Page 44 of Heat Advisory

Holy heatstroke from hell, it was hot outside. I was pretty sure I already had a sunburn, even though I’d only been outside for sixty seconds.

That might have been a stretch. Then again, maybe not.

I was at the scene of yet another fire. This one, unfortunately, had killed two campers who’d been unable to evacuate in time. The air still carried the mixed smell of charred earth and ash, even though the flames had been long extinguished.

Jade had come out to assist again today, mostly because this was a large fire and it would take hours to canvas the area. I was in my element here—calm and methodical. I could turn this entire disaster area into a data set, but photography was not my forte, so Jade took over those responsibilities. She was big into photography, so I knew this was right up her alley.

As if it being a sauna outside wasn’t punishment enough, I recognized several of the BAER members as we approached—one in particular who made my stomach turn.

Darren.

Of course, he was here.

Apparently, the universe had decided that potential heatstroke alone wasn’t enough suffering for one day.

He stood a short distance away, hands planted on his hips as he surveyed the charred remains of the trees. His posture screamed “angry nature warrior,” and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“I hate seeing these trees destroyed,” Darren muttered as he looked around. “Sequoias are highly endangered.”

Jade nodded in agreement. “Yes, but at least the seeds in the pinecones survived. Hopefully, in the years to come, we’ll get a bunch of new beautiful trees. Sequoias are known for having their seeds released through their pinecones when temperatures get really hot.”

Jade was right, and she was also sympathetic to Darren’s somber mood. I was happy she was the optimistic type of person she was to help bring a positive spin on a bleak event like this.

“You’re so right,” Darren said, turning toward her with that smile I used to think was charming. “And so smart.”

I internally cringed.

How had I ever found him attractive? Listening to him flirt with my coworker made him sound so much more performative and showier than I ever remembered. Maybe he’d always been that way, and I just hadn’t wanted to see it.

“Are you going to come with me to take photos?” Darren asked, glancing at Jade and me.

I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do less.

“I’m on photography duty!” Jade chimed in brightly before I could answer. “I left the camera strap in the car. I’ll be right back.”

She practically skipped away, blissfully unconcerned that she’d just left me in isolation with my ex.

“Cora,” Darren began, lowering his voice like we were about to share a special moment. “I just wanted you to know that I’m seeing someone new.”

I stared blankly at him.

What exactly did he expect from me? Tears? Regret? Maybe some applause?

“Umm…congratulations?” I offered weakly.

Yeah, apparently that was the best I could come up with.

He stepped closer. Too close. His hand landed on my shoulder.

“I know you were in love with me and the breakup was hard.”

Say what?

His fingers began tracing slow circles along my shoulder and then sliding down toward my back.

Oh, hell no.

I was just about to step away when a familiar deep voice cut through the space behind me—calm, controlled, but unmistakably furious.