High Heat (Hotshots)

by Annabeth Albert

  Had to be Rain come to walk the dog. And sure enough, his phone was full of several missed messages from Rain asking about a time to come over.

  “Coming,” he hollered. Hell. No time to get dressed. Letting Cookie lead the way, he used the crutches to get as far as the wheelchair, then switched to the faster method to get to the door.

  “Oh, good! You survived the night!” Rain greeted him cheerily. “And uh—wow. Um. You need me to wait a minute?”

  Rain’s gaze was riveted to Garrick’s chest in a blatantly appreciative way he hadn’t experienced in months. Damn. Felt good. Too good. And his shorts were hardly designed to conceal his body’s reaction to Rain’s attention if his dick decided to power up like it had last night. Abruptly, he spun away from the door. “Come on in. Sorry. We slept late. Like ten hours. I can’t believe it. That never happens to me.”

  “You must have needed it. Did Cookie stay in her bed all night?”

  “She stayed quiet,” Garrick hedged, not wanting to hurt his feelings by telling him Cookie had rejected the bed but also not wanting to outright lie either. “She must have needed the rest too. You want to take her out? I’ll find both a shirt and her medication while you’re gone.”

  “Sounds great.” Rain bounced on the balls of his feet before fetching the leash from the key rack where he’d hung it the night before. His hair was still up, but messier than the day before, and he was wearing silver shorts and a close-fitting pink T-shirt with several members of that pony show Garrick’s sister’s kids liked, and Squad Goals written under the ponies in swirly script.

  “No job interview today?”

  “Nope. Didn’t want Miss Cookie feeling bad about being the only one in pink. I figured we could match. And I told you. I like it.” Rain’s eyes were defiant, daring Garrick to object.

  “Hey, you wear what you want to wear.” Without coffee on board, he was struggling to sound supportive and not lecherous, because damn. Rain looked good in pink, all warm and glowing. It made his eyes more golden, and somehow the contrast with his sharp jaw did all sorts of interesting things to Garrick’s insides. While his taste in partners could be eclectic, the one unifying feature was usually confidence, because there were few things sexier than a fearless person who knew themselves and what they wanted. He’d already noted Rain’s innate confidence the day before, and today’s outfit choice only made him that much more appealing.

  “Good.” Rain clipped the leash to Cookie’s collar. “We’ll be back.”

  While they were gone, Garrick found a T-shirt of his own, black and plain because he didn’t have the same need for sparkle as Rain, but man, did he appreciate glam in people who enjoyed it. As he made the coffee, he watched Rain and Cookie coming up the sidewalk at a decent trot, Rain’s mouth moving like he was talking to the dog. Cute. So damn cute. And so very off-limits.

  “We made a loop,” Rain reported as they came back in. “No lost dog signs. Tonight we’ll go the other direction, but I’m not holding out a ton of hope.”

  “What about your princess picture idea? We can send it to the shelter, maybe put it up in a few other places.” Garrick retrieved two clean mugs out of the top rack of the dishwasher.

  “I’ll do that next.” Rain unclipped Cookie before picking up her water bowl and taking it to the sink. He made fast work of rinsing and filling it with fresh water.

  “But first coffee. Want a cup? Warning that I make it strong, but it’s a local roaster. Very good.”

  “Dude, I grew up in Portland in a hippie community with a coffeehouse on-site. There’s no such thing as too dark, especially if you have some sort of milk on hand.”

  “Of course. Milk, cream, and flavored creamer in the fridge too because my dad visits, and he’s into this new toasted coconut one lately.”

  “I think I like your dad.” Rain opened the fridge and retrieved the bottle of creamer. “Somewhere my mom is having palpitations and doesn’t know why because I’m about to ingest all the tasty chemicals.”

  Garrick had to smile at that. “Guess I should have figured that the cohousing place would be full of health nuts. Are you vegan? It’s not chilled, but I’ve probably got coconut milk somewhere in the pantry too. I went on a curry kick last year and went through a lot of cans.”

  “I float between vegetarian and vegan. Grandma’s vegetarian. My parents raised us as vegans, but the siren song of dairy occasionally pulls me in, and I’m not as close a label reader as my mom is.”

  “I love that you rebelled with dairy.” Garrick had to laugh as he poured them both cups. “When I was your age—”

  “Back in the horse and buggy days.” Rain rolled his eyes.

  “Yeah, yeah.” Garrick wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or not that Rain wanted to minimize their age difference. “I was just going to say that Lisa—the ex-fiancée—was a vegetarian, as have been some friends, and that I tried it out in my twenties. My dad acted like I’d gotten prison tats on my face.”

  “Why’d you go back to eating meat?” Rain sipped his coffee, lounging against Garrick’s cabinets. It was nice, having him here. Easy.

  “Job. Harder to be vegetarian when you’re limited to food at fire camps or on base. And we burn through a ton of fuel between our exercise regimen and the work itself—the way I like to stay in shape, it’s just easier for me to be able to eat a variety of protein sources. But, you know, there are vegan weightlifters and stuff, so I’m sure it can be done.”

  “Good. I was looking over the apps for seasonal employment again last night. You were right about some of my classwork maybe coming in handy. I filled out a bunch of stuff, both here and the positions where you have to mark that you’re open to go anywhere.”

  “And you are?”

  Rain shrugged. “Pretty much. I mean, I’ll stay if Grandma actually needs help or if I get a job, but otherwise I’m pretty wide open. All about finding that next adventure. I might try again for Portland Fire Academy, but that’s not until next spring.”

  “Why are you so keen on firefighting anyway?” Garrick had to admit it seemed like an odd fit for a hippie veggie kid with a love of pink pony shirts.

  “When I was in high school there was a fire at our community. Pretty bad one. It made the news and everything. It wasn’t our unit, but we all had to evacuate, and I got to watch the firefighters work for several hours. Seemed like such an adrenaline rush, what they got to do. And they were helping people. They saved most of the buildings. And uh...” Rain looked away, cheeks taking on more color.

  “Hot men in uniform?” Garrick was a pretty good guesser. “I’m kinda immune to the uniforms at this point myself, but you’re not going to shock me if you were crushing on the firefighters.”

  “Yeah?” Rain’s head tilted as if he was trying to figure Garrick out. And five years ago, Garrick would have let him dangle in the wind, but he was done with closets. He’d seen firsthand how staying quiet had taken too high a toll on more than one friend.

  “I’m pan. I mean, I don’t exactly put it on a billboard at work, but I decided a while back that I was getting way too old to sneak around with any of my hookups or to make apologies for who those hookups were with. My best friend and his boyfriend are the two with the trio of dogs I mentioned yesterday. So sure, crush away on the hot firefighters.”

  “Okay, yeah, so uniforms did it for me back then. Big time. Camo. Police. Firefighters.” Rain’s tentative grin spread wider the more he talked. “Which is funny because I’m so not about uniforms for myself.” He gestured at his T-shirt, more of that adorable blush sweeping across his face. “And I’ve always liked certain things that society wants to label more femme, but when it comes to attraction...”

  “Hey, you don’t have to tell me how weird attraction can be.” Garrick decidedly was not going to confess his own for Rain’s type of person, but he could commiserate without getting skeevy. At least he hop
ed. Because he wanted Rain to feel comfortable around him, not like he needed to hide any part of himself, but he also didn’t want to be the pervy older dude taking advantage either.

  “I know.” Groaning, Rain took another long swig of coffee. “My brothers think it’s hilarious, my thing for hypermasculine-presenting persons. Anyway, I know that those sort of crushes were part of it when I was younger. But the adrenaline and being outdoors and helping people—that’s kept me interested through the classes. I’m not cut out for a cubicle.”

  “Good. But uh...that whole uniform thing? If you get on with one of the seasonal forest service jobs or something, it will probably come with a dress code.”

  “As long as they aren’t dictating my off-duty wear, I’ll be fine. And if I start feeling really stifled, I’ll just have fun with what’s under the uniform.” Rain’s sly smile was a wicked, wicked thing.

  “Yeah.” Garrick barely got the word out, sputtering through his next sip of coffee, trying to shake the image of Rain in sexy underthings out of his brain and failing miserably. Damn. He needed to remind Rain about locker rooms and small-minded people and safety concerns with nonstandard attire, but hell if he could get two words together around the visions dancing in his head. They needed to find this dog a new home and fast. Garrick’s sanity demanded it.

  * * *

  The shirt had been a test. Rain could admit that, especially to himself. And to Cookie, who had zero judgment as they plodded along in an evening walk. But it wasn’t like some sneaky, malicious thing either. More like he’d been about to get dressed that morning, and his hand had hovered over his jeans a fraction too long. He’d wanted to wear his silver shorts. And this shirt. He’d been in the mood to smile over matching color schemes with Cookie’s collar. But then there had been that moment of hesitation. Remembering, he sped up his steps, even his feet impatient with himself.

  It was all because he’d had such a good time the day before with Garrick and Cookie. He’d hung around far longer than he’d needed to, teaching her to fetch and doing random tasks for Garrick like emptying the trash so she wouldn’t raid it. Not that hanging out with Grandma wasn’t fun, but he could listen to Garrick’s stories of dogs he had growing up for hours, not to mention the parts about his job that he slipped in as well. And that was exactly why he made himself grab the shirt and shorts. Because jeans and some other less-pink shirt would have been temporarily easier, but it wouldn’t have been him. He knew himself, knew who he needed to be to be truly happy, and if they were going to be friends, Garrick needed to see that self, all of it.

  He slowed down as they rounded the corner for their own street. The way he’d figured it, either Garrick would be cool hanging out with him in his favorite shirt, the one that made him feel awesome inside, or he wouldn’t, but at least Rain would know, wouldn’t go getting his hopes up for a doomed friendship. So, he’d worn it, not expecting either Garrick’s appreciative gaze or his surprising admission that he was pan.

  “See? Bravery pays,” he told Cookie. And now not only was a friendship still on the table, but also it was open season for crushing guilt-free on Garrick. “Which we’re not going to do, right?”

  A crush would be a bad, bad idea, even if he was already halfway there. He wasn’t sure how long he was staying for one thing, and for another, Garrick seemed rather attached to that hookup lifestyle. And he had other plans for Garrick too, like getting Cookie a forever home.

  “How was the walk?” Garrick greeted him as soon as they reentered the house. Cookie headed straight for her water in the kitchen. Garrick was seated in his large recliner, remote in hand, but nothing playing on the TV.

  “Great. The weather this time of year is the best. You want to come along in the morning?”

  “Come?” Garrick blinked.

  “In your wheelchair. I’ll hold the leash and manage Cookie, but you can come along.”

  “Maybe.”

  That was better than a no, so Rain rewarded him with a grin. “And it goes along with this new idea I had.”

  “Should I be nervous?” Laughing, Garrick gave him a look that was almost fond. “You do seem full of ideas.”

  “I am.” Rain liked that Garrick had noticed that about him, and it made his insides light and bubbly. “And I was thinking of a trade.”

  “Aren’t we already doing that? I let Cookie stay for the weekend and you help.” Garrick’s tone was wary but not uninterested, which Rain would take as a win.

  “The weekend went so fast. There’s still no owner in sight, and tomorrow’s Monday. Maybe we can negotiate an extension?”

  “You’re really set on her not going to the shelter, aren’t you?”

  “Well, yeah. The vet had a point—she’s not going to be an easy placement, especially injured. If you foster her a little longer, she’ll get time to heal.”

  “And for the actual owner to show.” Garrick rubbed his chin. “But I can’t ask you to give up part of your day indefinitely. That wouldn’t be fair.”

  “That’s where my idea comes in. I was looking over the fitness requirements for the various wildfire fighting positions, and some of those tests look tough.” The hotshot crew test was more strenuous than engine work, and smoke jumper requirements were the toughest of all. The differences between the crews had a lot to do with proximity to the fire and danger level of the work undertaken—smoke jumpers went where even the most fearless ground crews couldn’t go. Hotshot crews were the pinnacle of those ground firefighters—working the most dangerous parts of the front line, while engine and other crews worked farther back, trying to stop the spread of a wildfire. Each type of crew had its own requirements in terms of work experience, education, and fitness levels, and a surprising competitiveness made Rain want to be able to compete with the people working the riskiest of the jobs.

  “Yup. It’s hard work,” Garrick agreed. His gaze swept up and down Rain, considering. “And you’re worried you can’t pass?”

  “A little. I worry I’ve been coasting by on good genetics. I ran some cross-country in high school, and I did some running over the winter when I thought I might get into the fire academy, but I didn’t really stick with it. None of my friends are exactly fitness buffs, and I’ve always done my best with being part of a group effort.”

  “Routine is important. As is accountability. I’m not seeing how the dog and I fit into this though.”

  “You totally fit.” Rain bounced a little, getting into his plan again. “I keep helping you with Cookie, and you train me to meet those hotshot crew requirements. I want to aim high.”

  “I can’t exactly run with you...” Garrick trailed off, mouth quirking, eyes contemplative. He was thinking about it, and that made Rain even bouncier, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

  “You wouldn’t have to. You can tell me what to do. Let me check in with you. Like you give me the plan, and I follow it, and I help with Cookie in trade for the work of coaching me.”

  “You really want my advice? I can be somewhat...bossy. I’m not exactly known for going easy on our rookies.”

  “Bring it on. Work me hard.” Rain realized an instant too late that the words might have come out flirtier than he’d intended. Bossy worked for him, in a big way, but he maybe didn’t need to go revealing that before Garrick even agreed. However, if Garrick noticed, he didn’t let on, instead nodding slowly.

  “Guess maybe the dog is growing on me.”

  “Not me?” Okay, that was definitely flirty, no mistake.

  “You? You’re trouble.” Garrick made a scoffing noise. “But if you want to hear me rattle on about fitness, I suppose I can do that. I’m going to need to do a little research about how the whole vegetarian thing impacts the nutritional advice I usually give. Doubt I can get you to crack eggs into a whey protein smoothie.”

  “What? You do that? Ewww.” Rain couldn’t help making a face as he floppe
d on the couch opposite Garrick’s chair. “I mean, I’ll keep an open mind about most of it, but no. No raw eggs.”

  Garrick laughed, a deep, welcome sound. “I’ll do some research. If I come up with a shopping list for you, do you think you can fill it? Stuff like nut butter and some sort of vegan protein powder?”

  Rain took that to be a gentle inquiry into the state of his finances. “Yeah, I’ve got money for food and some to live on until I get a job.”

  “Sounds good. Want to get me my laptop from the spare room? I’ll start now while I’m thinking of it, type up some ideas.”

  “Absolutely.” Rain had to resist the urge to dance around or maybe fist pump like his brothers would. Garrick had agreed far more easily than he’d expected him to, which probably spoke more to boredom and less to Rain’s powers of persuasion, but he could dream. If Garrick helped him get in shape, maybe his next adventure was even closer than he thought.

  Chapter Four

  “I am strangely disappointed by the lack of ponies on your shirt,” Garrick joked to Rain as he let him into the house. He was ready for him this time, already in loose track pants, T-shirt, and wheelchair gloves for their Monday morning exercise with Cookie, who was prancing back and forth like Rain was a perfectly cooked T-bone steak, all for her. Garrick shared the enthusiasm, even if he did a better job of hiding it.

  “Trust me. I’ve got more ponies in the wardrobe. I’ll remember tomorrow.” Rain beamed at him, clearly pleased Garrick had noticed. “This is another of my favorites though, and I wanted long sleeves because it’s still a little chilly out. I like how this one makes me feel like a mermaid.”

  “I can see.” Garrick made a show of checking out the undulating green-and-purple shimmery pattern on Rain’s slinky long-sleeve pullover as Rain twirled to grab the leash. And to show off because that seemed to be a part of his personality too. Garrick was quickly figuring out that he liked attention. Rain wasn’t particularly petite or delicate in build, but somehow that added to the appeal for Garrick, showed another layer of confidence to his fashion choices.