Page 9 of Birchwood Burn
“Thank you so much for stopping by. I wondered if I’d get to see you again. Thank you so much for everything you did. I won’t ever be able to repay you.”
I cut her off there.I don’t do this for any payment. In fact, this time around, it’s been my privilege.Just being able to knowthis woman exists in this world is enough for me. This world feels far better for it.
“I’m relieved I could get to you in time. Just promise me no more hiking trips when a wildfire warning is in place.”
She laughs and raises her hand in the air. “I promise, no more hiking.”
I smirk. “Now, that’s a damn shame. You shouldn’t give up on hiking. There are some beautiful sights in this world, and to put in a little work in order to experience them is worth it.” I shrug and wonder if I’m speaking about myself and this lady.
Larissa leans her head back on the bed, as she has an oxygen cord in her nose, and she eyes me with intensity. “You’re right. A little work is worth something beautiful in the end.”
We both grow silent, watching each other, and I’ve never been a man who needed to talk much, but the silence with Larissa is comfortable, and I don’t need to fill the air with small talk. She’s so easy-going, and being around her brings me peace. Something I haven’t realized I’ve been lacking in so long.
This peace…her… isn’t something I want to lose. I should man up and ask her out, but her doctor comes walking in and the moment is gone. I shake the doctor’s hand as we catch up about the fire and the latest status. In this small community mountain town, everybody knows everybody to a point. But first responders and all the doctors and nurses know each other relatively well. At least enough to have a conversation when we run into each other.
“Well, I'd better get going. I just wanted to check on the patient.” I turn to Larissa. “You take care of yourself, okay?”
“You too. Get some sleep. You need it.”
I smile and wave as I leave the room. I don’t even make it to the elevator before my phone rings, and I roll my eyes. It’s my sister, Gina. And if I don’t answer, she’s going to stress out until I do. I’m sure she knows all about the fire on this mountain, butmore importantly, Rhonda already texted her something, and now she wants the details.
“Yes, I’m okay. No, I haven’t slept or showered or eaten yet. Yes, I’m on my way home. No, I’m not done. I have to be back at fighting the fire and being a bad ass in about ten hours.” This isn’t the first time I’ve had to work through a million questions of hers and our parents’, so I have answers readily available. Our brother Davis is quiet, a loner, so he never hounds me like the rest of the family does. I’m just grateful his house is on the opposite side of the mountain, because it would be like pulling teeth to get him to evacuate.
“Thank you, I appreciate that. I wish I could help to have everything ready for you. I’m sure Mom already has a casserole at your house, though.” My family is amazing. They take care of everything when I’m in the wildfire season, but often, I don’t get to come back home. We’re in the mountains for weeks at a time. So I’m grateful either way.
“That’s good because I’m starving.”
“So, who’s this woman you saved and had to go check on as soon as your shift was over?”
I groan and walk off the elevator, spotting Larissa’s friends hanging out in the lounge area. I wave at them when they spot me. But I don’t stop to talk, because I don’t want to, and I’m on the phone with Gina. And my sister is my most favorite person, so she always wins out. Or at least she used to. I think there’s a new favorite in my world now.
“It’s nothing. I went looking for this woman. She needed my help, and I brought her back safely. Or at least as safely as I could.”
“Is she okay? Rhonda wouldn’t tell me anything other than that you have the hots for a woman you saved. Which is so unlike you, by the way.”
I chuff and put my phone on speaker as I get in my truck and head home because I need a shower, food, and sleep, and I don’t even know what order it should be in at this point.
“She had me worried, so I wanted to check in. She was alone with a wildfire chasing her in the mountains and is bound to be dealing with some trauma from all that.”
“Are you going to see her again?”
“She doesn’t live here. She’s a tourist.”
“Hmmm.”
“What do you mean by hmmm?”
“Just that you didn’t answer my question, and you bring up instantly that she’s a tourist. I find it to be telling, that’s all.”
“Don’t start.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t start fictionalizing all this and turning it into one of your romance novels. This is real life. I’m a firefighter. The woman needed help. I helped her. End of story.”
Gina giggles, and I roll my eyes. “What now?”
“The hero doth protest too much.”
