Page 27 of Big Daddy Firemen

Walker and Austin quickly agreed.

“Daddy, please,” she said to Cane.

She then reached out her arms to the side, signaling she wanted Austin and Walker to hold her hands.

They got the hint and did so, caressing her palms lovingly, both men even bringing their lips down to kiss them.

“I mean, Daddies please,” she said with a giggle.

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard and music to my ears,” Walker said. “We’ve been waiting on that, babydoll. Now just?—”

Before he could finish the command, a shrill, unforgiving alarm rang out in one long, continuous buzz.

In reality, it wasn’t just one alarm. It was three as the firefighters’ phones all blared the warning out together. They were on night mode, so dispatch was routed to them. The ultra-annoying screech of the buzzer was sure to get their attention.

“Shit,” Austin cursed.

He was the first one to reach his phone on the table.

Now, Daisy had forgotten about what had seemed inevitable just moments earlier. “What’s wrong?” she cried.

Every time the guys got a call, her heart sank. She not only worried about her boys coming back safely, but also the people they might be trying to rescue. At this time of night, she assumed it was a medical incident, probably a tourist that fell within their jurisdiction.

But she realized she was wrong when Austin said, “Grass fire. West of town.”

The guys didn’t have to say anything or give an apology. The mission had to come first. Lives might be on the line.

They moved with their trademark speed and efficiency as they bolted from the room and into the garage, ready to gear up and hit the road.

Leaving a very worried—and still aroused—Daisy to pray they came back quickly.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The fire engine came to a controlled stop close to the sight of the grass fire.

Walker breathed a heavy sigh as he slid from the truck. It wasn’t that he minded the job.

He didn’t.

Firefighting was in his blood. The hard tasks that accompanied the calling was to be expected.

No, what he minded was the frequency of these fires. Something was going on here. Something bad. He just couldn’t make all the pieces fit. But he couldn’t worry about thewhyorwhoright now. He had to focus on thewhat.

And thewhatwas a grassfire that was threatening to spread quickly if he and the boys didn’t get to work.

He was happy to see Quinn arrive a minute later, getting out of his police cruiser and taking orange cones from the back.

“I’ll get it blocked off,” he yelled.

There was no need for the firemen to say anything as they got the hose ready. Quinn was damn good at his job. They were, too.

It was a strange scene playing out before them. The deep, dark winter night was pierced by the eerie glow of fire. It had sprung up along the side of the narrow, two-lane road that cutthrough a swath of rolling, tree-covered mountains. A mile down the way, after the speed limit dropped, it turned into Big Cedar’s Main Street before opening back up again just outside of town.

The fire crackled and hissed, feeding hungrily on the dry winter grass and underbrush, sending tendrils of smoke curling into the cool night air.

The orange and red flames danced wildly, their heat palpable even from a distance, creating a stark contrast against the pitch-black night. The headlights of a passing car briefly illuminated the scene around the blaze, highlighting the quick scarring of the fire's destructive path. Quinn stood to the side of the road, waving the motorist around the danger, and watching as they disappeared safely into the night.

The acrid scent of burning vegetation mingled with the fresh, earthy smells of the surrounding forest. Thankfully, the smoke wasn’t too bad… yet. With any luck, the guys would have the flames extinguished before it could get that way. Those winding roads were dark enough at night for motorists anyway. They didn’t need the extra curtain of smoke to make them any more dangerous!

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