A Cowboy's Courage

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

“Man down! Man down!” The ground shook as boots pounded the earth. “Hose! Spray the damn hose!”

  Swap. A blast of water hit the burning hose…and him. Sputtering, he lifted his head as far as he could from the ground. Didn’t matter. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath as mud splattered his face.

  The spray stopped, which must mean the hose fire was out. But his face was coated with mud. His eyes burned and his mouth tasted like garbage.

  “Okay, let’s get him out of there. On three. One, two, three.” The beam lifted.

  He pushed upward and his arms held his weight. Maybe nothing was broken.

  “Take it easy, Trev.” The chief put a restraining hand on his shoulder. “Don’t try to go anywhere yet, okay?”

  Spitting out the mud, he stayed where he was while the EMTs did their thing and Ortega rejoined the crew. Other than some tenderness in his shoulder, he checked out okay. The EMTs helped him to his feet and handed him a towel for his face.

  “Thanks.” Taking off his gloves, he wiped most of the grime off and gave it back. Then he looked over toward the shed just as it collapsed in a shower of sparks. Under Ortega’s watchful eye, the crew kept giving it water until the flames finally sputtered out.

  The crew started mopping up and the chief headed back toward Trevor. “You doing okay, McGavin?”

  “I’m fine. Just filthy.”

  “Maybe you should take a ride to Eagles Nest General and get a few x-rays.”

  Trevor shook his head. “Don’t need to. I’ll have some bruises, but nothing worse than that.” An emergency room visit would cause a delay. As soon as he was done here, he had places to go and a certain woman to see.

  “Well, pay attention for the next few days in case something crops up.”

  “I will.”

  Ortega turned to gaze at the smoking rubble. “All things considered, we got off easy, especially if you don’t experience any aftereffects.”

  “Why did it explode like that?”

  “Ammunition.” Ortega sighed. “Shells are everywhere. Near as I can figure, he’d rigged up some homemade alarm system that shorted out.”

  Trevor looked over at the chief. “Do you ever get discouraged?”

  “About what?”

  “Human stupidity.”

  “Nah. I’ve done some stupid things in my day. Just my good luck I didn’t make a mess like this.”

  “What a great attitude.”

  He grinned. “That’s why they pay me the big bucks. Listen, you’ve turned into a hell of a firefighter. If you ever want to go full-time and draw a paycheck, I can find room in the budget.”

  Trevor met his gaze. “I’m honored that you’d make the offer. It means a lot.”

  “You’ll consider it?”

  “No, ‘fraid not. I wouldn’t want to give up the construction work. I get a charge out of building things.”

  “Yeah, I understand. Me, too.”

  “Yeah? What do you build?”

  “Doll houses with my daughter.”

  “No kidding?”

  Ortega laughed. “Not a manly image, is it?”

  “It’s not that, it’s just—”

  “Not what you’d expect from a six-five, two-twenty firefighter.” He held up his gloved hands. “It’s a challenge to work with something that delicate.”

  “I doubt I could. Not now. Made some models when I was a kid with smaller hands, but—”

  “I didn’t think I could, either, but she asked me and I wasn’t about to say no. It brings us together.”

  “Nice.”

  “It is nice. Since her mom and I split, I needed a way to connect with her. At first I did most of it, but now she does the lion’s share and I help.”

  “I wouldn’t mind seeing one sometime.”

  “I have pictures.” He took off one glove so he could scroll through the photos on his cell. “Here’s the last one we finished.” He handed over the phone. “We’re giving it to a girl at her school who doesn’t have much to play with.”

  Trevor enlarged the picture to examine the detail on the green and white Victorian. “That’s amazing. What a cool project.” He handed back the phone.

  “We like it.” The chief turned to survey the area again. “Well, looks like we can wrap this one up.” He glanced at his phone. “Night’s almost gone. Gonna bunk at the station?”

  “Nope. Once I shower off the mud, I’ll be heading…home.” It wasn’t true, but in a way, it was. He was at home in Olivia’s arms.

  A half-hour later, he let himself in as quietly as possible. After relocking the door, he took off his boots before walking back to the bedroom. He wanted her, especially after the night he’d had. His body hummed with tension, but he wouldn’t—

  “I’m awake.” Her sleepy voice came from the shadows covering the bed.

  “You can go back to sleep.” He stripped off his clothes. “I’ll just climb in and go straight to sleep, myself.”

  Her laugh was low and seductive. “Fat chance.”

  “I mean it.” He slipped under the covers. “It’s late. Or early, whichever way you want to look at it.”

  “I don’t care.” Wrapping her warm arms around his neck, she aligned her soft body with his. “But you might. We can sleep if you want. You’re probably tired.”

  He pulled her in tight. “Does it feel like I’m tired?”

  “Not particularly.” She wiggled closer. “You smell like smoke.”

  “Probably do.” He rolled her to her back and settled in, keeping his weight on his forearms. “At least I’m not muddy.”

  “You were gone a while. Must have been a tough fire.”

  “First one wasn’t so bad. The second one was challenging. But I don’t want to talk about fires.” He covered her mouth with his and groaned with pleasure. So good.

  She heated up fast, sliding her hands free and cupping his ass.

  He lifted a fraction away from the kiss. “Trying to tell me something?”

  “Uh-huh.” She pressed her fingers into his glutes.

  “What?”

  Her two-word response was earthy and to the point.

  “How you talk.” He reached for the package on the bedside table.

  “Wanted to be clear.”

  “Message received.” He eased back so he could put on the condom. Then he reclaimed his position between her thighs and pushed deep. “Is this what you had in mind?”

  She sighed. “Oh, yeah.”

  “How about this?” He began stroking, slow and steady.

  “That works.” She rose to meet him. “Missed you.”

  “Missed you, too.”

  “Glad you’re safe.”

  “So am I.” Five minutes ago his shoulder had ached something fierce, but not anymore. Breathing in the sweet, womanly scent of her, he kept the rhythm steady as he leaned down to drop a light kiss on her parted lips. “I could do this forever.”

  “What about food?”

  “Who cares?”

  “And sleep?”

  “Don’t need it.” He picked up the pace. ”Just need…this.” And you. I need you.

  Her breathing quickened. “Me, too.” Her first spasm squeezed his cock. “Come with me.”

  “Love to.” He bore down.

  She gasped out his name.

  “I’m here. I’m here, Olivia.” When she erupted with a wild cry, he drove home, shuddering in the grip of a powerful release. Closing his eyes, he gave thanks for this moment. It wasn’t everything he wanted, not yet, but he was getting closer.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Trevor called late in the day on Friday. A firefighter had come down sick and the chief had asked him to finish out the shift. That knocked out their plans for dinner at the GG plus the cave visit and horseback riding on Saturday.

  He’d be available on Sunday, though. Once again, Olivia tried to talk him out of going into the cave but he was adamant.

  On Sunday afternoon, she walked out to meet him. Running like sh
e had on Thursday didn’t seem right. Even the weather contributed to the somber mood. Grey clouds covered the top of the mountains and a few drifted overhead, intermittently blocking the sun. A cool breeze made her shiver.

  He climbed from the cab with a jaunty smile, but she wasn’t fooled. He was wound tight. He shoved back his hat and kissed her with intensity, as always, but underneath the hot passion, she sensed a river of fear.

  He ended the kiss and sighed. “Sorry about Friday night and Saturday.”

  “No worries.” She cupped his face in her hands. “It gave me a chance to think about this adventure and I’ve put several battery-operated lanterns down there. That might help.”

  “Great idea. Thank you.”

  “The rope’s already in place. I brought the miner’s hats out to the porch. Figured you’d want to get on with this.”

  “You bought me a hat? I thought of it but I didn’t have time.”

  “It’s Edward’s.”

  “Oh. Right.” He didn’t look happy about that.

  “I’ll go get them.”

  “Sure. Okay. I’ll wait here.”

  She paused. “Trevor, you really don’t have to go down—”

  “Yes, I do. I appreciate the loan of the hat.”

  She hurried back to the porch. She’d almost bought a new hat for Trevor when she’d picked up the lanterns. Then she’d dismissed the idea as being overly protective of his feelings. Now she wished she’d done it.

  When she returned, he was staring at the clouds.

  She looked up at the sky. “Do you think it’ll rain? Because if you do, then we’d be better off not going now.” His distress tore at her. She’d ditch the plan in a heartbeat.

  He grimaced. “It won’t rain. Not for a couple of hours, anyway.” He took off his Stetson and laid it in the truck. “Let’s go.”

  “Here’s your…the hat.”

  His flinch was barely perceptible. He tucked the hat under his arm. “Thanks. Lead the way.”

  She started down the grassy hillside that sloped away from the house. “I always take a different route so I don’t wear a path.”

  “I see paths, though.” His breathing was slightly uneven.

  “Critters made those. None of them lead to the cave.”

  “How big is the hole?”

  “Small, but you’ll fit. It’s overgrown with grass so you have to search for the metal stake we drove in the ground. We never rode Bonnie and Clyde in this direction once we found it.”

  “What about the fire?”

  “Doesn’t seem to have affected the cave, thank goodness. Maybe because it’s so deep.”

  “How deep?”

  Damn. She shouldn’t have mentioned depth. Now that she had, she couldn’t pretend she didn’t know. “It’s a twenty-five-foot rope. There’s a gradual slope to the bottom.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Okay.”

  “You don’t—”

  “Olivia.” The quiet warning in his voice indicated the subject was closed.

  “All right.” She circled around the area and came at it from the backside. “This is it. See the stake?” She pointed it out.

  “I do, but you sure camouflaged it well.”

  “Thanks. It was a priority.” She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “I’ll go first.” She put on her hat and turned on the light. “Have you ever done rope climbing?”

  “Yep. Both in high school and firefighter training.”

  “Edward and I had to teach ourselves. Neither of us had ever done it. We had to build up our strength so we could make it to the bottom and back up.”

  He gave her a wry smile. “But now you’re a mighty kickboxer.”

  “That definitely helps.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll call up to you when I’m at the bottom. I’ll talk you down.”

  “Right.” He put on the miner’s hat and shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “I wish I had somebody else here, someone to coach you at the start, like when you asked Bryce to come by when I was on the ladder.”

  He shook his head. “Until we have a plan, we don’t want anyone else knowing about this.”

  “No, we don’t.” She hated leaving him, but there was no help for it. “Remember, there’s light at the bottom. It’s not a big dark hole.”

  “And you’ll be there.”

  “Yes.” Her stomach did a flip-flop. He was counting on her to get him through this. That was some serious trust. “See you in a few minutes.” Grasping the rope, she lay on her stomach and eased through the opening. “This is how I do it. You may have a different idea.”

  “Nope.”

  She gazed up at him. His face was an emotionless mask that likely hid his terror. But recent experience had taught her that simply doing the thing could eliminate the fear. The first step was the hardest, though.

  Shimmying down in record time, she looked up at the small bit of daylight above her. “Trevor McGavin, come on down!”

  His short bark of laughter was followed by the daylight being blocked when he wedged his big body into the opening. “It’s too damn small!”

  “No, it’s not. Push yourself past that point.”

  He did, dislodging small stones and loose dirt that tumbled around her. The opening was a little bigger now. That was okay. Eventually, when enough protections were in place, the opening could be enlarged.

  As he started down the rope, he began cussing. Continuously. She’d planned to talk him through it, but he wouldn’t have heard her and she was too busy covering her mouth to hold back laughter. He used words she’d never heard before in an unending stream of filthy language.

  His descent was even faster than hers. In no time, he stood before her, white and shaking. His shirt was soaked.

  “You did it.”

  “Yeah.” Gulping for air, he glanced at the lanterns on the cave floor. “Thanks for the lights.”

  “There’s more in the next room.” She dropped to her hands and knees. “We just have to go through here.”

  “Shit. I thought I was done with crawling through holes.”

  “There’s more to see in the next room. Come on. You’re this far. You might as well keep going.”

  “Guess so, especially if you’re going.”

  She maneuvered through the opening and stood on the other side waiting for him.

  He had to work to get his shoulders past the narrow space, but eventually he made it and got to his feet.

  “There are more, bigger chambers, but this is my favorite.”

  He nodded, but he remained focused on her.

  She’d have to calm him down if she expected him to appreciate where he was. She gestured to the flat rock. “Have a seat. Catch your breath.”

  “Okay.” He sat down, closed his eyes and swallowed. “That was rough.”

  “I could tell. I’ve never heard anyone swear that much.” Sitting beside him, she took his big hand and laced her fingers through it. His skin was clammy.

  Opening his eyes, he focused on her, but nothing else. He cleared his throat. “Bryce and I used to have cussing contests. The person who could go the longest without repeating anything won whatever we’d bet on that day.”

  “It’s a unique skill.”

  “I honestly didn’t know I’d do that. I apologize if I offended you.”

  “I thought it was funny. But I didn’t want to laugh when you were going through hell.” She squeezed his hand. “Trevor, look around,” she said gently. “There’s beauty here if you can allow yourself to see it.”

  “I’m afraid if I look around I’ll remember that we’re under tons of dirt with only one way out.”

  “We’re safe. This cave has been here for thousands of years. It’s not like some rickety mine shaft built by humans. The bats must think it’s safe if they’ve chosen it for raising their babies.”

  “Yeah, I can hear them. Will they fly in here?”

  “Probably not. We’re talking and shining lights around. They w
ouldn’t want to move toward something that might be dangerous to them.” She squeezed his hand again. “Take a look at the formations. They’re amazing.”

  “And that’s why I’m here, so I can help you advocate for their preservation.”

  “Exactly.”

  Drawing in another deep breath, he slowly turned his head. Then he blinked. “Oh, wow.”

  “Told you.”

  Lifting his head, he surveyed the ceiling about twelve feet above them. “What’s that sound?”

  “Water and minerals dripping off the end of those stalactites. The drips land on the stalagmites below and gradually build it up while the stalactites are growing, too.”

  “We studied that in school. Eventually they meet.”

  “After a really long time. Then they look like that one over there.” She pointed to an amber colored formation where she’d placed one of the lanterns.

  “So if this happens in lots of caves, what’s special about this one?”

  “It’s no longer happening in most of the caves where humans have come in and taken over. If they don’t know any better, they end up disturbing the delicate balance that allows the cave to keep growing. The dripping stops and the cave…well, it dies.”

  “Hm.” He slowly took in his surroundings again. “That would be a damned shame.”

  She let out a breath. He got it. “But the cave needs to be seen and appreciated. It would be a fabulous educational opportunity.”

  He nodded. “And good for Eagles Nest.”

  “It would be. But I don’t have the resources to develop it or protect it. I need the state to handle that.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “I’ve only been here six years, though. I haven’t paid much attention to state politics. You’ve lived here all your life.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I know anything about state government. At election time, I figure out who to vote for. That’s about it.”

  “Then we can research it together.”

  “Or we can talk to someone who already has a connection there. But it means letting someone else in on the secret.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “Zane.”

  “Oh! I didn’t think of that. Of course he’d have to get permits and licenses and stuff for his raptor program.”

  “Would you trust him with this?”