Into the Flames (Jupiter Point Book 3)

by Jennifer Bernard

  Behind him, he heard Alicia draw in a sharp breath. Good. Maybe she'd remember this moment and lighten up on her only daughter.

  "So," Sidney said impatiently, looking from Rollo to Brianna. "What's the hold-up? It's cold out here. Let's get this proposal on the road."

  Rollo grinned, a wide smile that nearly split his face in two. He dropped to one knee, just as he had at Old Man Turner's. "Brianna Gallagher, my one true love, will you marry me despite this crazy-ass family?"

  Brianna took his hands in hers, dropping kisses all over them. "Yes, Rollington Wareham the Third, I will marry you. As a matter of fact, the crazy-ass family is starting to grow on me." She aimed a shy smile at Alicia and Brent. Neither of them looked as upset as he'd expected.

  Sidney clasped her hands together and squealed with glee—just like any other teenager who'd spent the night on a Manhattan rooftop in the middle of winter. Then she frowned, peering at Brianna. She came closer and stepped inside the stairwell. Rollo closed the door behind her, shutting out the knife-cold wind and city noises.

  Sidney didn't seem to notice that her big escape had come to an end. She was busy examining Brianna's head. "What the heck happened to your hair?"

  "I've been wondering the same thing," Alicia said. "But with Brianna, you just never know, do you?"

  Was that affection in his mother's voice? Rollo wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he figured it was a good start.

  32

  Brianna spent two days in New York with Rollo while they got Sidney settled back in with her family. The girl finally spilled the whole story of what had happened at Bridewell. For months she'd had a hopeless crush on another girl, Bella. But then she'd come back from a late-night study session and found Bella kissing her roommate. Furious, she'd set the curtains on fire and run away.

  But then in Jupiter Point she'd started to like Eduardo, the Filipino kid from Thanksgiving, and now she didn't know what to think. Was it just a silly crush? Did she really like girls? Was it just a phase? A temporary rebellion?

  "I would have told you earlier," she told Brianna, sitting cross-legged on her bed late at night. "I was so afraid of what Mother would say."

  "Hey, it's okay. You didn't know me from a hole in the wall."

  "Or a hole in the ground." Sidney pulled a snarky face at her. "Filled with fish."

  "And…she's back. There's the snarky Sid we know and love."

  Alicia dropped the idea of boarding school and enrolled Sidney in one of New York's famous visual arts high schools. Nothing could have made Sidney happier, except for the prospect of spending the summer in Jupiter Point with Rollo and Brianna. Brianna promised there would be lots of work to keep her busy.

  Rollo spent most of those two days locked in Mr. Wareham's study with his father and Brent. His decision to back out of his agreement and marry Brianna changed everything.

  He was okay with losing his trust fund and being written out of the Wareham empire. But Brianna hated to think she was costing him so much. Even though Rollo kept saying he felt a million times freer and didn't regret a thing, did he really feel that way? Would he still feel that way in ten years, or twenty, when his body couldn't handle firefighting anymore? What if he resented the fact that he'd sacrificed a fortune just to marry her?

  Finally, the three Wareham men emerged from Rollington Senior's study. Amazingly, they were all shaking hands as Brent called for champagne.

  Rollo's gaze met Brianna's, his fierce expression causing her heart to stutter. "Wha—what happened?"

  "Come here." He pulled her into his arms, then dragged her to a private corner of the living room, where he peppered kisses all over her face.

  "I created a job for myself. I told them the company was missing out on too many great opportunities. We've been playing it too safe. I suggested using my funds to experiment with some of the cutting-edge new tech companies. I'll head up a new West Coast branch, working out of Jupiter Point. It's a lot closer to Silicon Valley. My first meeting is going to be with Dougie, as a matter of fact. After I let him whip my ass, of course." He grinned.

  "Rollo! That's perfect!"

  "Yep. I don't have to deal with the New York crap. I can live where I want, do things my own way. Take all the risks I want. I told them I can always go back to firefighting—just so they know they don't own me."

  She flung her arms around him. "I'm so happy for you! I'm happy for me, too, because I won't have to worry about you once the fire season starts."

  "Well…about that. I'll probably sign up as a volunteer at the Jupiter Point Fire Department. Just to keep my hand in."

  Resting her chin on his broad chest, she gazed up at him. "You're hooked on being a hero, huh? Just can't stop saving lives?"

  "Did you just call me a hero? Damn, and I have no witnesses." His tender smile sent shivers through her.

  "That's okay. I'll go on YouTube and say it again. I'm not embarrassed."

  He chuckled deep in his chest.

  This. Just this. Love and laughter and joy. It was all she wanted and would ever want.

  Back in Jupiter Point, Police Chief Becker filled her in on Old Man Turner's story. After a couple days on the run, he’d turned himself into an FBI office in Sacramento. It turned out that he was a wanted man. He'd tried to leave his old gang in the 1960’s, but they wouldn't let him. So he'd fled with the proceeds of a big heist and taken evidence with him as a sort of insurance policy. That was why he lived entirely off the grid, used a different name, and kept the lowest possible profile.

  Brianna was stunned by the news. "But he's harmless! He wouldn't hurt anyone. He's just a farmer, he likes growing vegetables and making herb tea."

  "I wouldn't call him harmless, but you're right in a way. The Feds are still questioning him, but there’s a good chance they’ll make a deal with him in exchange for his testimony against some of the others. He’s a pretty canny guy, hiding out all these years. Even though his old crew burned the evidence he took, he probably remembers plenty. I’m betting they’ll keep him in protective custody. It’s too bad he didn’t come to us years ago. Paranoid old guy, right?”

  Brianna thought of how he’d pushed everyone away, how he only got close to her because she was so persistent and they both loved gardening.

  "No, I don't think so," she told the chief. "He wasn't paranoid. I thought he was, but I was wrong. And he wasn't in hiding all that time. I mean, he wasn't just in hiding. He was trying to do good. He was trying to make up for the sins of his past. That was why he farmed. Do you know how many vegetables he gave away to the food bank? He loved this town, I know he did. He signed over his farm to the shelter. And he gave me— Oh my God. I think he might have given me…hang on…"

  She ran out of the police station to the truck and rummaged around in her glove compartment. Savings bond in hand, she raced back to Chief Becker and handed it over. "He gave this to me as a Christmas gift. Is this evidence? It's ill-gotten gains, isn't it?"

  He took it with a stern look. "How long have you been hanging on to this?"

  She stammered awkwardly until he relaxed into a grin. "We'll check this out. I'll let you know what we find.”

  As she turned to go, Chief Becker called after her, "One more thing. It’s about the assailant you guys disarmed near Breton.”

  “Rollo did that. I just…threw a thermos.”

  Becker smiled. “I’d like to talk to all of you about what you heard. We think he was after a woman who volunteered as a Forest Service spotter last summer. We need to interview you, see if you remember anything that might help."

  “Of course. Whatever you need, Chief.”

  That night, Brianna shed real tears for Old Man Turner. Why hadn't he let people in? Why hadn't he told someone? He'd carried that burden of the past all by himself. Rollo held her close in his strong arms and let her cry it out.

  "You know, that could have been me," he murmured to her when her tears had faded. "I know what it feels like to live with a guilty secret. I might b
e a lonely old bugger just like Melvin. I would be, if it weren't for you."

  "Me? What do you mean?"

  "I got lucky. I found someone willing to take my hand and walk into the flames."

  33

  One bright afternoon in late January, Rollo announced that he had a surprise for her. It was the kind of surprise that required a blindfold and a long drive.

  "In some ways, this could be considered a kidnapping," she said as they bumped along some kind of gravel back road. "Blindfolds anywhere outside the bedroom are a little sketchy, don't you think?"

  "Don't give me any ideas. I might turn this car around and you'll never get your surprise."

  "So does this surprise involve us being naked? Just checking."

  He made a choking sound. "Uh…that would not be advisable."

  "Have I ever cared about what's advisable?"

  She teased him for the rest of the drive, until the SUV came to a stop. He opened the passenger-side door and helped her out of the rig. She sniffed fresh mountain air, picking up the scent of pine trees and a hint of snow and earth. They were in a forest somewhere.

  "Are we camping?"

  "Stop guessing. I guarantee you can't guess this. Save your breath for your shriek of surprise."

  "Shriek? I don't shriek."

  "Famous last words."

  He guided her across hard-packed earth. She heard the squeak of a hinge, and then they were stepping inside a structure of some kind. They climbed a set of stairs, Rollo keeping a careful arm around her as they walked. She sniffed madly at the smells coming at her. Perfume? Some kind of room freshener? And something that smelled like cheese? She hoped there would be cheese. The drive had made her hungry.

  Rollo put his hands to her head and untied the blindfold. "You can open your eyes, my love," he whispered in her ear.

  Her eyes flew open. She blinked several times in shock. All of her favorite Jupiter Point people were here. Her parents, Evie and Sean, Josh and Suzanne, Merry, Finn, Mrs. Murphy, a few of her best farmer friends. Everyone was smiling and lifting glasses of champagne in her direction.

  "Congratulations to Brianna and Rollo!" Finn called out.

  A loud chorus of cheers and congratulations followed. "We all knew you were perfect for each other," said Suzanne. "Like, the entire town knew."

  "I bet two cases of kitchen tile on it," said Gretchen from the hardware store. She winked at Brianna and tipped her glass back.

  A little dazed, Brianna glanced around at the six-sided glass observation deck where she'd spent the night with Rollo, Finn and Merry. The Breton lookout tower. A banner hung over the center island that held the radio and the equipment. Glittery gold letters spelled the words, "Happy Engagement." The airy space was filled with balloons and flowers and champagne bottles and…yes! Cheese platters!

  An engagement party. Overwhelmed, she leaned back against Rollo. "How on earth…?''

  "I pulled some hotshot strings," he said smugly. "Turns out a lot of the lookout towers can be rented in the off-season. Seemed like the perfect place to celebrate. You like?"

  "This is amazing, Rollo." Tears rushed to her eyes. "No one's ever done anything like this for me."

  "Well, get used to it. I plan to do all sorts of embarrassing things like this."

  She spotted her mother taking a photo of the two of them, and looked down at her outfit, wincing. A mixed bag, really. She was wearing one of her usual overalls along with one of the pretty sweaters Sidney had helped her pick out.

  "You look gorgeous," Rollo reassured her with a deep growl into her hair.

  "No pirate-elf thing going on?"

  "No pirate elves. Not that I would mind. I think you're perfect in all ways. And all overalls."

  She smiled up at him, this man she was going to spend forever with. How did an ordinary girl from Jupiter Point get so lucky? In his eyes, she saw the same question, reversed. Her heart expanded with joy. They'd found each other, recognized the soul mate hidden in plain sight, and that was all that mattered.

  The door opened and closed behind them. Brianna turned to see what other friend had arrived, only to see a stranger surveying the party with a shocked expression in her huge dark eyes. Her hair fell in inky swaths over her shoulders. One thumb was tucked under the shoulder strap of her backpack. "What's going on here?"

  "We rented the tower for an engagement party," Rollo explained. "We're firefighters. Jupiter Point Hotshots."

  "But…no one ever comes to this tower.”

  Brianna suddenly remembered where she'd seen her before. The photo on the bulletin board, the girl with the haunted expression.

  Finn came toward them, gaze fastened on the mysterious stranger. "You're welcome to stay," he offered. "We don't mind, right, Rianna? I mean, Brollo? I mean—" He shook his head in confusion.

  Brianna exchanged an amused look with Rollo. Maybe Finn was about to find out what an awkward crush felt like.

  "Oh no…that's okay," the girl said. "I came out here to…well, to be alone, quite frankly."

  Brianna noticed that she had the tiniest trace of some kind of accent. She was so enigmatic. So glamorous, even in a backpack and hiking boots. The kind of woman with fascinating secrets and an air of mystery.

  The kind of woman Brianna would never be like.

  Brianna felt Rollo's loving embrace come around her again. Who needed mystery when you had a man who loved you just the way you were? She snuggled against him and told the girl cheerfully, "We have cheese. No one can say no to cheese. Please stay."

  Her face lit up with a brief, stunning smile. "Maybe for a short while."

  Finn tried to help her off with her backpack, but she shot him a "back off" look and did it herself.

  Brianna turned her attention back to the rest of the party. Hugs and toasts and champagne and so much happiness, it barely felt real. The afternoon faded into evening as everyone chatted and laughed and ate all the cheese.

  Outside their six-sided plate-glass bubble, the fiery sun sank out of sight. When the world had turned the deep blue of almost night, Rollo whispered in her ear, "One more thing."

  He turned off the overhead light inside the tower. A hush of anticipation came over the group.

  "Everyone please turn your attention to the west-facing windows," Rollo announced. Suzanne caught Brianna's eye and winked. Evie tossed her a kiss. Merry's eyes brimmed with curiosity.

  When they were all looking at the western windows and the darkness beyond, Rollo nodded to Sean. He reached for the dangling end of an electric cord Brianna hadn't noticed before. He plugged it in, and three of the windows lit up in a blaze of white twinkle lights. As they glowed against the purple twilight, she realized that they spelled something. Her eyes traced the little bulbs and she read aloud. "Rollo + Bri 4 Ever."

  It was so romantic, so silly, so perfect.

  Brianna clapped her hands in delight. "That's practically like graffiti!"

  "Yes, more or less." Rollo surveyed the lights with an expression of deep satisfaction. All their friends were taking pictures of the lights, smiling and exclaiming at the magical effect. Her mother snapped one photo after another while her father beamed. "This is much better than graffiti, though. This…" He swept her into his arms and kissed her so deeply she forgot they were in a Fire Service lookout tower surrounded by their friends and family.

  "This," he gestured with his head toward the brilliant chain of lights in the window, "is written in the stars."

  Author’s Note

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  Thank you so much for reading Into the Flames, the third book in the Jupiter Point series. Keep reading for the first chapter of SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE, the book that kicks off the series, and a quick look at Josh and Suzanne from BURN SO BRIGHT. Finn’s story is coming soon! If you would like to be notified when new books come out, please sign up for my VIP mailing list. You’ll receive exclusive bonus content, sneak peeks, giveaways, and a free sexy fireman story just for
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  Set the Night on Fire

  Set the Night on Fire

  Seven months earlier

  Sean Marcus had a knack for impossible situations. So far, he’d survived—usually by the skin of his teeth. But right now, in the Big Canyon Wilderness with the entire world seemingly on fire, he wasn’t worried about himself. Only one thing mattered: keeping his crew alive.

  He squinted over his shoulder at the towering plumes of black smoke. This wildfire moved like nothing Sean had ever seen. Two minutes ago, he thought they had at least a half hour to get to the black. But the way this thing was eating through the forest, the Fighting Scorpion Hotshots didn’t stand a chance of outracing it. Especially when they were already exhausted from three days of backbreaking line work. They’d saved an entire subdivision of two hundred families. But if they didn’t get out of here fast, this would be his last impossible situation.

  He gave a quick glance at the terrain around them. A thickly wooded ravine to the east, a sheer rock face to the west. The cliff face could provide some shelter against the blast of oncoming flames. This was it. Their best chance, right here. Quick head count. All twenty members of his crew here and accounted for.

  “We’ll deploy here,” he called. Panic flashed across the grimy faces of his fellow firefighters. None of them had ever been in a situation like this—trapped behind the line with a forest fire marching toward them. It was every hotshot crew’s worst case scenario. They trained for it, of course, but the fear, the dread, the relentless advance of towering black smoke, the particulate matter swirling through the air, the animal need to flee—how could you ever really be prepared?