Fanning Flames Read online

  He thought of his own family—mom, dad, four sisters—a regular, normal one. Well, if there even was such a thing as a normal family. But he couldn’t imagine growing up like Travis, all alone. And if he were a betting man, he’d bet that Lindsey grew up the same way.

  Well, they’d all find out soon enough. His phone dinged, and he read the text message from his mother, reminding him that he’d agreed to stop by for supper on his way home. He’d better get a move on, check the fire situation before he left, and get home to his family.

  Chapter 5

  Alex took one look back over his shoulder toward the mountains—and the smoke still wafting across the valley—before he opened the door to his parents’ house. He’d checked the command center information and all seemed okay. He reported to Dani that there were likely to be no emergencies, but he couldn’t get the nagging feeling of danger out of his belly.

  He wasn’t the least bit surprised when his sister Kirsten met him at the front door and asked about the fires. He knew they worried, and while he tried to calm their fears, it was a consistent, unstated fact that his job was dangerous. And always would be.

  Now with the fires, the risks were heightened, the concern greater. He understood that, so he spent some time explaining.

  His mother was still finishing up cooking—the aroma of baked beans had his stomach grumbling, and his sister Pamela was helping out. None of his other sisters had much interest in cooking, but his mom was a gourmet and he and Pamela had been the only ones wanting to learn. His sister tossed him a wooden spoon, tied an apron around his waist and pushed him in the direction of the bubbling pot.

  “So, what’s the news on the fire?” his youngest sister Caroline asked while she placed the forks on the table.

  Only his two youngest sisters, Caroline and Amelia, still lived at home. But they’d had a long tradition of family dinners and games on Sundays and Wednesdays, and they all came home for that. He imagined that they’d all been looking forward to this one even a little more than usual to ask about the fires.

  He gave them a brief rundown of what he knew so far—that no structures were threatened, and that the main fire, the biggest one, was still very far away. There had been several flare-ups that were closer, but they were pretty isolated.

  “We’ve been really fortunate here in Idaho this summer. We haven’t had too many lightning strikes to start them, and people have taken fire safety really seriously.”

  His sister Amelia shook her head. “Thank goodness all the hunters are as concerned about preserving the forests as the rest of us, and that the campers have taken campfire bans to heart.”

  His mother shook her head. “Can’t say that every year. I guess with all the fires from last summer and this summer in California, people are taking it more seriously. Those people who had to be evacuated last summer in northern California lost everything, and almost died.”

  Caroline shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t even imagine. Remember those poor people who had to jump into their swimming pool and barely got out alive?”

  Alex nodded to his mom. “This is ready, I think,” he said, giving the beans one last stir. He looked over at Caroline. “Yeah, can you imagine having to be underwater all that time? And the air was too hot to breathe even when they came up for it. People need to take evacuation notices seriously and not try to wait until the last minute.”

  It was one of his pet peeves. He certainly understood that people wanted to hope against hope that their homes wouldn’t be the ones in danger, and they waited as long as they could before evacuation. But during fire season, it made their search and rescue efforts so much harder to try to get in once the flames had taken over.

  “Nice apron,” his dad said as he came into the kitchen carrying a platter of corn on the cob that he’d just taken off the grill. Kirsten took it from him and set it on the table.

  Alex looked down and laughed. He hadn’t even noticed that Pamela had given him one of the aprons that had ruffles on it. He, Pamela and his mom shared a bunch of them, and he frequently just grabbed the one that was closest. His father, however, only wore one and he had it on now. It read, “#1 Dad,” and he’d had it as long as Alex could remember.

  The rest of the food was on the table, and they took their seats—the same seats they’d had growing up. Alex sat to the right of his dad, in between him and Pamela. His mom sat opposite their father, and the other three girls were on the opposite side. They’d never discussed where they sat—it just was the way it was. Familiar and normal.

  As they ate, Alex filled them in on what had happened earlier at the ranch, careful not to divulge many details. Not that he had many details.

  “Who could she even be? I bet Dani was rattled,” Kirsten said as she started clearing the table. Her job was dishes—cooks never had to clean up in their family.

  “She has to be a long lost relative,” Amelia said as she put away the leftovers.

  “There’s no other explanation,” his father said as he picked up a towel and dried the dishes Kirsten washed and then handed him.

  Alex shook his head slowly. “I agree with you on that one. No other explanation.”

  “Is she pretty?” Caroline asked with a giggle in her voice. As usual, the mere question provoked a twitter through the whole room. Everybody had a question—except for his father, who shot him a commiserating glance.

  “Good grief. Can’t a guy even meet somebody new without you fast forwarding to a fiftieth anniversary?”

  “Well, you said she was a nurse. You’re in a similar field. Why not?” Caroline asked.

  Alex took a sip of the coffee his mother had set down in front of him. He cleared his throat and thought of all the times he’d given his family too much information about a girl he’d considered dating and the whole idea had taken on a life of its own. He felt suddenly protective of Lindsey, and was a little sorry he’d told them as much as he had.

  “I will say that yes, she’s very pretty, actually. And seems smart, and she helps people around the world. She’s traveled quite a bit. Works for the Red Cross.”

  He was immediately sorry when it came out of his mouth. Based on the level of chatter, he’d done it again.

  He held up his palms and got them to quiet down. “Come on. You know I haven’t dated in a really long time and I don’t have any intention of starting now. Hasn’t even crossed my mind for years. I’m busy.”

  They must have believed him, as they all finished up their jobs and started arguing over what game to play. It had been narrowed down to Catch Phrase, Guesstures or Trivial Pursuit by the time he noticed that Pamela was still staring at him. She came over and leaned against the kitchen counter next to him.

  “I don’t believe you,” she said quietly, out of earshot of the others.

  “About what?” he asked, although he knew what she meant. He and Pamela were only eighteen months apart, and she’d always been the one he talked to about—well, things he could bring himself to talk about.

  “I believe you still think about the possibility of a family. And I remember not all that long ago that list you and I made, about what kinds of things we’d like in a husband or wife.”

  “I don’t remember that at all. I don’t think we did that.”

  She gasped in mock surprise and punched his shoulder. “Right. Sure.”

  He avoided her gaze, remembering clearly what she was talking about. They’d both just gotten out of relationships with people who were very wrong for them, and for some reason, they’d made a bucket list of things they’d like in the other person if they ever dated again. Ironically, neither one of them had since.

  It hadn’t mattered, and it didn’t matter now. Lindsey was lovely, yes, but she had a lot on her plate right now. Something big was brewing for her, and he was positive that dating was as far from her mind as it was from his.

  “That’s my answer and I’m sticking to it,” he said as he gave his sister a hug. He turned toward the re
st of his family, who was all seated in their usual places.

  “So, what are we going to play tonight?”

  Chapter 6

  River’s End Ranch was beautiful, Lindsey decided as she pulled up in front of the Copper Cabin. She’d woken up early since she’d come from a different time zone, and after confirming on her phone that the market in Riston was open she headed into town.

  One of the things she loved most about traveling around the world was getting to know the cuisines of different culture, and she was pleasantly surprised that the market had some ingredients that she could use to make some of the comfort foods she’d grown to love—curry from Thailand, tamales from Mexico, even fried rice from China. With not much else to do on off hours in other countries, she’d taken to cooking to kill some of her time, and it had always calmed her down. And she needed a little bit of that now.

  She set aside what she needed for later to make supper and had just sat down by the picture window, taking in the clear blue skies—except for what still looked like smoke to the west. She looked around for something to do and found a book of crossword puzzles on the coffee table. She’d just located a pencil when there was a knock on the door.

  “Hi,” Alex said with a very big smile when she opened it.

  “Oh, hello.” She stood still for a moment, not sure what she should do before she asked him if he’d like to come in for a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks,” he said as he followed her inside. “I have to apologize. I wouldn’t ordinary just drop by like this, but I didn’t get your phone number yesterday.”

  Lindsey poured two cups of coffee and slid his across the kitchen counter as he sat on one of the stools.

  “Well, that’s a big problem. I was right in the middle of something extremely important,” she said, holding up the blank crossword puzzle.

  Alex laughed, and the sound was comforting to her. Maybe it was just that he’d helped her out quite a bit already—helping work through this with Dani, getting her settled—but she was grateful that he’d stopped by. She could use the company.

  “That looks critical. Sorry for the intrusion,” he said as he took a sip of his coffee and grinned approval.

  “Don’t you have to be at work?” Lindsey asked.

  “I’ve been there since early this morning. Just wanted to check the fire situation, see what happened overnight.”

  “Oh,” she said, stirring some sugar into her coffee and pouring in a dollop of cream. She held the cream container in his direction and raised her eyebrows.

  “No, thanks. I like it black.”

  She put the milk back in the refrigerator. “I have to have mine taste like coffee ice cream.”

  “Ah. A sweet tooth, then?”

  She laughed and took a sip of coffee. “I guess so.”

  “Just like three out of four of my sisters.”

  “Not quite sure how you could survive that many siblings.” Lindsey smiled and wondered what it must be like to have that many siblings. She hadn’t had any—until now, anyway. She was again very aware that she didn’t even know what to do with the one she’d just found out about.

  “Aw, piece of cake. They’re a pretty lively bunch and each very different, but I love them all. Even if they can be a little difficult. I can’t imagine what it would be like without them, to be honest.”

  Lindsey fell silent and stared into her coffee mug. She must have been quiet for a while, because Alex cleared his throat and leaned his elbows on the counter.

  “Sorry. I don’t really know anything about your family situation, and I promised myself I wouldn’t ask. It’s your deal, and none of my business.”

  She fiddled with the spoon on the counter as her eyes met his. The sincerity she saw was nice, and while she’d love to tell him the whole story—he seemed like he’d understand—she had committed to not telling anybody before she told Travis.

  “I’m sorry. I really can’t talk about all that. But I can tell you that I grew up alone, an only child, and the idea of having that many people in one house is utterly foreign to me.”

  Alex smiled and filled in the first word of the crossword puzzle. “If you grew up an only child, I can imagine that having four siblings must sound like an invasion. But it’s really not so bad.”

  She smiled and nodded, looking down at the crossword puzzle. “What’s a five letter word for wait? I don’t have any letters yet so no other clues.”

  Alex rubbed his chin, a little dark stubble on it. While he thought, she noticed his flannel shirt—she guessed his job didn’t require a uniform—and his dark hair that just brushed the top of his collar. She normally wasn’t in one place long enough to really get to know anybody, but somehow she felt like she’d known Alex for longer than a day. It was an unusual feeling for her, and she kind of liked it.

  “How about tarry. That would work, if the first word down starts with a T.”

  Lindsey filled it in and read the clue for 1 Down.

  “I think you’re in luck. A four-letter word for armored vehicle. Tank?”

  He clapped and stood. “Bingo,” he said, his eyes twinkling.

  She smiled and set the book down, finishing her coffee and placing the cup in the sink.

  “I’m sure you didn’t come over to do crossword puzzles, although I owe you for getting me off to a good start.”

  Alex pushed the stool under the kitchen island. “Nope, I didn’t. I thought you might be a little bored, but if you want to tear yourself away from the crossword puzzle, I could use some help in the command center.”

  “Oh?” she said, her interest piqued. “What’s up?”

  Alex finished his coffee and put his mug in the sink alongside hers.

  “Our medical staff hasn’t been around for a while. They actually just work part time or extra duty from the hospital or fire station, kind of on call if there’s medical need for a rescue. I’m strictly extrication and rescue, although I’ve been trained in advanced first aid. Our supplies could use a once-over. I’m pretty confident we’ll make it through fire season, but I’d like to be prepared, just in case. Feel like coming over and taking a look?”

  “Sure,” she said as she reached for her coat. “Sounds a lot better than working a crossword puzzle by myself,” she said, surprised at her own statement. She usually didn’t mind being alone, but the offer was one that appealed.

  “Great. I was sitting there staring at it after Dani said that’s what she wanted done, and I remembered you said you were a nurse, so I cleverly put two and two together and ran over. I mean walked over.”

  Lindsey laughed. However it happened that he wanted her help, she was glad to do it.

  Alex helped her on with her coat. They decided just to walk over to the bungalow that held the command center, and Lindsey breathed in the cool, fall air. Well, end of summer, actually, but the morning air was brisk and the leaves were starting to turn color.

  “It sure is pretty here,” she said just before they arrived. “The pine trees, sycamores, the colors—just beautiful.”

  Alex looked up and around, but his gaze landed back on the smoke at the far end of the canyon, past the mountains.

  “It is. Very pretty. Unfortunately, I can’t see much past the dry underbrush and think about the summer we’ve had. I just hope we can make it a few more weeks without fire coming any closer to home.”

  “Occupational hazard, I guess,” she said as he opened the door for her and ushered her in. “I try to avoid the television during hurricane season. Can’t bear to watch them hurtling toward populations, not knowing where the next disaster will be.”

  Alex pulled a clipboard off the wall and handed it to Lindsey. She glanced down at the list of medical supplies that they needed to have on hand. It was fairly standard.

  “This will be fun,” she said. “You can never be too prepared for a disaster.”

  “I feel the same way. Better safe than sorry.” Alex shook his head and pulled out a chair for her. “That’s a pretty weir
d thing that we have in common, don’t you think?”

  Lindsey looked at him for a second and thought yes, it was weird, but kind of nice, too. She smiled at him, picked up a pencil and got to work.

  Chapter 7

  “I think we forgot to eat,” Lindsey said with a smile as Alex’s stomach growled.

  “Shoot. That wasn’t very thoughtful of me, considering you’re helping me out. Can I go get us something?”

  Lindsey glanced at the clock. She had no idea how it had gotten to be four o’clock without either of them realizing. She’d spent the first few hours taking inventory and Alex had been right—they were sorely short on supplies. After that, she’d started on the list of what they’d need and between the lists and occasionally chatting with Alex—he’d given her fire updates all day—the time had flown by.

  “Maybe this will help,” Dani said as she came into the command center followed by Jaclyn, the woman Lindsey had met the previous day.

  “I thought you all might like some snickerdoodles,” Jaclyn said, setting the plate down between on the desk. “I think they’re perfect for you two. At least that’s what I’ve been told,” she said with a wave, and she was out the door.

  Lindsey took a cookie and offered one to Alex, who readily accepted. She raised her eyebrows in Dani’s direction.

  “Don’t ask,” she said, shaking her head at the offer of a cookie. “No, thanks. My stomach’s been off.”

  “Bummer,” Alex said as he reached for another cookie. “You’re missing out.”

  “Huh, yeah, whatever,” Dani said as she took the clipboard that Lindsey held out to her. “Jaclyn already got me anyway.”

  “What?” Lindsey asked, but Dani just shook her head.

  “Never mind. Hey, thanks for this, Lindsey. This is a huge help.”