Page 7 of The Blaze Between Us

"Busted," I admit with a smile. "I absolutely calculate the expected return on investment for almost every decision. It drives Ellie crazy."

"Example?"

"When we were deciding on apartments junior year, I created a spreadsheet comparing everything from rent-per-square-foot to distance from campus to average utility costs based on building age and insulation quality."

Brock shakes his head, amusement clear on his face. "And how did that go over?"

"She told me I was being ridiculous and then asked which option had the best ROI anyway."

The truck fills with his warm laughter, and I find myself leaning slightly toward him, drawn to the sound.

"That sounds exactly like my daughter," he says. "Complains about the process but wants the results."

"She's actually the perfect balance to my overthinking," I admit. "She pushes me to take chances I might talk myself out of otherwise."

"Like what?"

I consider the question. "Like taking this trip. Two weeks away from work during our busy season isn't exactly responsible. But Ellie insisted I needed a break, that the mountains would 'recalibrate my soul' or something equally poetic."

"Has it worked?" he asks, his voice genuinely curious. "The recalibration?"

I look out the window at the mountains rising majestically around us, morning light painting their peaks gold and pink. "I think it might be starting to."

The truck turns onto a narrower road that winds upward through dense pine forest. The air feels cleaner here, farther from town, and I roll down my window slightly to breathe it in.

"What about you?" I ask. "How does someone get from military service to fire chief in a small mountain town? That seems like quite a journey."

"The simplified version is that I grew up here, left for the Army after high school, came back when..." he hesitates, "when I needed to settle somewhere stable. Started as a regular firefighter, worked my way up."

I nod, sensing the careful edit in his story, the gap where his wife's death must fit into the timeline. Ellie has mentioned it only in passing—her mother dying when she was fourteen, cancer taking her quickly, leaving Brock to raise their daughter alone. It's clearly not something to pry about on a casual morning hike.

"Cedar Falls is lucky to have you," I say instead.

"I'm the lucky one. Not many places would have given me the chance they did."

"I doubt luck had much to do with it," I counter. "Ellie says you've dragged the department into the modern era and secured more funding than anyone thought possible."

He shoots me a surprised look. "She talks about my budget negotiations?"

"I told you she's very proud of you," I say. "Everything you do."

We pull into a small gravel parking area at the base of a forested trail. No other cars are parked there.

"Perfect timing," Brock says, cutting the engine. "Still early enough to have the falls to ourselves."

As we get out of the truck, I watch him retrieve his backpack from behind the seat. He checks something on his phone and then tucks it away.

"Just making sure we have cell service," he explains, catching my curious look. "Always good to have in case of emergencies."

"Always the fire chief," I tease lightly.

"Some habits are hard to break," he admits. "Ready?"

I adjust my backpack straps. "Lead on."

The trail starts gently enough, winding through towering pines that filter the morning sunlight into dappled patterns on the forest floor. Brock sets a comfortable pace, not too fast to talk but steady enough that I can feel my muscles working.

"So, accounting," he says after we've been walking for a few minutes. "Was that always the plan?"

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