Married For Jeremy (Under Fire Book 1)

by Andrews, Kacy

  James finally headed home around 4am, he called the store, leaving a message to say he wasn’t going to be in until later, if at all. He got undressed and back into bed, then tried to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the little girl, lying on the pavement and Sam’s determined face as she administered CPR in hopes of reviving the girl.

  Multiply defib shocks had done nothing so James knew it was over even as he helped load the backboard onto the stretcher that would carry her to the ambulance. He knew she’d be DOA once she got to the hospital. She’d never get the chance to go to college, fall in love, have a career, children, nothing. And it wasn’t even her fault.

  Another face swam before his eyes. The other little girl. A girl who was going to wake up in a strange place to find out that her sister was dead and her mother was in critical condition, if not dead herself. Sometimes, he hated his job.

  Knowing better, he got up and went down into the cellar for a beer. Sitting at the kitchen table in near darkness, he pulled the cap off. He knew better than to drink after a call like that, but right now, he didn’t care.

  Chapter 3

  Ellen decided to stop at James's house on the way to work. She wanted to thank him for helping her with her hand. His truck was in his driveway, so she assumed he was home.

  She parked and headed up the walk to the front door. It took him several moments to come to the door after she knocked.

  "Ellen?" He looked like he hadn’t had much sleep.

  "Good morning James. I thought I'd stop in on my way to work so I could thank you for yesterday. You knew exactly what to do."

  "I'm an EFR, if I didn't do it right, I'd be worried," James said laughing. "Com'on in."

  "I can't stay long, I have to get to work."

  "Okay, have you had breakfast yet?"

  "Yes." Standing closer to him made Ellen realize he smelled like alcohol. She glanced past him and saw beer bottles on the kitchen table. "James, why are you drinking?"

  "It was a rough night and I haven't had any sleep yet."

  "So you’re going to get drunk instead?"

  "I'm not drunk, I just need a couple of beers to take the edge off so I can sleep."

  "That makes a lot of sense," Ellen said sarcastically.

  "Ellen, a mom and little girl died in a car wreck last night because a drunk decided to go out on the road. You don't need to tell me about drinking."

  Ellen watched his eyes get very dark and backed away from him. "I'm leaving James. You're freaking me out."

  His eyes softened. "I'm sorry, it’s okay. I’m fine."

  “I don’t like seeing people drink.”

  “I didn’t say you had to stay and watch.” She’d obviously touched a nerve with him.

  "Just go to sleep James. I don't want to see you like this. It's wrong."

  “Okay so I had a couple of drinks. What’s the big deal?”

  “I don’t like being around alcohol.”

  "Then rain the hellfire and brimstone on me. I don't really care."

  "That's your problem. You don't care. You can't just cruise through life not caring about anything."

  "I care Ellen. About a lot of things. I wouldn't be a firefighter if I didn't care."

  "I mean about God."

  "Whatever. I know the Bible Ellen. And I know that Paul told Timothy to take some wine for his stomach. That's all I'm doing."

  "You're lying to yourself, but I guess that's your choice. Goodbye James." She spun around and stormed down the walk without a further word.

  James sighed as he leaned against the doorframe, watching her leave. She was probably right.

  He went into the kitchen and cleared the empty bottles off the table. He almost got out another, then changed his mind. Maybe he'd try sleeping again.

  “Is something the matter dear?”

  Ellen had come in to help Anna get dressed and the older woman had noticed she was depressed. “I’m just thinking about something.”

  “Would it help to talk about it?” Anna patted the edge of her bed and Ellen sat down gratefully.

  “Does James drink often?”

  “More than I’d like.”

  “Is there something we can do?”

  “Not really. He has to decide to come back to God before he can stop. And it’s not as bad as you might think, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him intoxicated, it’s more of a social thing.”

  “I don’t drink. My mother used to, and it always ended badly. So I don’t.”

  “That’s good. Did your mother take you to church?”

  “Yes, we went to mass pretty much every week. I still try to go. I want to be a good Catholic.”

  Anna smiled. “I’m not going to discount your faith, but being Catholic isn’t the only thing that matters.”

  “You’re not Catholic, are you?”

  “No, not at all. But it really doesn’t matter what church you go to. What matters, is what’s in here.” Anna placed her hand over her heart.

  “What do you mean?” Ellen asked, puzzled.

  “All of us have a very important decision to make. We each have a hole inside us that can only be filled with Jesus. Some people try to fill it with drugs or alcohol, some use jobs, or even families, but the hole remains until they let Jesus in.”

  “I’ve never heard of that before. Is that why you read the Bible so much, because you’re trying to fill yourself with Jesus?”

  “Partly, yes. I read the Bible because it allows me to get closer to God, and learn more about Him, but my hole has been filled up with Jesus for many years now.”

  “I don’t understand. How does He fill this hole?”

  “He comes in when you ask.”

  Ellen found herself dwelling on Anna’s words for the rest of the day. She’d seen Anna reading her Bible, and knew there was something different about the older woman, but this whole concept of God being in a hole in her heart was mind boggling. The more she thought of it, the more she realized there probably was a hole. Even being here in Darcy Creek was evidence of that. She’d come because she wanted to escape the past that haunted her. To escape the secrets she didn’t want to share with anyone. The problem was, the past hadn’t left, and the emptiness inside that she carried had come along for the ride.

  When she finished her shift at work, she went home to change into hiking clothes. A cloud cover had moved in, but she decided that a little rain wouldn’t matter. She’d go back to the Beaverdam trail and go for a nice long walk. Maybe she could sort out some of her feelings.

  James woke up to the sound of rain pounding on his steel roof. His head hurt. He glanced at the clock and saw that it read 5:30, then he flung his arm over his eyes to shut out the light. On the one hand he was starving and knew he should get up and eat something, but on the other, his entire body ached and he didn’t feel like moving. The ringer on his phone was way too loud.

  He got out of bed and managed to pick it up on the sixth ring. "Hello?"

  "James, it's Grandma."

  "Hi. What's up?"

  "I'm worried about Ellen. She said she was going for a walk on some trail after work, but this storm came up, so I tried to phone her house to make sure she got home and there's no answer."

  "I see. What do you want me to do?" James rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

  "I wondered if Ellen had a cellphone I can call."

  "If she does, I don't know her number." She was lucky enough to even have obtained Ellen’s home number. It wasn’t like he’d been able to do that yet.

  "All right. I wish I knew what trail she was on. She said it was the only one she'd been on."

  "Beaverdam," James said flatly. "Someone had better go look for her, that's a tough trail in bad weather."

  "Are you able to at least go check the parking lot and see if her car is there?"

  "I guess." James really didn't feel like getting mixed up with Ellen again.

  "I'd appreciate it. And James?"

  "Yeah."r />
  "I can hear the headache in your voice. Take some aspirin, and try some green tea next time you're upset."

  "Okay." She knew him too well.

  James collected a couple of granola bars, knowing he’d feel better if he actually bothered to eat something, then headed for his truck and started out. His windshield wipers slapped against the glass, fighting to keep the heavy rain from blocking his vision. Despite the time, the cloud cover made it seem like late evening.

  He swore softly when he saw Ellen's silver car in the parking lot of the trail entrance. Maybe she was in her car waiting out the storm. James unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed his door open. The wind caught the door and nearly blew it out of his hand. He slammed it and headed across the parking lot to Ellen's car. He didn't need his flashlight to see that her car was empty.

  Heading back to his truck, he climbed back inside. Rubbing his forehead, he reached into the center console and retrieved a bottle of water. He unscrewed the top and took a long drink while deciding what to do next. He made a mental note to put a bottle of Advil in the compartment later.

  He knew the trail like the back of his hand. He'd have to go look for her. Reaching into the back seat of the truck, he picked up his medical backpack. The backpack was a source of pride for him. His fire department buddies joked that it was better stocked than the Rescue, just without the defib. He checked the pockets quickly, then dug out his rain pants from under the passenger seat. He was going to need them. Shouldering the backpack, he headed for the trail head.

  The trail was muddy and slippery. The first part was easy, then it sloped off steeply. James had to put his hands on the trees to keep from falling headlong down the hill. At the bottom, there was a fork in the trail. When he'd brought Ellen, he'd taken her to the right, and hoped she'd gone the same way this time. He shone his flashlight at the ground and saw obvious footprints going toward the left. If the tracks were hers, it looked like she had been coming up from the right side of the trail and turned at the fork.

  James felt his heart beating faster. The left fork was a barely marked, narrow trail. It was very easy to get lost if you didn't know the area. Reality was, in this weather, it would be very easy for him to get lost. He couldn't leave her out here. Even if she was still mad at him. He smiled thinking of how furious she had been that morning. She was sure serious about some things.

  He pressed on. This part of the trail was drier and not as hard to walk on. "Ellen?" His voice was carried away by the wind, but yelling for her made him feel less alone. "Ellen?" He tripped on a tree root and swore. Rain was still coming down and his hair was plastered to his forehead, even with his baseball cap on. He pulled his coat tighter, thankful he'd thought to wear the rain pants and hopeful that Ellen was wearing warm clothes.

  Ellen shivered against the cold. She never should've come out here. Especially not this late. She had wanted to get a closer look at one of the beaver dams and look where it had gotten her. The rain had slowed dramatically in the last few minutes, but she didn’t know which way to go to get back to her car.

  She heard movement and froze. A twig snapped. A flashlight shone in her eyes. She screamed.

  "Easy." An irritated but familiar voice said, directing the flashlight beam out of her face. "You okay?"

  He looked soaking wet but she'd never been so happy to see someone. "James, how did you find me?"

  "Grandma called and said you'd gone hiking. When it started storming, she got worried." He hunkered down in front of her. "You're freezing."

  "Yeah."

  James pulled his backpack off and set it on the ground. Rummaging in it, he pulled out a blanket and put it around Ellen's shoulders. "Besides being cold are you all right? No broken bones or anything?"

  "I'm fine."

  "Good." James surprised her by stripping his wet coat off and slipping under the blanket with her.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Warming you up. Take your coat off."

  "James?"

  "If you were a guy I'd make you strip more. Your coat is soaking wet, and you’re likely in early stage hypothermia."

  She hesitated for a moment, then tried to unzip her coat. Her fingers were too cold to manage.

  "Here." His arms came around her and the zipper came loose. He helped her out of her coat and tossed it on top of his. "Is the rest of you dry?”

  "I think so."

  "Good. Getting wet will lower your body temperature like nothing else." He shifted her so she was sitting on his outstretched legs with her back against his chest. His large warm hands found hers. "As soon as you're kinda warm, we're going back before we both get wet," James said. “How does your hand feel?”

  “Better than it did yesterday, that’s for sure.”

  “Good.”

  Ellen unconsciously snuggled closer to his warmth. She felt his breath on the back of her neck. Something told her that this probably wasn't right but she was too cold, too grateful to argue and he wasn’t acting like he thought this was romantic.

  "James, why did you come find me?"

  "Mostly because Grandma asked me to, partly because anyone lost in these woods is in trouble, and partly because I like you too much to have you die in a freak accident."

  "Even after everything I said this morning?"

  "Yeah, you were just mad. So was I.”

  "I guess." Ellen tipped her head back to look at him and their eyes met. His look had changed. He'd been treating her in the same calm, patient manner he'd used when she got hurt yesterday, but this was different.

  "Ellen, do you think of us as serious?"

  "I don't know. I have to think about it."

  "How long do you think that will take?" James gently caught her chin in his fingers.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Maybe this will help.” James leaned down and kissed her.

  Ellen wasn't cold anymore. His kiss left her warm all over. She forgot they were, or rather, she was, lost in the woods in a storm.

  "What do you think now?" James asked.

  "Where’d you learn to kiss like that?"

  “I’m not telling.” He gave her a boyish, mischievous grin. “You like it?”

  She nodded once.

  She hadn't meant for him to kiss her again, but he did, with precision that suggested a lot of previous practice. "James, com'on, stop." Ellen pushed him off. "You're acting like a lovesick teenager."

  "Maybe I am, just a little older." He grinned at her. "We'd better get back home though. Wait here a minute."

  James got up and scouted around their immediate area with his flashlight.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “The trail.”

  “You mean you don’t know where it is?”

  “I followed your tracks off it, but most of them are probably washed away now. The trail could be partly washed out too.”

  “How are we going to find our way home?” Ellen asked frantically.

  “I have my ways.”

  “Oh, so we’re going to follow the North Star?” Ellen asked sarcastically.

  “If you can see it, let me know,” James said in an annoyed tone. He put his hand on a nearby tree. “It’s this way.” He gestured to his left, then picked up his backpack, shouldered it, then reached for her hand. “Com’on, let’s go.”

  “How do you know what way to go?” Ellen asked, taking his hand reluctantly.

  “Moss only grows on the north side of the trees. We want to go west, which is this way.”

  “Don’t you carry a compass in your backpack?”

  “No, don’t need one. Everywhere I go, there’s either sky or trees so I’m good.”

  He held her hand all the way back to the parking lot. “You should leave your car here and come with me to my place,” he said as they exited the trail.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Just until the rain stops.”

  “No, I’m okay to go home.” Ellen stopped beside her car. “Thank you, though. I’m
not sure what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come.”

  “I’d rather not consider that possibility,” James said quietly.

  Chapter 4

  Ellen saw James two nights later. He was leaning against the reception desk, legs crossed and looking like he could stay there comfortably for a long time. “Hey, how’s it going?”

  “Fine.” Ellen stopped at the desk.

  “When do you get off?”

  “In an hour.”

  “Come over and I’ll make you supper.”

  “All right.” Ellen agreed.

  When she arrived at James’s house, he was standing by his stove, frying something “Wow, this smells good,” Ellen commented.

  “You’re surprised?” James laughed.

  “I guess. What is it?”

  “Fish. I caught it this morning. Have a seat, it’s almost done.”

  Ellen sat down in a kitchen chair.

  He’d pan fried the fish, and she didn’t remember a time when she’d enjoyed a meal more. When they were finished, James suggested they sit on the couch and watch the sun set. Remembering how out of control their kisses had felt the last time, she didn’t sit close to him.

  Soon the sky began to show streaks of colour. It was one of the best sunsets she’d ever seen. “Wow, this is amazing.”

  “Just like you.”

  She looked up and realized he’d moved and was right beside her. His arm came around her and he looked at her for a long time. “Can I kiss you again?”

  Ellen didn’t know how to turn him down and in some ways she didn’t want to. His desire for her made her feel things she’d never felt before. His arm held her tighter and his fingers tipped her chin up. He leaned down and their lips met briefly. “You are so amazing,” he whispered against her mouth as he rested his forehead against hers. “I really think I’m beginning to love you.”

  “Love me?”

  “Yes.” He cupped her face with his hands. “Ellen, I love you.” He kissed her again and this time she found herself combing her fingers into his hair and kissing him back with a passion she didn’t know she had. She opened her eyes momentarily and realized it was mostly dark in the room. James gently pushed her down on the couch, holding her close. Several minutes passed, then James looked down at her. “You know, my bed’s a lot more comfortable.”