She raised her chin. “Being prepared, having the right skills and equipment, never getting in over your head.”
“Sounds like something from an OMSAR training manual.”
“It is.”
“Then it’s what OMSAR believes, not you.”
“Wrong, rookie,” she said. “I wrote the manual.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised. She probably approached being a mountain rescuer the same way as she did being a paramedic—by the book. “Well, if Christmas magic fills up those toy bins, you’ll be changing your tune soon enough.”
“Publicity and generosity will fill the bins. Nothing else.”
“How will you know the difference?” he asked.
She picked up the supply box. “How will you?”
A beat passed. And another.
Stalemate. But he’d always known how tough Thomas was. The woman must have ice running through her veins. No matter how ugly it got on a call, she showed no emotion.
His gaze fell to her mouth. No lipstick. Not even a hint of lip gloss.
Christian wondered how she’d react if he kissed her.
Whoa. Thomas would deck him if he did that. He would deserve it for kissing her at the station. He needed to focus. “When’s the next toy drive committee meeting?”
“I know that’s not what you want,” Thomas said. “You can be an honorary member of the committee.”
“Thanks, but you heard Rachel. She said I’m on the committee. I need to be on it.”
“No one will know.”
“I will.”
Lines creased Thomas’s forehead. “You haven’t shown any interest in the toy drive before.”
“True.” Christian never got too involved. He wanted only responsibilities he’d chosen for himself. “This is different.”
Helping with the toy drive would be a great way to do something nice for Thomas. He’d teased her about what she wanted for Christmas, but he knew—a present for every child on the toy drive’s list. She wouldn’t stop working until she had enough donations. He could take some of that burden from her.
“I want to be on the committee this year,” he said firmly.
Panic flashed in her eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
The überconfidence she usually exuded seemed to have disappeared. She seemed a little…disturbed. Good, because she was making him feel the same way.
“I’m very serious.” Being on the committee wasn’t only about repaying her for what she’d done on the mountain. Ever since the rescue, being around Thomas left him feeling unsettled. He didn’t like that. Working with her on the toy drive would allow him to take control of the situation and conquer that feeling. “You’d better get used to the idea because you’re stuck with me.”
CHAPTER FOUR
TWO days later, Christian parked at the curb in front of Thomas’s three-story town house. The Craftsman-style architecture with wood beams and paned windows gave the neighborhood a quaint, mountain village feel. Towering, snow-laden Douglas fir trees stood behind the row of homes, but the neighborhood was walking distance to Main Street.
Snowflakes landed on his windshield. He turned off the ignition.
The single-car garage door of Thomas’s house was open. Inside, three large green rubber bins with red lids sat in front of an all-wheel-drive Subaru wagon. An extension ladder rested against the front of the house. Near the top rung stood Thomas, stringing Christmas lights along the edge of the peaked roofline.
A single brown braid hung out the back of her red fleece hat. Her oversize navy jacket fell past her hips. Her black waterproof pants were tucked into a pair of snow boots. Her clothing suggested extreme weather, not a light snowfall. A storm hadn’t been predicted, but the sky darkened.
He laughed.
Leave it to Thomas to predict the weather better than the meteorologists. Paulson had told him many local climbers talked to her before heading up the mountain, especially in the winter. Next time Christian would talk to her himself. Accidents happened, but he didn’t want to put himself in another situation needing rescue. Once was more than enough.
Larger snowflakes accumulated on the hood of Christian’s truck. He stayed in the cab, but not because of the weather.
Thirty minutes ago coming to talk to Thomas about the toy drive had seemed like a great idea. Now that he was here…
He tapped his thumbs against the leather-covered steering wheel. She might not want to be disturbed on a day off.
But leaving didn’t appeal to him. Christian didn’t want to wait another day until they were back at the station to talk to her. He’d been thinking about Thomas a lot since the end of their shift yesterday. He wanted to see her now.
Christian craned his neck to get a better look at her.
With one foot on the ladder and the other on the roof, she adjusted a portion of the lights. She showed no hesitation or the slightest wobble in her seamless movements. She returned her foot to the ladder as if she were standing on the ground and not a couple stories up.
Fearless. That was Thomas.
What the hell was he doing sitting here?
That was Thomas up there.
This wasn’t a man-woman thing. He’d given up flirting with her over a year ago after seeing how gung-ho-by-the-book she was at the station. She wouldn’t care if he dropped by unannounced. Christian needed to stop fooling around and get it done.
He slid out of his truck then shut the driver’s door. If she agreed his plan was a good one—and how could she not?—he could pay back the entire rescue team members and all of OMSAR. Maybe he’d even put a smile back on Thomas’s face.
As he walked up the driveway, his boots sunk into the snow. “Hey, Thomas.”
She glanced down. Her brown eyes widened with surprise, then clouded with concern. Her mouth tightened. “Is Owen—?”
“He’s recovering.”
Thomas blew out a breath. The condensation hung on the cold air like a puff of smoke. “Good, for a moment I thought he’d taken a turn for the worse.”
Christian appreciated her concern and was a little relieved she hadn’t been keeping track of his cousin’s progress herself. “Nope, Owen should be released from the hospital tomorrow.”
“Good news.”
“Yes.” Christian studied her. Flushed cheeks. Runny nose. Stray tendrils peeked out the brim of her hat. Not primped, but fresh-faced and natural. Pretty.
“So what brings you by on your day off?” she asked.
“I have an idea about the toy drive.”
Thomas adjusted a vertical strand of white icicle lights. “You want to talk about the toy drive now?”
“I can wait until you’re finished hanging the lights.”
“Okay,” she said after a long moment. “This shouldn’t take me more than a few minutes.”
“Want help?” he offered.
She attached the cord to another hook. “Thanks, but I’ve got it.”
Christian wondered how long she’d been decorating. He walked toward the front door. She’d gone all out.
Lights surrounded a large window on the second story, two smaller windows on the third level, the single-car garage door on the ground floor and the front door where a pine wreath with holly berries, pinecones and a big red bow hung. A single candle lamp sat on the inside pane of each window. A plastic snowman holding a broom stood on the porch, ready to greet visitors.
Thomas must like Christmas to go to this much trouble. Good. She would like his idea. Christian smiled.
A noise drew his attention. She stretched to the left to reach the last hook. The ladder shifted, the top scraping across the house.
Adrenaline surged through Christian. He reached for the ladder but missed it by mere inches. “No!”
“Oh,” she cried.
Everything happened in slow motion. The ladder fell like a tree, careening down until it crashed against the covered porch of the town house next door.
Christian positioned himself
below Thomas, ready to break her fall. He braced himself. Except…
She didn’t fall. Her feet dangled in the air while she hung from the roof.
His heart pounded. He struggled to breathe. She hadn’t hit the ground, but she still could be hurt. “Leanne, you okay?”
“Yeah.” She sounded disappointed, not frightened. “I only had one hook to go. I hope the ladder didn’t hit you on the way down.”
“It didn’t.” He hadn’t thought about the ladder hitting him, only her taking a header and going splat on the driveway. The image still left him shaken. Partners had taken screamers—long falls—rock climbing. He’d fallen himself. Not a pleasant experience.
He stared up at her. “You anchored?”
“Of course. I installed bolts for this very reason.” Thomas sounded annoyed he’d questioned her. “A fall from up here would break a lot of bones or kill me.”
No kidding. Christian tried to calm the shallow breathing. A strange reaction considering the horrors he saw daily in his job. “I know.”
She should have let him help her finish putting up the lights when he offered.
“You look a little pale, Welton.” Concern laced each of her words. “Are you okay?”
Says the woman swinging almost three stories in the air. Most of the girls he knew would be screaming and crying, not worried about him. Talk about nerves of steel. His jaw tensed. “Come down now.”
“Get the ladder.”
Christian didn’t move. She always seemed so in control and capable. He liked having the upper hand with her. “What would you do if I wasn’t here?”
She pursed her lips. “I have my cell phone.”
Of course she did. Thomas was prepared for anything whether at home or in the mountains.
“I’d call a neighbor or friend to come over,” she continued.
“A good thing I’m here.”
“Not if you leave me hanging up here much longer.”
Point taken. Christian placed the ladder against the house and held on to it. “Come down.”
“After I hook this last one.”
“Leave it,” he said.
“I want the lights to look nice.”
“They’re good.”
“I want them to look great.”
As she stretched to reach the final hook, he tightened his grip on the ladder. He wasn’t taking any chances of her falling again.
She straightened. “There.”
“I’ve got hold of the ladder.”
“Not necessary, rookie.”
“Humor me.”
Thomas unclipped from the bolt. She climbed down as if the ladder were part of a bunk bed set. Both feet hit the ground. Now he could relax.
She removed her harness.
He studied her. “Sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Glad the fall wasn’t any longer.” With a smile, she folded up her harness. “That might have hurt a little.”
A little? A smile tugged at Christian’s lips. Okay, he liked her attitude. She would kick his butt climbing in the mountains, but he could hold his own on rock. “You rock climb?”
Thomas nodded. “I lead 5.10 and follow 5.11.”
Awesome. They’d be able to hit a lot of fun routes in those grades. “Let’s go to Smith Rock sometime.”
Her mouth quirked. “You want to climb with me?”
“Yeah.” Christian loved climbing with women. Not only were they prettier and smelled better than male partners, but nothing was sexier than a woman dancing up a wall of rock with amazing technique. He wanted to see how Thomas moved. Plus she seemed as if she would be a low-maintenance partner, one who carried her own weight, literally and figuratively, and wouldn’t complain. “If you’re up for it,” he added, not wanting to appear too eager.
“I’m up for it.” She tilted her chin. “Paulson told me you’re quite the rope gun.”
Christian tended to lead more routes than he followed, but he didn’t mind switching off the sharp end of the rope. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you have a turn.”
She gave him a long, hard look, making him feel as if he were on display. Thomas had never done that before. It made him feel good.
“That’s generous of you.” She motioned him toward the garage. “Let’s get a coffee and talk about the toy drive.”
Oh, yeah. The toy drive. That was the reason he’d come to see her.
Christian followed her into the garage. A minigym had been set up in the back with a pull-up bar, free weights and rowing machine. They entered the town house and went up a staircase.
He appreciated the earth tones and casual decor in the living area. The large couch, coffee table and chair looked comfortable. A purple throw lay across the back of the chair.
A river rock fireplace drew his attention. A large photograph of Mount Hood sat on the wood mantel. “Nice place.”
“I like it,” she said. “Some people rent to tourists, but enough of us live here full-time to give the development a sense of community.”
Her words surprised Christian. She was so outdoorsy and independent. A secluded cabin built on land leased from the Forest Service seemed more her style than a town house that shared common walls and had a neighborly feel.
“All your decorations are up outside, but where’s your Christmas tree?” he asked.
“I plan to get one today.”
Christian studied the photographs on the walls. Mountain landscapes. One black-and-white picture had a lone climber walking along a ridgeline. “Amazing photos.”
“Thanks.” She passed another staircase leading up to the third floor and a black wood dining table with a cherry top surrounded by six coordinating chairs. “I love being able to capture shots like that.”
He looked at the picture then back at her. “You’re a photographer?”
“A photographer wannabe.” In the kitchen, she removed two coffee mugs from a cupboard, filled them with coffee from a pot on the counter then placed them on the breakfast bar. “I’m still learning, but I needed something to put on the walls. My former roommate used to display her snowboard designs. Those added a lot of color.”
That roommate, a total snowboarding babe, had moved away right after he’d started working at the station. Paulson had been upset when she left for Vermont.
Christian sat on a stool at the breakfast bar. “Cocoa Marsh, right?”
“Yes, but she’s Cocoa Billings now.”
A wistful expression crossed Thomas’s face. A look he wasn’t used to seeing on her. She always seemed so…practical. In control. But she was lonely. A way he never expected her to feel. “You miss Cocoa.”
Thomas nodded. “We lived together for over three. Way more good times, than bad.”
“Hard to replace a friend like that.”
“Yes.” Thomas opened another cupboard, took out a bag and placed muffins on a plate. “Though, I didn’t do too badly replacing Cocoa as a roommate. Zoe Carrington moved in last January and lived here until she married Sean in June.”
That had been six months ago. Christian didn’t see another car or tire tracks on the snow, but that didn’t mean she lived alone. Or with another female. He leaned toward her. “Who’s your roommate now?”
“No one.” She placed the plate of muffins on the bar and sat on the stool next to him. “I should try to find somebody. Hood Hamlet is a safe town, but I like knowing someone is here when I’m at the station.”
Hood Hamlet’s career firefighters and paramedics worked rotating shifts. Twenty-four hours on, forty-eight hours off. Volunteer firefighters had their own schedules.
He sipped the coffee. Strong and hot. “It must be nice to have the place to yourself when you’re off.”
She nodded. “But I don’t mind having a roommate. Sure helps with the mortgage payment and utility bills.”
Christian wouldn’t know about a mortgage payment. Renting a room in a house with two guys from the fire station suited him fine right now.
He looked at
the plate of muffins. Lots of choices. Blueberry, chocolate chip, cranberry and banana-nut.
“Help yourself,” Thomas said.
He took a blueberry muffin and bit into it. Delicious.
Thomas took a chocolate chip one. “So what about the toy drive?”
Christian washed down the muffin with a sip of coffee. “I had dinner with Rachel Murray last night.”
“You went out with the reporter?”
He nodded. “It was the least I could do after the plug she gave the toy drive.”
“So the December deadline…”
Interesting. She remembered his dating ritual. Not that last night had been anything other than dinner. Unusual, but he hadn’t felt like taking Rachel up on her offer to come in when he drove her home.
“Still in effect.” He already had Alexa to cut loose. Getting involved with another woman didn’t make a lot of sense. That must be the reason he’d left Rachel with only a good-night kiss. “Last night was a thank-you dinner. Nothing more.”
“Really?” Thomas sounded surprised. Okay, doubtful.
Christian didn’t blame her. Thank-you dinners weren’t his usual MO. But even though Rachel was more his type, he couldn’t stop comparing her to Thomas last night. The reporter had come up way short. “Yeah, really.”
Thomas raised her mug in salute. “That was nice of you.”
“Simply repaying a favor.” As he wanted to do with her. He took another sip of coffee. “Rachel said there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding our interview. I started thinking—”
“A dangerous thing.”
He smiled. “I thought of a way to capitalize on the interest to not only help the toy drive, but OMSAR and the entire town.”
“Wow, that sounds great. I can’t wait to hear more.”
“Picture this.” As she sipped her coffee, Christian spread his hands like he was reading from a marquee. “Christmas Magic in Hood Hamlet.”
Coffee spewed from her mouth and covered the breakfast bar.
Uh-oh. Not the reaction he expected.
She reached for a paper towel. “Please, Welton, tell me you’re kidding.”
Firefighter Under the Mistletoe Page 5