Chapter 15 #2
“What? I’m not with anyone and David and I haven’t been close as a couple for a very long time. We were going through the motions. No reason to chastise me.” My mother’s words tickled my mind every few seconds.
“I didn’t say a word. Stephen is certainly a hot commodity just like before. A smokejumper. You know they’re legends around here.”
“I was born here, Char. You know, he’ll be quick to correct you about using Stephen.
His name is Axe.” Axe, the magnificent. I’d yet to be able to get him completely out of my mind.
My dreams had been filled with visions of him, including of him saving my life.
“Trust me. We’re not together. We still can’t stand each other. You remember what he did to me.”
“Girl. You were eighteen and love-struck. He kissed you. He had a girlfriend. One of six or seven. He did you a favor by backing away. That man would have broken your heart at that point in your life.”
“Maybe and you sound like my mother. But I could have been the right one.” As soon as I spit out the words, Char rolled her eyes.
As the heat began to rise across my jaw, I was thankful we were in a dimly lit establishment.
“Axe. The name suits him, bestie,” Char said with a slight shrug. “Once a bad boy, always a bad boy. But sexy as hell. And the risk he took rescuing you? Amazing. You should say he redeemed himself from his former bad behavior.”
A smile crossed my face. “I know. He was very sweet, which was totally unlike him. Well, at least he was after we had an argument and he made it clear he didn’t want me in his house.”
“Sounds like true love.”
“Ha ha. Not with that man. He’s angry and very much a loner. Living all by himself in that cabin.”
“Well, his brother died. He has every reason to be angry. Even if Will hadn’t been his brother, smokejumpers are all very close.
They’re more than just brothers. There’s a bond unlike any I’ve ever seen.
Take this bar for example. Ziggy’s was named for a young man who died as a young smokejumper.
His sister, Shannon, selected every piece of smokejumper art adorning the walls herself. ”
“Amazing.”
“And get this,” she continued. “Shannon fell in love and married a smokejumper. Landen Weaver was with the New York Fire Department as a rookie on the day the towers fell.”
“Oh, my God.”
“He needed a change. He came here, joined the Zullies, and became a hero. Now he’s with the Forestry Service and I think offers continued education for smokejumpers. Every smokejumper on the hotshot team continues to reel from William’s death.”
“I just wish I could take the pain away. Axe is broken inside, wallowing in guilt and rage.”
“He shared that with you?”
“He didn’t have to. I could read him like a book.” Why had my pulse increased just thinking about him?
“You know what they say; only time can heal his wounds. That and raucous rounds of sex. From the sound of it, you’ve already given him plenty of ammunition to fight the blues.”
“You are terrible!” I swatted her. “Don’t go spreading that around. Wade already tossed accusations in my direction.”
She swiveled in her seat. “You do know the reason for the bad blood. Right?”
“Between Wade and Axe? I assume my father had something to do with it.”
“Maybe, but that’s not the only reason,” she chuckled and I could tell by her expression the gossip was juicy. “When was the last time you spoke to Mandy?”
“God, I can’t remember.” Mandy had been our other best friend all though high school.
At some point, people had called us the three musketeers because we’d done almost everything together after meeting in eighth grade, but as happened when people graduated from high school, we lost touch.
I’d left for college in New York. Mandy had gone to North Carolina and Char had gone to a college in the Pacific Northwest only to return to Missoula a few years before.
Char and I had reconnected because I’d literally run into her at a shop in Missoula while Christmas shopping. The two of us had tried to keep in touch, although I sucked at long distance relationships. “Why?”
“She moved back to town a few years ago.”
“Really? I had no idea. Why didn’t you invite her out with us?” When she suddenly couldn’t look me in the eye again, this time staring at one of many televisions wrapping around the ceiling of the bar, I pulled her drink away.
“Hey!”
I placed my hand over the rim, giving her a stern look. “Spill it. When you act cagey, you’re hiding something. Since I know it involves Mandy, you are going to tell me.”
“You really didn’t talk with your family. Did you?”
“You know why. Talk or you’re cut off for the night.”
“Oh, hell, no.” She tugged the drink from me, even motioning for the bartender. “Don’t worry. Mandy didn’t let me know she was moving back and I did send her a few emails like I did with you.” Her smile faded. “She was offered a nursing job and took it.”
“Okay. Is she still living here?”
“No. She’s been gone for over a year now. Another job offer, although I don’t think that’s what it was.” She cocked her head, even narrowing her eyes. “This is all hearsay.”
“But?”
“She and Wade started dating. Nothing too serious, evidently. At least not from her point of view.”
“My Wade?” No, my brother wasn’t the kind of guy to share any details of his love life. He’d never been and neither had I. “Wow. I would never have put Mandy with Wade.”
“I didn’t spend but so much time with her, but she’s very different than she used to be. Long and short of it was that evidently Wade thought they were more serious than they were. Mandy didn’t.”
“And?”
When she made a funny face, I gave her one of mine. “What?”
“From what she told me, she started dating Stephen. Now, if you ask me, I think she sought him out and not the other way around. Plus, I don’t think he was really interested in her. At all. I mean—”
“Stop, Char. I wasn’t dating Axe. I didn’t maintain any connection with him. He had every right to date whoever he wanted.”
There was no reason for me to be jealous. None. Other than that Mandy knew exactly how I felt about Axe. She’d been the first to hear about my crush way back in eighth grade when he’d been a senior. “But I am curious if either Wade or Axe had any idea they were in a love triangle.”
“That I can’t tell you, but I can say the rumor mill has it that they had a knockdown drag-out fight here in this bar.”
A knot had instantly formed in my stomach. “Wow. So, you’re telling me Mandy is with Axe?” A rush of guilt and a huge jolt of jealousy was driven into my system.
“Oh, God, no. From what I could tell, Axe saw through her pretty quickly. I think she fell in love with some visiting rock climber and they moved to Arizona or Texas or something. I think she made up the job after being rejected. However, that’s why I think there’s bad blood between the boys.
I didn’t know it was as bad as what you said.
” When I didn’t say anything right away, she groaned.
“I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have said anything. ”
I lifted my glass to signal the bartender for another. “You don’t need to apologize. Axe saved my life. We bickered. We made up. We were adults. We moved on. We have nothing between us. He can date whoever he wants. I doubt I’ll ever see him again. I’m going to tell my father I can’t do it.”
“Uh-oh. Speak of the devil.”
“What does that mean?”
She nodded toward the television. I glanced at the screen, and instantly butterflies attacked my stomach. Seconds later, anxiety replaced jealousy from seeing the banner drifting across the bottom.
Two Smokejumpers Injured.
The reporter was animated, pictures of a burning mountain and smoke being shown, mostly aerial views.
“What?” I was already on my feet.
“Don’t jump to any conclusions,” Char said. “They’re all highly trained. They know what they are doing.”
“You don’t understand. He wasn’t supposed to be working yesterday. They called him in because they are short staffed.”
“What are you talking about?”
I nodded, the anxiety quickly shifting to fear. “His captain was worried about him and that’s the only reason he was able to save me. He was sent home to heal from Will’s death.”
“Oh, God. Just take a deep breath. We’ll find out who was injured. Mark. Can you turn up the sound?”
The bartender looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Sure thing.”
I could barely hear the sound and found myself walking closer to the television. It was obvious the footage had been taken much earlier in the day, the aerial views highlighting the devastation on a mountain side close to Missoula. I strained to hear what was being said.
“While the fire at the local mill is still under investigation, according to sources, there is a strong possibility the fire was intentionally set.” The reporter shook his head.
“Arson,” I moaned. “What is wrong with people?”
We weren’t the only ones watching what was unfolding. There were others in the bar suddenly glued to the television.
“Hey, Mark,” a guy from the opposite end of the bar yelled. “Louder. Come on, buddy.”
“Yeah, yeah. Hold on.” Mark grabbed a remote, pointing it at the larger television in the corner.
“There are some bad actors out there,” Char said as she squeezed my shoulders from behind.
“Unfortunately, one wildland firefighter is currently in the hospital, a full recovery expected. In addition, there are two reported injuries with our local smokejumper team, the Zullies. However, the good news is that the fire is ninety-five percent contained thanks to the heroic actions of our local hotshots.”
As the reporter continued, the sound seemed to echo in my ears, making it difficult to comprehend what was being said.
“See,” Char said, her voice tickling my ear.