Smoke (Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters Book 7)

by Ophelia Sexton

  Alrighty then. Tyler went back into the kitchen, which was located against the back wall of the house in the new open floorplan he’d designed for his mother.

  There, he resumed drilling in the remaining screws for the tall pantry cabinet that he and Larry had been mounting next to the space where the fridge would be installed.

  If Mary’s brothers were looking for trouble, he wouldn’t give them any excuses for finding it.

  “Hello? Tyler?” Kenny Jacobsen called.

  Tyler obligingly turned around and saw both wolf shifters standing in the front doorway.

  Okay, they’re not charging in here, baying for my blood. That’s a good sign, right?

  “Come on in,” he told them, putting down his tools as they approached.

  Mary’s brothers had the typical tall, rangy wolf shifter build and the same golden hair and dark blue eyes as Mary. The older one was wearing a faded T-shirt, worn jeans, and work boots covered with dust and hay. The younger of the two looked to be in his early twenties and was clearly the baby brother. He was clad in the khaki uniform of the Bearpaw Ridge Police Department.

  “You’re Dean and Kenny Jacobsen, right?” Tyler said, forcing himself to smile at his visitors. “How can I help you?”

  He saw Dean take a deep sniff of the air and sigh.

  “Looks like Uncle Bill was right,” Dean said to Kenny in a tone of resignation before turning his attention back to Tyler. “We’d heard that you and Mary were mated, but I didn’t believe it.”

  “Why didn’t she say anything to us?” Kenny demanded. He sounded indignant.

  Tyler shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

  If they were here to try and intimidate him, well, he could play that game too.

  And he probably had more experience doing it.

  “And so you’re here to beat me up for messing around with your sister?” Tyler asked in a deliberately sarcastic tone, after an awkward moment passed with no reply from either of them.

  “What?” Dean asked incredulously. “Of course not!”

  At the same time, Kenny exclaimed, “No! Why would you even think that?”

  Tyler raised his brows and looked them both over as if sizing them up. “Well, I don’t usually get social calls at a worksite.”

  Dean rolled his eyes. “And I don’t usually get called away on pack business in the middle of mowing a hayfield.”

  “This is pack business?” asked Tyler.

  “Yeah. Uncle Bill asked us to drop by and invite you to dinner at his place next Wednesday,” Kenny said, sounding exasperated. “It’s the monthly pack meeting, and he wants to officially introduce you as Mary’s mate.”

  “And he sent you instead of coming himself because…?” Tyler crossed his arms.

  He knew he was projecting his irritation and didn’t care.

  If Bill fucking Jacobsen wanted to summon him to a meeting, well, that’s what text messages were for, right? Sending a pair of flunkies seemed kind of…old-fashioned.

  “Because he’s still busy investigating yesterday’s fires at my sister’s place and Hawkins Hardware,” Kenny said and added in an apologetic tone, “I know it’s protocol for the pack alpha to come in person to invite you, but we’re having a really bad week with all these fires, and Uncle Bill figured it would be misconstrued if we didn’t invite you right away.”

  “So Bill Jacobsen is okay with the whole surprise mating thing?” Tyler asked, surprised himself.

  Given how the sheriff felt about him, he would have bet good money that Bill would have greeted the news with a howl of anguish.

  “I guess so,” Kenny said, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

  Tyler eyed both of his new brothers-in-law, trying to gauge whether they intended to do anything to make his mate miserable.

  “And how do you guys feel about this?” he asked bluntly. “Seeing how we’re in-laws now…or will be, as soon as Mary and I make it official.”

  Dean shrugged. “I don’t like surprises,” he said, returning Tyler’s bluntness with his own. “I wish she would have told us that you two were dating, but done is done. You’re her mate, so that means you’re family now.”

  His declaration was less than enthusiastic. Tyler couldn’t really blame him, though.

  At least Mary’s brothers weren’t projecting active hostility.

  “Oh, and there’s one more thing,” Kenny added. “If you want to join the pack, you’ll have to come on our autumn hunt. It’s part of the initiation. We get together after the first snow of the season and go hunting in our wolf shapes. Or bear shapes,” he added, belatedly. “Whatever.”

  He gave Tyler a worried look, as if he expected his sister’s new mate to be intimidated.

  “Sounds great,” Tyler replied cheerfully. “I love hunting. You tell the sheriff that I’m looking forward to dinner.”

  Kenny nodded. “Good.”

  “Well, then, I guess we’d better get going,” Dean announced. “That hayfield’s not going to mow itself.”

  “You sure you don’t want to stay for some of Annabeth Swanson’s pastries?” Tyler asked. “Larry went to pick up some stuff for our afternoon coffee break. He should be back any minute now, with plenty to go around.”

  Dean’s sour expression eased a little. “That’s a kind offer, but I really do need to get back to work.” He extended his wiry, callused hand. “See you on Wednesday evening.”

  Tyler shook it.

  “Your sister is the best thing that ever happened to me,” he told Dean. “I’ll do my best to make her happy.”

  Dean gave him a level look. “You’d better,” he said in a voice soft with menace.

  Tyler recognized ingrained shifter protectiveness and didn’t take it personally. He nodded.

  “I have to get back to work too,” Kenny said, as they shook hands. “But I’ll see you around town.”

  Tyler recalled that the young wolf shifter still lived with his parents, only a few blocks away from his house.

  “Why don’t you drop by for dinner one night this week, since you’re in the neighborhood? I’m sure Mary would love to see you, and I like to cook. And we have air conditioning,” he added, remembering his mate’s reaction to the news.

  Summers had always been pretty mild in this part of the country, so most people didn’t bother with AC. The last couple of years had seen severe heat waves in June, July, and August, and more homeowners were installing air conditioning these days.

  “That would be great!” Kenny said with genuine enthusiasm.

  “Just let us know when you’re available,” Tyler said. “Do you think your folks might be interested in coming too?”

  “I think so,” Kenny assured him. “I’ll talk to them and let you know.”

  After they left and got back into the truck, Tyler watched them pulling away. He saw them pause at the end of the driveway just as Larry drove up.

  They rolled down their windows and had a brief exchange with Larry, then drove away.

  Well, that went better than I expected, Tyler thought.

  For Mary’s sake, he didn’t want any unnecessary conflict with her family.

  They obviously weren’t thrilled about their sister’s choice of mate, and Tyler hadn’t really expected them to be, but they seemed willing to give Tyler a chance, at least.

  Maybe things are going to be okay after all.

  * * *

  Elle’s offer of household goods was just the first of many calls and text messages that Mary received in the next few hours as she continued to search through the rubble of Hawkins Hardware in the oven-like confines of the building’s brick shell.

  It hadn’t taken long for word to spread throughout the pack network and the extended community of Bearpaw Ridge.

  Mary found herself flooded with donation offers that reminded her of all the love and generosity in her community when people thought you needed help.

  Her insurance had direct-deposited funds to Mary’s checking account, and she�
�d been able to withdraw cash from the teller’s window at the bank, so she could now buy whatever she needed to replace her lost clothing, toiletries, etc.

  And thanks to Tyler, she had a roof over her head and furniture to use until her home could be rebuilt. Will Tyler want to move in with me? Or should I rent out my house and find a new place for the two of us?

  They still had a lot to talk about. Maybe they could start the conversation over dinner tonight, before he distracted her with more of those sinfully delicious kisses.

  When her shift finally ended, she said goodbye to her uncle, Mark, and Owen. Everyone was overheated, exhausted, and grumpy.

  The street outside the ruined hardware store was hot, but cooler than it had been in the midst of the rubble, and it was a blessed relief to shed her respirator mask at last.

  She hated how the stench of smoke clung to her hair and skin, and she thought longingly of a shower before dinner.

  But first, she had to walk a couple of streets over to Wallace’s Ranch & Home Supply, which carried everything from dog food to Western clothing. She needed to pick up a few things, including a new comb and brush as well as a few other necessities to tide her over until she had the time to go on a real shopping trip to replace her wardrobe.

  While she was in the store—which was air conditioned and helped her feel halfway human again—she received a text message from Tyler that made her frown.

  My brothers did WHAT? She texted in reply.

  No prob. It’s all good. They just wanted to invite me to next week’s pack meeting, he responded immediately. I asked them to stay for tea and cookies, but they declined.

  Whew. At least Dean and Kenny hadn’t gone over to Phoebe Swanson’s house to pick a fight. She typed: LOL. You might have talked Kenny into T&C, but Dean is more of a beer and bratwurst kind of guy.

  Tyler’s reply came quickly. I’ll keep that in mind if we have Dean over. Which reminds me. I invited Kenny and your parents for dinner sometime this week. Hope that’s okay.

  Sure. I’ll call Mom and Dad and make sure they come. Just warning you, though. Once they taste your food, you may have issues getting rid of my relatives. Mary smiled as she typed on her phone, knowing that Tyler would take her words for a compliment.

  When Mary walked through the door of Tyler’s home a short time later, carrying a bag with her purchases, she was greeted with a blast of cool air and the rich smells of fresh salmon, melted butter, garlic, basil, and lemon.

  “Hi honey, I’m home!” she said jokingly.

  “Hi honey!” Bogey called back and wolf-whistled at her.

  “Great timing! I just put the fish in the oven.” As Tyler approached her, she noticed that he was wearing another one of those tight T-shirts that made him look like eye candy.

  And he was carrying a tall glass of ice water garnished with a slice of lemon, which he handed to her before bending to kiss her.

  She returned the kiss with enthusiasm, then downed the glass of water in one long pull. It felt incredibly refreshing after the heat outside

  “Thank you so much,” she said. “I really needed that after all the stinky, smoky things I’ve been dealing with all day.” She caught a whiff of her uniform and wrinkled her nose. “Speaking of stinky smoky things…do I have time to start a load of laundry and jump in the shower before dinner?”

  “You do, if I start the laundry while you’re showering,” Tyler said, and took the now-empty glass from her hand.

  “You’re a god among men,” she said with deep gratitude.

  She unfastened her duty belt, which held her radio, gun, handcuffs, and various useful tools, and stripped right there in the living room.

  Tyler gave her a look of appreciation that made her bones feel like softened butter. “Will you promise to get naked every time I offer to do laundry?”

  “I think we have a deal,” she told him. “I hate doing laundry, and I don’t mind offering gratuitous nudity in return.”

  Tyler laughed and bent to pick up her uniform and undies from the hardwood floor. “You’d be surprised what I’ll do for a bit of gratuitous nudity from you.”

  “I look forward to finding out,” she replied archly. Grabbing her duty belt, she made a beeline for the shower.

  When she returned to the living room-kitchen area fifteen minutes later, refreshed and wearing the blue sundress that Tyler had liked so much yesterday, he had poured them each glasses of chilled white wine and was carefully placing perfectly cooked salmon fillets onto a bed of mixed green salad.

  She smelled fresh lemon and olive oil salad dressing, and the doubts that had been fermenting in her head during the long hot afternoon began to dissipate. He’d worked a long day too, renovating his mother’s house, and he’d still found time to prepare a delicious meal for her.

  Then she noticed the tablet propped up next to her plate and gave Tyler an inquiring glance. “What’s that for?”

  He put the baking pan and spatula on the counter and came around the table to pull out her chair.

  “I found a few plans for vintage-style cottages online and bookmarked them. I thought you might want to take a look at them over dinner and see if anything appealed to you. If you find something, I can buy and download the plans and build it for you.”

  He tapped the tablet’s screen, and the façade of a beautiful Craftsman-style cottage appeared, with a deep porch and gables, all accented with wood or stone.

  “Wow,” breathed Mary. “That’s gorgeous. It looks like a fairytale house.”

  Tyler gave her a crooked smile as he seated himself across from her. “Yes, but does it look like it could be your house?”

  “I think so.”

  As they ate, she looked through the other two houses he’d bookmarked. They were a more modern design and were really nice and fit her wish list…but she didn’t find them nearly as appealing as the Craftsman house.

  She went back to that first set of plans and read through the specifications…a large open-space plan for the kitchen, dining room, and family room, with a powder room plus a guest room with its own bathroom. The master bedroom at the back of the house had another full bath and a set of French doors that opened out onto a lanai.

  Tyler was really listening to me when I told him what I wanted.

  “That Craftsman house is perfect,” she said as she finished the last of her salmon and salad. “And this meal was wonderful and the perfect thing for a hot day.”

  Tyler rewarded her with the sweetest smile. “I’m so glad you liked them both. That Craftsman cottage was my favorite too. It’s got a great kitchen layout.”

  Mary chuckled ruefully. “I wasn’t joking when I told you that my culinary skills are limited to making chili and grilled cheese. Evan used to complain about my dinky galley kitchen, but how much counter space do you need for cooking spaghetti with canned sauce?”

  “I was hoping that we could make a home there together,” Tyler said, rising from his chair.

  Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his expression, and her heart began hammering in her chest.

  “What if I built you that house as a wedding gift, so that we could live there and I could cook for you every day?” He sank to one knee next to her seat. “Mary, I know we’re already mated, but…will you marry me and make it legal?”

  “Yes,” she said, before she could think about it. “Yes. I’d love to live in that house with you, Tyler Swanson. And maybe raise a family there too.”

  She leaned down, took his face between her hands, and kissed him, slow and deep. The familiar throb of desire ignited deep in her belly, so she kept kissing him for a while longer.

  When she finally released him, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and produced a small jeweler’s box. “I bought this for you on my way home from work. If it’s not your style, we can exchange it for something else.”

  He flicked open the lid, and she drew her breath in sharply when she saw the exquisite pear-cut diamond set in a halo of tiny
diamonds.

  First the house…now this. He seemed to understand her taste perfectly.

  “Tyler,” she breathed in shock. “Oh. I love it.”

  “Good.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed each of her fingers before slipping the ring on.

  He rose to his feet and pulled her up into his arms.

  “Mine,” he rasped, just before carrying her across the room to his big sofa.

  They fell on it together, where he pulled off her sundress and tore her panties off before kissing and caressing every inch of her with thorough care until she was squirming and trying to rip his clothes off as she hovered on the brink of a climax.

  “Tyler,” she moaned as she fumbled with the button on his jeans. “I want you.”

  To her surprise, he lifted her and put her on her feet, guiding her to the side of the couch. She felt a firm hand on her back and bent over the wide, padded arm, where she braced her forearms against the seat cushions.

  She tensed with anticipation as he stood behind her and tapped the inside of her ankles with his feet in a silent command to spread her legs apart.

  “Yes,” she panted and obeyed eagerly.

  She wanted him inside her…now.

  But he showed her that he was still in control of the encounter as he kissed his way down the length of her spine, then knelt behind her, licking and teasing every inch of her pussy with his tongue until she had been reduced to pure desire.

  “Tyler, please,” Mary begged when he stopped his delicious torture. She just needed a little more…

  In reply, he rose to his feet. Then she felt him slide his thumbs into her entrance and open her wide for his cock. He filled her with one powerful stroke, and she cried out with the sensation.

  He felt a lot bigger from this angle, stretching her mercilessly. His fingers dug into her hips with bruising strength, and she pushed back against him, begging for more.

  Tyler growled and replied with deep strokes. He took her hard and fast, sending the big, heavy couch sliding around the floor with each powerful thrust, and Mary felt her body begin to tighten against this relentless, welcome invasion.

  She loved being overpowered like this, loved his strength, and loved the idea that he wanted her so badly that he was on the verge of losing control.