Without stopping to think, Aubrey went over to him. “Can I help you with that? I’m a nurse.”
He peered up at her, and his face brightened. “Sure.”
She came around the tables and conducted a quick inventory of the available medical supplies. Then she took the man’s arm and examined the cut. It was long and inflamed, but not deep.
“How did this happen?”
“A tree branch attacked me.” His smile widened and took on a new appearance—that of a man interested in a woman. “You got to watch out for those fellows. They’re sneaky. Catch you when you’re not looking.”
She released his arm, giving him the kind and helpful smile she reserved for patients. “I’m going to the kitchen for some water to wash this. I’ll be right back.”
“And I’ll be right here.”
In the kitchen, she found a small basin that she promptly filled with warm water from the faucet. She also found a stash of industrial paper towels and grabbed a handful. Not the best for cleansing wounds, but they’d do in a pinch.
True to his word, the man was waiting for her when she returned.
“You’re back.” He didn’t mask his delight at seeing her.
Aubrey set the basin and paper towels down on the table near him and donned a pair of latex gloves. While she treated his wound, he engaged her in lively conversation. He was a good-looking man, despite the dirt and grime. And he didn’t come on so strong that he offended her with his mild flirting. Another woman would probably flirt right back. But not her.
Aubrey met, and subsequently dated, any number of available, attractive men. With every one, she waited for that telltale flutter of awareness in her middle. It rarely came, and the relationships tended to fizzle out, some sooner than others. Yet one glimpse of Gage bent over a circular saw cutting planks and she’d had enough flutters to lift her three feet off the ground.
“Are you a volunteer medic?” The injured man’s question jarred Aubrey from her musings.
“No. I really just came by today to drop off some food donations.” Aubrey had finished cleansing the wound and was applying an antibiotic ointment to the affected area.
“You live here?”
“Uh…yes and no.” She opted for the condensed version, not wanting to go into her life story. “I’m staying with my grandmother for an extended visit. She’s recovering from a broken hip. How about you?”
He shook his head. “Sacramento. Born and raised.”
“And you belong to the Blue Ridge Hotshots?”
“No way,” he scoffed and pointed with his free hand to the emblem on his T-shirt. It bore a resemblance to the one on Gage’s truck. “I’m with the Sierra Nevada Hotshots.”
“Really? I didn’t know there were other firefighters here.”
“There are four crews working the fire right now. Us, Blue Ridge, Albuquerque and the Tucson Hot Shots. More are scheduled to arrive tonight if the fire continues to spread.”
“I just learned yesterday that Hotshots traveled to different states.”
“We go wherever we’re needed. Kind of like the marines.” A dimple appeared in his cheek when he gave her a crooked grin. “So, are you free for dinner when this fire’s done making the morning headlines, or do you have a boyfriend?”
“I…ah….” Why was she even hesitating? She absolutely did not have a boyfriend, and this seemingly nice, definitely handsome man had just asked her out. She tried to make her lips form the word no. “N-not really.”
“Uh, oh. Too slow.” The man—whose name Aubrey didn’t even know—chuckled good-naturedly. “And the eyes were a dead giveaway, too. Is he with the Blue Ridge Hotshots?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” she said, strong and firm with no hesitation this time.
“A wannabe boyfriend? Are you one of those Hotshot groupies?”
“Absolutely not!” She huffed indignantly. “May I remind you I’m holding your injured arm in my hands, and I’m not above inflicting pain.”
His chuckle developed into a full-blown belly laugh. “As much as I’d be tempted to in this case, I don’t steal another man’s girl. But if you ever get tired of him, or he doesn’t treat you right, give me a call. Sacramento’s not so far away I can’t find my way back here.”
“Honestly, there’s no one—”
“MacPherson! You’re not giving this young lady a hard time, are you?” The taller man from earlier appeared, his jaw set in a no-nonsense frown.
“Who, me?” MacPherson pretended to be insulted.
“You’ll have to excuse him, ma’am. He has a tendency to run off at the mouth. You have my permission to boot him where it counts if necessary.”
“It’s all right,” Aubrey answered.
“Hey, Captain.” MacPherson held up the arm that Aubrey had finished dressing. “She’s a nurse.”
“Are you?” the captain asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“Are you a volunteer here?”
“Her boyfriend’s one of the local crew,” MacPherson interjected before Aubrey could answer.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” she protested, but no one paid her any heed.
The captain had made an attempt to wash up. His face and hands were scrubbed clean, if not the rest of him. “Have you ever considered volunteering? I’d be happy to introduce you to Marty Paxton, the Blue Ridge commander.”
“Thanks, but no.”
“Wilderness firefighting teams can always use skilled medical personnel.”
Aubrey glanced around the community center, seeking a diversion. Where had Eleanor gone off to? “I can’t. I’m the sole caregiver for my invalid grandmother.” That sounded better than the truth.
Jesse and Maureen’s deaths had done a real number on Aubrey, shaking her confidence to the core. No matter how hard she tried not to, she saw their faces in every trauma patient she treated. Aubrey believed she owed her patients the best possible care. How could she explain to the captain that she feared she might freeze the first time a seriously injured firefighter was brought in?
Thankfully, he took no for an answer. “Well, if you ever change your mind, I’m sure there’ll be an opening for you.”
“And you could always come to Sacramento if you get tired of this place.” MacPherson bounced to his feet and shot her a look loaded with innuendo. “Thanks for the bandage job. See ya around, I hope.”
“Nice meeting you, ma’am.” The captain nodded curtly. “Let’s go, MacPherson. We got a call while you were under the knife. Playtime is over.”
“But we just got here.”
The rest of MacPherson’s complaint went unheard as the two men were joined by the remaining members of their crew. Moving as one, they rushed out the door. If they’d been riding horses, Aubrey would have expected to see a cloud of dust billowing behind them.
“You done?”
She turned at the voice and, seeing Eleanor, smiled. “There you are. I missed you earlier.”
“Sorry about that. I got suckered into making a bunch of copies at the real estate office next door where I work. The owner is good about letting the Hotshots use his equipment.”
“That’s nice.” It seemed to Aubrey the locals were more than willing to assist the firefighters however they could. She’d forgotten how much she liked the we’re-in-this-together attitude prevalent in small towns.
“Someone just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Can I interest you in a cup?” Eleanor asked. “Or an iced tea? I’m scheduled for my break. We could catch up on old times.”
If the promise of a caffeine pick-me-up wasn’t enough, the hope shining in Eleanor’s face would have persuaded Aubrey. “Sounds great.” She reached into her jeans pocket for her cell phone. “Let me check in at home quick. Make sure everything’s okay with my grandmother.”
Home. There was that word again. She should probably be careful how she used it before someone—herself included—got the wrong impression. Look at the conclusion MacPherson had drawn thanks to on
e little slip of the tongue.
Why would anyone think she had a boyfriend?
“Have you seen Gage yet?” Eleanor asked after she and Aubrey found a quiet spot in which to curl up with their iced teas.
“Yesterday,” Aubrey answered with forced nonchalance. “He and the other volunteer firefighters are doing the handicap renovations on my grandmother’s house.”
“Mmm. I think I heard that. Funny how neither one of you ever remarried.”
Aubrey didn’t rise to the bait Eleanor dangled. “Not really. I’ve been focused on my career for the past several years. Serious relationships have been low on my list of priorities.” Not exactly the truth, but not a lie, either.
“I can certainly understand.”
“What about your sister, Beth? Has she gotten married?”
Aubrey’s attempt to change the subject backfired.
“Last spring. To an insurance salesman in Show Low. You know, after you and Gage…after you left town, she made quite a play for him. He turned her down flat, which she took pretty hard. Of course, we all told her she was wasting her time. He was never interested in anyone but you. Oh, he’s dated some. I mean, no man is made of stone. There was one gal in Pineville he hooked up with for a while. A technician for the phone company, I think.” Eleanor smiled coyly. “But like you, serious relationships have been low on his list of priorities.”
As it had yesterday on the porch with Gage and her grandmother, reminiscing made Aubrey fidgety. “Tell me about your children,” she said. “Do you have any pictures?”
Trust a mother’s pride in her offspring. To Aubrey’s vast relief, Eleanor immediately switched gears and for the next several minutes they enjoyed an amiable conversation. One that didn’t twist Aubrey’s stomach into knots.
“I’ve really enjoyed visiting, but I need to get back to work,” Eleanor said with reluctance. “I’m on duty until seven.”
“It’s been great. I hope we can do it again while I’m here.”
“Oh.” Eleanor’s eyebrows lifted. “You aren’t staying for good?”
“No. Only until my grandmother recovers.”
If she did recover. The chances of an elderly person leading a fully independent life after breaking a hip weren’t good. But Aubrey refused to dwell on statistics. Rather, she and her grandmother would take it one step at a time.
After a goodbye hug, Aubrey and Eleanor parted company. The TV blared in the background as Aubrey headed down the center of the large room. Men still slept in the cots, some of them snoring soundly.
She was about ten feet from the front door when it swung open and another group of Hotshots entered. These firefighters were wearing navy blue Tshirts, as opposed to black, she noted, and included a woman among their ranks. Knowing they must be tired and hungry, Aubrey stepped aside to let them pass, smiling at their nods and hellos, until the last man stepped through the door.
Upon seeing him, her smile froze.
Like the other Hotshots, he was dirty and grimy and smelled of smoke. Black smears covered his face and arms. Sweat plastered his short black hair to his head. A combination of sun, heat and wind had turned his tanned complexion dark and ruddy. Bits of debris clung to his clothing, and there was a jagged tear in the knee of his pants.
He looked tough and rugged and strong enough to hammer nails with his bare knuckles. He also looked sexy as hell.
The fluttering thing started again in Aubrey’s middle. Only today it resembled propellers on a twin-engine plane rather than butterfly wings.
“Aubrey! What are you doing here?”
“Hi. I…uh…brought some food.”
As a boy, he’d been cute. As a teenager, handsome. But Gage Raintree as a man fully grown was utterly breathtaking.
“Are you leaving already?” he asked.
“Actually, I’ve been here a while. And yes, I am leaving.”
The other Hotshots had moved on ahead, leaving the two of them as alone as they could be in a large room full of people.
Gage took a step back and pushed open the door with one hand, the corded muscles of his arm standing out. “Here. I’ll walk you to your car.”
Oh, no, thought Aubrey. What now? Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The problem was, after getting one look at him, she really didn’t want to do either of those things.
*
Gage entertained no doubts he would somehow get Aubrey alone and harbored no qualms about doing whatever was necessary to accomplish that end. He didn’t blame her for her obvious reluctance; they had a lot of unresolved stuff still hanging over their heads. And just because he was ready and willing to tackle some of that unresolved stuff didn’t mean she felt the same.
A sense of satisfaction filled him when she finally relented and agreed to let him accompany her outside. As a result, he now had the enjoyment of following her to her SUV. And it was definitely enjoyable.
She wore jeans today. Low-riders. And a snug little blouse that revealed a modest band of creamy flesh. When she moved just right, he could see her belly button. A definite plus. Her short, bouncy hair had been pulled off her face with a headband, but several tendrils escaped, falling into her eyes.
Eyes that watched his every move.
Since running into Aubrey, Gage had dwelled on little else except her. Even the fire had taken a mental backseat, which was unusual for him. He tended to throw himself into firefighting to the exclusion of everything else, which caused a significant number of rifts with his family. To say his father disapproved of Gage being a firefighter was the understatement of the century.
When he and Aubrey reached her SUV, she reached for the driver-side door handle. Anticipating just such a move, he blocked her with his body.
“Sorry about leaving everything a mess yesterday,” he said, leaning against the door. “When I get called, I have to report immediately.”
“It’s no problem.” She dug impatiently through her purse for her car keys. “I moved what I could into the garage, if that’s all right.”
“I’ll call Hannah. Have her stop by and pick it up.”
“Don’t bother. It’s not hurting anything.”
“Thanks. That’ll save me making a second trip between the ranch and the house.”
“How’s the fire? I saw on the news it’s only five percent contained.”
A question. Good. Maybe she wasn’t as skittish as she appeared. “We had a lucky break today with the weather, which is encouraging. But you can never predict for sure when it comes to fires, so I’m not packing my gear just yet.”
“I admit I was a little surprised to learn you’re a wilderness firefighter. When did that happen?”
“About four years ago. My friend Marty recruited me. I told you about him. He’s with the Pineville radio station. We met when the old Hunt Museum and General Store burned down, and he came out to do a live broadcast.”
“I took it for granted you ran the ranch with your dad.” She gave a little shrug. “Since that was, well, that was always…”
“My plan. Yeah, well, it’s still my dad’s plan.”
“He doesn’t like you being a firefighter?” Her eyebrows knitted, then lifted. “I’d think he’d be proud.”
Gage expelled a long breath. “It’s not that he doesn’t like me being a firefighter, just not now. Between his gout attacks and Hannah commuting back and forth during the week to the agricultural college in Pineville, running the ranch falls mostly to me.”
“And firefighting has a tendency to cut into your chores.”
“In a big way. It’s a forty-hour-a-week job during the season. Double that when we’re at a fire.”
“What do you do when you’re not fighting fire?”
“Clear roads of hazards, burn control fires, training. It’s never-ending.”
“You’ve taken on quite a load,” she observed.
“More so now that we’re participating in the drought study.”
“Drought study?”
“For the fed
eral government. All the ranches in the area have lost a lot of grazing land because of the drought. We didn’t think we were going to make it for a while, and wouldn’t have without the extra income from the study.” He didn’t tell Aubrey how very close the Raintrees had come to losing the ranch that had been in their family for five generations.
“I thought you liked ranching.”
“I do.” He caught her gaze and held it. “But I love firefighting, and I’m going to keep doing it despite my dad’s objections.”
“Good for you, Gage.”
“Do me a favor, will you? The next time my dad and I have an argument, repeat those same words to me.”
He grinned, attempting to lighten the mood and fend off the resentment perpetually gnawing at him. His father bent over backward to support his younger sister’s ambitions, which were in keeping with the Raintree tradition of cattle ranching, but not his son’s.
She smiled back. “Is he really that tough on you?”
“Tougher.”
“What about hiring help?”
“We can’t afford it.”
“I hope you can find a compromise. Firefighting is special. Not that ranching isn’t,” she quickly amended. “But you make a real difference in the world.” Genuine admiration tinged her voice, and his chest swelled.
“Like being a nurse?”
“Firefighting is nothing like being a nurse. You put your life on the line for others. That takes courage and daring.”
“It’s just a job.”
“It’s not just a job.” She tilted her head and stared him square in the face. “I have to say, Gage, you really impress me. Not that I wasn’t—”
She didn’t have a chance to finish because he hauled her into his arms, lifted her onto her toes and brought her mouth to within a tiny fraction of his.
Her green eyes went wide. “If you’re thinking of kissing me, think again.”
“Oh, I’m going to kiss you, all right.”
Deciding this was exactly the opportunity he’d unconsciously been hoping for, he swung her around and pinned her against the SUV door. She didn’t run screaming, which was all the encouragement he needed. He then made good on his threat and kissed her soundly.
Just Kate: His Only Wife (Bestselling Author Collection) Page 19