by B. B. Hamel
No time to think about that, now, though. I stop at the stream and dunk the bucket in, filling it about half way, before hauling it up the rest of the hill.
The fire is hot and the smoke thick as I stumble toward it. I come as close as I can and toss the water. It hits the fire and sizzles, and briefly the fire is beaten back.
But as soon as I turn, the wind picks up again, and the fire blazes forward.
I run back to the stream, fill the bucket as much as I can, and I haul it back up. I throw it on the fire, coughing up smoke, eyes stinging with the stuff. I can barley think and my chest is burning from the effort. My arms feel like stones, but I’m not stopping. I throw the water again and again, as fast as I possibly can.
On the fifth trip, I hit a rock with my right foot and stumble forward. I slam into the ground and the water spills uselessly onto the ground.
I scream with frustration. For a second, I think I might stay there, but I’m not that kind of person. I struggle to my feet, get the bucket, fill it up, and push my way back up the hill.
I throw the water and it hits the fire with a sizzle. I go to turn away, but the window shifts and the fire is suddenly to my left. My heart starts pounding and my head feels light as I stumble away to the right.
My route back to the stream is cut off by the flames. I have to move, I have to get away from it, but it seems like it’s everywhere. Something crashes nearby and I stumble again, gasping for air. The smoke is thick now, too thick, and I can’t think anymore.
Stark, serious fear slices through me. I realize how stupid I’m being, trying to put out this fire on my own. Of course I couldn’t do it with just one bucket. I’m a mother now, I can’t be risking my life like this.
But it’s too late, I realize with horror. I think I might be trapped by the fire. It’s everywhere I look, or at least the smoke is beginning to billow and blind me. I stumble away, trying to run, but I trip again and slam into the ground. My hands are cut up from roots and rocks and both of my knees are skinned. I feel like a child, like an idiot.
But finally I get a gasp of real air. The smoke is moving upward, and I realize that I can crawl down underneath it. I take a second to get myself together before moving forward on my hands and knees.
The fire is behind and to my left now. I start moving to the right, trying to get away from it. My heart is hammering and I’m so afraid I’m going to die out here and leave my two baby sons all alone.
“Mia!”
I hear my name like a gunshot on the horizon. “I’m here!” I scream as loudly as I can, but it comes out a broken croak.
“Mia!” the voice calls out again, and I realize that it’s Lucas. But that can’t be right. He’s at work right now. I feel sluggish and tired. “Mia! Where are you?”
“Here!” I yell. “Lucas! I’m here, down here!”
Suddenly he crashes through some bushes, hacking and coughing, a bandana over his face. “Mia!” he yells, spotting me, and grabs my arms.
He drags me to my feet. He practically carries me away from the fire. We stumble down the hill together, toward the stream. When we reach its banks, I collapse onto the ground, coughing my lungs out.
“Fucking hell Mia,” he says, coughing next to me. “What were you thinking?”
“The meadow,” I say stupidly.
“Shit.” He crouches down next to me. “You’re lucky Laura told me where you were. The fire department is on their way, but I guess I got here first.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say to him.
He grabs me and pulls me close. “It’s okay,” he says. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. I told you I’d never let you get hurt.” He kisses my hair and holds me tight.
The fire department shows up not long after and we’re rushed back to the parking lot. An ambulance takes me to the hospital where they keep me overnight. I’m lucky, I have some smoke inhalation and some very minor cuts and bruises, but no burns.
Lucas doesn’t leave my side, not for a single hour. He keeps the babies with him as long as he can, and then they go home with Alice. For some reason, nobody complains when Lucas sleep in the chair next to my bed. He seems totally immune to the concept of visiting hours.
I’m released three days later, and it feels so good to get out of that hospital. But instead of heading home, we take a detour over toward the preserve.
“I have something I want to show you,” he says to me.
“Really?” I ask him. “I’m sorry. I’m really tired.”
“It’ll take a second. I promise.”
I frown at him but don’t argue. We pull into the preserve’s parking lot and then we head up toward the meadow.
The fire was pretty bad. It burned down a few acres. Blackened trees ring what’s left of the meadow, everything a blackened mess.
I frown at the devastation. I don’t know what to say. “Why would you bring me here?” I ask him.
“I know, it looks bad,” he agrees.
“Do we know what started the fire?”
“No,” he says. “Could have been a million things.” He shrugs and takes my hand. “Come on. It’s just ahead.”
We walk through the burnt and broken forest until the trees give way to the meadow.
“Here,” Lucas says. “Look.”
At first, I don’t see it. All I see is devastation, burnt and broken devastation. It hurts my heart just looking at what’s left of what was once the most beautiful place I’d ever seen.
But then I start to notice them. He grins at me as he points. Little green shoots, just tiny little tendrils, are beginning to poke up from underneath the black ash.
“What are they?” I ask him.
“Laura says it’s just what happens. The forest burns down and then it regrows.” He takes my hand and holds it tightly. “She says that in a year or two, this place will all be new growth.”
“Really?” I ask him, smiling slightly.
“Really. Things burn and then they grow again. Nothing disappears forever. It’s going to be okay, Mia.” He pulls me against him.
I kiss him deeply, feeling so grateful I can barely speak. We kiss like that for a while, overtop of the burnt and broken land, with the new life just beginning to grow up through it again.
Slowly I break it off. “Thanks for bringing me out here,” I say. “I feel better already.”
“Good. Just promise me you won’t risk your life like that again. Aaron and Noah need you.” He pauses and frowns. “And I need you too.”
“I need you all too.” I touch his handsome face. “I promise.”
“Good.” He kisses me again. “Come on. Let’s go see the babies.”
“Okay.” I smile as he leads the way back down the forest and toward the parking lot.
This is my life, and I don’t want to leave it. I need my babies, my husband, my world. Maybe things burn down, but new growth always comes. One day, the meadow will be back, more beautiful than ever. I’ll show Aaron and Noah the place their mom nearly died for no reason, and we’ll laugh about all of this in the beautiful sunlight.
And I know I’ll always be safe. Because Lucas will be there to protect me.
I smile again and can’t wait to get home.
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He’s going to take her virginity, and she’s going to love it.
I couldn’
t help myself. I married the babysitter.
And it turns out she’s a virgin.
I thought Erin would be the perfect nanny for my daughter.
Now she’s my perfect bride.
I’m the first man to get this deep, but I’m not turning back.
When work gets crazy, I need to a nanny to help take care of my baby daughter. Erin is smart and gorgeous, and as soon as I see her perfect curves and innocent lips, I know I’m going to do more than just hire her.
Maybe it’s selfish. But she’s gorgeous, and I can’t resist tasting those lips every time I get home from work.
I know it turns her on. She loves teasing me. It’s the perfect situation, and I can’t get enough of Erin’s toe-curling moans.
Except she has a huge secret, and it ends with us getting married.
Now she’s my little virgin wife, and I can do whatever I want with her.
But I may not keep her unless she exposes every inch of herself to me.
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My house, my rules, and she better f**king like it.
I have a playboy reputation and I earned it. I can’t help it if I leave a trail of soaking wet and satisfied women in my wake.
Until my latest scandal lands me in hot water. Either I fix my image or the board of directors will force me to step down from the company that I founded. It’s bullsh*t, but I have no choice.
That’s why I marry my secretary and closest confidant. We’re not really into each other, but she says she’ll help when I offer her an outrageous sum of money.
It sounds like an easy plan right up until I meet her daughter, Emily. I’m supposed to be good, but her gorgeous curves and innocent baby blues make me want to be very, very bad.
If I get caught with Emily, it’s game f**king over. I’ll lose absolutely everything, and it’ll destroy her in the process.
But I can’t keep my hands off her. She’s so deliciously tempting that I can barely control myself when she walks into the room. I know I’ll ruin her, but she’s begging for me to make it dirtier and dirtier.
She may be incredibly off limits, but I’ll break every rule to get a taste.
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