Chapter Eleven
Grady shieldedhis eyes and cursed. A huge cloud of smoke billowed over the property. Flames shot all around the cabin and there was no way he could get close. Instinct made him glance up in the sky, even though there would be no package dropped from an airplane: no chainsaw, Pulaski, and waterpump.
His truck was parked on the gravel, not yet engulfed from the fire. He could still save it if he wasfast.
“Stay back,” he commanded Sam, who was thankfully not considering going into thefire.
Grady charged into the hot smoky wind whipped up by the fire, tucking his head down and clawed his way into his truck, hardly able to see. The roaring of the fire was deafening as he started theignition.
Smoke stung his eyes and rubbed his lungs raw, but he gunned the engine and barreled his truck from the parking shed, throwing hot gravel from histires.
The sound of fire engines wailed up the road, and Grady pulled to the side. Brian was the first man off the pumper truck. A second tanker truck pulled up, carrying its own water. ThankGod.
“Where’s Cait?” Brian charged toward Grady’struck.
“She’s safe. We were walking and she called it in.” Grady grabbed a jacket from inside the truck and helped himself to a chainsaw from the toolbox. “There’s a creek back there we can run the lines. I have to keep the fire fromspreading.”
The guys at the tanker truck stretched barrel strainers over the hard suction hoses to tap water from the creek, while other men unfurled hoses from the tankertruck.
Grady motioned a group of hotshots with chainsaws and shovels to the backside of the cabin to clear the dried brush andtrees.
June in California was prime fire season, and with fires burning out of control all over the west, they had to nip this one in the bud. If it spread down the hillside, it could threaten the town and all the surroundingareas.
His adrenaline pumped high, he shouted his throat raw, guiding and commanding the volunteer hotshots. They fought hard, chopping, sawing, shoveling dirt to deprive the fire of fuel, while the guys with water worked on saving thestructure.
Little by little, they beat the fire back. Grady’s muscles screamed with exhaustion and his mouth was parched as he threw dirt over the last driftingember.
He found Cait huddled under a blanket, surrounded by the Colson sisters: Linx, Joey, andVivi.
“Grady!” Cait rushed toward him. “It’s all my fault. Did I leave a pot on? Mom and Dad are going to killme.”
“Are you okay?” He caught her as she stumbled, one hand clutched over her pregnant belly. “It’s not your fault. I distracted you. You’re not in pain, areyou?”
“I’m okay, I am.” She fanned herself andpanted.
“She needs to go to the hospital to get checked out,” Linx cut in. “She won’t listen to us, but I think she might be going intolabor.”
“It’s too early,” Cait wailed. “I’m okay. I’m okay. Where’s Brian? Brian’s missing. Where is he? I can’t seehim.”
She strained at Grady’s arms, but he held her tight. “Get into the truck. Brian will see you at thehospital.”
Without further argument, he lifted his trembling sister and carried her to the cab of histruck.
“I’ve got your dog,” Linx said from behind him while he put his sister in the passenger seat. “He was at Cait’s side when we found her wanderingaround.”
“Thanks for taking care of them.” He swiveled around after shutting the passenger door. “It means a lot tome.”
Before he knew what he was doing, his arms were around Linx, and his dipped his thirsty lips overhers.
Goodness, she tasted like the morning dew, sweet and refreshing, and it was all Grady could do not to let himself sink into the soothing sensations. He didn’t need her, didn’t want to needher.
With a deep groan, he pulled away and gazed into those deep-brown eyes. “Can you hold onto Sam for me? I’ll pick him up tomorrowmorning.”
Time stood still—for a moment, and his simple question felt normal, a glimpse beyond the lies and games, a tantalizing vision of what couldbe.
“Sure.” She touched his sooty, hot face. Swallowing hard, she blinked. “I’m so sorry about your parents’cabin.”
“Yeah, well, cabins can be rebuilt, but notlives.”
