the wilderness of his hair. His prominent cheekbones, however, still jumped out despite the mess. He had a small scar just under his right eye that appeared whitish against his tanned skin. You could see the outline of his muscles from under his black long-sleeved shirt.
“Well let’s just hope this investment works out,” Kevin said, from the backseat. He was the complete opposite of Bryon. As the youngest, he was prone to complaining, but was always quick with the humor to cool things off again. His chestnut brown hair was neat and tidy, and styled like a young Indiana Jones. His facial features were soft, yet his jaw line had a firmness that spoke of passing youth. He had no other facial hair to be seen except for the stubble that the journey there had left. Tattoos poked out from underneath his gray t-shirt. Black ink swirled to just above his collarbone, telling a tale all its own. He had obviously just woken up from a restless sleep because his body was hunched in an uncomfortable position and he had an annoyed expression on his face.
“I think you two had a better attitude about missions when we were still in the service,” Jess grumbled from the passenger side seat with displeasure, although a slight smile crept across his face. This smile made his face look like a cartoon with his crooked nose, the result of a bar fight he’d been on the wrong end of. His hair was a cross between the other two men. Wild and red, his hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail that kept the curls from messing up his vision. His green eyes were alight with humor. One could say he almost had a boyish face if they didn’t look too hard.
“Shut up,” Kevin said, obviously irritated as he smacked the headrest in front of him. Byron simply rolls his eyes at the retort parks the SUV, automatically unlocking the doors so Jess and Kevin can get out.
“Alright, let’s move the stuff inside. I’m tired and it would be nice to sleep in an actual bed.” Kevin said as he moved towards the trunk of the car.
