Feisty Firefighters Bundle Read online

  When Trey signed off, Cade radioed dispatch with his position and asked them to scout for a clearing. If there was any chance of a blowup, he wanted to get off this mountain fast.

  That done, he stuck the radio back in his PG bag. “You want to eat now?” he asked Jordan.

  “All right.”

  He slid off the rock and set his bag on the ground, then began pulling out food. Jordan knelt beside him. “I’ve got two cans of tuna, the beef jerky and instant coffee,” he said.

  She pushed up the sleeves of her sweatshirt and unzipped her bag. “And I have some strawberry yogurt, two oranges, part of a loaf of French bread and some Swiss cheese and salami I bought at a deli in Missoula.”

  He eyed their meager stockpile. Too bad he hadn’t grabbed a couple of fire packs before he left the line. That freeze-dried food would have come in handy. “I’m going to have some tuna,” he decided. “You want the other can?”

  She shook her head. Her hair was still damp, but dry wisps brushed her face. She tucked the loose strands behind her ear. “How long will it take us to get to that road?”

  “At least another day. Maybe two.”

  “That long?” Small creases appeared on her forehead. “Then we’d better ration this out.”

  The tightness inside his chest eased. Rather than panic at their predicament, she was taking it in stride. Far better than he’d expected.

  “Why don’t we eat the perishables first?” she said. “I’ll take the yogurt, and I’ll make you a sandwich with the rest of this bread. It’s already a couple of days old.”

  “Maybe half,” he said. “We’ll save the rest for later.”

  “All right.” She repacked the remaining food in her bag and pulled out a plastic spoon. Then she took the bread from its plastic sleeve and split it in half.

  While she made the sandwich, he took out his bottle of ibuprofen and downed more pills. Then he grabbed his map and climbed back up on the rock.

  Jordan joined him a few seconds later and handed him the sandwich. “Thanks.” He took a bite as she settled beside him. The dry bread was hard to chew, but he didn’t care. By the time they reached Missoula, they would consider the stale bread a treat.

  They worked silently through their breakfast, both too hungry to talk. Sparrows trilled in the pine-scented air. The valley brightened, despite the haze of smoke. Far to the south, the mountains glinted in the rising sun, their jagged faces stark above the rugged land.

  “I keep forgetting how far you can see out here,” Jordan finally said. “It’s amazing. And we’re the only people for miles.”

  “Yeah. I’ve always liked that about my job, jumping into untamed forests.” Wild, unspoiled places most people never saw.

  Hell, he loved everything about smokejumping. The adrenaline surge when the siren blared. The rush when he leaped from the plane. The freedom of soaring through the air and the challenge of landing. He especially liked fighting the fire. Cranking up the chain saw and choking down smoke with the bros.

  The job suited him in every way. And God help him, but he never wanted to do anything else.

  He couldn’t. Dread crept through his nerves, but he tamped it back. He wouldn’t have to change jobs. Once his shoulder healed, he’d be back on the jump list, right where he belonged.

  He finished all but a small piece of sandwich, which he tossed to the ground. The dog quickly wolfed it down.

  Cade drank from the canteen, then handed it back to Jordan. “You’d better drink more water.”

  “How much do we have?”

  “Enough for now. I’ve got two more canteens in my bag.”

  Her brow creased. “Can we give some to the dog?”

  “Sure. We’ll refill it at the next stream.”

  She tipped her head back and drank. The motion sent her hair tumbling over her shoulders, baring her long, slender neck to his gaze. His eyes followed the tempting curve of her throat to the swell of her breasts beneath the sweatshirt, then back to the moisture beading her lips.

  He jerked his gaze back to the mountains and dragged in air. So ten years hadn’t diminished her attraction. That was his bad luck, but he’d deal with it. He definitely wouldn’t drop his defenses and let her close.

  Careful to keep his gaze averted, he spread the map across his lap to get his bearings. He studied it for a moment, then lifted his gaze to the west. Along the slope of the neighboring mountain, he spotted a clearing, maybe big enough for a helicopter to land.

  But to get there, they’d have to dip into the valley between the two peaks. And if the fire shifted and spread to that next mountain…

  His gut tightened. They could never outrun flames rushing toward them uphill. On the other hand, if the fire jumped the river, they weren’t any safer here.

  “Are we still in any danger?” Jordan asked, as if reading his mind.

  He couldn’t lie, not when both their lives were at risk, but he didn’t want to scare her. “We’re fine for now. They’ll send up a plane soon to recon the fire. If there’s a place for a chopper to land, they’ll let us know. We might not need to hike to that road.”

  She looked down at the valley. “But which way is the fire heading?”

  “West, mostly.”

  “But it still could turn this way?”

  “In this terrain, anything can happen.” He folded the map and set it aside. “But we’ll be all right.”

  Her gaze met his and she bit her lip. He saw her anxiety, her fear, and despite his vow to keep his distance, something moved in his chest.

  “Hey,” he murmured. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and his finger brushed her soft cheek. The early-morning sun cast a warm glow on her skin and played along the curve of her lips.

  “Cade,” she whispered.

  “Yeah.” He slid his hand to her throat, tracing the delicate line, then cupped the nape of her neck. The feel of her skin made his heart jerk. It felt right to tug her closer.

  “I…I’m glad you’re here.”

  Strangely enough, so was he. He lifted his gaze to hers. He saw the trust in her eyes, and something else. The awareness that always sizzled between them. The heat.

  His blood thickened, and he dropped his gaze to her lips. Her full, moist lips. It had been so damn hot between them. Would it still be the same?

  She swayed closer, and her warm breath mingled with his. Lured by the memory of that heat, he lowered his head.

  The motion jolted his shoulder, and he froze. What was he doing? This was the woman who’d dumped him, who’d gutted his heart when she left. How in the hell could he kiss her? He dropped his hand and pulled back.

  Disgusted with himself, he grabbed his map and climbed off the rock. Talk about a fool. How many times did he need to learn the same lesson? She didn’t want a smokejumper. She didn’t want him.

  And he’d better get them out of this forest fast, before he forgot that fact.

  He shoved his map into his bag. “You ready to go?” He didn’t look in her direction.

  “Do you mind if we check the dog’s paw first? I want to see why he’s limping.”

  “All right.” Still angry at his loss of control, he rose to his feet and waited.

  “Come here, sweetie,” she called, tugging on the leash. “Come on.” She climbed off the rock and stooped down. Her soft, sultry voice quickened his pulse and he swore silently. Why couldn’t he ignore this woman when he knew she’d only cause pain?

  The dog limped over, his tail slowly wagging. Still cooing, Jordan scratched his chin and scooted closer. Within seconds, she had him in her arms. “Okay, you silly dog. Let’s see what’s wrong with that paw.”

  Her eyes met his and her face turned pink, as if she were thinking about that near-kiss.

  Reluctant to get near her, he dragged himself closer and dropped to one knee. They both leaned over the dog’s paw, their heads nearly touching, and he inched himself back.

  “I’m guessing he has a thorn stuck in