“Ma’am, we need to get this on you,” another firefighter said, holding up a harness.
She raised her arms and complied with the newcomers’ instructions as they guided her on what to do. But the entire time, her eyes were onhim.
There was just something about that man.
Something that reminded her of the Daddy she dreamed of…
Chapter Three
There was no room for distractions right now, no matter how cute Trixie was.
So, John made his way toward the stalled car a bit farther down the slope, having to move carefully as to not trip and roll right into the raging fire below like the boulder had moments earlier.
But damn. Even with the disaster unfolding right in front of him, he had to admit that Trixie was one cute Little.
He didn’t know anything about her. But there was just something that made it feel as if she’d fit right in with all the other Littles at Auntie Athena’s nursery over in West Hollywood.
John had been spending more time there as of late. He wasn’t a cop, but as a first responder, he was still able to get a security gig there on some of his nights off from the fire department. It wasn’t the extra cash that led him to the job. Auntie Athena knew it as well as he did.
It was the desire to find his sweet Little. A cutie to have, hold, and protect.
So far, she hadn’t appeared at the nursery. There were plenty of adorable ones, sure. But none felt likehisLittle. And that wasn’t something he would rush.
He’d know her when he met her.
And the woman he’d rescued gave off all those vibes. But obviously now was not the time…
He finally reached the car and held his breath as he looked for signs of movement.
Three of the four windows, plus the windshield, was cracked in a spider-web pattern, making it hard to see inside. He crouched down and put his face closer. It was difficult to see through the now-white, splintered glass, but he was able to make out that there was only one individual inside.
Good. A stroke of luck, finally.
That’s where the luck stopped, however.
The driver’s side door was locked.
Of course.
He could break the glass all the way. It was already barely hanging on. But then he ran the risk of harming the person who sat motionless behind the steering wheel.
Assuming they were still alive.
The thought they might not be nearly made John sick. He couldn’t focus on worst-case scenarios right now. He had to act as if there was still a chance.
Contemplating the glass issue, he turned it all over quickly in his mind.
Cuts from shattered glass sure beat burning to death in a raging wildfire.
And modern cars were designed with safety windows that splintered instead of shattering, hence the spiderweb pattern he now saw.
Breaking it was the best option. But he could do it on the passenger side to avoid any unintentional injuries for the occupant.
He carefully picked his way around. The fire was now at his back as he faced the car. Just being a few feet closer to it increased the heat he felt from the crackling flames.
The air looked wavy. Sparks flew about. Even through his SCBA—Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus—it was getting more and more difficult to find clean air. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like for the stranded motorist, assuming they were still breathing.
They had to get the hell out of there now.
