Page 13 of The Blaze Between Us

"So," I say, searching for conversation to fill the space between us, "is rescuing hikers part of the usual fire chief routine, or am I getting special treatment?"

He chuckles, the sound warm even as he keeps his gaze fixed on the rainfall outside. "Let's just say I don't normally spend my mornings off getting caught in thunderstorms with my daughter's friends."

"Lucky me, then," I reply, aiming for light-hearted.

"Lucky you?" he repeats with raised eyebrows, finally glancing toward me but focusing somewhere over my shoulder. "You're soaking wet, trapped in a glorified shed during a thunderstorm, and probably missing whatever plans you had for the rest of the day."

"I had no plans," I admit. "That's kind of been the theme of this vacation. Lots of free time, minimal structure."

"That doesn't sound like the spreadsheet-making accounting graduate you yourself said you were."

"Noticed that, did you? Yeah, this trip was supposed to be about letting go of my control-freak tendency. Ellie insisted I needed to 'embrace spontaneity' and 'let the universe guide me.'"

"And how's that working out for you?"

"Well," I gesture to our current situation, "I'm certainly having unexpected experiences."

His smile is quick, his gaze darting to me briefly before returning to the rain. "The universe works in mysterious ways."

"Apparently it wanted me drenched and shivering in a shelter with Cedar Falls' most eligible fire chief."

"Is that what Ellie calls me?" he asks, his tone cheeky.

I feel my cheeks warm. "Not exactly. That was just me being... I don't know, trying to make a joke."

"Ah." He nods, looking back out at the rain. "Well, 'eligible' might be technically accurate, but 'most' is definitely an exaggeration in a town this small."

I fiddle with the edge of the emergency blanket, making it crinkle noisily. "So, um, what's the most ridiculous rescue your department has had to perform? Any good stories?"

"There are too many to count, honestly. People underestimate these mountains all the time."

"Give me your top three," I encourage, genuinely curious.

"Alright." He leans back slightly, still keeping a respectful distance. "Number three would be the bachelor party that decided midnight skinny-dipping in the lake during October was a good idea. We had to rescue six very cold, very naked gentlemen who couldn't find their clothes in the dark."

I laugh, the image too absurd not to. "Please tell me there are pictures."

"Strictly for the incident report, of course," he says with a hint of mischief that makes him look younger. "Number two would be the wedding party that decided to take pre-ceremony photos at the falls during spring flooding. Entire bridal party had to be extracted by rope system, bride still in her dress."

"No!"

"Yep. To her credit, she was laughing the whole time. Said if they could survive that, marriage would be easy." He shakes his head with remembered amusement. "They send us a Christmas card every year."

"And number one?" I prompt, thoroughly entertained.

"That would be the time we had to rescue a very famous action movie star—whose name I cannot disclose due to the confidentiality agreement I had to sign—after he got stuck halfway up Cathedral Rock trying to impress his much younger girlfriend. He insisted we refer to the incident as a 'technical equipment failure' rather than user error."

"No way," I say, eyes wide. "Was it—" I start to guess a name.

Brock holds up his hand, expression serious though his eyes betray amusement. "I really can't say. But his movies often involve jumping from tall buildings."

"That narrows it down to about five possibilities," I say, mentally running through Hollywood's action stars.

"Your deductive reasoning skills are your own business," he replies with a small smile. "I just can't confirm or deny."

Another crack of thunder makes me jump, the emergency blanket crinkling loudly with my startled movement.

"Storms really scare you,” Brock says.

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