Last night at the lodge, Leanne had gone up to a beautiful, but distraught young woman named Alexa and given her a candy bar. Alexa said she’d gone out with Welton a few times and was “a little” worried about him. Alexa seemed a bit more into him than she let on. Poor girl. Welton kept things light and casual with members of the opposite sex.
Leanne cleared her goggles with her gloved hand.
She knew more about the dating habits and marriages of the men she worked with than she wanted to know. But that knowledge helped her figure out what she wanted—and didn’t want—in a relationship. She’d watched male friends, both firefighters and mountain rescuers, break women’s hearts as if it were a hobby or game. She’d suffered too much heartbreak in her life to ever put herself in that position again.
The rescue team’s slog up the mountain continued toward the Hogsback then east. She focused on each step.
Ice clung to her exterior clothing and accessories, but Leanne’s base layer remained dry. She might be cold, but she wasn’t freezing. Hughes deserved kudos for that.
He gathered the team together. “We’re in range of the GPS coordinates. Look for markers. Anything to tell us where they might be.”
As they searched, Hughes blew a whistle in hopes the missing men would hear it and make their whereabouts known. The sound carried better than a voice in this kind of weather.
If Welton and his cousin were inside a snow cave—which Leanne prayed they were—they might not be able to hear anything. The snow muted sounds. That made for peace and quiet during a storm, but could hamper rescue efforts if subjects didn’t hear rescuers looking for them.
“X marks the spot,” Paulson yelled, pointing to a pair of neon-orange bottomed skis marking a snow cave.
Relief washed over Leanne. Building a shelter was key to surviving out here in this kind of weather. She hurried over to the entrance. Backpacks covered the opening from the inside.
Paulson stood behind her. “Looks like the rookie knew what to do.”
Leanne removed her pack and pulled out the medical kit. “Let’s find out.”
“Dude!”
Christian bolted upright from a sound sleep. He hit his head. The roof had settled more overnight. Soon the ceiling would be at their noses. “What?”
“They’re here.” Owen laughed as best he could. “They’re finally here.”
Adrenaline surged through Christian. Hallucinating was a symptom of shock and hypothermia. So not good.
Owen had been getting weaker and weaker, making Christian’s anxiety level spiral upward. He did the only thing he could. He checked Owen’s vitals. “Can you feel your feet?”
“I heard—”
One of the backpacks fell away from the snow cave entrance. The other followed. A red helmet poked inside. OMSAR.
Relief flowed through Christian’s cold, sore body. Time to get Owen out of here.
“Yes,” Owen whispered.
The rescuer crawled into the snow cave. He held a red duffel bag with a white cross on it. Ice covered his helmet, ski mask, goggles and black parka. The word RESCUE was written in white down one sleeve. He removed his goggles and pulled down his ski mask to expose his mouth.
Not a he. Christian’s dry lips curved upward. “Thomas.”
Leanne Thomas was a paramedic at the station. Pretty with an athletic, hot body. He’d wanted to ask her out when he first started working at the station, but she hadn’t seemed as into him. He’d decided not to pursue her. A good thing, he’d learned. She wasn’t his normal type.
Tough as nails and all business, Thomas was like a drill sergeant on steroids when it came to being out on a call or breaking in a rookie. She took her job seriously, expected others to do the same and never let her hair down. Christian wouldn’t mind being around if she ever loosened that tight ponytail or those braids she wore.
Her face was pale except for her cheeks, flushed from the cold. She acknowledged him with a nod and sniffled. “Welton.”
Surprising warmth flowed through him. His smile widened. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too, rookie.” She removed her climbing gloves. “Paulson’s outside. The chief’s been letting us switch shifts so we could bring you home. No one wants to go back to eating Frank’s Turkey Meatloaf Surprise for dinner.”
Christian laughed. Something he hadn’t done since yesterday. It really was good to see her. “I’ll cook you whatever you want when we get down.”
A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. “Be careful, I might hold you to that.”
She’d saved lives as a paramedic. She would help Owen. “Do.”
Thomas pulled on exam gloves. “Injured? Feet?”
“Fine. Feet are cold, but I can feel my toes,” he said quickly. “My partner—cousin—Owen fell skiing the face. He’s twenty-six. No preexisting medical conditions. Looks like a broken ankle and arm. Some sort of knee injury.”
“Hey, I’m right here.” Owen sounded annoyed. That was much better than weak. “Conscious, in pain.”
“I followed the NEXUS procedure to assess his spine before moving him in here,” Christian added. “The threat of hypothermia and surviving the night outweighed spinal injury concerns.”
“Good job, Welton,” she said.
That was high praise coming from Thomas. He would gloat about it back at the station, but right now, he was relieved she hadn’t spotted any problems with his care of his cousin.
As Thomas moved toward Owen, Christian tried to get out of her way. Not an easy feat in the cramped space.
She glanced around. “Did a hobbit design this place?”
“I was in a hurry,” Christian admitted. “After two nights, the snow’s settled a bit.”
“Well, this cave kept you safe and warm. And you know what they say, size doesn’t really matter.” She winked at Christian, which caught him totally off guard, then she slid beside Owen. “Hello, Owen. Your cousin’s been taking good care of you.”
“You have such pretty brown eyes.” Owen stared up at her as if she were Aphrodite. “Milk-chocolate with a hint of cream.”
Christian stiffened. Owen must be in shock if he thought compliments would have an effect on Thomas. She wasn’t interested in her looks. Not the way other women were. Sweet words wouldn’t sway Thomas, either. She wasn’t the flirty type. Christian had never met a more challenging or unapproachable woman in his entire life.
But she was strong and capable and here. That made her the most important person in the world at this moment. “My cousin is a chocolatier wannabe.”
“I couldn’t live without chocolate. Thank you, Owen.” Thomas smiled softly, but her gaze focused in on his cuts and bruises. “I’m with OMSAR and a paramedic with Hood Hamlet Fire and Rescue. May I examine you?”
“Yeah.” Owen glanced at Christian. “You never told me you worked with any women.”
Christian tried hard not to think of her as a woman. “Thomas is one of the guys.”
Owen scrunched his face. “You need your eyes examined, dude.”
Thomas unzipped the sleeping bag, but kept Owen covered. “What your cousin means is all the men at the station consider me one of the guys. It’s the same with the rescue unit.”
Appreciation twinkled in Owen’s eyes. “Idiots.”
Thomas shrugged. “It’s easier that way.”
Christian found himself nodding, but he wondered if she meant easier on her or the men she worked with. He’d never given any thought to how being one of the guys might make Thomas feel. But then again, he’d never once seen her attempt to show her feminine side. She didn’t fuss with makeup or jewelry.
As she examined his ankle, Owen winced. “Still idiots.”
Christian stared at his cousin. “You realize you just called me an idiot.”
“Yep,” Owen said through clenched teeth. “Gotta side with the pretty paramedic in hopes she has pain meds in her bag.”
Thomas’s eyes twinkled, making her look pr
ettier. “Oh, I have lots of good stuff in here.”
“Knew it.” Anticipation laced Owen’s words.
Okay, so his cousin was flirting to get pain meds. Except…
Owen didn’t need to charm medication out of Thomas. He would receive pain meds no matter what. He was flirting to flirt. Thomas didn’t seem to mind, either. That was…strange.
Not that what his cousin did was any of his business. Thomas, either. But if anyone was going to get to flirt with her, it should be the guy still on his feet.
“Were you wearing climbing boots during your ski descent?” she asked Owen.
“Yeah,” his cousin admitted. “Should have worn alpine touring boots. Should have done a few things differently.”
“Failing upward was the right decision,” Christian said.
Owen nodded, as Thomas continued her examination of him. “That domed cloud hovering like a UFO over the mountain didn’t leave us a lot of choices.”
Thomas looked at Owen. “Tough position to be in.”
Owen raised one shoulder, the one attached to his good arm. “Climbing to the summit ridge and making a fast ski descent down the south side before visibility and conditions deteriorated completely would have worked if I hadn’t fallen.”
“Making ski turns in AT boots might have been easier, but you still could have fallen and broken your ankle.” Thomas looked at Christian. “There’s not enough room in here. Put your ski mask on, stick your head out and tell them to set up the tent if they aren’t already doing it.”
The cave felt too cramped and a little warm with three of them inside. He was definitely the odd man out.
“Welton.”
What the hell was he doing just sitting here? Christian grabbed his ski mask. “On it.”
CHAPTER TWO
WITH his face covered, Christian crawled out of the snow cave. The wind wasn’t as strong as yesterday, but the visibility was still limited and the temperature freezing.
Bill Paulson, another firefighter from the station, stood next to the entrance with a large pack at his feet.
“Good to see you in one piece, Welton. Didn’t want to have to break in another rookie. Doubt we’d find one who cooks as well as you.” Paulson unscrewed the lid to a thermos bottle and handed it to him. “Drink this.”
Christian pulled his ski mask below his mouth and sipped. Hot. Sweet. He’d been expecting plain water. “What is it?”
“The unit’s special brew,” Paulson said. “Jell-O mix and hot water. An odd combination, but what your body needs right now.”
Speaking of needs… “Thomas wants the tent set up.”
Paulson pointed to a group of rescuers struggling against the wind to erect the tent. “Hughes didn’t think the snow cave would be big enough.”
He must mean Sean Hughes, who owned a snowboard company and had married the gorgeous socialite Zoe Carrington this summer.
Christian didn’t recognize the other men. The least he would do was lend a hand. “I can help.”
“Yeah, you could, but warm up instead.” Paulson motioned for him to drink more. “We might need your help getting the litter down the mountain if you’re up for it.”
Christian straightened. “Whatever you need.”
“That’s what I told Hughes you’d say,” Paulson said. “Now get back in the snow cave until we’re ready for you.”
Christian crawled back inside with the thermos in hand. The interior was more claustrophobic after being outside for a few minutes. He pulled off his ski mask. His gaze went straight to where Thomas worked on Owen. An IV bag hung from the side of the snow cave alongside a headlamp.
“You’ve been busy,” Christian said.
Thomas didn’t glance his way, but concentrated on his cousin’s splinted wrist. “Just doing my job.”
A damn good job, too.
Thomas annoyed Christian by needing to cross every T and dot each I, but even then she impressed him. She didn’t boast about her mountain rescue or climbing or paramedic skills. She did what was required and did it very well. For that he was grateful and now in her debt. He was going to owe the entire rescue team for getting him and Owen out of this mess.
Christian didn’t like owing anyone. It rankled like a blister about to pop during the crux of a rock climb. He would have to think of something special to do for each one of them when they were off the mountain.
“I know it hurts.” She spoke to Owen in a quiet, soothing voice. “But you’ll start feeling better soon.”
Owen basked in the attention and sweet bedside manner. Christian liked her soft tone better than the curt way she usually spoke at the station. He wouldn’t be opposed to a little tender loving care from her.
Oh, wait. This was Thomas. Not going to happen unless he was a patient.
Paulson kneeled in the entrance. “Need anything, Thomas?”
She didn’t look away from Owen. “Only the tent.”
“It’s going up.” Paulson shifted his attention to Christian. “Your family’s been at Timberline. Waiting. Praying. Nice folks.”
A burst of emotion clogged Christian’s throat. He might not see eye to eye with his family, but he loved them. He swallowed. “Do they know you found us?”
“Hughes called it in,” Paulson said. “Your family will be told then the media notified.”
Christian’s muscles tensed. “Media?”
“The mission call out brought a wave of press rushing to the mountain. The story went national yesterday afternoon. Headline news on all the cable channels and local newspapers,” Paulson explained. “Two Oregon wine heirs missing on Mount Hood. Makes quite the public interest story.”
Damn. Christian hadn’t told anyone in Hood Hamlet about his family’s successful winery in the Willamette Valley, three hours away. He wanted to be his own person, make his own way without his family’s influence and interference. He’d learned at an early age help never came without strings attached.
“I don’t blame you for not telling anyone about your family’s winery,” Thomas said. He was surprised she’d been paying attention since she seemed so focused on Owen. “I wouldn’t have told anyone. Everyone would expect you to bring the wine to parties.”
Once they were down, Christian would supply the entire rescue team with bottles of wine from his own winemaking hobby.
Paulson laughed. “Just like Porter and his beer.”
Jake Porter owned the Wy’East Brewing Company and the Hood Hamlet Brew Pub. He was also a member of OMSAR and an all-around good guy. Christian enjoyed going to the brewpub. The entire town seemed to hang out there. “Is he with you?”
“He and Tim Moreno are on another rescue team. They’ll meet us above Palmer where the Sno-Cat will be waiting,” Paulson said. “Guys from the station have been stopping by the lodge. Bringing us food and coffee. Sitting with your family.”
Christian appreciated the support. But that’s what firefighters did for each other. A brotherhood of trust, loyalty and respect. He couldn’t imagine not being a part of that. But after a year of being the rookie he knew exactly what would happen when he was back at the station. “They’re never going to let me live this down.”
“Nope,” Paulson admitted. “At least not until someone else screws up bigger.”
Christian grimaced.
“It’s not that bad, Welton,” Thomas said.
“Yeah,” Paulson agreed. “It’s not like you’re a finalist for a Darwin Award.”
Christian shuddered. So not something he wanted. The Darwin Award was given to people who killed themselves in stupid ways thus removing their DNA from the human gene pool.
Thomas laughed. The melodic sound filled the snow cave.
Christian had heard her laugh before, but he didn’t remember it sounding like that.
“Oh, yeah, one of the guys with such a sweet laugh,” Owen said with a big smile. The pain meds must be working.
But his words echoed Christian’s thoughts. He liked the way her laugh soun
ded. Relaxed. Softer. Feminine. Maybe she wasn’t as much a hard-ass as he thought.
He shook the crazy thought from his head. Nothing about Thomas was sugar and spice. Or remotely soft.
She joked with the guys at the station and could hold her own with the pranks that went on. He liked that about her.
“Don’t let that laugh fool you. I’ve known Thomas since we were nine. She could kick all the boys’ butts back then, too.” Paulson grinned at Christian. “Meant to tell you, your girlfriend is at the lodge waiting for you, too.”
Christian flinched. Girlfriend was a four-letter word. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Alexa,” Paulson clarified. “That girl is smokin’.”
Oh, her. “Definitely, hot, but we just date. Nothing serious.” Alexa was a great girl. Fun to be with. More fun to mess around with. Perfect because that was all he wanted right now. “She won’t be around much longer with Christmas coming up.”
“Is she going out of town?” Thomas asked.
“Come on, Thomas,” Paulson teased. “You should know how it works by now. Holidays are the time for us good-looking guys to be footloose and fancy-free.”
“Oh, no, Welton.” Thomas sounded aghast. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who breaks up with women before Christmas.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you.” Christian grinned. “But Paulson’s right. The holidays only complicate relationships.”
“Not to mention the hassle and expense of buying presents.” Paulson had taken over as the resident heartbreaker in Hood Hamlet after the marriage bug bit Sean Hughes and Jake Porter. “Remember to break up with them before the second Monday in December or you’re stuck.”
Thomas’s mouth gaped. “There’s a December breakup deadline?”
Both Christian and Paulson nodded.
“That’s so wrong.” Thomas continued to work on Owen. “I’ve got to side with the women here.”
“Idiots,” Owen said in a singsong voice.
“I hope a woman never treats you guys like this,” she said.
Christian usually ignored Thomas’s disapproval, but this time it bothered him a little. Weird. “The women don’t seem to mind when I swing back around a few days after the twenty-fifth.”
Firefighter Under the Mistletoe Page 2