“We’ll see. I’ll need to talk to my crew once they arrive. At that time, follow me or stay here. Makes no difference to me.” She hoped he would follow her, and wasn’t that a surprise.
The engine arrived in record time, as many of the firefighters had police or state police bands on their radios and would have heard of the incident. They probably showed up at the fire house in case they were requested. Six men jumped down from the vehicle.
The engine’s driver left the flashing lights on. Between the headlights and the flashing red lights, if the hiker was anywhere on this side of the mountain, he had to see them.
“With the engine and all these crew members here, what would happen if there is an emergency back home?” Bradley asked, suddenly walking beside her as she went to greet the men.
“We have a second engine and a water tanker, and the other half of the firefighters are on call.” She found it interesting that he referred to the town as home. If he turned his life upside down and stayed, could they…?
Don’t dream, Ellie.
“This area would be a dream come true, if covered by snow.”
Was he a mind-reader, too? “For a lost hiker, the dark and cold can be a nightmare, especially if he hadn’t planned on walking after dark.”
As they approached the fire engine, several of the crew raised eyebrows and pointed to Bradley. “We see you brought your boyfriend.”
“I am a friend, yes, after your truck ran me off the road, remember?”
Ellie noted that some of the men had not been part of that event. Before she could explain what had happened and why he appeared to be in her company, he spoke again. “However, Elinor and others saved me after my car landed in the pond. Without a vehicle, I have had an opportunity to discover the town and its people. I want to give back. What can I do?”
“Can you pull doughnuts out of your hat?” one firefighter asked.
Ellie glanced at the knit cap on his head. Strands of his thick black hair escaped, making him look scrumptious. She bit her bottom lip in a wasted attempt to calm her fluttering heart. When he glanced at her with a questioning expression, she thought back to what he was asked.
“Oh, the fire department auxiliary usually arrives at a rescue scene, such as a fire. They bring the crew beverages and snacks, especially if the emergency takes many hours. Until we get an update on the situation, they are most likely waiting at the fire house.”
“Are they volunteers, too?”
She nodded. Bradley’s eyes widened, as if he found it difficult to believe people in Snowflake Valley would come out at all hours to make sure firefighters were well fed.
“I keep learning more and more when I am near you, Elinor.”
His words, barely a whisper so as not to let the crew know, were delivered with a soft puff of air near her ear. Heat radiated from him and made her shiver.
“Cold?”
“Yes, but only because we are standing around. There really isn’t more we can do until the state police get here. This mountain is a state forest.”
“Jurisdiction. I understand that problem.”
Ellie chuckled. “It’s not that big a problem, except for the fact that at this time of night, a State Police officer might be an hour or more away.” She turned to the crew. “I’ll go see what’s up at the trailhead. Get ready for a hike, once the rescue squad or state police order it. We’re all on channel two.” She held up her radio, so the engine driver could make sure his radio was tuned into the emergency broadcast and would hear their next step in the search process.
Bradley fell into step beside her again, but didn’t say a word.
“I thought you might want to hang out with the guys,” she said, secretly happy he came with her.
“Why would I choose them over spending time with you?” he said so softly, she leaned closer and suddenly lost her footing. His arm reached around her waist as he pulled her into his body. His lips met hers amid the low illumination of the flashing lights. The kiss was brief, as if he understood they were not alone. His sudden release made her drop the radio she had been carrying. It rolled off the edge of the parking lot and into the dark recesses below.
“Damn! I need to find that radio.” She fumbled for the penlight in her pocket while doing her best to ignore his scent. Soap and an earthiness that was so unlike a city dweller filled the air and she was sure it had nothing to do with the forest at their backs. She might have to whip out the headlamp if the little black box rolled far out of reach.
“Let me help,” Bradley said, “but I need a minute.”
She pointed the penlight into the night and ignored him. The radio was her responsibility. Her crew would laugh their heads off if they knew she’d dropped it simply because his kiss had surprised her.
“Elinor, I don’t see it.”
“Let me look,” she said, climbing down to join him. The muddy soil and loose gravel were difficult to traverse, which only made her fear grow for the missing hiker. At least she had a penlight. Did the hiker carry a flashlight?
“I see your light, Elinor, but I knew you were close. I cannot erase your fragrance from my nose. The girly soap I have come to know as you.”
A shadow passed between her and where Bradley’s voice spoke. “I hope that’s you, Mr. Wainwright.”
“Why won’t you call me Bradley?” he asked her with whispered words.
He stood too close. He smelled great and the urge to taste him, again, for longer than a heartbeat, made her knees weak. When he pressed his lips to her right cheek then laughed, he said. “Oops. I missed.”
Before she could understand his intentions, his lips found hers. Although also brief, this kiss was brutal. Instead of simply nibbling her lips, he devoured her. His tongue slid along the seam between her lips, and she opened to him without thought of the consequences. Anyone could see them! Without really wanting to, she pushed him away. “I need to find the radio. That’s all.”
“Are you sure that is all you need?”
Ignoring his questions, a slow sweep of the penlight was useless. “It can’t have disappeared into thin air.”
“Switch off the light. I think I heard something,” he ordered.
Ordering her about, in his big city voice? “Listen, Mr. Wainwright, I mean, Bradley—”
“Quiet! I know I heard someone calling out. Over there!” he said, grabbing the penlight out of her hand.
“What do you think you’re do—”
He’d slapped his hand over her mouth. She struggled, shocked at his sudden move to quiet her. When she growled, he released her.
“I believe I heard someone calling for help. It was very faint. Listen.”
His whisper shocked her the moment she realized what he’d said. They stood side by side in silence. She strained to listen for a voice that could be an echo from the rescuers behind them.
“Over this way,” he said, and started walking into the forest, away from the parking lot filled with flashing lights and the voices of various rescue parties.
As she followed, her foot struck something small and hard. The radio. Yes! She picked it up and dusted it off, then suddenly realized she’d already lost him in the darkness. He had taken her penlight, so she pulled out her headlamp. Securing it on her head, she flicked it on, and scoured the darkness for any sign of Bradley.
There!
She heard movement through the trees, rather than seeing him, so she bent her head downward to use the lamp to find a safe trail to follow through the trees. When she caught up to him, he swung the penlight to the right. Was that a yellow jacket?
“Hello!” Bradley called out.
“Help!” a soft, strained voice answered.
“Elinor, please call for help. I will make my way closer, and wait for the rescuers.”
Before she could say anything, he was gone. His plan was perfect, as long as she kept sight of the yellow jacket, so she spoke into the radio.
“Chief Danville to engine 1.” The radio squawke
d before a voice came on the line.
“What’s up? You and pretty boy get lost in the dark?”
The laughter in the background made her hackles rise, but this was an emergency, and a cool command was the only way to get through to her crew. “Engine 1, advise Ambulance 1 and any professional firefighters who care, to join us. We found a hiker needing rescue!”
A siren blared, most likely to notify anyone in the area that she’d made an actual call for help. Another voice came over the radio. She recognized it as a state trooper she had dealt with at various car accident scenes.
“Chief, your location?”
“To the right side of the parking lot, near the trailhead entrance, behind a white Jeep Cherokee. I have one volunteer about ten yards ahead of me checking on the victim. Is a yellow jacket part of the description?”
A moment of silence, then, “Yes! Units headed your way. Spotlight rounding the corner. Wave when you see it.”
The light appeared and blinded her, but she waved. Voices amid the stomp of boots running closer made her smile. Bradley’s help was on their way. She pointed them in his direction, and the rescue crew worked their way through the heavy brush. When Bradley appeared at her side, he looked very proud of himself, and she couldn’t help returning his grin.
Once back in the parking lot, two of the rescue crew called him over.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” he said.
She watched them talking, then laugh. The men were congratulating him, she assumed. He put up a finger to the group, before returning to her side.
“The guys have invited me out for a drink at the pub near the hospital. They promised to drive me back to the inn by midnight. This will get me out of your hair.”
She bristled, but she was glad he was getting to know some of the men. Didn’t they understand this was temporary? Once the rental car arrived, Bradley Aaron Wainwright would be history.
So, why am I sad?
***
The morning burned bright, warm, and cloudless. Elinor hated every part of it. Where was the snow? She parked the big red truck outside the bookstore, meaning to grab breakfast with Sarah Jane before the Christmas Festival committee met in the store’s back room. The reality was that she hoped Bradley was in the store, too.
The rescue of the hiker had been anticlimactic once they both realized the man was safe and unharmed. He’d gone off the trail very close to the trailhead and had stumbled into heavy brush. Snagged by his backpack, he’d seen the lights and had heard the sirens. As he struggled to free himself, his position down a slope made him nearly invisible.
Bradley had heard his cries for help. Without a thought to his own safety, and by the miniscule beam of her penlight, he had discovered the man. After Bradley cradled the hiker’s head and kept him warm beneath his own coat, Bradley had gotten chilled to the bone.
For one split second, she’d considered driving him back to her house. That thought was so unlike her! Kissing him had opened her eyes, until she remembered that he’d leave, and she’d be alone, again. She was glad some of the men took him under their wings and loaned him a warm jacket. They promised to return him to the inn, so she waved them all goodnight. Bradley must have had a good time, last night, or so she hoped.
The moment she woke up, thankfully alone in her bed, she’d already made up her mind never to go out with Sean again. His attention was much too intense. He was a good-looking guy, but she felt nothing toward him. The man was too full of himself and made her feel she should have ignored the fire call. She would swear on a stack of Bibles he assumed she would ignore the call, then invite him to her bed. Later, when the call went out for volunteers to possibly hike up the mountain to help with the search, he never showed.
Would Bradley come home with her if she invited him to a home-cooked meal? He had walked off with the guys last night without a look back at her. Had her dinner date with Sean been responsible for that? He somehow knew she’d been out with Sean, but didn’t she say it had been a mistake? After last night’s rescue, she wanted to talk to Bradley, to see how he was doing. True, she wanted to find out when he planned to leave, but her mind had to deal with her other responsibilities. He was at the scene as a civilian, and he needed to know they all appreciated his help. The threat of a lawsuit against the fire engine that sent his rental car off the road was always in the back of her mind.
Dad was going home, today. He had described his ankle as a twisted blue mass twice its normal size, but only a sprain. No broken bones. A nurse would visit him every three days to change the bandage and check on the swelling and bruising. A home health aide would visit every day for the next week to help with baths and meals, and to make sure he was getting some exercise. After that, it was up to him to get around. She had rounded up a posse made up of the fire department’s auxiliary to take turns giving him rides to medical appointments, the barber, and the food store.
She could offer little help. Anytime an alarm blared, she would need to drop everything and respond. The doctor hoped he would be better within a month, but that sounded so far in the future. It would happen in the new year, but she needed him to take over now.
The Christmas Festival was always at the forefront of her thoughts, too. The weather was too warm. Too sunny. Too cloudless for a snowfall anytime soon. As a major fire department fundraiser, she feared bake sales would not earn enough money for the equipment they need. The committee would have to come up with some extraordinary ideas to keep the festival alive.
She stepped through the bookstore door and inhaled the delicious aroma of fresh coffee and butterscotch scones. Several couples filled the tiny tables surrounded by brick-a-brac and unmatched chairs. Sarah Jane sold handmade pottery, such as coffee mugs and tea cups, on consignment. A few homespun aprons, potholders, and dishtowels hung for sale on an antique dish cupboard she’d painted a soft green.
The loving gazes and light touches that the starstruck couples shared made a pang of envy squeeze Ellie’s heart. When she drew her gaze away and toward the front of the shop, she spotted Bradley sitting alone by the window. He wore the same jeans, boots and flannel shirt he’d worn last night, and his eyes were locked on his laptop screen. He seemed intently interested in his work, and she assumed he had a lot on his plate, but she yearned for him to notice her. He was good-looking and sophisticated, yet his smile whenever they met on the street made her feel there was hope.
What the heck am I hoping for? To fall for a guy who might disappear the next day?
His glasses, perched on his long, straight nose, gave him a world-weary look that made her want to circle him in her arms and comfort him. He wasn’t smiling at her now. He didn’t know she was even in the store.
“Hi, Ellie! Are you here for breakfast?” Sarah Jane wiped the counter, then straightened a covered cake plate pedestal filled with scones.
“Right. Coffee and a butterscotch scone, please.”
“Coming right up.”
She waited to the side as Sarah’s assistant took a couple of orders and sold three books. Ellie wished she had time to read.
Maybe after Dad takes over again…
She wanted to glance over at Bradley, but kept her attention on her sister’s blonde ponytail. She wasn’t sure where she should sit to eat. If she stayed in the front dining area, Bradley might come over and talk to her. Would that be a problem? After last night’s kiss in the dark, he had left her with more questions than answers.
“Here you go,” Sarah Jane said as she handed Ellie a plate. “I put the coffee cups and thermos in the back room for the auxiliary meeting. You can eat back there.”
Problem solved, damn it.
Ellie took the plate and couldn’t help but notice that Sarah Jane had added a poached egg on rye toast beside the sweet-smelling scone. Sarah worried about Ellie’s health a little too much, but the egg part of her breakfast smelled pretty good. With a quick backward glance at Bradley, she slipped into the meeting room.
An hour later, th
e quiet backroom had filled with several voices talking at once.
“People can cut out holiday decorations and make ornaments,” Elvira shouted.
“We can have a wreath making contest,” Julia said.
“What about face painting?” Erin Wilson, the first-grade teacher asked.
“Great ideas, but what else will bring in families with children?” Ellie asked. For a childless unmarried woman, her thoughts had always leaned toward ice skating on the pond and romantic sleigh rides.
“Let’s host a gingerbread making contest. Families only, and they have to recreate a town building. Ellie, do you think you and your father could make a fire house?”
Ellie shook her head. “Dad’s still hurting, and I have too many responsibilities. Sorry.”
“What about a pie sale? Decorated for the holidays, of course. We could auction them off,” said another lady. “Dozens of folks around here bake for the holidays. What’s an extra pie to donate or possibly win a prize?”
“I would love to buy a fresh baked cherry pie.” Elvira said.
Julie added, “I love pumpkin pie, and wouldn’t mind buying one instead of slaving over a hot stove this year.”
The ladies giggled. Henry cleared his throat. “My wife isn’t able to volunteer, you know. She’s still recuperating from that broken hip, but she bakes every day. If she could enter a contest, she’d be tickled pink and could donate several pies.”
“Now we’re talking,” Ellie said, though a heavy snowfall would certainly make the entire festival a hit. She stood and reached for the coffee carafe and poured a half a cup. “I’ll get some fresh coffee.”
Leaving the jumble of voices, she stepped behind the counter and filled the carafe from a fresh brewed pot. As she concentrated, she thought of the festival. “I want ice skating, sleigh rides, snowman-making contests, romantic things…” Ellie’s whispered words were unheard by the others, but she still wished they could happen.
She returned to the back room amid voices rising to a crescendo that was adding to another headache. It sounded like canceling the festival was not an option. Too bad she couldn’t decide if that was good news or bad.
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