Hunter had left the keys to his car with Riley, so she could go back to her apartment in Sacramento and start getting new I.D.s and credit cards. She would also be able to get her own clothes and shoes, which she had been wishing for since they arrived back at the base. Hunter tried not to worry about whether he could convince Riley to stay at the base permanently. He didn’t want to have to deal with a three hour commute to see his lifemate during every fire season, but Riley seemed hell bent on not accepting his help to open a pie shop. To him, it seemed obvious that lifemates should help each other out financially without a second thought. But Riley took his offers of help as some sort of affront to her independent spirit. Hunter sighed and stared out the window of the plane as the wilderness below passed by him in a blur. He was having a hard time focusing on anything except the worries about Riley swirling through his head.
When the plane reached the drop site, Hunter went through the motions of jumping out of the plane without even thinking about it. Muscle memory took over as he checked his gear, donned his helmet, and leapt out the door. He pulled his parachute handle and the canopy opened beautifully, but he didn’t feel the same rush of adrenaline today that he normally did as he steered toward his landing area. Even freefalling from an airplane hadn’t been enough to push away the uncertainties about the future that loomed large in his mind.
Hunter went through the familiar routine of packing up his parachute and clearing away brush to make a fire break. He heard the comforting buzz of chainsaws and the shouts of his crew members as they made quick progress on clearing away the trees and undergrowth. For several hours, Hunter poured all his energy into his task, working faster than he ever had before. Frustration made a great motivator. Hunter didn’t stop or slow down until Ian finally called out that the fire break was large enough. Zach stepped up with a flame thrower to start the backfire on the opposite side of the fire break from the crew. The fire would burn away from the crew until it reached the other fire. The two fires would then merge and burn each other out.
This particular job had been relatively straightforward and easy, and the crew settled happily around their gear to eat whatever meal replacement of choice they had brought along on the mission. Tired, but happy to have successfully completed their work, they fell into a familiar routine of talking and joking.
Hunter tried to participate, but he couldn’t bring himself to laugh genuinely when his heart felt so heavy and conflicted. Finally, he decided he needed some time alone to think. Muttering some excuse about wanting to check out the view around the campsite, Hunter grabbed a protein bar and walked away from the group. He found a large rock and sat on it, watching the fires burning in the waning sunlight. The two fires would meet within the next hour, and would likely be burnt out by the time the crew settled into their sleeping bags to sleep.
A few moments after Hunter sat down, he was startled by the sound of someone walking toward him through the brush. He looked up to find Luke heading in his direction with a determined look on his face.
“I’m gonna sit right here on this rock next to you, and neither one of us are moving until you tell me what’s bothering you,” Luke said as he settled onto a large stone next to Hunter.
“I’m fine,” Hunter said. “I’m just tired.”
“Bullshit. You’re not fine. You’ve been quiet all day, and you’re never quiet. You’re always the one keeping everyone laughing and in good spirits. What happened to happy Hunter?” Luke asked, giving Hunter a little punch in his arm.
“Happy Hunter? That sounds like a nickname for a clown,” Hunter said.
“Well you’d better tell me what’s bothering you, or I’m going to start using that nickname permanently just to annoy you. I have a feeling that all of this moping has something to do with a certain Miss Riley Hughes.”
Hunter sighed. “She’s just so stubborn. I know opening a pie shop is a big dream of hers, but she doesn’t have the money to get it started. She can’t get a business loan from the bank, either. I offered to help out and invest the startup capital she’d need, but she refuses to let me help. So she’s going to end up taking a job near her old job, and living three hours away from base. I’m never going to see her during fire season. It makes so much more sense for her to let me help. She’d get to follow her dream and have her own shop, and she’d be able to live on base with me. We’d actually get to spend some time together here and there. But, no. She told me she doesn’t take handouts from men. I guess she’d rather us never see each other than take a dime of assistance from me.”
Luke shrugged. “Sounds like you guys just need to get on the same page about things.”
“I wish things were that simple, Luke. I’ve tried to tell her that I’m happy to invest in her business, and that I genuinely think it’s a good deal for me, too. Which I do. But she’s still not giving the idea a fair chance. It’s so frustrating. I’ve found my lifemate, and I’m going to be constantly separated from her. You know what that does to a bear! It’s going to tear me up inside.”
“Have you told her that?”
“About being torn up inside?”
“Yes. Have you told her how hard it will be for you as a bear to be physically away from your lifemate so much?”
“I mean, sort of. I don’t know. Not exactly,” Hunter said, fumbling over his words.
Luke narrowed his eyes at Hunter.
“I don’t want to scare her off,” Hunter said. He knew his excuse sounded weak.
“Dude, I’m sorry, but you’re being a pansy.”
“If you just came over here to make fun of me, then I’d rather you just leave me alone,” Hunter said, glaring at Luke.
“I’m not trying to make fun of you. I know sometimes humans have a hard time accepting that a lifemate bond can happen so quickly. I know that there have been cases of humans running from their lifemates because they felt overwhelmed by how quickly a bear’s feelings grow. But, Hunter, you’ve already shifted in front of her. I don’t think things could get much stranger for a human, and she hasn’t left yet. You have to tell her how deep your feelings truly run. Odds are, she’s still viewing all of this through a human filter. She thinks there’s a chance that your feelings for her are only because of the new relationship, and that those feelings might change. Set the record straight for her. If you can jump out of airplanes and off of rescue helicopters, you can handle showing the depths of your feelings to your fated lifemate.”
Hunter furrowed his brow. “If you’re such an expert on love, why are you still single?”
Luke’s eyes darkened. “Because the only woman I ever truly loved didn’t love me back, and I swore I would rather be single than look for someone else. But things are different for you. You’ve found a woman who does love you, bear and all.”
Hunter raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I didn’t know you’d ever been in love. You’ve never said anything to me about it.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a painful subject. One best left in the past. I used to think she was my lifemate, but now I know better. I just wanted her to be my lifemate so badly that I tricked myself into thinking she was,” Luke said with a shrug. “Maybe I’m not meant to have a lifemate. Maybe I’m just meant to pour my time and energy completely into stopping fires.”
“Every bear has a lifemate, Luke. You know that.”
Luke gave Hunter a stern look. “Well, you’ve found your lifemate. So stop playing around and make her see how important she is to you.”
It was Hunter’s turn to shrug. “I just don’t want to pressure her or scare her off. I want to give her plenty of time to realize on her own that she can trust me.
Luke stood to leave. “Hunter, buddy, you’re too nice. You’re young and you want to believe that all of the pieces will fall into place if you give them enough time. But sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands. I know you want to give Riley her space. I know you don’t want to hurt her. But you’re hurting her more by not getting in her face and show
ing her, with nothing held back, how you feel.”
“I dunno,” Hunter said noncommittally.
“Well, I do know. I know that you’re a sweet, giving guy who would do anything for his friends, and even more so for his lifemate. Part of the reason we all tease you so much isn’t because you’re younger than us but because you’re so goddamned nice. You take everything in stride, and you rarely get angry. Riley’s very lucky to have you. Don’t sell yourself short by hanging back and waiting for her to realize that on her own. Help her along.”
Luke clapped Hunter on the shoulder and then walked back to where the rest of the crew was still talking and laughing. Hunter stared out at the fires for a long time, watching them burn until they merged into one big fire that slowly started to shrink. He rolled over everything Luke had said in his mind, trying to decide what to do. The thought of losing Riley terrified him, but he knew Luke was right. It was time to face that fear, and show Riley the true depths of his feelings for her.
Chapter Eleven
Riley tried not to worry about Hunter as she unpacked the suitcase of her clothes that she had brought back to the hangar with her the day before. She knew that crew had gone to put out a relatively small fire, and didn’t expect any trouble. But memories of the huge wildfire that had almost taken her life still haunted her, and it was hard to keep herself from imagining Hunter running for his life from giant flames. She had hoped that the crew would be back tonight, but it was already after seven p.m. and there had been no sign of them.
Riley sighed. Of course, she had to fall for a guy with a dangerous job. Finding a boring accountant or salesman or something would have been too easy. She was doomed to spend most of her time fretting about Hunter’s safety. At least he lived up to the stereotype of a sexy fireman. She’d never met an accountant with biceps like Hunter’s. Riley couldn’t help but smile and close her eyes for a moment, imagining Hunter’s strong arms and perfect six-pack. The man was a beast, literally and figuratively.
The distant hum of an aircraft sounded in Riley’s ears, and she jumped up to go look outside, hoping it was the crew returning. She snuck out the back, ignoring the few reporters that still camped out in front of the hangar in hopes of a story. It must be a slow news week if they hadn’t given up yet.
Riley’s heart leapt as she saw the lights of a small airplane flying closer in the dusky light. It looked like the same plane the crew had left in, which meant it must be them returning. Hunter had told her that there was a small airstrip and shelter not far from the fire they had been sent to fight. Their pilot had planned to wait there for the crew to fight the fire and hike to the airstrip, then gave them a ride back.
Riley could hardly wait to see Hunter again, although her stomach did a nervous flip flop whenever she thought about what she would say to him when he asked her about the pie shop. As she’d promised, she had thought long and hard about Hunter’s proposition. She’d eventually come to the conclusion that she didn’t want to take money from a man unless that man was going to be her husband. And she certainly wasn’t going to beg Hunter to propose to her. So, for the time being at least, her answer was no. She knew Hunter would be upset about this, but she didn’t feel comfortable taking money from a man who wasn’t permanently committed to her. Things with Hunter seemed to be headed in a serious direction, but the relationship was still so new.
The airplane touched down on the runway and then taxied over to the hangar. The door opened and the six smokejumpers of the Burning Claws Crew hopped out, all waving their farewells to the pilot. Hunter grinned from ear to ear when he saw Riley standing in the spotlights near the hangar door.
“Hey, you,” he said, leaning in to kiss her. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
Riley smiled. “It’s so good to see you. I know you told me not to worry, but it’s hard not to.”
The rest of the crew greeted Riley, and then they all went to dump their gear on the hangar floor.
“Have you eaten?” Hunter asked Riley as he unfastened the chest strap of his parachute rig.
“Yeah, I had some leftovers. I’m assuming you haven’t eaten?”
“Just a protein bar. I’m going to take a shower and then throw together a quick sandwich or something in the kitchen. You don’t have to wait up,” he said, although the tone of his voice made it clear that he hoped she would wait up.
“I’m not really tired,” Riley said. “I was just working on unpacking some stuff I grabbed from my apartment yesterday. I’ll keep doing that while you take your shower. Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll sit with you while you eat.”
“Sounds good,” Hunter said, and gave Riley another quick kiss before disappearing to the showers.
Riley chatted with the other crew members for a few minutes, then went back to unpacking her stuff. She lost herself in the task, and had almost put away the entire suitcase when she frowned and looked at her watch. It had been an hour since Hunter had gone to take a shower, and he still hadn’t come by to grab her. Had he forgotten to come get her before he went to eat?
Slightly annoyed, Riley went to the kitchen. The lights were out, and it didn’t look like anyone had been there recently. Riley checked the showers next, but none of the stalls had running water. She would have been surprised if he had still been showering after an hour, anyway. She went back to the main hangar, and found everyone in the crew except Hunter sitting around, inspecting their gear. They had ordered a pizza, and were drinking beer while they wolfed down gooey, cheesy slices.
“Have you guys seen Hunter?” Riley asked. They all looked up at her, surprised.
“No,” Trevor said. “We thought he was off with you. You know…catching up.”
The crew burst into laughter.
“Very funny,” Riley said, and then went out the front door of the hangar to see whether Hunter’s car was there. The old Audi was parked in its usual spot. Riley frowned and started walking around to the back of the building, moving quickly to get away from the remaining news reporters before they spotted her.
When she turned the corner to the back of the hangar, she stopped in her tracks. Hunter was standing by the picnic table with his back turned to her, struggling to light some long, white candles that rested in silver candleholders. The picnic table had been covered with a white tablecloth, and a bottle of wine and two wine glasses rested next to a beautifully gift wrapped box.
“Hunter?” Riley asked. “What’s going on?”
Hunter spun around quickly. “Damn it, Riley, I wasn’t ready for you yet. I was trying to surprise you. And I wanted to change into a suit before going to get you.”
Riley eyed Hunter’s current outfit. He was shirtless and barefoot, and he wore black sweatpants that sat low on his hips. Riley let her eyes rest on his lower abdominal muscles, which disappeared in a v-shape below the low-slung hemline of his pants. His hair still looked damp from his shower, spiking out in several different directions and giving him a sexy, unkempt look.
“I think you’re dressed quite appropriately, if you ask me,” Riley said, licking her lips. Then she looked up at his eyes suspiciously. “Why did you want to change into a suit? And what’s with the wine and candles? What’s the occasion?”
Hunter gestured to the picnic table, and gave her a chivalrous little bow. “Please, have a seat. I’ll explain everything.”
“Okay,” Riley said, walking over and sitting on the edge of the picnic table bench, with her legs facing outward toward Hunter. “Please, explain.”
Hunter reached over and picked up the gift box, then placed it on the bench next to Riley.
“Open it,” he said.
Riley gingerly removed the bow, and lifted the lid off the box. She looked up at Hunter in amusement. Inside the box were four bags of flour. “I can’t say I’ve ever received bags of flour as a gift before,” Riley said, picking up one of the bags. Then she gasped. “Hunter, this is really expensive specialty flour. Where did you find it? And how did you even know abo
ut it?”
“I did some research online early in the morning before our mission,” Hunter said. “I wanted you to know that I believe in you and your baking, and I think you deserve only the best. I ordered the best flours for pie baking, and had them overnighted to my storage unit in town. Then I ran to pick them up right after taking a shower. I was hoping I could sneak out and back and get everything set up before you came looking for me. I almost succeeded.”
“Wow,” Riley said. “This was really sweet and thoughtful of you.”
“I didn’t do this just to be sweet and thoughtful, though. I did it because I’ve tasted your pies now, and I know you have a real talent for baking. It’s what you want to do, and there’s no better time than now for you to open your own shop. I got you these flours to symbolize the many, many bags of flour you’ll have to buy to keep up with the demand at your new pie shop.”
“Hunter…” Riley said, her voice catching in her throat. “I appreciate the gesture. But I can’t accept money from you. Even as a loan. I’ve thought about it, like I promised you I would. And I just don’t feel right about taking money from you when our relationship is so new.”
“I realized that, thanks to a good heart to heart last night with one of my buddies,” Hunter said. “So, while I was in town tonight, I picked up one other thing I’d been eyeing for you. There’s more in that box. Look under the flour.”
Riley furrowed her brow, but picked up the other three bags of flour. Underneath them was a small, velvet box. “Oh my god, Hunter, is this what I think it is?” she asked.
Hunter took the box from her and knelt beside the picnic table, opening the black lid to reveal a large diamond ring. The candlelight caught the facets of the diamond and made it sparkle an iridescent rainbow color as Riley looked down at it with her hands over her mouth.
Fire Bear Shifters: The Complete Series Page 17