Set the Night on Fire (23 page)

“Listen to me and
don’t move
. Do you trust me?” He felt her nod. “You were knocked unconscious. Your gas tank must have gotten damaged when you hit the sinkhole.”

“D…Danny’s car.” She still sounded confused.

“Right. Danny’s car. Thank God you weren’t still inside it. I found you about ten yards away from it. The explosion triggered a brushfire. You can smell it and hear it, right?”

“Oh my…God.” She struggled against him again. “My mom…”

“You have to trust me,” he said firmly. “We’re in the safest possible place for now. We’re in the middle of the road and we’re covered by my jacket. It’s fire resistant. You need to keep your face close to the ground because that’s where the cleanest air will be. You have to stay still because if you stick an arm out or a leg, you might catch a spark. Think of us as a turtle hiding in its shell. You’re the turtle, I’m the shell.”

After a long moment, she gave a breathless little laugh. His spirits lifted at the sound. If she could laugh, maybe they had a chance—as long as the fire didn’t get them.

“Tell me if I’m squashing you too much. I can give you a little more space, but you have to promise not to panic or make any moves at all.”

Her breath came in quick little pants, but she did as he said. With her face to the ground, slowly she relaxed and lay quietly under him.

“Good girl,” he murmured. “I’m seriously impressed. Not many people would wake up in the middle of a brushfire and keep their cool.”

“How…long…will it take?”

“Most likely just a few minutes. This isn’t yet a fully engaged brushfire, luckily. I’ve notified Josh and they should be sending some backup down here.”

“There was a fire in the hills…”

“Yup, they’re on it. Apparently someone’s campfire got out of control.”

She fell quiet, and for a moment, the only sound came from outside their little shelter. The hisses and crackles sounded almost conspiratorial, as if the flames were plotting with each other.

“Why are you even here?” she asked finally.

“I just had a feeling you might have come this way. I’m supposed to be back at the Seaview assisting with the evacuation. But once we heard the explosion and I realized you might have driven down this road, I had to come after you.”

He felt her warm breath drift against his hand. “You saved my life.”

“Just one more impossible situation.” He murmured the wry words into her hair. The soft strands brushed against his lips. “I have a way with those.”

“You came after me. You’re my turtle shell. You’re risking yourself for my sake.” She trembled underneath him. Her warm body, sheltered in the nest of his arms and torso, felt like…like everything. Like life itself. Like everything he ever needed or wanted, curled up in a ball under his protective crouch.

Just a few feet away, the fire was building momentum, cackling like a mad alchemist, turning live plants into smoke and debris. If he didn’t tell Evie how he felt now, he might never have another chance.

“I could say it’s my job. But that’s not the whole truth,” he whispered to her. “The truth is, you are my life.”

She tried to turn her head again, but he stopped her.

“Let me finish. Keep breathing that nice air so you can hear this. I love you. You’re the only one for me. You’re the one who sets me on fire. Who lights my way. You’re the one who makes life mean something. I want to be with you, only you.”

“But you said…‘I’m sorry.’’’ She gave a little hiccup of a sob. “I thought we were through.”

“I know what I said, and I was an idiot. I couldn’t admit how hard I’d fallen for you. I’ve had all this shit hanging over me from the past, and I didn’t want to mess up your life with it. And you were right. I was afraid. I haven’t had feelings like this for anyone before.”

“And now?”

“I’m not afraid. And I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.”

Her body trembled again and he tightened his hold on her. “I can’t leave Jupiter Point.”

“Sweetheart, right now, you can’t leave this road. Neither of us can.”

They both laughed. Crazy to be having this conversation while a fire raged around them. He lifted his head, listening to the flames. The crackling sound had lost its energy. He no longer felt such intense heat on the part of his butt that wasn’t covered by his jacket. “I think the fire might by dying out. Stay right where you are.”

Cautiously, he lifted one edge of his jacket and peeked out. The moon lit up an eerie landscape of gray smoke and charred hillside.

“It moved past us,” he whispered.

“So we can go?”

“I think so, but let me make sure it’s safe first.”

As he made a move to get up, she gripped his arm. “Do we have to go anywhere? I kind of like it here with you.”

He laughed, releasing all the fear and tension of the last hour. They were okay. And they were together. “It’s definitely the best burnover I’ve ever experienced.” He lowered his head to rain kisses onto her cheek. “I still have to make sure you weren’t injured in the explosion, so please don’t move.”

“I won’t move. I trust you, Sean.”

I trust you.
That was a start, but he wanted much more from Evie. First, though, he had to get them to safety.

He pushed back the jacket and raised his head. Smoke blew right in his eyes; the wind had shifted again so it was blowing toward them. That was actually a good thing; the fire had already burned through the fuel behind them.

He uncoiled himself from his hunched position and sat back. All his muscles burned and complained, but his heart sang with relief.

He helped Evie sit up. “Does anything hurt?”

She brushed gravel from her cheek. “Probably just about everything, but right now, absolutely nothing.” A smile brighter than the moon spread across her face. “We made it. Thanks to you.”

“We made it,” he agreed, savoring every detail of her tousled, gritty appearance. He fingered a lock of her hair, noticing the burnt end where a spark had landed. “Can I just ask you one question?”

“Of course.”

“Do I still have a chance with you? Or did I ruin everything by being such an ass?”

She cocked her head, looking dreamily into the distance, as if weighing the options. “Well, on the one hand, you broke my heart and forced me to start dating, which you know I detest. So that’s definitely a big black mark against you. On the other hand, you saved my life. There’s also the little fact that I’m—” She broke off and tugged her lower lip between her teeth, tears filling her eyes. “The fact that I’m completely and utterly in love with you. So I guess, all things considered, you didn’t ruin anything.”

On his knees, he took her face between his hands—it felt like the most precious thing in the world. Their lips joined in a kiss so soft and tender, every barrier between them vanished like a wisp of smoke.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “I love you, and I won’t be so stupid again.”

She smiled against his lips. “That’s quite a promise.”

“I won’t be so stupid about
you
. You think you hated dating? Imagine how it was for me
hearing
about you dating.”

“Aw, poor baby.” Laughing, she nipped at his lower lip. “At least I had steamed mussels and tiramisu to make up for it.”

He jumped to his feet and put out his hand to help her up. “Dammit, as soon as we get back to a scanner, I’m putting the word out. You’re with me. The rest of Jupiter Point can just get used to it.”

As she gained her feet, she wavered, holding tight to his forearm. “Is everything spinning or is it just me?”

“You might have a concussion. Hang on.” He checked her pupils. Same size, not dilated. “You’re probably still in shock. Give yourself a moment to adjust.”

“Yes, I’m definitely in shock. Sean Marcus telling me he loves me? That’s a bigger shock than an exploding car.” The mischievous gleam in her glorious silver eyes made him grin.

“If you can make fun of me, I think you’ll be okay. Try taking a step forward.”

She carefully put one foot in front of the other, then looked at him in triumph. “I’m totally fine. Nothing really hurts! Either I’m so happy I’m feeling no pain, or I got really lucky. Or both.”

He wrapped one arm around her for added support, thinking that “lucky” didn’t even begin to describe it. They’d both gotten incredibly lucky. He made a vow to never forget how close he’d come to losing Evie. To losing the love of his life.

“Up or down?” He glanced both directions. The roadside fire had lost most of its energy and now existed only as sparks and flickers in the grass. The Tacoma still smoldered, a column of black rising into the sky. They could hike back up the road to the Seaview; it wasn’t far, but it was all uphill. Or they could make their way down the road.

Evie tugged at his arm and gestured toward the sky. The smoke had cleared enough to unveil the points of light scattered across the velvet darkness.

“Any minute now, someone will come,” she said softly. “Let’s just take a breath for a moment. You know what we say here in Jupiter Point. Remember to look up at the stars.”

He did the Jupiter Point thing and glanced up at the sky. But its stunning beauty didn’t hold him for long. He turned his gaze to her instead. To the woman he wanted beside him for the rest of eternity. “That’s nice, but I have something even better to look at, babe.”

She smiled and rested her head against his chest. “Do burnovers always make you so romantic?”

“I’m a rough-and-tough firefighter. Only one thing can make me romantic. You.”

He wrapped his arms around her and breathed in the smoky, citrus scent of her hair. He caught the sound of an engine approaching. Help was on the way. His hotshots, or other Jupiter Point first responders, or maybe a volunteer. And that’s when it struck him.

This
was his place. He belonged here, in this town, with this woman.

So he did look up at the stars. And he promised to remember.

“
I
present to you
…the Jupiter Point Hotshots. Our mission is to provide a professional, mobile, highly skilled crew for all phases of fire management, here and elsewhere. In other words, to keep as many people as possible safe from wildfires. Our motto is Duty, Integrity, and Respect.” Sean stepped back and joined hands with the other crew members.

“And fun,” added Josh, with a wink.

Evie watched in delight as the crew members lifted their arms in the air and whooped. The lineup of rugged, ripped, attractive men—and one woman—was downright dazzling. Like a smorgasbord of fitness and insane physiques.

None of them could compare to Sean, of course.

If anyone in town had harbored doubts about Sean Marcus, those doubts vanished after he saved her from the fire behind the Seaview. His hotshots were also feeling the love after they helped beat back the brushfire started by the campfire. In the season’s first scare, no lives had been lost, no property damaged.

Well, except for Danny’s car.

At first Officer Blaine had made noises about how Sean had disobeyed his orders and ought to be reported to his superiors. But Chief Becker must have put a stop to that pretty quick. Sean was pretty much a local hero these days.

Everywhere he went in Jupiter Point, someone wanted to shake his hand. It didn’t seem to bother him to be in the spotlight. Evie thought he was adapting well to his new status. Or maybe he was just adapting well to his new life in general. He was with her now, heart, soul and body. He’d sold his house in Colorado and planned to move in with her when the fire season ended.

She’d promised to tidy up before then.

Evie had never imagined so much happiness would come her way. Life with Sean promised to be one long adventure. After the fire season, she intended to close the gallery for a month so they could travel together. Hunter would be back by then and could provide backup care for their mother. She and Sean planned to start in the Himalayas and go from there.

The crowd applauded as Sean broke a ceremonial champagne bottle over a chainsaw.

“We’ve got the grill going, we have hot dogs and soda, enough potato salad to feed the entire state, and you’re all welcome to help yourselves.” Sean put a hand over his heart as he addressed the guests. “Thank you for coming out today. Let’s have a safe fire season, everyone!”

The ceremony broke up, and the guests meandered in the direction of the food. As Chief Littleton approached him, Sean caught Evie’s eye and gestured that he’d join her in a few minutes. Evie sighed happily. Whenever she looked into those smoky green eyes, everything was right with her world.

Suzanne appeared at Evie’s elbow. “So…double wedding…what do you say?”

“Would you stop with that? We’re not even officially engaged yet.”

Suzanne snorted. “Whatever, cuz. That man can barely keep his hands off you. You’ll get married, it’s just a matter of when. So why not make it at the same time as us?”

“Why does it matter so much to you?”

Her tall, blond cousin shrugged. “I just think it would be fun,” she muttered. Not for the first time, Evie wondered if all was right with her cousin’s engagement. Something seemed a little off. But every time she asked, Suzanne insisted she was on cloud nine.

“Come on, let’s get a hot dog. Josh claims he makes the best dogs in the world.”

Suzanne rolled her eyes. “Typical macho Josh boasting. A hot dog is a hot dog. How can one person make them any better than another person?”

“Since it’s Josh, I wouldn’t be surprised. He does a lot of things really well.”

Suzanne’s gaze strayed to the grill, where Josh wielded the spatula. With a bandanna holding back his sun-streaked hair and a big apron wrapped around his lean body, he laughed and flirted with a constant stream of girls.

“Pass,” Suzanne muttered. “Anyway, I should call Logan.”

Evie was about to ask her if everything was okay when a strong arm came around her. All thoughts of anything other than the man at her side vanished. “Hey, hotshot.”

“Hey, love of my life.”

They smiled at each other. Evie felt as if visible beams of happiness must be shining from her. It was almost embarrassing to be this happy. After so much time hiding behind her well-behaved, cool facade, being so open made her giddy. “How long do you have to stay and socialize?”

“Well, I still have to butter up the president of the Jupiter Point Business Coalition.”

“I do hope you mean that literally.”

His eyes darkened with desire and he pulled her tighter against him. “As you wish, milady.”

She felt suddenly breathless. Sean actually took her breath away. “Hey, someone once offered to show me the cots around here.”

“Hotshot on a cot. Coming right up, sweetheart.”

Shivers of excitement rippled through her. She was joking about the cot, but it didn’t really matter where they ended up that night. Her bed, a picnic blanket, an overlook, or in the middle of the road next to the burning wreckage of an SUV…with Sean, it was all good.

So she waited patiently as more Jupiter Pointers stopped them to congratulate Sean. She laughed when the other hotshots gathered around to throw out the latest ridiculous ideas for a mascot.

A Roman god in a toga? No.

A space probe? No.

She smiled and held Sean’s hand and reveled in the town’s support. She could be patient, because the wait would be worth it. When darkness fell, she and Sean would be alone together, somewhere, somehow, and between the two of them, they’d set the night on fire.