29. Leo
Chapter Twenty-Nine
LEO
I dropped my heavy bag of gear on the ground beside a fallen log and sat down with a sigh. Resting my elbows on my knees, I glanced over at Hudson and Graham. “We made it.”
Graham chuckled, offering a tired smile. “We always do.”
Hudson kicked his feet out in front of him and reached for a water bottle on the ground, taking a long swallow as he nodded.
“Any idea when we might get picked up?” I asked.
Graham lifted his gaze to the sky. “Sometime,” he quipped.
A weary laugh rustled in my throat. I whisked my gaze around the sky. There was still some smoke in the distance, but the remains of the fire were smoldering on the now-wet ground. We’d been out here two full weeks. Dry weather and wind had continued to whip the fire up, while we stayed busy cutting lines of protection and trying to box the fire in. A conveniently located river and some welcome rain for the last two days had finally helped us finish the job.
The fire was considered fully contained now and would be monitored from the air. Although the vast wilderness of Alaska offered plenty of places for fires to burn wild, there were small planes crisscrossing the skies here daily. Between those and drones, they monitored the backcountry and reported on fires.
“You ready to get home?” I asked Graham. “How do you manage being gone with a toddler at home?”
Graham finished chewing a granola bar before tilting his head to the side as he considered me. “Well, I have Madison at home. And, Allie,” he said, referring to his college-aged daughter. “It was just me when Allie was younger, so I was on the town crew. You’ve got your parents, so I’m sure that helps a lot.”
“I don’t know. Even though I have my parents to help when I’m gone, this whole thing is unexpected. I want her to feel like I’m there for her.”
Graham nodded. “It’s quality, not quantity. How’s Dora doing?”
“I’ve never had a kid, so I’m not sure. She seems to be adjusting well. Even with my job, I think her life is more stable than it was with her mom.”
Parker approached, plunking down on the ground beside Hudson and asking, “Any water? I’m all out.”
Hudson reached into his backpack and handed over a bottle of water. Griffin joined us a moment later, dragging his sleeve across his forehead with a sigh after he dropped his heavy gear bag on the ground. “I am ready to go home,” he announced as he sat down on the ground across from me.
“Safe to say, all of us are,” I offered dryly.
“Ask Griffin about life with a young kid,” Graham chimed in.
Griffin glanced over. “Huh?”
“Leo was asking how I used to handle being a firefighter when Allie was young. She’s all grown up and I have Madison to help now. What do you think about traveling as a hotshot with a baby at home?” Graham asked.
Griffin tipped his head to the side before a smile stretched across his face. “Best thing ever. Coming home is awesome. I love seeing Tish, but having a toddler makes it even better. Teddy is fucking ecstatic to see me. He made me a drawing last time.”
“That is sweet,” Parker said with a grin.
“Dora’s been staying with my parents. This is the job I had when I found out she existed, and I worry if it’s okay. I don’t know what to think sometimes,” I explained.
“Kids are pretty resilient,” Graham offered. “I don’t mean to make it seem like it’s no big deal, but when Allie was little her mom was barely around. I think Allie’s turned out pretty good. My best suggestion is to communicate consistently about whatever the situation is. Work, life, and so on.”
“Dora’s mom passed away, so—” I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair.
Parker nudged me with his shoulder from the side. “It’ll be okay. Maybe it doesn’t seem like it now, but she’s got you and your parents.”
“It doesn’t seem like much.” The doubts pinging around in my thoughts felt like a pinball machine gone wild.
“Okay, listen. I’m serious,” Parker chimed in. “My mom flaked when I was little. My dad wasn’t all that stable, but he loved me. By stable, I mean he didn’t make great choices and bounced in and out of jail a little bit.”
Hudson caught my eyes. “Mine too. We ended up in juvenile detention together thanks to our fathers kind of falling down on teaching us how to make good decisions in high school. My mom wasn’t around either. We turned out okay.”
“And we both have decent relationships with our dads now,” Parker added. “Maybe they weren’t too stable, but they loved us and that made all the difference. That’s the key. For what it’s worth, I’m not pretending like it’s simple. I know plenty of people who had good parents and turned out being train wrecks once they were adults, but being there for her can make all the difference in the world.”
Graham smiled over at me. “This all started because Leo’s wondering if he should switch to the town crew.”
Hudson shrugged. “That’s a six of one, half a dozen of the other kind of thing. You’re still gonna get called out randomly with the town crew. As a hotshot, you’ll be gone for chunks of time, but it’s not all the time. In the winter, you’re mostly home.”
“Or, follow Beck’s advice and fall in love,” Griffin offered with a chuckle.
“And get married, or at least, shack up,” Graham added dryly.
I snorted. Beck was known for his strong opinions on happily ever after. Of course, I hadn’t talked to the guys about the fact that I was pretty much in love with Casey.
As if he could see right into my brain, Hudson piped up, “You and Casey are seeing each other. Are you serious enough that she’s met Dora?”
A chuckle rustled in my throat. “She’s met Dora and my parents.”
“Holy smokes.” Graham let out a whistle. “You’re in love. Is Casey ready to sign on for being a stepparent?”