Her Christmas Miracle
Park City Firefighter Romances
Daniel Banner
Copyright © 2018 by Daniel Banner
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters, events, and places represented are purely fictional. The Park City Fire Department is a fictional department and is not intended to represent the Park City Fire District.
Editing by Nancy Felt
Proofread by Elizabeth Kenning
Cover by Steven Novak
Formatted by EmmaKaite Coleman
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Acknowledgments
Also by Daniel Banner
About the Author
1
“Do you feel that in the air?” Jak asked Charlotte, his partner at Park City Fire Station 3. “Something amazing is going to happen tonight.”
“Yeah, I’d say getting paid to see Sloane Kent live is pretty amazing.”
It was more than that. Jak could always trust his gut—it was part of what made him such a natural at wildland firefighting. His sixth sense never let him down.
“I don’t know how we ended up with the ugly Kent brother on our crew,” said Jak, suppressing a smile.
Charlotte chuckled. “Don’t go messing with Tom when he’s not here to defend himself. Besides, Tom’s not hard on the eyes, if he wasn’t like a brother to me that is. But Sloane …” Her eyes rolled back in her head and Jak had to support her as she fake-fainted into him. They had worked together most of Charlotte’s three-year career so far, and she was the little sister he never had.
The feeling in the air, or more accurately, in Jak’s gut, was persistent and clear. He shrugged. “Mark my words. I’m tempted to make a wager, but it’s not even fair to use my instincts like that. It’d be taking candy from a baby.”
“Are you crazy?” asked Charlotte. “I’d never wager against your Spidey Sense.”
Charlotte wasn’t the only one on Station 3 “C” Shift who listened when Jak’s instinct spoke up.
Jak was anxious for whatever was coming, but dwelling on it didn’t help it come any faster so he changed the subject. “I love me some live music.”
Jak Finlayson had the perfect job. Not just his full-time job, but even this part time gig, doing EMS standby at the most beautiful concert venue he knew of. Deer Valley Amphitheater, nestled in the hills above Park City, was also the perfect temperature on this fall night. Trees and mountains surrounded the moderate-sized amphitheater. The venue was filling up fast. Having a superstar like Sloane Kent would have this place overflowing.
“Not a bad way to spend my last night in civilization,” Jak said. For the foreseeable future, instead of being a Rescue Tech on Rescue Engine 3, Jak would be running a wildland firefighting crew along the Arizona Trail.
“At least you get to sleep on the ground, play in the dirt, and eat camp food every day for months,” said Charlotte.
“What can I say?” asked Jak. “Some of us are just too rugged for this Park City lifestyle.”
A blip of static came over the radio. “EMS to the front gate please. EMS, we have a leg injury.”
“We’re up,” said Jak, leading the way toward the front gate. “Looks like it’s going to be that kind of night.”
Approaching the front gate was like swimming upstream against the tide of concertgoers. Jak broke the flow with one of his EMS bags, making a wake for his tiny partner to follow. Charlotte was an outstanding paramedic, and tough as nails, but Jak and the other guys couldn’t help playing big brother every chance they got.
A pair of ticket agents flagged down Jak. They were off to the side of the entrance, against the fence. Two attractive, mid-20s women were standing next to them. Jak could tell by their posture that neither of them wanted medical attention. They were both standing without assistance as well, so the injury couldn’t be too bad.
Jak stepped up to their side. “Can we hel—”
The woman closest to Jak turned to face him and his throat froze up, unable to make any more sound. She had auburn hair and stood a half a foot shorter than Jak. What had hypnotized him though, were her eyes—an intense metallic gray.
That unmistakable feeling hit him, as undeniable as ever. Something big was coming tonight. Something huge and great. Was coming. Right now. His heart soared at the thought that it might have to do with this gray-eyed beauty.
“Excuse me?” she said, her smile spreading and making her even more beautiful.
Jak loved her perfect teeth, the faint freckles spotting the rims of her cheeks, and the glimmer in those gray eyes. He also realized he sounded like an idiot.
“—p,” he finished. “Can we help?”
“Sorry,” said one of the ticket agents. “I thought it was an ankle injury but she’s fine.”
Both employees looked at the gray-eyed woman.
Jak raised his eyebrows at her, questioning if that was accurate. Any excuse to spend more time with her would be welcome. “So you’re fine?” He resisted the urge to put a hand on her shoulder. With any other patient he would do it and it would be an innocent gesture. The interest he felt for her was too strong, and he didn’t want to blur lines between potential patient and possible soul mate—er, possible date material.
“I’m fine,” she said.
Jak agreed. Fine was definitely a word he would use to describe this gorgeous woman. Oh man, he needed to get some space and clear his head. In eight years as a firefighter and EMT, he’d never struggled to keep it professional.
Charlotte nonchalantly nudged his foot with her toe, and Jak cleared his throat. “Oh, good.”
She added, “I just twisted it. I … I’m good now.” It might have been his imagination, but it looked like she wanted to say something to keep him from leaving.
“Our work here is done.” Jak wasn’t going anywhere. “And since our work is done, and you aren’t a patient, then I can just talk to you like a normal guy.” He knew Charlotte wouldn’t mind sticking around a few minutes as his wing-woman. She was always trying to help him find the right woman.
The radio crackled again, but the traffic wasn’t EMS related so Jak ignored it.
The gray-eyed girl glanced at the radio and said, “A normal guy who might have to run off.”
Her friend nudged her with an elbow and said in a loud whisper, “A cuter than normal guy who might have to run off like Superman to save a life.”
Jak grinned at his gray-eyed beauty and a pink flush rose up her cheeks.
“This is Charlotte, and I’m Jak.”
The girls began laughing and exchanged a knowing look.
“I love inside jokes,” said Jak, honestly enjoying the look of this woman even more when she laughed. “Especially when I’m on the inside.”
The ladies got control of themselves. The dark-haired woman said, “I’m Emma, and this …” another round of giggles, “is Jillian.”
“Jak and Jill,” said Charlotte shaking her head. She slapped Jak on the back. “You told me something special would happen tonight.”
Jillian was looking straight at Jak and her eyes widened. It was Jak
’s turn to blush.
“Also,” said Charlotte, “it’s J-A-K Jak. Not your run of the mill flapjack, blackjack, jack of all trades, or union jack.”
“Jack in the box?” asked Jill. Er, Jillian.
“Nope,” replied Charlotte.
“Jack Russell?” added Emma.
“That’s a dog,” said Jak.
The ladies were all laughing, and Jak had to admit he was having fun, even if it was at his expense, but he was ready to change the subject. “Are you Sloane Kent fans?” The four of them fell into a slow walk toward the seating, Jak and Jillian next to each other.
“I just love live music,” said Jillian.
“This really is a match made in heaven,” said Charlotte. “My ignorant friend here also has no appreciation for the best artist in the world.”
“Or appreciation for country music in general,” agreed Jak. He liked all kinds of music, especially live music. Country music was fine, but it wasn’t at the top of his list.
Charlotte droned on, “Or taste in movies, food, and even the best kind of firefighting.”
“At least I have good taste in women,” said Jak with a wink for Jillian.
She smiled back and said, “I didn’t realize there were different kinds of firefighting.”
“Real firefighters,” said Charlotte, “ride on big red trucks and work in cities. The other kind of firefighters go off to summer camp and play hiker all summer and fall.”
“You both have Park City Fire Department shirts on,” said Emma. “So are you both the wrong kind or the right kind?”
Jak said, “Four or five months out of the year, I get deployed to wildfires. The rest of the time I settle for city firefighter, just because it’s better than not working.” The women laughed, so he knew they picked up on the banter and rivalry between him and Charlotte.
“And when you’re at work,” questioned Jillian, “you’re allowed to walk around and flirt with girls, J-A-K Jak?”
Emma jumped in. “She means flirt with exceptionally attractive girls, one of whom is extraordinarily available.”
“Nice,” said Jak. Available was great news. “We’re not actually working working.”
“You’d know if we were,” said Charlotte. “It’s intense. And wildly impressive. Especially when my big brother Jak here does it.”
Jak was glad Emma and Charlotte were there to help keep things light and that Charlotte was doing what she could to help him out. If not, he wouldn’t be surprised to find himself down on one knee, wishing he had thought to bring a proper ring when that feeling had hit earlier.
The radio at Jak’s side felt heavy and threatening. At most events doing EMS standby, they only had a couple calls over the course of the event. Tonight had a different feel. This … whatever it was with Jillian, wouldn’t last long. Not tonight anyway.
“Do you want to go out sometime?” asked Jak. Milliseconds passed tic by tic as he waited and waited for an answer. The suspense was killing him, though he had to admit it thrilled him not knowing if she would agree. She was extraordinarily available after all.
Jillian didn’t take that long to answer, it just felt like forever as he weighed the odds of a call coming over the radio. Finlayson’s Theorem of Fire Calls said the importance of the activity you were engaged in while on duty was directly proportional to the likelihood of getting a call. It explained perfectly why so many of their calls came during meal time.
Since he couldn’t remember a time he didn’t want to be disturbed as badly as right now, a call was practically guaranteed. The law held for on-duty firefighting and EMS standby equally.
“I don’t date strangers,” stated Jillian.
Jak nearly fell over from the impact of her answer. Was it his imagination, or did she sound reluctant to say that.
Emma sighed loudly and said, “She really doesn’t. She’s not just feeding you a line.”
Stranger, thought Jak. That was the key word and he would find a way around it. “No problem. How do I get on the approved list? Five-hundred word essay? Application complete with character references? Certified stranger exam results stating I’m within the acceptable danger level?”
“Nice try,” said Emma. “It’s a Catch-22. You can’t date her if you don’t know her, and you can’t get to know her if she won’t date you.”
Jillian spread her hands and her mouth scrunched to the side apologetically.
Jak was nowhere near giving up. Not only had he never been drawn to anyone like this, he was sure Jillian was the reason for his premonition earlier. Also, his sixth sense had never been triggered by a woman—not once in his entire life.
“Here’s the problem,” said Jak looking into Jillian’s alluring gray eyes and trying not to get lost in them. “As my misguided partner mentioned, I’m a wildland firefighter and I’m leaving town for a few weeks to a couple months. I can’t imagine you being unattached when I get back to Park City.”
Jillian made a shucks clicking sound with her tongue. “I don’t know what to tell you. It’s non-negotiable.”
“Okay, you’ve convinced me.”
“Of what?” asked Jillian.
Jak lifted one shoulder casually. “I’ll cancel my deployment.”
“Just like that,” said Jillian with a raise of an eyebrow that was either impressed or skeptical. “Hey, Sergeant Man, I don’t really feel like being deployed after all, but thanks anyway.”
Jak chuckled. “I’m a Team Leader for a crew. I have a trainee who would love nothing more than to step into my role and try running the crew. Which would work out for me because I’d be free to stay right here in beautiful Park City and date beautiful you.”
It was Jillian’s turn to be speechless. She dipped her head with a smile spreading and a blush rising.
The day after Jak’s eighteenth birthday he had deployed with a wildland crew. Every summer since, he’d deployed, which made eight summers in a row now. Yet if Jillian agreed to a date, he’d call it quits and stay back with his full-time PCFD career.
Jillian leaned past Jak to look at Charlotte. “Is he always this smooth?”
“Never. I … I …” Charlotte shook her head. “Smooth has never been used in the same sentence as Jak before.”
It was true, and Jak stayed out of it. More from a desire to get an answer from Jillian than a desire to keep the discussion unbiased.
Jillian fixed her gorgeous eyes on him and finally said, “Thanks for offering.”
“There’s a but coming,” said Jak. His gut didn’t need to warn him about that one.
“But I still don’t date people I’ve only met once.”
They were getting close to the gate that divided the ticketed seats from general admission on the lawn. At least he’d see which section she would be in if he got a medical call. And until that call came, he was going to keep fighting for his chance with her.
“Why not?”
Jak saw her lips close into a sealed line. The direct approach wasn’t going to work.
Emma answered for her. “Don’t bother asking. She barely even tells her super trustworthy best friend.”
Jillian’s chin lifted at a defiant angle as she said, “I just know that when I find that special someone, I’ll meet him more than once.”
“And which meeting is this for us?” asked Jak hopefully.
“One,” said Jillian bluntly. Then she winked up at him and said, “I would never forget meeting a Viking fireman like you.”
Wow. Jak’s turn for his face to catch fire.
Charlotte burst out laughing. “Viking fireman! Oh, that one is going to stick.”
He actually liked the sound of it, especially since his family was not far removed from Scandinavia. He tried to gather his thoughts. “So, uh, next time I run into you I can ask you out?” The ticking time bomb he wore clipped to his belt was going to detonate any second.
“You can ask,” she said with a smirk. “But the answer will be the same as today.” She held up her three
fingers. “Thrice I will meet my true love.” She slapped her hand to her face. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to go into fairy-tale mode there. Let me try again. Three times.”
At those words, the clock struck midnight, the magical barrier protecting them from outside interruptions was shattered, and Jak’s hopes went up in a puff of fairy dust. The radio crackled, “EMS we have a cardiac arrest! I repeat, EMS, come to the delivery entrance. We have a cardiac arrest!”
Jak was already on his way, moving in Charlotte’s wake this time. “That’s one!” he called out over his shoulder. Feeling a burst of fairy-tale magic himself, he added, “In encounters twain, your heart I will claim.”
The smile she gave him made him not even care if Charlotte had overheard that line. Jak’s life had meaning like never before and he couldn’t wait to chase this goal.
As they rushed through the crowd, he thought, Called like Superman to go save a life. Hopefully they would do just that. The certainty that things would go right with Jillian had faded. He still felt like she was The One. Unfortunately he wasn’t sure if he’d ever have the chance to make her see that.
Jillian swayed to the music of the opening band she’d already forgotten the name of. They were really good live, but none of their songs stuck out as music she had to own. Of course, compared to Jak, everything in her life would probably be bland for some time. So dang handsome, with wavy movie star blond hair and blue eyes, built like a Viking conqueror, and not pushy or demanding when she turned him down. Not pushy, but still interested—a perfect combination.
And even though he had the Viking look, he didn’t have the beard to go along with it. That would have been a deal-breaker for her. Even better, since he was a firefighter, he would probably never have the beard.
Thrice? she repeated in her head for the hundredth time. What in the world had motivated her to say thrice? At least he’d countered with twain; that was just as nerdy and archaic.
Her Christmas Miracle: Park City Firefighter Romances Page 1