Page 64 of Falling for the Firefighter
After Danny and his parents are loaded into Mac’s SUV, his expression shifts back to command mode. His radio crackles with updates that grow more dire by the minute.
"Fire's jumped the creek line," Parker's voice cuts through static. "We've got maybe four hours before it hits the outer residential areas."
Mac keys his response. "Understood. Status on the firebreak construction?"
"Slow going. We need more personnel."
Mac meets my eyes over the radio, a question passing between us without words.
"How are you at drumming up volunteers?" he asks.
"Pretty good, Angel’s Peak will come together. We’re a family like that."
"Good, because I need you to whip up an army to fight this thing."
The forward staging area buzzes with controlled chaos. Fire trucks, equipment trailers, and personnel carriers form a semicircle around a command tent, where Parker directs operations. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a severe bun, her yellow uniform is dirty after hours of coordinating firefighting efforts.
"Captain." She approaches as we arrive, relief evident in her weathered features. "Successful extraction?"
"All civilians evacuated safely." Mac's response is crisp, professional, but his hand finds the small of my back—a possessive touch that doesn't go unnoticed. "What's our current situation?"
Parker unrolls a tactical map across the hood of a truck, red markers indicating fire positions that have advanced significantly since our tunnel rescue. "The main blaze is here, moving southeast at fifteen miles per hour. Wind's pushing it directly toward town."
I study the fire's path, recognition dawning cold in my chest. "It's jumping the old logging roads. The fire's ignoring natural barriers that should stop it."
Parker's expression darkens.
Mac's radio squawks with another update. Rodriguez's voice cuts through the static: "Alpha Leader, we need you on the line. Fire's threatening the fuel depot."
Mac's jaw tightens as he processes multiple crisis points requiring his attention. The weight of command settles across his shoulders, transforming him from the man who kissed me desperately into Captain Sullivan, responsible for containing an ecological catastrophe.
"I have to go." He turns to me, something vulnerable flickering behind his professional mask. "The fuel depot?—"
"I know." I understand the implications. If the fire reaches the depot, it won't just be Angel's Peak at risk. "Do what you have to do."
He steps closer, close enough that I can smell smoke and sweat and the familiar scent that's purely him. His hand slides to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair.
"Stay safe." It's an order and a plea wrapped in two words.
"Yes, sir." The response comes automatically, and his eyes darken at the acknowledgment.
Then his mouth is on mine again, harder this time, more desperate. A claim that speaks of unfinished business and promises neither of us dares voice. When he pulls away, my lips feel bruised and my pulse hammers with more than adrenaline.
"I'll find you when this is over," he growls against my ear.
"You'd better."
"Well, that's one way to boost morale before a mission." Parker's dry voice cuts through our moment. She approaches with a knowing smirk, tactical gear slung over her shoulder. "Captain, if you're done marking your territory, we've got a fuel depot that's about to become a very expensive firework."
Mac's jaw tightens, but he doesn't step away from me immediately. If anything, his arm around my waist becomes more possessive.
"Just ensuring our guide knows her value to the operation," he says smoothly.
"Right." Parker's grin widens. "Is that what they're calling it these days? Because from where I'm standing, it looks more like?—"
"Parker." Mac's voice carries a warning that would silence most subordinates.
"Yes, Cap." But her eyes dance with mischief as she turns to me. "Ms. Mackenzie, try to keep him focused out there. Man's been impossible to work with since you disappeared into that tunnel."
