High Heat (Hotshots)

by Annabeth Albert

  And it was undeniably weird seeing Linc and Jacob socially like this, not for work, and for what was for all intents and purposes a double date. A year ago, he wouldn’t have expected any of this. And as he rolled along next to Rain on the wide sidewalk, he tried to shake the surreal, floaty feeling.

  “Oh my god, I love your shirt,” Jacob greeted them with his eyes glued to Rain’s Bear Bait shirt when they met up at the entrance to the part of the park with the festival. Or maybe Jacob’s eyes were for Rain himself, who did look super hot in the tight T-shirt, purple shorts, and hair in a rare braid instead of his usual bun. And every time Garrick saw the braid, his brain went straight to sex, because Rain had let him comb his hair out after a shower, which had led to making out, which had led to them almost being late to this thing and Rain leaving his hair down in the rush to get ready.

  “I want one,” Jacob continued, and Linc made a sort of growling noise, which only made Jacob laugh. Damn. Garrick had waited a lot of years to watch Linc get his comeuppance and it was more than worth it. “What? It’s fun. And don’t make me covet those matching I’m His/He’s Mine Disney Pride theme shirts we saw a minute ago.”

  “On second thought, Rain’s shirt is delightful. Buy seven. No way are we doing matching anything.”

  In a stage whisper, Rain leaned into Garrick. “I triple dare you to get them matching pajamas for the holidays.”

  “Maybe so.” Thinking about winter made Garrick’s back tense. Rain would likely be gone then and who knew where or if Garrick would be working. He’d keep it summer as long as he could.

  The event was set up along a paved path, three rows of maybe thirty or so booths and food carts making a triangle, the center of which housed activities for kids and families. At one end was a stage where a folk singer in a long skirt was singing. Shirley and some of her crafting friends had a booth filled with rainbow tie-dye shirts, and they stopped there to say hello before continuing on to the food. Shirley had on a Free Grandma Hugs button and appeared to be having a great time.

  “Are you sure you don’t need my help loading up afterward?” Rain asked.

  “No, dear. I’ve got my trusty wagon. We’ve been through many a festival together. You have fun with your friends.”

  “So much for my mom’s insistence that Grandma couldn’t make it this summer without my help,” Rain grumbled as they walked away. “They’re visiting next weekend for the Fourth of July, and I guarantee you I’m going to get a lecture about how I’m not doing enough for Grandma.”

  “It took me a solid six months of asking before she let me build her the raised beds out back. Some people are just super independent. I know she likes having you around.” That niggling worry about winter returned, this time stronger. How much longer would Rain want to stick around if Shirley didn’t need him? Was hanging out with Garrick enough of an inducement? Garrick knew full well he was finding the forestry work rather boring, with a lot of brush hauling lately as they were between controlled burns and no unexpected fires had cropped up yet. Just a little longer, he asked the universe. No way was he ready to worry about how in the hell he was ever going to let Rain go.

  “Hey look! A pet-toy booth!” Jacob led the way to a display of rainbow collars, leashes, dog T-shirts, and more.

  “They have baskets of toys at home. Baskets.” Linc gave a helpless groan as Rain and Jacob loaded up on organic heart-shaped dog treats and little plush squeaker-filled toys that were bound to get destroyed in thirty seconds. “And the teenagers who watch our dogs when we’re gone long hours are always bringing more toys too.”

  “You’ve had a lot of call-outs recently?”

  “Oh. Sorry. Maybe shouldn’t have mentioned...” Linc rubbed at his super-short hair.

  “It’s okay.” God, Garrick hated this. “You can talk about work. I promise I’m not about to flip out again.”

  “Okay.” Linc exhaled hard and looked away.

  Maybe this part would get easier with time. He had to hope so because, man, he’d rather get his back waxed than endure too many more of these awkward conversations.

  Still meandering toward the food, Jacob and Rain next stopped at a booth featuring temporary tattoos, bumper stickers, and other small souvenirs. The two of them bonded over their lack of permanent ink but admiration for tattooed individuals. It was nice, watching Rain from a distance like this, not keeping him all to himself like usual.

  Seeing how easily he made friends with Jacob reminded Garrick how damn special he was and how lucky he was that Rain chose to hang out so much with him. Of course, some of that was undoubtedly Cookie and her appeal, not to mention Rain’s desire to make a hotshot crew driving their morning workouts, but he stuck around enough other times, even without sex, that Garrick figured he was doing something right to earn more time with someone this fun and appealing.

  “What are you going to do?” Linc asked, interrupting his quiet appreciation of Rain’s charms.

  “Do?”

  “Yeah, now that you can’t... Is there disability? Or do you think you can keep doing the dispatch job? Maybe work for your dad? Jacob and I were talking earlier. You know you can ask if you need...anything, right?”

  “Ah.” Garrick could tell by Linc’s pinched expression that he was getting at the question of whether Garrick was okay for money. Which was nice, but this was the sort of future looking he was trying not to do. “I’m okay. Medical copays are finally calming down. Adams says he can use me all season at least. Guess I’ll see about after. No way in hell am I cut out for either the ranching or the retail life with Dad. Love the man, but we’d go crazy working together.”

  Not that his dad hadn’t offered. He’d finally told his dad about the physical therapy news, and while he’d been sympathetic, the relief had been clear in his eyes. Not that he wanted Garrick injured, but he also hadn’t made any secret about not wanting him smoke jumping anymore. Which made Garrick less inclined to hear his offer to come work in his store with him. Maybe someday he’d come around to that, but for right now, forestry and wildfire fighting were still in his blood. At least working for Adams, he got to stay connected to the community in some meaningful way. It might not be the thrill of frontline danger, but it was still good, honest work and a whole lot more appealing than folding shirts and polishing buckles for his dad.

  “Feed me now.” Laughing as he exited the booth, Jacob flopped against Linc, and the glance that passed between them was so intimate that Garrick needed to look away. He refused to be jealous that they got each other, the sort of happy ending other people aspired to. They’d worked damn hard to get to this place, and if Garrick’s neck went a little tight, well, that had more to do with those questions rattling around in his head about how long he might have with Rain.

  Because damn if he didn’t want it all. Sometimes, like now, he looked at Rain and his chest ached with the force of wanting him so much, wanting him and his jokes and the way he made Garrick feel so alive, even during one of the most challenging times of his life. I might be in over my head.

  “The noodle truck has huge plates of veggie pad thai. You want to split that and I’ll get you a couple of chicken skewers to supplement?” Rain asked as they surveyed the food offerings.

  “Sure. I’m easy.”

  “Yeah you are.” And just like that, Garrick earned his own look, one that made sweat gather in the small of his back, warmth pooling low in his gut, all from Rain’s heated gaze, which was full of all sorts of promises Garrick was going to hold him to later.

  They found an accessible picnic table after Rain collected a few other dishes for them to share, and Rain took a seat on the bench closest to Garrick so they could share the food while they watched the stage. Their fingers and shoulders kept brushing in a cozy, familiar way that made his skin tingle with awareness. On the stage, a different singer was covering a seventies ballad, one about coming home that Garrick’s da
d was always humming, and when Rain smiled at him, for the first time in a long time he was so happy he almost couldn’t hold it in. He had to laugh simply because being here, in this moment felt so damn good. Being here like this, it was easy to pretend that everything might work out after all. In that instant, with Rain’s smile filling him up, it was impossible to wallow in what was lost when he had so much right here.

  Rain’s laughter mingled with his own, and Garrick shut his eyes, inhaling deeply, drinking in every drop of happiness, as long as he could, as long he had it. For right now, right here, this person and all this contentment was his and he was holding on to both as long as he could.

  * * *

  This was the strangest, best double date Rain had ever been on. They were sharing a picnic table in view of the stage, and mid-bite of pad thai, Garrick offered him an unexpectedly tender look, one that made Linc and Jacob and everything else fade away. Not for the first time, he wondered how in the hell he got so lucky as to have this guy so happy to spend time together.

  He hadn’t been sure how Garrick would react to his idea of trying Pride together, wasn’t sure how far the boundaries of him being out extended, but he’d been game enough for going, and there was something really nice about being here, knowing others probably read them as a couple, and being free to touch and preen. Yes, he’s mine, all mine. And at least for right then, it was true.

  “You guys are damn adorable.” Linc gestured at how they were sharing food. They’d done what they always did eating out—chose a few things to share, then some meat on the side for Garrick. They’d fallen into that pattern early on, and it worked for them because they both liked having a number of things to sample. It wasn’t about being cutesy, but if it gave them more of the happy couple vibe, he wasn’t going to complain either.

  “You could take pointers,” Jacob suggested with a laugh. “Don’t come between Linc and his steak. And we have shared food. But he’s right. You guys are cute. Tell me you’re sticking around, Rain.”

  “I—”

  “Don’t bug him about that,” Garrick answered for him, rolling his eyes at Jacob’s rather obvious matchmaking. Which was fine because Rain wasn’t sure how he would have answered. Was he sticking around? He didn’t know. A few weeks ago his answer would have been far different than it was these days. All he knew was that Garrick made him damn happy and he wasn’t giving it up, not yet.

  “What? I’m not being that pushy. But I know how hard it can be to find work after the fire season. I did some work with the winter crews last year though, and while driving a snowplow and trail grooming isn’t the most exciting, it beats working one of the ski lifts if you ask me.”

  “Nah. Ski lift isn’t the worst. I’d rather do that than wait tables again. Tourists, man. They tip worth shit.” Garrick’s observation led to the three of them debating various seasonal employment options while Rain thought about staying, what that might look like. It wasn’t the first time the thought had crossed his mind, and he let himself daydream about snow. Surprisingly, the thought didn’t make his skin itch as much as make him curious. Would Cookie like the winter? Could he coax her into a cute pink parka? Which holidays did Garrick celebrate?

  It was a nice little improbably cozy fantasy, one that wasn’t likely to come to pass. Garrick would get tired of him eventually if nothing else, but for a minute it was a pretty little picture.

  “What are you smiling about?” Turning his attention back to Rain, Garrick gave him an indulgent look, the one that usually meant he’d be up for whatever idea Rain had. However, this time Rain simply shook his head, not willing to let his fragile fantasy into the world. Jacob had it all wrong—the worst thing wouldn’t be some boring job. Rather, it would be Garrick laughing at the prospect, not wanting him. And this day was simply too nice to ruin by inviting rejection.

  On the stage, a troupe of young dancers had replaced the folk singer. They weren’t particularly coordinated, but they made up for a lack of talent with a lot of earnest enthusiasm. Rain and the others applauded loudly as they finished their first number.

  “Bet this is a far cry from Portland Pride. There you’ve got all the parties and parade and professional acts, right?” Garrick asked.

  “Oh, I’ve been.” Jacob laughed. “It’s way more of a hookup scene than—hey, why are you glowering at me? I didn’t say I wanted to go back!”

  He bumped shoulders with Linc, more of their easy comfort with each other. Rain couldn’t help but wonder what that would be like, years with one person, shared history and jokes, fake jealousy and real, deep feelings.

  “It’s fun,” Rain agreed, mind still on Jacob and Linc and how nice that might be to have. “But this is cute and fun too. It’s nice to not have a huge crowd of people and all the vendors seem really happy to be here. Lots of local flavor.”

  He could have slid in something about the company and how that was the real draw for him, but he wasn’t that smooth, not then, not with a throat this tight and Garrick looking at him like he was a few minutes from ditching them for the big city experience.

  They finished up their food and returned to browsing the booths, Jacob trying to goad Linc into a temporary rainbow tattoo and Linc threatening to get Jacob’s name instead in some cheesy location, their banter filling up any silences between him and Garrick.

  “Hey, it’s your favorites!” With Linc and Jacob distracted by the tattoo selection, Garrick pointed at a pink T-shirt with Rain’s favorite pony characters and a Morning Sunshine slogan. “You should get it.”

  “Or maybe that one.” He pointed at a different shirt with a single pony and Daddy, I Want a Pony under it in swirly font.

  “Behave.” Though Garrick’s mischievous smile said he wasn’t truly opposed to Rain getting the shirt.

  “You’re almost elderly enough to be someone’s sugar daddy, old man,” Rain couldn’t resist teasing. Not that he’d changed his mind about wanting one of those, but Garrick could get uptight about the age difference every now and then, and teasing him was a good way to get him to lighten up.

  “Ha.” Garrick captured his wrist and tugged him down so he could whisper closer to Rain’s ear, “Bad boys get spankings. Might want to be nice.”

  Oh yeah. Delicious heat spread through all his muscles, molten butter and sugar leaving him all bubbly and craving more. “I’m getting the shirt.”

  “You do that.” Garrick winked at him, and damn if Rain didn’t want a teleporter to zap them both right back to Garrick’s bedroom, where he could make him carry through on all the sexy threats in his eyes.

  As he paid for his purchases, another singer on the stage was crooning about love lasting only a single night, lyrics hitting Rain square in the chest. He didn’t want a single night, not anymore. Hell, he was starting to think he might never get enough of this man and little moments like this one.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Are you sure about this?” Frowning, Garrick studied his handiwork, not at all convinced it was ready for public consumption. And truly, he wasn’t at all sure about this whole day, lacking Rain’s easy confidence.

  “She’s going to love it.” Rain plucked the lumpy little purple-striped pouch out of Garrick’s hands and dropped it in a gift bag. Garrick had actually managed to complete a knitting project of sorts—a small drawstring pouch that held a bottle of local lavender essential oil and a gift card. It was far from perfect—lumpy with some unintended eyelets, and the cord was possibly the best knitting of the whole piece, but Rain kept insisting Shirley would appreciate the gift.

  “If you say so.” Privately, he was rather proud of the lumpy little project. What had started out as admittedly something to get in Rain’s good graces had become an activity he genuinely got some satisfaction from, to the point that he’d worked on the project several times without Rain being around. Rain himself did the best job of distracting Garrick when the nights got long
and lonely, but the hobby didn’t hurt.

  “Guess we should head out.” Garrick’s gaze flitted across the street. Any moment now people would start descending on Shirley’s backyard for a combination birthday and Fourth of July celebration.

  “Calm down. You’re nervous about meeting my family, which is cute, but I’m pretty sure they’re going to love you.” Rain put the finishing touches on his own gift. The handmade socks had turned out beautifully and he’d paired them with a foot cream from the same little gift shop where Garrick had found the lavender oil. They’d had a number of fun outings recently in addition to Pride, trying different parks and paths with Cookie and exploring shops and restaurants.

  Garrick knew keeping him busy and distracted was a lot of the motivation behind their explorations, Rain on a mission to keep him from the melancholy that threatened to reappear whenever he was idle too long. So busy was good. Knitting lessons. Rain’s workouts. Eating out. Work, taking on a few more hours. Playing with Cookie. Getting better at Rain’s board game. None of it exactly made up for what he wasn’t doing, but he didn’t like dwelling on that, preferred to focus on making fun memories with Rain. There would be plenty enough time later to let the disappointment back in.

  “I still say I’m too old for you, and your parents are going to give me the evil eye.” Meeting the parents had never exactly been Garrick’s favorite thing, and even if Shirley seemed cool with their friendship, he wasn’t convinced Rain’s parents would feel the same.

  “They are not driving down from Portland to lecture either of us. Although I do talk about you enough that they’re curious. Besides, it’s going to be a big party. No one’s going to be that focused on us.” Rain grabbed both gift bags and the carrot bread they’d made together.

  “If you say so,” he grumbled as he settled into his chair for the trip across the street.

  “Don’t make me drag you back to bed, get you in a better mood.” Rain’s tone was anything but threatening. “And if you truly hate the party, we’ll simply slip away early, come back here and make our own fireworks.”