by Leigh Bale
“Pull!” Megan called to the men.
In unison, they lifted the masts and the tent rose slowly into the air. Caleb stood near her, pressing his tongue against his upper lip as he grunted and helped Tim Wixler tug on the line with all his might. As the tent rose into the air, June giggled and hurried beneath it, staring straight up at the heavy canvas. She stood near Jared, who was installing the center mast.
Crack!
The sound of a gunshot caused Megan to jerk her head around. June looked at her mom, her eyes wide with alarm. Megan couldn’t tell where the sound had come from.
“Look out!” one of the men yelled.
Another crack sounded, like the snap of a heavy timber. Megan stared in confusion. A sick feeling settled in her stomach. Something was wrong, but she didn’t know what.
At that moment, Jared darted in front of June, placing his own body protectively at the fore. Simultaneously, the center mast broke in two, the top portion hurtling through the air toward Jared. It struck him solidly across the chest with a sickening thud. He grunted and reared his head back, as though the air had been knocked out of his body. Blood spattered into the air, and he jerked his hand up to his chin. Red oozed from between his fingers. The broken mast must have clipped his chin, slicing though his flesh.
“Jared!” Megan cried.
He was injured! And in a fraction of time, Megan knew that without him there, the heavy mast would have struck June across the head.
The tent quivered and swayed. The tension on the support lines was too much. Like a slingshot, they whipped free of their bindings, and the tent started to collapse in on itself. The workers scrambled to get out of the way.
“June!” Megan raced toward her daughter, but too late. Jared and the little girl disappeared beneath the voluminous folds of the heavy tent.
A lance of fear speared Megan’s chest. Just one thought pounded her brain. June! She had to get her daughter to safety. And Jared. He was obviously wounded. But just how serious the injury was, she didn’t have a clue.
Megan thrust Caleb toward the cook. “Stay here with Frank.”
Frank took hold of Caleb’s arm to keep him there. Satisfied that her son was safe, Megan turned and ran toward her daughter. Without the support of the rest of the tent, another mast fell directly in front of her. It barely missed her as she lurched back in surprise.
People were yelling, running to help. The tent hit the ground, causing puffs of dirt to rise up in its wake. Megan watched in helpless horror, circling the perimeter of the canvas, searching for a way inside. A large bump and ripple of movement beneath the canvas told her exactly where Jared and June were located beneath the heavy tarp. Megan couldn’t see her daughter, but she could hear her frantic screams. Over and over, June yelled. And every instinct inside of Megan was desperate to reach her daughter.
“Mommy! Help!” the child sobbed.
“I’m coming,” Megan called back.
And then, Jared emerged from beneath the tarp. He clawed his way out with one hand while he carried June in his other arm. The moment they broke free of the tent, the girl stopped screaming, but tears ran down her face and she cried hysterically.
“Mommy! Oh, Mommy.” The child sniffled and reached for her mother.
Megan enfolded June into her arms, hushing her tears. She searched to ensure the girl was all right, with no bones broken. “Are you hurt?”
June shook her head, still wailing with fear. The child was visibly shaken by the mishap but appeared to be all right.
“There, sweetheart. I’m here. Are you okay now?” Megan asked.
June nodded, wiping her eyes with her hands. “Uh-huh. I’m okay. Jared. He...he saved me.”
The girl cast a look of teary disbelief toward the man.
Megan looked up, stunned by this event. Jared stood looking at her, a gash on his chin dripping blood. He swayed on his feet, and she wondered if he had a head injury.
“Jared, you’re hurt.” Megan clasped his arm, trying to steady him.
“I’ll be fine.” But he staggered, going down on one knee, pulling her with him. His chin dropped to his chest, his eyes vacant. For a moment, Megan thought he might pass out. He obviously wasn’t all right.
“Come on, men. Take his arms.” Tim waved at a couple of the workers, and they took hold of Jared, lifting him up. “Quick! Let’s get him over to the first-aid station.”
Without discussion, they headed across the camp toward the medic unit. Watching them go, Megan longed to follow. To make sure Jared was okay. But she knew she needed to stay here with her children. The first-aid trailer wasn’t overly large, and the last thing they needed was extra people clogging it up. But she couldn’t help fretting. Jared could be badly injured. And she realized that, if the broken mast could bring this tall, strong man to his knees, then what might it have done to June? Megan had no doubt that Jared’s quick thinking had saved her little daughter’s life.
“Mommy, Jared saved me,” June said again, her chin quivering.
“Yes, sweetheart. He did.” Megan hugged the girl tight. Together, they watched the men carry Jared up the steps to the first-aid trailer, and they disappeared inside.
Caleb tugged on Megan’s shirttail. “Is Jared gonna be all right, Mom?”
“Of course he is,” Frank said, ruffling the boy’s hair.
But Megan wasn’t so sure. She was worried about him, too, and she didn’t like that emotion. She’d vowed never to fret over another firefighter. Because worrying meant she cared, which was the one thing she’d promised she wouldn’t do ever again. And yet, she couldn’t seem to help it. And that scared her most of all.
* * *
Two days later, Jared stepped around the side of the mobile kitchen and headed toward the supply tent. Holding an arm across his abdomen, he walked slowly, conscious of his bruised ribs. He was moving a bit better since he’d been pummeled by the broken tent mast, but he was still mighty sore. One of the men had told him that Megan had just arrived in the fire camp with a load of fresh supplies, and he wanted to ensure that she and the kids were okay.
The acrid scent of fire filtered over the air. Drifts of gray smoke filled the afternoon sky, making the sun look like a red fireball. The fire had expanded to three thousand acres, but was now 30 percent contained.
Men were lined up in front of the mobile kitchen, moving through the chow line in steady rhythm. Their laughter and carefree banter told him they were happy.
“Step right up and get it. I’ve got mashed or baked potatoes today. Which will you have?” Frank’s booming voice called to the next man up.
Jared walked over to the canopy, where the food supplies were being stored. As he passed, he listened to the men’s comments.
“They’ve sure improved the food on this fire,” one of them said.
“Yeah, the steaks are tender and juicy. And I’m gonna have myself a thick slice of chocolate cake right after,” another man said.
Jared smiled. It was clear that Megan and her people were doing a great job. And he wasn’t surprised.
Lifting his head, he saw her step up into the back of her carry trailer. Wearing leather gloves, she emerged moments later with a large box of canned beans. He could tell the contents from the stamp on the outside of the cardboard, and her tense expression told him the weight must be heavy. Her bare arms looked too slender to carry such a load. Without waiting for permission, he stepped over and lifted the box out of her hands.
“Jared!” She jerked back and looked up, her eyes widening in surprise.
He smiled and set the box on top of the others in the back of the mobile kitchen.
“Hi, there. You don’t need to do this heavy work. I can get a camp crew over here to unload all of this for you.”
Before she could reply, he called and waved his ar
ms to get the attention of three young men standing nearby. They jogged over to them and, with a few short instructions, Jared told them what to do. They immediately set to work and had the trailer unloaded in record time.
“You’re going to spoil me,” Megan said.
“It’s just part of the job,” Jared said.
She nodded and gazed at the tidy stacks of bottled water, Gatorade and boxes of buns and frozen hamburger patties. What had taken the camp workers only a matter of minutes to complete would have taken her an hour or more of work.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling at each man in turn. She handed each one of them a bag of roasted almonds and a candy bar.
They grinned with delight and accepted her gift before returning to their other chores. Finally, Megan turned to face Jared.
“Where are the kids today?” he asked.
She lifted a hand. “I left them in town with a child care provider. I...I thought it was safer.”
He frowned. “I hope the tent mishap didn’t scare them off. I think that was just a fluke.”
She shrugged. “Maybe I’ll bring them up again sometime. But not right now.”
He noticed her gaze centering on his face where he had eight stitches and a small bandage covering his chin.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Except for some sore ribs, I’m good.”
She stepped near and handed him a package of salted nuts. “Are you sure you ought to be back to work so soon? When I tried to check on you yesterday, they said they’d taken you to the hospital in Reno by Care Flight so you could have some X-rays. Then Connie told me that Tim said you might have a concussion. I called the hospital, but they wouldn’t tell me anything about your condition.”
He shrugged off her concern. “No, not a concussion. The broken mast clipped my chin, but it struck my rib cage. Really, I’m fine. Just a few bruises and this.”
He gestured to his chin, wishing his injury wasn’t so obvious. He’d be glad when it healed enough to remove the ugly bandage. No doubt he’d have a small scar there to remind him of what had happened. But it was a small price to pay to keep June safe.
Megan lifted a hand toward his face, her eyes creased with sympathy. Her fingertips brushed against his cheek, and he felt her touch like the flutter of butterfly wings against his skin. Then she lowered her hand and took a deep breath, as though she were steadying her nerves. “I’m sorry you got hurt. But I’m beyond grateful for what you did. If you hadn’t interceded, that mast would have struck June. I hate to think what might have happened to my little girl.”
He agreed with Megan’s last comment. June could have been seriously injured or worse. But her gratitude and the fact that she’d gone to such lengths to find out if he was okay touched him deeply.
“June is okay, then?” he asked.
“Yes, she’s fine. Thanks to you.”
Her words made him a bit uncomfortable. At the time, he’d acted without thinking about his own safety. He only knew that he’d given Megan his word that he’d keep her and her people safe while they worked at the fire camp. And in that split instant when he’d realized June was in danger, he was determined to protect her no matter what.
“I’m just glad I could help. But it wasn’t any big deal,” he said.
“I disagree,” she said. “You saved my daughter’s life, yet you were hurt in the process. And I’m so grateful, Jared. Thank you for what you did.”
He smiled, her gratitude a refreshing change. His ex-wife had seemed to do nothing but criticize him. With her, he couldn’t do anything right. It felt good to be appreciated for once. “It was my pleasure.”
And he meant it.
“It just reinforces in my mind how dangerous a fire camp can be. I never should have brought the kids up here with me that day. I thought it’d be a simple trip, but we had too much work to do with putting up the tent and all,” she said.
“It was a rare situation,” he said. “I hope you’ll bring them up again when you’re just delivering supplies.”
She looked doubtful, and he decided not to push the issue.
“Well, I better get on my way. I’ve got to get back to the restaurant.” She pulled off her gloves, tucked them into her pants pocket, then wiped her hands nervously against her blue jeans.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want you on the mountain roads in the dark. Give the kids my best,” he said.
“I will.” She walked around to the side of her truck and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Within moments, she’d started up the engine and pulled away. Watching her go, Jared struggled with his tangled emotions. In spite of his best efforts not to, he felt protective toward Megan and her two children. But his feelings seemed to go deeper than that, and he was irritated and confused by his attraction toward the pretty widow.
A sound behind him caused Jared to turn. Tim Wixler stood nearby, reaching into the watering trough for a bottle of chilled water. Watching Megan drive away, the man popped the lid and took a long swallow before he smiled.
“You’re spending a bit more time around the mess hall than usual, aren’t you?” Tim said.
Jared shrugged. “So?”
Tim’s gaze followed Megan’s truck as it rumbled down the dirt road. Her brake lights flashed as she turned onto the main road. “So, I can’t say as I blame you. She’s pretty and a mighty fine gal.”
Jared didn’t pretend not to catch Tim’s meaning. He wasn’t the only one that had noticed the electricity humming between him and Megan. Other people were bound to notice it, too. But Jared couldn’t have any special interest in Megan other than her work. No matter what, he had to keep it all about business and nothing more.
“She’s just one of our new vendors—that’s all. I want to make sure she has what she needs. And I wanted to ask if June was all right,” Jared said.
Tim nodded, a wide grin curving his thick lips. A chuckle erupted from his wide chest. “Yeah, sure. I understand perfectly.”
The man sauntered away, and Jared stared after him. But he didn’t say another word. He kept telling himself that he had no interest whatsoever in the pretty caterer. Their relationship was purely professional. That was all. But deep in his heart, he knew he felt something more. Something he didn’t understand and feared more than he dared to admit. He was attracted to Megan Rocklin. He liked her and her two sweet little kids. And because of what he’d gone through with his ex-wife, those kinds of feelings filled him with more than a little bit of fear.
Chapter Eight
“Hey, there. You busy?”
Jared looked up and saw Sean Nash standing in the doorway to his Forest Service office. Sean leaned against the doorjamb and slipped his thumbs through his belt loops.
Jared set his ballpoint on top of the wildfire contracts he’d been preparing and glanced at the wall clock. Four thirty-eight in the afternoon. He’d been so engrossed in his work that he’d lost track of time. The wildfire was out, and he’d returned to town late last night. Now, he was playing catch-up on his office work.
“Hi. Not too busy. What’s up?” Jared’s chair squeaked as he sat back.
“I just brought in those incident reports you requested. I gave them to Hannah at the front desk.”
“Good. Thanks for bringing them in so quickly,” Jared said.
“No problem.” Sean turned to leave but hesitated. “Hey, are you planning to go to the forest supervisor’s retirement party?”
Jared lifted his arms high above his head and stretched, barely feeling the movement in his sore rib cage. “Of course I’m planning to go.”
Politically, he couldn’t miss it. The forest supervisor was the big boss over the entire Minoa National Forest. His retirement party was a big deal. It’d be held in Reno, in the ballroom of the convention center. M
ost of the employees working on this national forest were expected to attend. Including him.
Sean grinned. “Are you bringing a date?”
Jared jerked his arms down, wrenching a shoulder muscle in the process. He grimaced, not liking where this topic was headed.
“Um, I doubt it,” he said.
“Tessa and I could fix you up with someone,” Sean said.
A blaze of terror washed over Jared, and he held up a hand. “No, thanks. No more blind dates.”
“What about Megan?”
Jared shook his head. “What do you mean?”
“Are you interested in her?”
Wow, that was blunt. But it made Jared stop and stare. Was he interested in the pretty widow? He didn’t want to be, but he still felt the undeniable attraction between them.
“Why do you ask?” Jared hedged.
Sean tilted his head in a warning frown. “I overheard Harlie say that if you don’t ask her out, he’s planning to invite her to go to the retirement party with him. I just thought you should know.”
Jared’s throat tightened. He tried not to care who was interested in Megan, but a blaze of jealousy burned through his veins. He didn’t want her going out with any man. Not unless it was him. And that wasn’t fair, to either of them. If he didn’t want anything to do with her, then it shouldn’t matter who she dated. Should it?
“Why don’t you ask Megan to go with you?” Sean suggested.
Megan. Yes, she was safe enough. Jared enjoyed being with her. But he didn’t want to ask her out on a date. Working with her as a caterer was one thing, but going out with her was another. He still wasn’t ready for that. Maybe he never would be.
“If not Megan, Tessa and I could set you up with another gal we know. She lives over in Gardnerville. A real nice lady. Just a few years older than you. An attorney. She’s never been married and doesn’t have any kids. No entanglements to bog you down.”
“I kind of like kids,” Jared said, thinking of Megan and her two children.