Hearts On Fire: Park City Firefighter Romance
Page 5
His eyes lit up. “You changed your mind?”
Quickly shaking her head, she said, “No. I wanted to make it crystal clear that patients and therapists are not allowed to spend time together outside of their sessions.”
His shoulders slumped. “Well, that sucks.” He paused a beat. “What if you’re not my therapist?” Hope brightened his eyes.
Not interested. Not in the least. “I’m not looking to date anyone, Ben.”
He scowled. “Right.”
“Now, tell me how that technique we discussed last week is working for you. Did you use it?”
He sighed, then he began talking about his week. Relieved that things were getting back on track, Arwen settled in for the session.
When her work day had finished, Arwen’s mind shifted right to the gym. Yeah, she was so eager to sweat it out, right? Though she knew that wasn’t it at all, she still wasted no time driving to the gym, changing into her shorts and tank top, then heading into the workout area.
And there he was in all his hot-Tyler glory.
Wishing their hike the next day was a date instead of a workout appointment, Arwen frowned as she began stretching out.
Was that how Ben felt about her? How very sad. How sad for her, that is. Now she was the pathetic girl who was pining after the hot guy. Oh well. Better to pine for him and enjoy the fantasy than to waste her time on someone who wasn’t her type at all.
Yeah right. Like she would tell him no if he asked her out.
She finished stretching, then she got on the treadmill and stared at the screen.
Let’s see. Which program to do?
She looked at Tyler, who was working with a man at the weight machine—better him than me. Much to her chagrin, Tyler hadn’t seemed to notice that she’d arrived. Sighing, she turned back to the treadmill screen. Might as well make this worth her time.
She selected the same program Tyler had used the night before—the one with the simulated hills. She needed to be ready for the hike tomorrow.
Placing her earbuds in her ears, she began walking, increasing her pace after a minute. She didn’t care if he didn’t notice her. She was only there to work out.
But the lie left a bitter feeling in her heart.
Why did he have to notice everything about her?
Tyler kept an eye on Mike, his client, as he did his reps, but his gaze kept drifting in Arwen’s direction.
When he was done with Mike he ought to check on her. Just to see how she was doing. With working out, he meant. That was the only reason, right? And he figured he should see if anyone else wanted to come on their hike the next day. He would try to get around to it later. But it might be too late. He didn’t want anyone to have to change their plans on his account.
“One more set of ten reps,” he said to Mike.
“You’re a tough taskmaster,” Mike said with a sardonic grin.
Tyler chuckled. “That’s what you pay me for.”
“Hey!” a woman called out. “Someone help.”
Tyler’s head swiveled in the direction of the voice. A woman was kneeling beside a man who was lying on the ground. Without a second thought, Tyler dashed to the man’s side. The man’s eyes were closed, so Tyler placed his fingers on the man’s neck to check for a pulse. Nothing.
A crowd began to gather.
“You,” he said, pointing to a man standing nearby. “Get me the AED from the office.” He looked at a woman. “You, call 911.”
As the pair did as he asked, he focused on the man, finding his sternum and beginning chest compressions. The sound of the man’s ribs cracking hit his ears. That was normal, but dang, it sounded nasty and he could feel it all the way up his arms. He continued doing compressions, and someone from the office held out his jump bag.
“Mike,” he said to the man he’d been working with moments before. “Grab the scissors from the bag and cut his shirt off.”
“Sure thing,” Mike said.
“Here’s the AED,” a man said beside him a few moments later.
Barely glancing at the man, Tyler said, “Hook it up the best you can. There’s a picture on each pad showing where to place it.”
Tyler continued doing compressions and after two minutes he checked for a pulse. When he didn’t find one, he made sure the pads were positioned properly before hitting the Analyze button on the AED. He waited while the machine announced “Analyzing.” Five seconds later the machine said, "Shock Recommended. Clear patient."
After making sure no one was too close, he hit the button to do a shock. The man’s body jerked. Tyler checked for a pulse. Still nothing. The machine analyzed and recommended another shock. Tyler hit him again. This time when he checked for a pulse, he felt it.
Making sure the man was breathing, when Tyler heard sirens he nodded in satisfaction.
Arwen’s gaze was riveted to the scene in front of her. Tyler obviously knew exactly what he was doing, and her opinion of him as a muscle-bound gym rat changed. Drastically. And when the man on the ground started to come around, her attraction to Tyler surged.
He had just saved that man’s life.
Moments later a pair of paramedics pushing a gurney burst inside, and after lifting a yellow back board from off of the gurney, they wound their way through the equipment, hustling over to where the man lay on the ground.
“Hey, Reed,” one of the paramedics said to Tyler as if he knew him well.
Tyler helped the paramedics put the man on the backboard, and as they carried him to the gurney and secured him, Tyler told them what he’d done before they’d arrived.
One of the men nodded and slapped Tyler on the back. “Thanks. See you on Sunday.”
“See ya,” Tyler said as the paramedics wheeled the man out the door.
On Sunday? What happened on Sunday?
Intrigued, Arwen stared at Tyler. His back was to her, but when he turned around, their eyes met. Impressed beyond all measure, she was drawn to him like never before.
His lips lifted slightly, and then he turned and walked back to the weight machine. Arwen stayed where she was, then when the people around her began moving off, she tore her gaze away from him and walked back to the treadmill.
Amped up after the unexpected event, Tyler breathed slow and even. His adrenaline was still pumping, but he had a job to do. Everyone’s eyes were on him, but he was especially aware of Arwen’s attention.
“That was something,” Mike said.
“Yeah. And thanks for your help.”
“I heard you’re a paramedic. That true?”
Not wanting to make a big deal about it, Tyler nodded. “Uh-huh.”
Mike chuckled. “Good to know in case I keel over.”
Tyler laughed. “You won’t keel over if you don’t get to work. Give me three sets of ten reps of the pec fly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mike began, and Tyler’s gaze slid over to Arwen, but she was focused on the treadmill screen. He noticed that the treadmill belt was tilted up slightly. Proud of her for choosing the incline program, he found he was eager for their hike the next morning.
Arwen had hoped Tyler would stop by while she was working out, but he’d been with a client the entire time—except for when he’d stopped to save a man’s life. Still processing what she’d witnessed she let her gaze wander his way frequently. But each time she did, he was focused on his job and he never looked her way.
Guess this attraction’s one-sided.
Though bummed, she tried to convince herself that it was for the best.
Better to know where she stood now, before tomorrow’s hike. That way she wouldn’t make a fool of herself.
She finished her workout and before long she was pulling out of her parking space.
Twelve hours. And then she would get to see him again.
Chapter Seven
“Where is everyone?” Arwen asked the next morning when she met Tyler at the gym.
“Uh, yeah. So no one else could come.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. Do you still wanna go?”
Uh, yeah! “If you do.” Please say that you do.
His mouth quirked into a half-smile. “Might as well, right? I mean, we’re here. We’re ready to do this.” His half-smile blossomed into a grin. “Plus, you haven’t hit the weight machine in two days, so you owe it to yourself.”
Not the most enthusiastic response, but she’d take it. “Right.”
“Okay. So we can drive together or separately. Your choice.”
Did she want to look overly eager to be with him and say go together? Or should she act above it all and say they should drive separately? She looked at his face, which was impossible to read. Screw it. “Might as well go together. Save on gas and all that.”
Tyler had hoped she’d say that, but he kept his expression neutral. She was a client. He couldn’t forget that. Still, he was glad he’d never gotten around to inviting anyone to join them.
Should he admit that to her? Probably not. She might think he was a creep.
“All right,” he said. “How much water did you bring?”
She dug into her daypack and pulled out two one-liter bottles. “Is this enough?”
“Yeah. Should be plenty.” He gestured with his chin toward her pack. “What else you got in there?”
“Um…” She poked around. “A couple of granola bars, my camera.” She lifted her gaze and smiled at him. “I’m old school.”
He chuckled. “Nice.”
She stuck her hand back inside. “A few napkins, some sunscreen.” She pulled her hand out and looked at him. “That’s it.” Her gaze went to his pack, then to his face. “What about you?”
“Same kind of thing, but instead of a camera I have a first-aid kit.”
Interest sparked in her eyes. “Yeah. I guess you know a thing or two about first-aid.”
Not wanting her to go all firefighter-groupie on him, he nodded, but didn’t elaborate. “Uh-huh.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did you put on sunscreen?”
Laughing, he nodded. “Of course.” He pulled a ball cap out of his pack and slapped it onto his head. “I also have this.” His eyebrows rose. “Do you have a hat?”
“No.” Her forehead creased. “Should I? I haven’t hiked around here before, but I know the elevation’s kind of high. Should I be worried?”
“A hat’s a good idea, but your sunscreen should be sufficient.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s go.” He threw a smile her way. “I’ll drive.”
“Well, since I have no idea where we’re going, I’d say that’s a good idea.”
He led the way to his Jeep, and when she reached for the passenger door handle, he hurried over. “Let me get that.”
She stepped back, a look of surprise on her face.
Yeah, he knew how to be a gentleman. He held the door open and she hopped inside. After closing her door, he went around to the driver’s side and climbed in, then started up the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.
Arwen tightened her ponytail and licked her lips. She’d put lip gloss on before leaving, but had tried to go easy on the make-up. She hadn’t wanted to act like this was a date. No one else showing up had been a nice surprise, but she didn’t want to read anything into that. Tyler had only suggested this the night before last. Probably most people already had plans for a Saturday.
“You said you’re new to Park City,” he said as they drove. “Where’d you live before that?”
“Southern California,” she said. “I just finished my Master’s there. In marriage and family therapy.”
He looked at her a moment. “A therapist, huh?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded, then focused back on the road. “What made you move to Park City?”
“I have a couple of friends who live here, and I was ready for a change.”
“What do you think so far?”
“I like it. Then again, I haven’t been here in the winter yet.”
He laughed. “Have you ever lived where it snows?”
“No. I’m a California girl.”
“Hmm. At first you’ll think it’s pretty, but after that you’ll decide if you really like it or not.”
“I hope I like it.” She laughed. “Cause I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
“The snow’s not all bad. Have you ever been skiing or snowboarding?”
“No, I never have.”
“Now that you’re gonna be living in the snow, you’ll definitely have to give those a try.”
Was he implying he would take her? “That would be fun. But I’d need someone to show me how.” Was she laying hints now? Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she knew she was. And not even being subtle about it.
He laughed. “That would be a good idea.”
Maybe she could nudge him along. “Do you like to ski?”
“I prefer snowboarding, but yeah, I love winter sports.”
Hmm. He wasn’t taking the bait. Or maybe he saw it and was steering clear. Maybe that was her clue that he wasn’t interested in her that way. Besides, he was her trainer, not her date. She needed to back off.
Tyler could see himself teaching her how to snowboard. Wait, why would he see himself doing that? Was he going to hire himself out as a snowboard instructor now? Or was there something else going on?
When the turnoff to the hike came into view, he was relieved he could focus on that instead of on how much he was enjoying chatting with the beautiful woman sitting in his Jeep. “Here we are.”
Tall trees surrounded the dirt parking area, and as Arwen got out of Tyler’s Jeep, the sound of the wind rustling through the branches filled the air.
“It’s almost chilly at this time of day,” Arwen said, but it felt nice.
“After this workout you’re gonna wish it was chilly.”
Arwen’s gaze shifted away from the scenery and to Tyler. Oh yeah. This wasn’t a pleasure hike. It was a workout hike. Wonderful. “Right.”
“Let’s warm up our leg muscles and then we’ll hit the trail.”
Arwen’s gaze slid to Tyler’s muscular legs. At the gym he always wore sweats, but now he wore shorts. He put his foot against the Jeep’s bumper and bent into a stretch. Copying his position, Arwen stretched out both of her legs.
“It’s important to stretch the muscles,” he said, “so that they’re more pliable and less prone to injury.”
Was he going to talk about exercise the whole time? Then again, this was a workout session. What did she expect?
After they’d stretched their legs for a while, Tyler threw his backpack over his shoulders. “I think we’re ready to go.”
Arwen put her pack on as well. “You’re not gonna make me run, are you?”
He laughed. “I should. Just because you said that.”
Scowling, Arwen adjusted her pack.
He laughed. “I’m kidding. I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to do. But you want a good workout, don’t you?”
“Of course.” Not exactly true, but what was she supposed to say? I’d be fine with a leisurely walk as long as I got to spend time with you. If she said that, he’d probably take her right back to the gym.
They started at a brisk pace. The trail was narrow, so Arwen had to walk behind Tyler. She didn’t mind the view—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and overall athletic build. But after several minutes she found it hard to keep up with him without getting out of breath.
“Can you slow down?” she said. She had to raise her voice because he was a good thirty feet ahead of her.
“Sorry,” he said as he turned around and walked to where she’d stopped. “I get going and I forget that not everyone can go as fast as me.”
He forgot she was there? Good to know.
Irritated, and her feelings hurt, Arwen didn’t say any
thing. Instead, she took her pack off of her shoulders, pulled out one of her bottles of water, and took a drink. After putting it back and replacing her pack, she looked at Tyler. “How about I set the pace?”
“Okay. Yeah.” He smiled.
Stop smiling. I can’t stay mad at you when you look at me like that.
“I’m ready when you are,” he said, his smile not dimming in the least.
“All right. Let’s go.” She walked past him, but because the trail was so narrow she accidentally brushed against him as she passed. Okay, maybe not exactly accidentally. But she pretended not to notice that their bodies had touched, although she felt it everywhere.
Wow. Okay, then. She needed to focus on walking instead of how she wanted to turn around and stand there in the hopes that he would kiss her.
Face flushing, Arwen picked up the pace in her need to put some distance between them.
She knew he was checking her out. He had to be, right? She’d checked him out when she was behind him. Actually, he was probably looking at all the beauty around them and not paying attention to her at all.
Maybe having her lead was a bad idea. Tyler couldn’t tear his gaze away from her body as she strode along the trail in front of him—hips swaying gently, smooth arms swinging, toned legs moving, ponytail bouncing.
He shook his head as he tried to force his mind away from what he saw, but that did no good.
What was that brushing against him all about? Had that been on purpose, or had he been imagining things? Not that he’d minded. He’d liked it. A lot. Maybe too much.
He sighed. Had she been trying to send a message? Did he want her to send a message? And why did he have to find her so attractive? Besides being beautiful, knowing she was a therapist—which only confirmed his belief that she was smart and had her act together—made him want to get to know her all the more. And he didn’t think she was stuck-up after all. Just confident, which was another thing he liked about her.
Needing to get his mind away from thinking of her in a romantic way, he sped up until he was right behind her.