“Indian Lake Building and Plumbing Supply.”
“I don’t understand. How did it get in my trenches?”
“I bought it. Glued it. Laid it.”
He didn’t look at her and kept shoveling, filling in the hole. The dirt skittered off the pipe and rolled in and around it. “I figured out some things, thanks to you.”
“Such as?”
“First, I can’t let anything happen to you or these kids just because of a few bucks. That money you got from the banker, you use that to buy organic food for them and first-aid supplies and maybe some new games or a chess set. You don’t need to spend it on these water lines.”
“Rand. I can’t let you do this.”
“It’s done already. Okay?” He looked up at her with dark eyes, his face bordering on anger.
“But...why? We agreed—”
“That we’re totally wrong for each other. And my job is dangerous. I got that loud and clear.” He shoveled more dirt and tossed it with a vengeance into the trench. He stopped and rammed the shovel into the ground so it stuck. He stomped across the dirt pile, then he stopped. “I still want to be your...friend.”
“So this is the let’s-be-friends speech?”
“No.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Look, I’ve never met anyone as openhearted as you. Not even my mother. I want to be more like you. You’ve been an inspiration to me. What I admire most about you is that you never boast about what you’ve done. No exploits or heroics. You just love—”
Beatrice stopped him by grabbing him and kissing him. His arms went around her and he pulled her close to his hard chest. She felt her mind go blank and all she could do was feel with her heart. Of all the men in the world, he was the one she could never let herself love.
But that was the thing.
She did love him.
In that moment with his lips against hers, she knew it. She was in love with him.
And she could never let him see it.
Beatrice moved her hands to his chest, feeling his thrumming heartbeat under her palms.
Everything about them was a mistake. How many times had they said that to each other now?
But Rand was a stubborn, principled and generous man. If she didn’t stop him, the next thing she knew he’d want to put new gutters on the dining hall or build another cabin.
She pulled away, already sad that his lips were not on hers. “You can’t do this, Rand. I mean...I’ll find the rest of the money on my own. I want you to leave.”
“I will do this, Bee.” He ground the words out as if they were gravel.
“No. I don’t want to see you—” she swallowed hard “—anymore.” She lowered her head. How was it those words stung like acid?
He stared down at her, standing firm and strong, and yet she could see pain in his eyes as the truck headlights illuminated his face.
She felt her resolve ebbing. If she gave in, he’d come to her. Then there’d be another fire, or maybe it’d be the one after that, but something would happen. He would die. And she would lose all over again.
He pointed to her cabin. “I’ll leave when I’m finished. Go away, Beatrice.”
She was riveted to the spot, feeling his bitter words wash over her.
“I mean it, Bee. Go!”
Beatrice spun around and fled, using the flashlight to guide her back to her cabin.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
BEATRICE SPENT THE night smacking her pillow and pacing her cabin. She couldn’t get Rand out of her mind.
By dawn she’d convinced herself that she’d never hear from him again.
Then, just before breakfast, she read his name on her caller ID.
“Hi.” She felt her voice tremble. She had no right to hope he’d call, but she had.
“Beatrice. I’m glad I caught you.”
“Yeah, I was just heading for breakfast.”
“I know you’re probably in a rush, but I wanted to talk to you about a field trip for the kids.”
“What field trip?”
“To come to my fire station. I promised Chris—”
“That’s not a good idea.”
She heard his intake of breath followed by a long pause.
She continued. “Rand. I’ve told you how I feel about you encouraging the boys. They already idolize you. Bringing them to the fire station would only create false impressions of you and your men.”
“You’re wrong, Beatrice. If anything, a trip here might show them how mundane most of our job is. The endless hours of waiting for a call. I’d actually like to show them that I learned to be a good cook in fire stations.”
“Cook?”
“Chris expressed an interest in cooking at the barbecue, and I figured I might foster that idea. A person doesn’t have to be a firefighter to become a chef.”
“No, they don’t,” she replied. Maybe Rand wasn’t hoping to polish his own stars. Maybe he truly did have the boys’ best interests in mind. Was she being too tough on Rand? Too distrustful?
And if she was, she’d be shutting off the boys from a learning experience.
“Seriously, Bee—Beatrice. I did promise the kids, and that means something to them. Don’t let them down.”
“Now I’m the bad guy?”
“Not you. Never. I’m sorry. I sprang this on you. Please, Beatrice.”
“Okay. Fine. I’ll announce it to the kids. When?”
“How about tomorrow? Ten in the morning.”
“Fine. But, Rand, I still have misgivings about this.”
“Duly noted,” he said and hung up.
She put away her phone. “I’m going to regret this.”
* * *
“THIS IS THE most important, bestest day of my life,” Eli said as he climbed into the cab of ILFD’s fire engine.
“Do you know the difference between a fire engine and a fire truck?” Rand asked Eli.
“Uh.” He looked across the enormous garage. “No. They’re both red.”
“I do,” Chris chimed in. “A fire truck has the ladder and hydraulics. The fire engine carries the hoses.”
“Like a pumper.” Eli beamed.
“That’s right.” Rand smiled at Eli and picked up a fiberglass helmet with face shield and yellow helmet band, putting it on his head. “Now, that helmet really is too big. And they don’t come in kids’ sizes.”
“That’s okay, Mr. Nelson,” Chris said with growing respect. “We have a lot to learn before we become firefighters.”
Rand was surprised. “I didn’t know you were seriously thinking about becoming a firefighter. What about cooking?”
Chris leaned over. “That, too. We’ll talk about it privately,” he said seriously.
“Okay.” Rand winked, then turned to pick Eli up and put him back on the garage floor. He looked out at the ten children that Beatrice, Maisie and Cindy had driven to the fire station for their field trip. He’d struggled to keep his focus on the kids, but each time he glanced over their heads and into her blue eyes, he felt something shift inside him.
He was a ball of want, desperation, guilt and hopelessness. They were at an impasse. She’d even rejected the idea of being friends. He’d never felt so alone or lonely in his life. She was afraid of his job. And she was afraid that in the end, he would hurt or disappoint the kids. It was a logical concern. But she was wrong.
If only there was a way to convince her that his risks weren’t as frightening as she’d made them out to be in her mind. If only...
He reached behind him. “Kids. This is a Nomex suit. This is what protects firefighters when we go into a blaze. Our gloves are made of Kevlar and can withstand very intense temperatures. We wear face shields, special boots and Kevlar socks to protect our feet. Our pants are also made of Protera and Nomex. Come here, Chris.” Rand wiggled his fi
ngers at the boy. “Put this jacket on. I know it’s too big, but check it out.”
Then Rand outfitted Chris with gloves and had him stand in a pair of boots. Rand took out his cell phone and took a picture. “I’ll send a copy of this photo to Miss Beatrice so that you can have it to remind you of this day.”
Rand walked the kids through the station, showing them the dining room, the television-and-game room. And the barracks.
After each room, Chris hung back and asked more questions.
Rand noticed that Beatrice watched them both with interest. He hoped he wasn’t spending too much time with Chris and not the others, but Chris was keenly interested.
When the tour was over, Beatrice said, “Cindy will take the younger children in her SUV. Chris and Eli, you help me with the kids in my SUV.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Eli said.
But Chris hesitated.
He turned to Rand. “Sir, I was wondering. In the break room there’s a magazine about firefighting. Could I borrow it? I promise I’ll give it back.”
“Sure, Chris. Go get it. And by the way, you can have it.”
Chris took off.
Beatrice came over to Rand. “That was very nice. Thank you. But I’ll get the magazine back to the station when he’s finished with it.”
“Beatrice, it’s just a magazine.”
Chris raced up. “So after I read this, would you teach me some firefighting skills?”
“You’re a bit young right now. But how about this? In the future, I promise I’ll do just that.”
“And I promise to learn all I can ’til then. Miss Beatrice will tell you. I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. I think I like it.”
“You didn’t like to read before?” Rand asked.
Chris glanced away. “My parents... I mean, we didn’t have any books and the schoolbooks were lame. Miss Beatrice takes us to the library and we can get all the books we want for free. Then we take them back and get new ones.”
“That’s good you enjoy learning,” Rand said, looking up at Beatrice with admiration.
“Eli does, too.”
“It’s important to be a good model for younger brothers.”
“I know what you mean,” Chris agreed and suddenly thrust his arms around Rand’s middle. “Thank you for the magazine. And especially the promise.”
Rand was bolted to the spot. It was a simple thing. A hug. His mother had hugged him a thousand times. His brothers, sister, friends. But it had never moved him like this.
Rand smoothed Chris’s hair and pressed the boy to his middle.
His eyes met Beatrice’s hard gaze. She’d been right. Chris and Eli were pinning far too many hopes on him.
Rand didn’t know from one day to the next where his next call would come from. He’d have to make explanations to them. He would leave.
And a child would be hurt.
She was right. Had been right all this time.
“Thank you” was all he said. Too much emotion cut off his voice.
* * *
THE CALL CAME the next morning.
“Rand. Jim Osborn here.” Rand recognized the voice immediately. The man’s gruff tone was one Rand would never forget. “McCall Smoke Jumper Base in Idaho.”
“I remember, sir. How’s everything at Payette Lake?”
“Placid. For the moment. But I’m not calling you for a fire gig. I have an opening for a trainer. I thought of you immediately. I wanted to offer you the job first.”
“Trainer?” Rand felt his windpipe close. The image of Perry’s burned body fluttered in front of him like a demon mirage. “I’m honored, sir.”
“That’s nice. And thanks. The thing is I’ve got recruits galore and my trainer had to quit suddenly for medical reasons. You’ve done the job, so you can jump right in.”
“I’m not quite ready to move at this point.”
“Let me sweeten the deal. The job description here has been expanded, Rand. We’re testing new technology quite a bit. Safety equipment, parachutes. New chemicals. You’d be in charge of leading those tests.”
“I’ve petitioned hard for that kind of increased safety over the years, sir. Saving lives is supremely important.”
“Glad to hear it. You’ll take the job, then? It’s full-time. All benefits. Bonus pay for actual firefighting.”
“I’m...speechless.”
And hesitant. This was the dream of all dream jobs for him. He’d be instrumental in rolling out cutting-edge firefighting technology. In a way, he could affect the future of every firefighter to follow him. Maybe affect Chris’s life if the boy decided to become a firefighter.
But he was doing just what Beatrice had accused him of—jumping into the nearest danger zone to avoid making a change in his life here.
For the first time, he considered someone else’s needs and wants more than his own. Beatrice had told him she didn’t want to see him again.
But he also knew that no one had ever held him so tightly to her heart as Beatrice did. She cared for him. It was in her kiss. Yet, she’d sent him away. Would probably keep sending him away, no matter her true feelings.
And the boys? It was better to end things with them, too, before their hero worship went too far.
“Rand? Don’t jack with me.”
“I’ll take the job, sir. I have to clear it with my captain here, but I don’t think he’ll have a problem with it. We have a couple new rookies who are very promising.”
“If you gave them any training, I’m sure they’re top-notch.”
“Again, I’m honored you thought of me.”
“You’re one of the best. There’s just one thing.”
“Sir?”
“I need you out here in twenty-two hours.”
Twenty-two hours?
It was enough time to make a clean break.
“Not a problem. I’ll tie things up here and be on my way.”
Rand hung up the phone.
His life had done another one-eighty.
He punched in Beatrice’s number. After three rings she picked up.
“Rand?”
“Hi, Beatrice. Do you have a minute?”
“Just a minute.”
“I’ve been offered a job training smoke jumpers. It’s in Idaho.”
“Idaho! That’s...so far.”
“I know. And I have to leave immediately.”
“A trainer. Wow. Uh, well, I’m happy for you, Rand. You should be very proud.”
Rand’s stomach roiled. She spoke to him as informally as if he was the delivery boy dropping off the pizza. Thanks. See ya. She was true to her word. She didn’t want an adrenaline junkie like Rand.
“Yeah. Proud. I was wondering, Beatrice, if I could say goodbye to the boys.”
“They’re in the middle of swim rescue lessons right now. I’ll be happy to deliver the news to them.”
“I wanted to talk to them.”
“I understand. But my way would be best, Rand.”
Ever their protector, he thought. “Sure. Okay. Well, you take care, Beatrice.”
“You, too, Rand.”
She hung up.
Rand stared blankly at the phone. It was as if their summer together had happened to someone else.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“I TRIED TO tell you,” Beatrice said to Luke Bosworth as he stared at the area where he’d dug up the dirt to expose the pipe that Rand had expertly glued and laid.
Luke scratched his head. “This is really good pipe. I mean really good.”
“Better than what you were going to use?”
“No.” He shook his head. “It’s the same, but seriously, he did a great job. There’s nothing left for us to do but hook everything up to the hydrants.”
“Which the city de
livered this morning,” Beatrice said.
“Right.” He shoved his hands in his back pockets. “I wish he would have told me.”
“I assumed he did.”
“Nah. I haven’t heard from him. Frankly, Beatrice, he’s saved you nearly the entire cost of the construction.”
“I’m sorry if this caused you a problem. I mean, you could have taken on another job.”
“No worries. I was squeezing this job in to help you out, actually. I can return the pipe for credit. So, all around it’s no big deal.”
“You’re sure?” She felt suddenly quite bad. He’d been so kind as to sign his children up for camp.
“I’m sure.” He smiled.
“You and Sarah are such good friends and I wouldn’t do...”
Luke laughed. “Apparently, not as good of friends to you as Rand is.”
She stared at the trenches as two of Luke’s crew got out of their trucks and began running down pipe into the ground for the hookups. “Yes. He is.”
“We better get this job wrapped up for you. This last tie-in has to be accomplished by a city-licensed plumber. That’s Al over there.”
She looked up at the burly middle-aged man in overalls who apparently hadn’t shaved in several days. She waved. “Thanks so much.”
Al waved back and went straight to work.
“I’ll leave you all to it, then,” she said and went up to her office.
Luke had spoken the truth as he saw it—and as it was. Rand had been a good friend to her. Maybe the best she’d ever had.
But now he’d gone to Idaho chasing his dream job. She’d known all along that he would never be happy in a youth camp, like she was. Lazy days and quiet winter nights were not Rand’s style.
Tears welled in her eyes. Fear did that. Anger, too. Maybe a little shock in there for a true mix.
This was all her fault. She’d pushed him away with enough thrust to propel a 747.
This is what she wanted. Right? Distance from him. Well, halfway across the country would do. This way, he couldn’t show up on a field trip. Couldn’t come out to see Chris or Eli, even though this was their last week at camp.
She might never see the kids again, especially if they were adopted. And now that Rand had made such a positive impact on both the boys, giving them goals and guidance, parents would be happy to adopt those two lovable boys. They would make any mom and dad happy.
Rescued by the Firefighter Page 18