High Heat

by Annabeth Albert

  “Did you eat something?” he asked as Rain put Cookie on the leash. “My plan is to make you do pull-ups and some other exercises at the park, get a baseline for what you can already do. You might want to eat something small now, then a bigger meal after. I’ve got a plan for that too.”

  “I had a granola bar. I’ll be okay. You don’t have to feed me if it’s too much trouble.”

  “It’s not. I found a vegan pancake recipe that uses stuff I’ve got on hand, and I’ll put on a pot of coffee while I show you the rest of the information I found online about adding muscle while vegan or vegetarian.”

  “You really did research for me?” Rain’s appreciative smile, slightly shy with downcast eyes, went straight to Garrick’s gut and made him want to do hours more work.

  “Of course. You asked me for help. I’m not going to risk giving you bad advice.” That and it had been fun, a pleasant distraction with a purpose.

  “Thanks.” Rain looked like he might want to add more, but Cookie barked and tugged him toward the door. “Okay, okay. Someone wants us to get moving.”

  “Lead on. And reading nutrition blogs beats trying to find a show to hold my attention. I never was that big on TV to begin with, and now that I have all this time, it’s almost torture trying to find non-stupid shows.”

  “We’ve got to get you some hobbies.” Rain nodded like this was a simple prospect. All his doctors and therapists said the same thing, but so far coming up with a training plan for Rain was the most fun he’d had in quite some time. Still though, he nodded because he knew Rain meant well.

  “Coming up with creative ways to whip your ass into shape doesn’t count?”

  “It’s a start,” Rain said airily as they headed down the sidewalk. “Growing up, TV was something my mom really limited. My older brother rebelled and became a big movie buff, but for me, I only really like my guilty pleasure of reality TV as background if I’m doing something else, otherwise I get bored like you.”

  “Well, I’m going to do my best to keep you not bored with this training idea of yours. You may regret asking though.”

  “Bring it on.” Rain gave him a cheeky grin. “I’m not afraid of a little hard work. Or getting sweaty.”

  Garrick couldn’t tell whether it was Rain’s emphasis on the word or his own overheated imagination, but suddenly his brain was overtaken by images of Rain sweaty under far more interesting circumstances. Trying to outrun such thoughts, he picked up the pace but paused at the corner.

  “After Cookie’s foot heals, we’ll see if she can run with you, but for now let’s head in the direction of the park. We’ll warm up on the way there and then I’ve got a list of things I want you to try.”

  Rain blinked before laughing. “You weren’t kidding about bossy, were you?”

  “Nope. Be glad you’re not a rookie prepping for a fixed-line parachute jump.”

  “That’s the thing where you dangle from a rope below a plane?” Rain visibly shuddered.

  “Little more complicated than that, but that’s the gist. It’s a training thing, getting the rookies used to practicing proper positioning and timing while still getting assistance from the trainers.”

  “To be honest, I’m not sure about leaping out of perfectly good airplanes. The hotshot crew sounds more like my speed.”

  “Not a daredevil?” Garrick had to laugh because smoke jumping certainly wasn’t for everyone.

  “Not like that. Get me close to danger, with high drama and adrenaline but maybe without flinging myself out of a plane.”

  “It’s the best feeling in the world.” Garrick led the way to the entrance for the park, passing out of their neighborhood with its modest older homes to the nicer, bigger ones that ringed the park. He had to breathe deep, trying not to let the memories swamp him. “There’s nothing like it. I’d done my time on engine and hotshot crews. Then I had the chance to skydive with this chick I was sorta seeing, and I just knew. Felt like coming home and brand new in the same instant. Like I was born to do it.”

  “So you went out for smoke jumpers after that? Free jump experience?”

  “Yeah. And don’t get me wrong. It’s not all fun. And I take the job seriously. It’s hard work. But those couple of seconds that start each jump... There’s nothing on earth that can compare to free fall. It’s addictive.”

  “I bet. I hope...” Rain slowed, voice going softer, more uncertain. “I hope you get a chance to do it again someday.”

  “Oh, I will.” Garrick refused to be anything other than confident about this. “I’m working every day. PT again tomorrow. My therapist will be happy to hear about Cookie and me getting out more.”

  “I bet. Was it...” His mouth quirking, Rain licked his lips. “It’s okay if you can’t talk about it, but Grandma said you broke both legs? I’m sorry. I’m being nosy again.”

  “It’s okay. And you don’t have to ask her. I can talk about it. Yes, it was a fall from a tree. Both legs broke, a bad concussion, and a spinal cord injury that didn’t lead to complete paralysis but has still had some lasting effects, and additional nerve issues from needing a tourniquet for a gash in my thigh.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot. I’m amazed you survived.” Rain didn’t add that Garrick was lucky, which most people tended to tack on and he never knew how to respond to such sentiments.

  “Honestly, me too.” And Garrick knew he was lucky. Another inch one direction or another, and his story would be completely different. Similar falls had killed friends of his, experienced firefighters who were good, cautious climbers. But knowing that didn’t make it easier to take when people handed out platitudes about luck or some greater purpose. And luck went both ways—it was seriously shitty luck to fall and decent luck to not die, and thinking too much about fortunes made his head swim. “At first, doctors said I wouldn’t walk again, but I proved them wrong. I’m going to skydive again too.”

  “Hope so.”

  Needing to change the subject, Garrick pointed at the paved trail that wove through the park. “If we follow this, we’ll hit various obstacles, including pull-up bars. I plan to make you do most of them.”

  “At your command.” Rain’s dark eyes sparkled, almost like he knew precisely the effect his flirty tone would have on Garrick.

  “Sit-ups.” Stopping at the first station, which had a low bench in front of a sign, Garrick tried for a stern no-more-flirting tone, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded. “Focus on form rather than quantity. Start with ten good ones, but five with good form is better than ten where you risk a core muscle injury. And I know you’re not sure about skydiving, but even on an engine crew, core strength is vital for being able to hold a position.”

  It had been years, but Garrick’s muscles still burned with the memory of hours and hours digging fireline, working tirelessly to build barriers against the spread of the fire. Not that they didn’t do plenty of digging as smoke jumpers too, but it wasn’t quite the same as working on a crew with that sole focus for days on end.

  “Okay.” After giving Garrick the leash, Rain plopped down on the bench and proceeded to give a first effort that had Garrick fearing for his lower back and neck.

  “Plant your feet. Use the core, not momentum, and definitely not your arms pulling on your neck. Slow and steady.”

  “This better?” Rain tried again, two more that were more in line with what Garrick expected.

  “That’s it. Very good. Nice and easy.” Garrick coached through his next few until Rain paused. “That’s the way.”

  “Garrick?”

  Something about his tone immediately made Garrick’s back tense like he was the one doing crunches. “Yeah?”

  “Are you trying to turn me on?” Rain looked him up and down, like that might be an actual possibility and not absurd.

  “Uhhhh.” Garrick made a strangled sound.

  “I’ll take that a
s a no. Maybe try being meaner?” Rain’s grin was positively devilish. “I’m just saying, I’m trying to avoid an embarrassing situation here.”

  “Point taken.” Damn. On the one hand, Garrick liked Rain’s directness. A lot. On the other...he could have lived a much more comfortable existence without knowing that apparently Rain liked orders or praise or maybe both. “Try and do another few with good form. I’ll stay quiet.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean you had to be silent.” Laughing, Rain rattled off another few sit-ups, form much better now, to the point that Garrick wondered if he’d deliberately been terrible just to get Garrick’s corrections. And wasn’t that exactly the kind of intriguing development he didn’t need.

  “Okay, okay. Next obstacle.” Garrick got them moving again before Rain could flirt further.

  “Good! Lunges. Those I can do.” And somehow, someway, Rain made an exercise Garrick had done himself a thousand times ridiculously sexy. “No form corrections?”

  “No.” Garrick’s voice came out too gruff. Rain knew exactly what he was doing and had too much fun doing it, especially when they made their way to the push-up station. Either Rain had avoided all push-ups in high school or he was deliberately torturing Garrick with bad form. “Ass in line with the rest of your body.”

  “It is.” Rain waggled his eyebrows, a nifty trick while prone. “Trust me, if I was sticking my ass out on purpose, you’d know.”

  “Is this how you are with all your friends?” Garrick was still trying to sort out what Rain was after with the flirting, whether he was simply getting more comfortable around Garrick or what.

  “How? Goofy?”

  “Yeah. Goofy.” Garrick rolled his eyes. If Rain didn’t want to own up to the flirting, he sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to force the issue. And quite probably Rain was right—this was how he was with the world at large and not Garrick specifically. “Now to the pull-ups.”

  “If I can’t do any...” Rain showed his first moment of true hesitation in front of the bars. “I haven’t tried this in months, since I was trying for the fire academy stuff, and last time I tried I think I got like two out, maybe three. When I was a kid, I could do monkey bars all day long, but a pull-up from a static hang is harder.”

  “So try for two. For smoke jumpers the minimum is seven, but people don’t start out being able to crank out a dozen.” Then, not liking the serious expression on Rain’s face, he added, “I’m not going to laugh if you can’t get over the bar, promise.”

  “Okay. Here it goes.” Rain leaped up to the bar, then dangled. But he made an admirable effort at three pull-ups, and Garrick forgot he was supposed to tone down the praise, cheering him on.

  “Way to go. That’s how to do it!”

  “You know, if you were cheering for me, I probably could jump out of an airplane.” Rain dropped down, but not before his shirt rode up and shorts drooped, exposing a fuzzy happy trail and some creamy skin. And the hint of a black underwear waistband that was most certainly far from boring white briefs and was going to worm its way into Garrick’s brain all day, making him try to imagine what Rain had on under his clothes.

  “That’s awesome. Thanks.” Garrick had no business feeling as pleased as he did at the compliment or as befuddled as he was at the flash of skin.

  “Just facts.” Grinning, Rain took the dog back, racing ahead to the next obstacle. He was trouble all right. Trouble Garrick certainly didn’t need, but hell if he didn’t want. And hell if he didn’t feel more alive than he had in months, out here, sunny morning, arm muscles pleasantly burning, prospect of feeding Rain later, anticipation over what flirty bit of banter Rain might toss his way next. Bring it on, Trouble.

  * * *

  Rain had seldom looked as forward to pancakes as much as he did as they finished up at the park and headed back to Garrick’s house.

  “You sure you want to make me food?” he asked as they turned for their street, Cookie leading the way.

  “Well, technically you are going to make you food. I’m not sure I can manage the griddle balancing on the crutches, and the wheelchair puts me at an awkward angle for the counter. So we’ll work together. Besides, I’m interested to see if this oat-and-coconut recipe turns out without eggs.”

  “I can help. And it’ll turn out. You’d be amazed at what coconut can do. My mom swears it’s one of the wonders of the world. She uses it for everything from moisturizer to home remedies to all sorts of cooking.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” Garrick laughed as he navigated the ramp to his house. And damn, did Rain ever like that laugh. Maybe that was why he’d been extra flirty doing the obstacles. Getting Garrick to smile and laugh was simply the best feeling, and bantering with him felt natural, like shrugging into his favorite clothes. It didn’t hurt that he had a major kink for bossy people who could dole out praise along with orders.

  And sure, he could try and ignore that spark of attraction and arousal, but unless it was making Garrick uncomfortable, he didn’t see any reason to deny them both a little fun. He was probably only temporarily in the area and Garrick didn’t do relationships, but the more time Rain spent around Garrick, the more a little flirting felt harmless. Fun, even.

  After he made sure that Cookie had fresh water and chow, he helped Garrick start the recipe for the pancakes. Working together was fun and made the time go fast.

  “Should we make extra for you to bring to Shirley?” Garrick asked as they measured the ingredients.

  “Nah. I’ll text to make sure, but Grandma was already having her cereal when I left, and she’s probably elbow deep in vats of dye by now. I’m supposed to be helping, but she keeps shooing me away.”

  “Control freak. I sympathize. Letting people help is hard.” Garrick’s tone was faraway, like he had had too much experience with that.

  “I bet.” Rain couldn’t really imagine being in Garrick’s situation, couldn’t predict how he’d react, but he was sure there would be a wide range of emotions involved. His parents’ friend Paula had talked a little about that, as had his grandma as her arthritis had necessitated more assistance than she preferred. “I think people generally want to be helpful, but sometimes they don’t know how or don’t know how to not make things worse.”

  “Yeah, but it can be hard to know when people actually mean it and when they’re simply being nice.” Garrick stirred the batter rather forcefully.

  “Well, I can’t speak for others, but I like helping, like with Cookie and stuff. I’m not doing it to be nice or to get the free training out of it—I actually like helping.”

  “That’s the hippie commune spirit talking.”

  “Yup. That’s part of it for sure—how we were raised that kindness costs nothing—but doing stuff for other people feels good.” Rain warmed up to the topic as he reached for the batter bowl to start putting pancakes on the griddle. The joining together to do things for others was one of the better parts of the communal living arrangement, resulting in a lasting appreciation for the joys of being useful. “You know how you were talking about skydiving and that rush? Well, when Grandma actually lets me carry one of the dye vats or something, it’s a rush too, knowing she needed something and I was able to do it for her. Being the middle kid, a lot of times I got lost in the shuffle, so it’s nice to be needed.”

  “I totally get that.” Garrick nodded emphatically.

  “Thanks.” Others, including Rain’s parents, had never quite understood exactly how invisible he could feel when surrounded by people, but he had, and that need to stand out had only gotten stronger as he’d become older. Garrick might be simply being nice, but him trying to empathize made Rain’s chest expand.

  “Building the raised beds for your grandma was very satisfying, exactly like you said. It’s just hard to be the one needing people all of a sudden.”

  “I’m sure.” Rain gave his shoulder a squeeze before fl
ipping more pancakes. And that touch alone was a pleasure, the meaty feel of Garrick’s shoulder, the warmth of his body. Yeah, he had it bad, but he wasn’t inclined to pull back. Further, he enjoyed how Garrick relaxed into the touch, as if soaking up the contact, not flinching away.

  Reluctantly, he moved away, doing a little shimmy as he got into stacking up the pancakes. Garrick made a strangled sound.

  “What?”

  “Shorts. Either we need to feed you a lot more or your elastic has issues.”

  “Ah.” They’d dipped a couple of times at the park too, a particularly loose pair that went with the mermaid top, but apparently they’d dipped low enough to reveal a strip of his underwear. Just a hint of lace on the waistband really, but the way Garrick’s eyes were riveted to it, one might think there was fire involved. Or maybe that was simply the heat sizzling between the two of them, some sort of charged energy. “Problem?”

  “No.” Garrick’s gaze didn’t waver and Rain didn’t hike the shorts up. This was the exact opposite of feeling invisible, lost in a crowd, and the singular attention made his pulse speed up.

  “Wanna see more?” He fingered the waistband of his shorts. “I’m not shy.”

  “That you’re not.” Garrick’s voice was all low and husky.

  “Maybe you’d like this pair as much as my pony shirt...” Rain was seconds from dropping his shorts altogether when the pancake closest to him started sizzling, that too-done aroma filling the air. Hiking his shorts back up, he saved the pancake from near doom but singed his finger in the process. “Crap. Crap.”

  “Did you burn yourself?” Rolling closer, Garrick’s expression went from seductive to concerned.

  “Not too bad.” Setting aside the pancakes, he ran his finger under cold water. “I’ll live.”

  “Bandage needed? I’ve got a first aid kit. God, I’m sorry. I distracted you.”