by Pamela Clare
“Thanks.” Eric greeted the others. God, it was nice to see them all. “Hey, Belcourt. How you doing, Naomi? Winona, how’s it going?”
“I’m doing fine. How about you?”
“Better.” Eric had heard about Shota and Winona’s decision to leave him at the wolf sanctuary. He could only imagine how hard that had been for her. “Keeping out of trouble, Herrera? Hey, Acharya. O’Brien. Where’s Megs?”
Ahearn pointed. “She’s up at the bar with Joe.”
Eric sat beside Taylor, a little overwhelmed by the crowd and the noise after so many weeks in the quiet of a hospital.
Rain walked up, Angel on her back, and set down a dozen menus. “Joe says to tell you all to keep your filthy money to yourself. All emergency responders eat free tonight. And that goes double for you, Eric and Vicki.”
Eric knew the menu by heart, but he picked it up anyway. He was trying to decide between a cheeseburger and going all out with a ribeye when Joe stepped up onstage.
“I want to welcome everyone to tonight’s fundraiser. We’ve got friends new and old with us tonight. It’s a real pleasure to have you all here. All sales of Libby’s new Limited Edition Smoke and Fire IPA go toward the recovery effort. Here she is to tell us about it.”
Libby bounced onto the stage. “Hey, everyone! Smoke and Fire IPA is a hoppy brew with overtones of citrus to capture that sense of summer and smoked shishito peppers to give it a smoky burn. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.”
“Smoked shishito peppers?” Eric would have to buy some and save it for when he could drink again. It wasn’t safe to mix alcohol with pain meds.
“I’ve got to try it,” Taylor said.
Joe took the mic again. “The Timberline Mudbugs have a special show for us tonight, but before they take the stage, there are some folks here who deserve our thanks.”
“Uh-oh.” Eric met Vicki’s gaze. “He’s not going to…”
Vicki smiled. “Of course, he is. You know Joe.”
“I’d like to turn the microphone over to Councilwoman Megs Hill.”
Cheers and applause.
“There are a lot of unsung heroes in this crowd tonight, so I’ve come to name names.”
She described each person’s actions, asking those who’d made special contributions to stand. Hunter, Darcangelo, and McBride for helping with evacuations and catching the guys who’d flown the drone. Julia Marcs for going above and beyond the call of duty in trying to evacuate Camp Mato Sapa. The West family for saving horses and critters of all kinds. Moretti for getting creative and using the fan guns to save Ski Scarlet. Lt. Gov. Reece Sheridan for moving heaven and earth to get the Supertanker. The IHC Pine Ridge Hotshots, who weren’t there but were named nonetheless. Rossiter and Belcourt, who’d been willing to sacrifice their lives for others—and then lived to laugh about it.
Then Megs thanked Scarlet’s fire crews, singling out Silver, Jenny, and Ryan.
Hell, they deserved it—and more.
“One man fought harder than anyone that day to save this town. He put everything on the line for us, and he almost lost his life. He doesn’t like attention, but he’s getting it anyway.” Megs’ gaze met Eric’s from across the crowded pub. “Eric Hawke, I’m talking about you.”
Embarrassed, Eric got to his feet and waved.
The pub exploded with cheers and applause, people rising to their feet, even his fellow Team members.
Eric turned to Taylor. “What the hell is wrong with all of you?”
When people had resumed their seats again, Megs went on. “In honor of your courage that day and your unfailing devotion to this town, the Scarlet Town Council has voted unanimously to change the name of Dead Man’s Hill to Hawke Hill and to place a marker on the spot where the fire was stopped, honoring you and your crews for your defense of our town.”
The room exploded into cheers.
Eric didn’t know what to say, a part of him objecting to all of it. He’d only done his job, after all. But as he glanced around at his friends, old and new, a sense of peace settled over him.
His worst nightmare had come to life. A raging wildfire had made a run for his town. But no lives had been lost. Scarlet Springs was recovering, its spirit undimmed. People had pulled together and were rebuilding. All would soon be put right again.
Yeah, he supposed he had had something to do with that.
Eric waved a hand for silence. “Okay, okay, everybody. I’m honored beyond words. Thank you so much. But can you cut it out now? Where’s the band? Hey, guys, play something, distract these people.”
Laughter.
He sat again, warmth in his chest.
“This town loves you, Eric.” Vicki kissed him, tears in her eyes. “But no one loves you more than I do.”
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Thanks for reading Chasing Fire. I hope you enjoyed this I-Team/Colorado High Country story. Follow me on Facebook or on Twitter @Pamela_Clare. Join the Scarlet Springs and I-Team Readers Groups on Facebook to be a part of a never-ending conversation with other Scarlet Springs fans and get inside information on the series and on life in Colorado’s mountains. You can also sign up to be added to my mailing list at my website to keep up to date on all my releases and to be a part of special newsletter giveaways.
Also by Pamela Clare
Contemporary Romance:
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Colorado High Country Series
Barely Breathing (Book 1)
Slow Burn (Book 2)
Falling Hard (Book 3)
Tempting Fate (Book 4)
Close to Heaven (Book 5)
Holding On (Book 6)
Chasing Fire (Book 7)
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Romantic Suspense:
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I-Team Series
Extreme Exposure (Book 1)
Heaven Can’t Wait (Book 1.5)
Hard Evidence (Book 2)
Unlawful Contact (Book 3)
Naked Edge (Book 4)
Breaking Point (Book 5)
Skin Deep: An I-Team After Hours Novella (Book 5.5)
First Strike: The Prequel to Striking Distance (Book 5.9)
Striking Distance (Book 6)
Soul Deep: An I-Team After Hours Novella (Book 6.5)
Seduction Game (Book 7)
Dead by Midnight: An I-Team Christmas (Book 7.5)
Deadly Intent (Book 8)
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Historical Romance:
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Kenleigh-Blakewell Family Saga
Sweet Release (Book 1)
Carnal Gift (Book 2)
Ride the Fire (Book 3)
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MacKinnon’s Rangers Series
Surrender (Book I)
Untamed (Book 2)
Defiant (Book 3)
Upon A Winter’s Night: A MacKinnon’s Rangers Christmas (Book 3.5)
About the Author
USA Today best-selling author Pamela Clare began her writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor-in-chief of two different newspapers. Along the way, she and her team won numerous state and national honors, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, Clare was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for her body of work. A single mother with two sons, she writes historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense at the foot of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Visit her website and join her mailing list to never miss a new release!
Scarlet Springs Readers Group
Goodreads
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www.pamelaclare.com
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