Page 15 of Crushing on the Mountain Men

When I made it back to the cabin, Creed was bringing one of our rescue packs out to the Jeep in the back.

“Rescue call?” I asked. “Let me get my gear.”

To my surprise, he gestured I should come on. “No. We have to pick up Kailee at the hospital.”

I jogged to the Jeep, glad I at least had my phone.

Our Jeep was equipped with chargers, and I plugged in my phone as Creed drove as fast as he safely could down the mountain trail.

“What happened?”

“She didn’t say. Check your texts. She just asked if she could have a ride from the hospital.”

“She’s it for us, you know,” Creed said. “As soon as I got that text, even though she said she’s okay, my breath froze. She’s so important to me, after only just meeting her. I don’t understand it.”

This was the longest speech I’d ever heard my friend say. “I know, man. You’re right. We don’t want to scare her away, or rush this, but it feels really important to me, too. We handle lots of emergencies and I’ve rarely felt this scared.”

***

We could breathe easier when we saw Kailee in a sling, punching the arm of a man standing next to her. He had one leg of his uniform pants cut off with a thick bandage on his thigh.

Creed pulled right next to her, not caring if it was the ambulance zone. We could dash out of the way if need be.

“Are you okay?” I gave her a hug, mindful of her sling. “Did you break your arm?”

“No. just holding it still for a bit as I just got stitches. It’s a long story. Would you mind taking Kenny and I back to the station? We want to grab our stuff, then go home. I didn’t know who to call, and just thought of you guys.”

I nodded. “I’m glad you called.”“Need us to lift you in?” Creed called through the open window to Kenny.

He waved. “I don’t think I’d live that down with this one here, but thanks for the offer.”

“We’ll get in the back and you can have the front,” Kailee said to Kenny. “Will that work?”

Somehow, it did work, and soon we were on the road to the fire station.

“The group got another call, and we told them we’d be fine and that they should leave us at the hospital. The bullets just grazed us.”

“Bullets?” Creed’s gaze met mine in the rearview mirror.

“Domestic argument, and the angry boyfriend came back with a gun. He was waving it around like an idiot, and didn’t mean to get us. Kenny covered me and the victim with his body.”

I was petty enough to know I didn’t like how she praised the young man, but the two were just friendly.

She reached over to take my hand. “Kenny, these are my boyfriends.”

“Good to meet you. She and I are training partners. She’s the brains.”

I liked him and thought he might fit in well with the Rescue Group, too.

“I’m the brains and the brawn,” she teased. “Although he jumped over me and our victim to protect us before I even realized someone had a gun.”

“You promised to take me out to eat,” he said.

“Thank you,” Creed said to him. “That was brave. We’d be happy to take you both out to eat.”

“I didn’t want to hear her whining if she got hurt.”

“Oh, I have a few stitches too, so get ready to hear whining. Kenny and I are off duty for at least two weeks. Him likely longer, as he has PT.”

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