Page 197 of Her Reluctant Hero
Chapter Two
The heat slammed into Gabe the moment he stepped into the forest of towering lodgepole pine. Through the smoke burning his eyes and nose he saw it, creeping along the carpet, gobbling leaves but leaving the undergrowth alone.
The fire that had blackened the face of the mountain above him hadn’t moved in such a benign manner. Gabe looked up into the branches. No flames there. The fire could be dying out, but experience told him that was unlikely.
A few feet deeper into the trees his suspicions were confirmed. This was a spot fire, just a small area, but it could grow to encompass the trees and grass where his crew waited. The head fire roared up behind and would reach the edge of the trees in a matter of hours. Once it left the trees it would hit two acres of the drought-dry grass they’d just hiked through, and would burn faster than a man could run. As the winds grew stronger in the afternoon, bringing the cold front, the more apt that scenario became.
He had to stop this flank here and now.
Peyton watched the Hot Shot crew moving sure-footedly among the flames, assessing the situation. She couldn’t muster the confidence it took to move through fire like that. Just watching them had a lump of fear closing her throat. When she was training for her red card, the instructors had advised caution. These people treated the fire so matter-of-factly. They got to work without Gabe reiterating the plan he’d relayed to them in camp, a sign they were what Gabe said they were, the best. They found a rhythm working together, hacking grass away from the earth. The camaraderie and courage sparked envy in her. Other than reporting, she’d never been at a job more than a year, had never formed those bonds of friendship. Had never longed for it before now.
Her previous subjects, the Coast Guard search and rescue, the EMTs, the hurricane hunters, had been at their jobs for years, had risen through the ranks, had dedicated their lives to being the job. She couldn’t fathom it for herself, had a hard time understanding it in others. There had to be a common denominator in people who could do that.
Gabe came into sight again and she didn’t care to analyze her sense of relief. She approached him, skirting the fire. “What should I do?”
He all but rolled his eyes and pointed to a spot fire. “Put it out.”
Okay, a test. She squared her shoulders and walked over to the flames that took up an area no bigger than a campfire. She unstrapped her shovel from her pack and threw dirt on the flames, making sure it was completely out before turning to Gabe triumphantly.
He gave her only a slight nod and turned away. Her smile of accomplishment faded. Why did she expect more? She was merely doing what she’d been trained to do. And he’d said he didn’t take on rookies, so her accomplishment meant nothing to him. She glanced about, then joined the line of firefighters pulling grass away from the earth to create a fuel-free barricade for the fire.
When she stepped back from the line for a water break, the sun was directly overhead, peeking through the skimming smoke. Her arms ached from swinging the Pulaski, the part-hoe, part-ax tool the Hot Shots carried. And this long-sleeved shirt was hot. Still, the Bear Claws didn’t slow down, so neither would she. She had something to prove, not to Gabe Cooper, but to herself. Dan had been so brave, had challenged her to do the same. Did she have the same courage?
Every muscle in her body tensed as the roar of the fire grew louder than the growl of the chainsaws, the thud of the axes. The fire crept up the trees to feed on leaves and branches. A ball of flame floated from a tree to a patch of grass not ten feet from her. She shouted as it caught in the high dry grass, but one of the crews was alert. They surrounded the fire without speaking, shoveled dirt on it till it was out.
So elemental. They saw what had to be done and they did it. No talking, no suggestions, no analysis. They just accomplished the job in a matter of minutes. What a feeling of gratification. How many fires had these guys fought together before they could read each other so easily?
She’d imagine such bonds were more important on a job like this. God knew Dan loved his teammates on the SWAT team. She’d never had a connection like that, had always been an in- between person, an observer.
Which was why she thought reporting might be the right job for her.
“Peyton!”
She jolted guiltily and turned. Gabe pointed to a section of the line he wanted her to take.
She nodded an acknowledgement, moved toward it, and dropped her pack beside her. Gripping the handle of her Pulaski made her want to cry. Beneath her thick gloves, the skin of her palms felt tight and inflexible. She hadn’t had blisters the last time she removed her gloves, but now they wanted to burst free at all the points of friction.
Pain shot down her back, turning her shoulder muscles to fire when she lifted the Pulaski over her head. She didn’t have the strength to do more than let it fall, letting gravity do the work. She was lucky to retain her grip on it. A lot of good she was to the crew.
“What’s the problem?” the little redhead, Kim, asked, gaining her attention by touching her sleeve.
Unwilling to admit a weakness to the younger woman, she shook her head. She would not fail so soon. “I’m fine.” A fit of coughing doubled her over, making her words a lie.
Kim regarded her with disgust and blew out a breath through her nose before glancing around, hands on her hips. “All right, I’m taking you off the line. You can be a lookout.”
“Lookout for what?” She straightened and resisted the urge to press her hand to the small of her back.
“For spot fires, see if it goes up in the crown of the trees, up in the branches, kind of a safety inspector.”
Another Hot Shot, Mike, working beside her, straightened. “No way. She doesn’t have enough experience to see what’s coming.”
“She doesn’t need experience to watch and holler.”
Peyton almost agreed with Mike—she wouldn’t know what to be on guard for. But her body rebelled at the idea of picking up the tool one more time.
When Cooper walked over, all business, she wanted to walk into the fire.
He folded his arms over his chest and flicked his gaze from one to the other with smoke- reddened eyes. “What’s going on over here? No time to stand around gossiping, ladies.”
