“No problem,” he said, and then extended his hand out to her. “I’m Trevor.”
“Trevor? Trevor Hayes?”
“Yes,” Trevor said, and gave her a sidelong glance. “Do I know you?”
“Oh my god,” Bailey said. “I was just back at the airplane hangar looking for you, but some asshole answered the door and then slammed it in my face when I told him I was looking for you. I have no idea what his problem was. I only wanted to come thank you in person for saving my life. I’m Bailey, the girl you rescued from the hotel fire the other night.”
Trevor slammed on the brakes, causing Bailey to lurch forward against her seatbelt.
“Sorry,” he said. “Are you okay? I just wasn’t expecting to find you randomly hitchhiking out here. How did you get out here in the first place? Did you hitchhike from town?”
“I got a ride from someone at the fire station. I went there looking for you and they told me you live out here. I thought I could probably find someone at the hangar to give me a ride back to town, but I wasn’t expecting to have the door slammed in my face.”
Trevor rolled his eyes. “That was Zach. It’s a long story, but he’s basically a giant asshole to everyone. Sorry you had to deal with him.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. Anyway, like I said, I just wanted to come thank you in person. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Trevor looked down at his hands on the steering wheel. He was still stopped in the middle of the road, but he didn’t seem too concerned about that. “I’m really sorry about your friend,” he said. “I did my best to save him, too. I’m so sorry I didn’t make it to him in time.”
“Hey,” Bailey said. “Don’t blame yourself for that. Obviously, it’s a complete tragedy that Conner is gone. But it’s not your fault. He panicked and shut himself in the bathroom where he was sure to suffocate. You never even had a chance to get to him in time.”
“I guess. It’s just that I’m not used to failing on the job.”
“You’re not used to failing? Trevor, fires are really dangerous and unpredictable. You should know that. Aren’t you a smokejumper fighting wildfires? Sometimes things get out of control and you can only do so much. Don’t beat yourself up. You’re only human.”
Trevor chuckled. “If only,” he said softly.
Bailey frowned. She wasn’t exactly sure what he found funny. This guy might be a hero, and gorgeous to boot, but he was a little on the strange side. Bailey didn’t know how to respond, so she sat in silence and stared at the empty road ahead. Trevor did the same thing, and for several long moments the only sound in the SUV was the whirring of the engine.
Just when the silence was beginning to get truly awkward, Trevor exhaled loudly and looked over at Bailey. “So,” he asked, his expression somber. “Was Conner your…boyfriend?”
Bailey chuckled. Although there was nothing funny about Conner dying, the idea of any kind of romantic relationship with Conner was laughable. He had not been her type at all.
“Oh, god, no. I guess it probably looked that way since we were in the same hotel room when you found us, but we were just friends. I worked with him for several years, and we knew each other pretty well. But that was it. I’ve actually been single for what feels like forever. No time for love when you’re a slave to your job, you know?”
“I don't know, actually,” Trevor said. “I really like my job. The people who work with me are my best friends. They’re basically my family, and I guess I'm pretty lucky with that. But I am actually thinking about quitting my job as a volunteer firefighter.”
“Really?” Bailey asked. “I hope it's not because of me, or Conner. I'm sure rescuing us felt traumatic, but Conner’s death is not your fault.”
“No, it's not that. It's just that I need to be active physically, or I go a little crazy. But that fire a few nights ago was actually the first action that we've had in a while. The Red Valley Fire Department doesn't get many calls other than minor medical emergencies. Which, I guess is a good thing. But I don’t think the fire department really needs me, and the job doesn't meet my goal of staying physically active. The wildfire season only lasts for the summer. During that time we’re really busy, but the rest of the year not much happens,” Trevor said, and shrugged. “What about you, though? You just quit your job. It sounds like you'd worked there for a long time? What's next?”
Bailey sighed. “I'm not exactly sure. It's been years since I've had time to think about what I really want. I guess the first step is to go back home, and try to get my life in order there. But, after that, I don't know.”
“Where's home?” Trevor asked.
“Washington D.C.”
“Wow, you're a long way from home,” Trevor said. “What kind of work are you doing out here?”
“I'm a journalist. During college, I thought it's what I really wanted to do. Once I got into it, though, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. By that time, though, I didn't know what else to do. So I just kept at it. But almost dying in a fire made me realize that life is too short and precious to just do something because you don't know what else to do. It sounds cliché, but it's true. Life-and-death moments really make you think. Besides, my boss acted like the biggest jerk when I talked to him this morning. Basically, he only cares about getting the story he wants. He barely even acknowledged that Conner died, or that I almost died. After what I went through, I just can't work for someone like that anymore.”
“I don't blame you for that. He sounds like a real winner,” Trevor said, sarcasm dripping in his voice.
“Yeah. Telling him I quit felt pretty awesome. But realizing that I have no idea what the next step is doesn't feel so awesome.”
“Why do you have to go back to D.C. right away? You're already all the way out here, and it might be nice to have some space from your everyday life to think about what your next step will be,” Trevor said.
“I don't know,” Bailey said. “It never even occurred to me to stay here. My whole life and all of my stuff is back in D.C. Now that Conner's gone, I don't know a single soul out here. Well, actually, that's not entirely true. I do know a nurse named Mindy. She loaned me a hundred dollars so I would have something until my credit cards and I.D. were replaced.”
“You know me,” Trevor said. “I’m someone.”
Bailey shrugged, but didn't say anything in reply.
“Is your family in D.C.?” Trevor asked.
“No,” Bailey said. “I don't really have any family or friends. Work was pretty much it for me, which sounds really sad, I know. But, it is what it is. That's just the way things have been for me for several years.”
“Why don't you stay here for a bit? At least a week. Give yourself a little bit of time to recover from the crazy ordeal you've been through.”
Bailey furrowed her brow as Trevor started driving his SUV forward again. After thinking about it for a few moments, Trevor's suggestion didn't sound all that bad. She had never been to Northern California before, and it might be nice to actually see the area. She loved hiking, and she'd heard that there were some amazing trails nearby. Before the fire, she and Conner had been so busy working that she hadn't had a chance to see much except the screen of her laptop.
“Look,” Trevor said, “You don't have to decide right this second. Just give it some thought. I don't have much going on right now, especially if I quit the volunteer job. I'd be happy to take you around for a week and show you some of the sights.”
Bailey shrugged again. “I'll think about it,” she said. “I'm stuck here until my passport arrives, anyway. I can't get on the plane without an I.D.”
“Where are you staying right now?” Trevor asked.
“Red Valley Inn,” Bailey said.
Trevor nodded. “I'll drop you off there and give you my number. If you decide to stay for a bit and want a tour guide, let me know. I'm more than happy to show you around.”
Bailey nodded but didn't say anything else.
She spent the rest of the ride back to town in silence, thinking about what Trevor had said. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of staying in Red Valley for a while. She had nothing to go home to, and spending a week being chauffeured around by a man as gorgeous as Trevor didn't sound like a bad plan. She wondered if he had suggested that she stay another week because he found her attractive. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, though, she laughed it off. She looked a little rough, with her haphazard hairdo and Wal-Mart clearance rack outfit. She definitely wasn't winning any beauty contests for her appearance right now. Trevor had probably offered to show her around because he felt guilty about not being able to save Conner, which Bailey thought was ridiculous.
But, Bailey thought, as Trevor pulled in to the parking lot of Red Valley Inn, if spending a week with her made Trevor feel better, then that was a cross she was willing to bear.
Bailey took the piece of paper Trevor offered with his number written on it, and promised to be in touch. As she watched him drive away, she already knew that she wouldn't be putting her passport to immediate use when it arrived the next day.
She would be too busy calling Trevor Hayes, to see if his personalized tour guide services were as good as he’d promised.
Chapter Five
Trevor forced himself to drive away from the Red Valley Inn’s parking lot, even though all he really wanted to do was sit there and stare at Bailey until she disappeared from view. He'd been a little surprised when he saw a woman hitchhiking on the side of the road outside of town. The road didn't lead anywhere except the smokejumper base and then a large forest of hiking trails beyond that, so he hadn't known where a hitchhiker would be coming from. He'd actually been a little concerned that the woman had been in some kind of trouble. When he realized that the beautiful woman he'd just picked up was the same woman he'd rescued from the hotel fire, he’d nearly run off the road.
And, boy, was she ever beautiful. Her auburn hair looked like it had been pulled into a bun while damp, but he could still see that the color was rich with a reddish-brown sheen. As soon as she told him who she was, he recognized the outline of her face. She obviously looked different in the daylight and without a layer of soot on her cheeks, but he remembered thinking the night of the fire that he had never seen a face quite so perfect. The most striking thing about her, though, was her eyes, which he hadn’t gotten a good view of the night of the fire. He couldn't quite pinpoint the color. They were a mixture of brown, green and blue. He supposed he would technically call them hazel, but he had never seen eyes quite like hers, hazel or not. And even her baggy sweatpants and T-shirt couldn't hide the fact that her body had curves in all the right places.
Trevor shook his head as he pulled back onto the main road out of town. What was he doing, thinking about Bailey in that way? She had been through so much in the last few days. The last thing she needed right now was some guy trying to make a move on her. If she decided to stay, his job was to be a good friend to her, and that was it. But the more Trevor tried to put Bailey out of his mind, the more he started to think that he might literally go crazy if he didn't get another chance to look into those stunning eyes of hers. He felt a restless stirring within him as his inner beast rose up at the thought of Bailey.
“Down, Bear,” he muttered to himself. “I'm not so sure this girl's available.”
But, as Trevor pulled back into the parking lot of the smokejumper base, he had already begun formulating a plan to find out whether the beautiful Bailey Webb was, in fact, available.
After getting back to base, and forcing himself to wait one hour, Trevor couldn't hold back anymore. He didn't want to come across as a stalker, or creep Bailey out, but he had to convince her to spend more time with him. He called the Red Valley Inn, and when the receptionist answered, he asked to be connected to Bailey Webb's room. She answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Bailey, it's Trevor.”
“Trevor! I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon,” Bailey said.
“Yeah, I know,” Trevor said sheepishly. “But I had an idea and I couldn't wait to ask you. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Well, I haven't decided yet. But I'm willing to bet that you're about to make a suggestion.”
Trevor laughed. “As a matter of fact, I do have an idea. But it's a surprise. Let me pick you up around nine tomorrow morning?”
“Um, okay,” Bailey said. “But I don't have anything to wear except the super-fashionable sweatpants I had on when you picked me up today.”
“Those are perfect for what I have in mind,” Trevor said. “Pick you up at nine then?”
“Okay,” Bailey said. Her voice sounded uncertain, but at least she had agreed.
Trevor told Bailey that he was looking forward to seeing her the next day, and then bid her farewell. He had some planning to do to get things ready for the next day.
* * *
The next morning at 9 a.m. sharp, Trevor pulled into the parking lot of the Red Valley Inn. Before he had even come to a complete stop, he saw Bailey walking out of the front entrance of the hotel. His heart skipped a beat as she walked toward his SUV. Somehow, she looked even lovelier today than she had yesterday. She must have finally had a good night's sleep, because her face glowed and her eyes looked brighter. She grinned as she hopped into the passenger seat next to him.
“Are you sure you don't mind being seen with a woman wearing gross, baggy sweatpants?” Bailey asked.
“You look fantastic,” Trevor said. “I'd be happy for the whole world to see you with me. But, at the place where we’re going, I don't think too many people are going to see us, anyway.”
Bailey raised an eyebrow in Trevor's direction. “Now you've piqued my interest,” she said. “Do I get a hint?”
“No hints,” Trevor said. “But you do get coffee and bagels.”
Trevor reached into the back seat of the SUV and carefully pulled forward a travel tray with two to-go cups of coffee in it. Then he reached back to grab a paper sack and hand it to Bailey.
“I got an assortment of a half dozen different kinds of bagels,” he said. “So, if there isn’t at least one in there that you like, then you're officially the world's pickiest eater. And I didn't know how you like your coffee, so I just left it black. But there are sugar and creamer packets in there if you want.”
“I'm so hungry that I don't think there is a type of bagel that I wouldn't eat right now,” Bailey said. “And, for future reference, I like my coffee black.”
“Simple and strong,” Trevor said. “My kind of girl.”
Bailey gave Trevor a huge smile as she pulled out a blueberry bagel and started to spread cream cheese on it. Trevor felt his heart do another flip-flop, and he told himself to calm down. He couldn't let his heart run away with him just yet. It was too early for that. But he had a feeling that if he spent much longer around Bailey Webb, his heart was going to make a run for it whether he liked it or not.
He tried to concentrate on the road ahead as he drove. Thankfully, Bailey seemed content to munch on her bagel and watch the scenery. She commented now and then about a particularly beautiful sight, but, as far as he could tell, she didn’t notice his nervousness.
After an hour of driving, they arrived at a small parking lot next to a trailhead marked only by a small sign warning of poison oak in the area. Trevor parked his vehicle and hopped out, then ran around the car to open Bailey’s door for her.
“You weren’t kidding when you said that we probably wouldn’t see very many people,” Bailey said, looking around. “This place doesn’t look too popular.”
Trevor smiled. “There’s no shortage of hiking trails around here, and this is one of the lesser-known ones. But it’s one of my favorites, and I think you’ll like it. I come here a lot when life gets too heavy, and I need some peace and quiet to reset.”
“You didn’t tell me that today was going to involve hard physical labor,” she teased.
&nb
sp; Trevor rolled his eyes as he took a large backpack out of the trunk of the SUV. “It’s not too strenuous of a hike. Besides, you look like you’re not in bad shape.”
Bailey shrugged. “I try to make time to work out several times a week. But it’s hard when you’re on the road a lot, which I always was for work. Plus, I like chocolate. Not just a little bit, either. I like it a lot. And chocolate and skinny don’t mix very well.”
“You’re perfect,” Trevor said softly, letting his eyes run up and down Bailey’s body appreciatively. He knew he was taking a risk by giving Bailey such an obvious hint that his feelings for her were more than just friendly. But he felt powerless to stop himself. Her beauty was simple, pure, and overwhelming. His heart ached for her, and what she’d been through. He hoped that he could help her find some peace, and, for a moment, he dared to hope that she might find that peace here, in Northern California. He had only known her a few days, and he already felt his stomach tighten at the thought of her leaving to go back to her life on the east coast. He wanted her here. He needed her here.
Bailey looked down at the ground, her cheeks taking on a slight tinge of pink at Trevor’s praise. “I’m not so sure I’d call myself perfect,” she said. “But thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Trevor took his finger and tipped Bailey’s chin up so she was looking at him again. “Perfect,” he repeated, holding her gaze. Her hazel eyes burned with uncertainty, but she didn’t look away. Trevor felt his body warming at her proximity, and he forced himself to break the moment. If they didn’t get moving, they wouldn’t make it to their destination in time for lunch. He adjusted the straps of his backpack and then used the palm of his hand to give Bailey a little nudge on the small of her back.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get going.”
Once they passed the sign marking the trailhead, Trevor stepped in front of Bailey to lead the way down the overgrown path. He had walked this path hundreds of times, and he could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen someone else out here. He hoped the trail would be as deserted as usual today—he wanted some alone time with Bailey.
Fire Bear Shifters: The Complete Series Page 29