Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
S ky watched as the steam from her coffee curled into the air. It was still dark, and the kitchen counter was cool beneath her while she watched the sun rise through the window. It was early. Too early to be up. But she couldn’t get the events of yesterday out of her head.
If Becket had been a few seconds later getting her out of that water…
She sucked in a sharp breath and closed her eyes.
She’d dreamed about the accident last night. But when she’d hit the water, instead of feeling cold, she’d felt this burning heat. Then she’d smelled smoke, and she was back in her house in Cheyenne the night it had caught on fire.
She shook her head, trying to chase the memory away. But she couldn’t. Everything that had happened in Cheyenne was alive inside her.
At first she’d thought she was crazy to believe the universe was out to get her. But after that last house fire, and then losing Charlie less than a week later…she hadn’t been able to run from the truth any longer.
Amber Ridge was supposed to be her sanctuary. But first the break-in, then being run off the bridge. And just when Becket and his team were working to save her, Garfield jumped onto the firefighter, causing her car to fall off the bridge.
That wasn’t ordinary bad luck. It was the universe working against her.
Because she’d survived that initial fire in the café? Because Eloise had wrongly died in her place and destiny was determined to get her?
“What are you doing up so early?”
She jumped at Becket’s voice, the hot coffee almost spilling onto her hands.
He was shirtless, and God, his chest…it was muscled and tanned and so hard to look away from.
“Hey,” she started softly, “I couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake you.”
He stopped in front of her, so close she could almost feel the heat radiating off him. “I’m surprised I didn’t wake when you got up. I usually wake at everything.”
“I’m pretty stealthy.”
He gave her a small smile.
She frowned at the cut on his chest. Gently, she reached out and grazed her fingertip across the minor wound. “Is this from yesterday?”
“Must be.”
Her frown deepened, again reminded that it wasn’t just her life that had been on the line yesterday. That yet again, her bad luck was affecting those closest to her.
“Hey.”
Her eyes flashed up to his.
“What are you thinking?” he asked quietly.
“That I hate that you put yourself at risk to save me yesterday.”
He stepped closer, his hands going to the counter on either side of her hips. “What happened wasn’t your fault.”
“I know. But I kind of feel like the world’s out to get me again.”
An intense frown cut into his brow.
She looked down at her coffee before glancing back up. “You know how I told you my life is the burnt toast theory, and Eloise died in my place?”
“Yeah. And I told you her death wasn’t your fault.”
“Well, after she died…things started happening.”
“What do you mean?” His voice was deeper now, a dangerous edge to it.
“A month after her death, my brakes failed. I was turning a corner and if I’d been driving any faster, it could have been really bad.” She swallowed. “A few weeks later, my engine literally blew up. There was so much smoke, and I barely got Charlie and myself out in time. Then there was my house fire, which I told you about.”
A shudder rolled down her spine. She hated remembering that day.
“You came here to escape the accidents.”
“I did. But now I’m not sure running did anything. They could be starting again.”
“Hey.” He tilted her chin up. “If you’re trying to tell me you’re cursed or something, you’re wrong.”
“Maybe not cursed. More like I escaped my fate that day at the café, and now destiny’s out to get me.”
“No. That’s not how it works. What happened yesterday was a shitty driver causing an accident. You are safe . And I will stay with you for as long as you need so that you feel safe.”
She was shaking her head before he finished speaking. “No. I already feel bad that you’ve had to look after me so much. Besides, I promised my mom I’d spend the day with her.”
“I can spend the day with her too.”
She laughed. “You don’t want to spend the day with my mother.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll go crazy. I go crazy and I love the woman.”
“I’d do it for you.”
Those familiar butterflies took off in her belly again.
“Becket,” she whispered. “What are we doing?”
“Well, I’m not sure about you, but I’m standing in front of a beautiful woman, wondering what she’d do if I kissed her again.”
For a second, she couldn’t speak. She had to roll his words around in her head a few times, convince herself he really had said them.
She opened her mouth to remind him that they weren’t really dating…but she wasn’t sure if that was true anymore.
And hell, even if it was true…she’d almost died yesterday. If she wanted to kiss the man, she should just kiss him.
Slowly, she set the mug onto the counter and slipped her fingers into his hair. “She’d probably kiss you back.”
Heat flared in his eyes. Then he lowered his head and kissed her. A gentle graze of his mouth on hers. A touch that she felt in more places than just her lips.
His mouth swiped against hers again, softening her. Teasing.
This kiss was different than the last. It wasn’t desperate and fast…it was gentle and safe. A slow coaxing until her lips parted and his tongue slipped inside so he could taste her.
A deep throb began in her lower belly. A sensation that had become so infinitely tied to Becket.
He slid her to the edge of the counter, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
How he sent her from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds, she had no idea. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was kissing him. Holding him. Accepting everything he offered her.
With one hand still in his hair, she swept the other down his chest, brushing her fingertips against every hard ridge. Letting them unravel her and drive her wild.
When he lifted his head, his mouth parting from hers, it was too soon.
She groaned, and he chuckled. “You need to rest, Peaches.”
“No. I need more kisses.” She tugged his head back to her and kissed him again, slipping her tongue straight inside his mouth and caressing his.
God, he tasted good. She could drown in his kisses and never want for air.
Again, he pulled away. “Sky…”
And again she groaned.
Then a phone he’d set on the kitchen island rang. A ring that was completely unwelcome in this moment.
Man, the universe really was out to get her.
He sighed as he turned and grabbed it. “It’s work.”
She felt her chest rise on a deep inhale, trying to pull herself together even though her skin felt like it was on fire. “Answer it.”
He pressed one firm kiss to her forehead before turning away.
She dropped her head and breathed.
Pull yourself together, Sky. He’s just a man and it was just a kiss.
But it wasn’t just a kiss. Every time he touched her, he burrowed that much deeper into her life.
When he hung up and turned back to her, she knew it was bad news. “There’s a fire in the mountains. They need me.”
“Go. I’ll be okay.”
He stepped back between her legs, his eyes boring into hers. “Rest while I’m gone. Please?”
“Don’t worry, my mother won’t let me lift a finger.”
“Good.” One more kiss before he turned, and the second he walked away, she had to fist her hands to stop from dragging him back.
* * *
Red-hot flames danced in front of Becket’s eyes, heat radiating all around him.
Another damn forest fire. The second in the past month, but this one was bigger.
He moved around his crew, making sure everyone was where they needed to be while watching for spot fires. Every time they thought the blaze was under control, another spot fire would pop up, or the wind would change and spread the flames.
He lifted his radio. “Copter 312, we need that water drop. What’s your ETA?”
He’d ordered the water drop when they’d arrived and the damn thing still wasn’t here.
His radio sounded. “Station 8, this is Copter 312. We’re four minutes away.”
It wasn’t good enough. Four minutes could mean the difference between a fire being contained or becoming uncontrollable.
“A few more minutes until the drop,” Becket yelled to his crew.
“They better be quick,” Moose yelled. “Wind changes direction again and the whole mountain could go up.”
Becket fucking knew that.
Those minutes took a long fucking time to pass. Then his radio finally sounded again. “Flying over now.”
“Water drop,” Becket yelled.
He and his crew dropped flat to the ground, heads down and hands going over their helmets as the water fell over them.
They all remained on the ground for a few seconds before pushing to their feet.
The last of the flames seemed to be out. Thank God.
“All right, let’s spread out and make sure it’s all gone,” he called.
Becket grabbed an extinguisher and moved through the debris. When footsteps sounded behind him, he turned to see Teddy jogging over. “Beck. Wait up.”
Becket kept walking. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just…we haven’t really talked about yesterday,” Teddy said as he caught up.
His jaw clenched. “Now isn’t the time.”
“I’m sorry.”
Becket’s fingers tightened around his extinguisher. “Teddy—”
“I should have been more efficient yesterday. And I should have been more aware of my surroundings and braced when that dog jumped on me.”
Becket stopped and turned, fighting for calm that he didn’t have. “Did you check the undercarriage before attaching the chain?”
“I…” He swallowed. “No. I’m sorry. I should have.”
“Yeah, you should have. That’s the difference between people living and dying in our line of work.”
Teddy’s mouth opened and closed. “I’m sorry.”
“Get back to work, Teddy.” Fury tightened his chest.
What happened wasn’t all Teddy’s fault. But if he’d examined the undercarriage to see if it was compromised like he should have, Sky’s vehicle would’ve been secure.
He moved faster. When he was done checking his area of the forest, he returned to the engine to find his brother talking to a fire investigator. When Jesse saw him, he shook the investigator’s hand before crossing the space between them.
“Hey. I heard your crew took care of the fire.”
Becket nodded. “It’s out, but I want to know how it started. This is the second vegetation fire in our forest in the past month. The last one was arson. Was this the same?”
“They’re still investigating the cause,” Jesse said.
“Call me as soon as you know.”
“Will do.”
When his crew was done, they climbed into the engine cab, Becket taking the seat behind the wheel.
Irene leaned her head back. “It’s been a big month.”
“Huge,” Moose agreed.
“Hopefully it means we’re due a few quiet ones,” Becket said, even though something told him that was wishful fucking thinking.
When they got back to the station, he hung up his helmet and jacket, grabbed a clean uniform and called dibs on a shower. Before getting in, he sent a text to Sky. She’d messaged him earlier that day with a new number from a cell her mother had picked up for her. Thank God, because he needed an easy way to get in contact with her.
Becket: Hey. Just checking in. Are you doing okay?
He hit send and jumped into the shower. He hated being away from her. But the fire was big and his crew needed him. Irene was the second in charge, but he still liked to take the lead on such significant fires.
Once he was out, he pulled on his clean clothes. His phone buzzed on the way to his office.
Sky: I’m being force fed. And every time I try to get up, I’m physically pushed back down. How my mother’s so strong, I have no idea.
Becket: Force feeding and rest doesn’t sound terrible.
Sky: I’m losing my mind. And she won’t leave until you get back. When are you getting back?
Becket: A few hours.
Sky: Sigh.
Becket: Want me to pick up something for dinner?
Sky: If by dinner you mean pie from The Tea House, then yes…yes I do.
He chuckled.
Becket: Done.
In his office, he dropped into his seat. The reports he had to do after incidents were the worst part of the job. They were long and tedious. The only thing that got him through the damn things was the knowledge that it was important. And coffee.
Fuck, why didn’t he have a coffee?
He’d just turned on his computer and was about to get back up to go to the kitchen when his phone rang, his brother’s name on the screen. “Jesse. You know what caused the fire?”
“Yeah, but you’re not going to like it.”
“Tell me.”
“Someone used paint thinner as an accelerant.”
Becket cursed. Paint thinner was often used by arsonists because it was available in containers that were small and easy to transport. It also didn’t raise any red flags when bought. “You think it’s the same person?”
“Two forest fires set within a few miles of each other? Yeah, I think it was the same person.”
It was too big of a coincidence not to be. “Why would they use two different accelerants though?”
“Maybe gasoline didn’t have the effect they liked.”
“Maybe. Or maybe they were scared to be pulled over with gasoline in their car near the mountains after the first fire.”
“Whatever it was, I’ll be getting my deputies to do drives through the most wooded areas as often as possible.”
That wouldn’t be enough. The forest was huge. “Jesse…if we hadn’t gotten to today’s fire when we had, it could have been really bad. The fire could have become completely uncontrollable.”
He could almost hear his brother’s heavy inhale. “We’d better not let this person start another one then.”
Absolutely not. They were lucky no one had gotten hurt yet. They may not be so lucky a third time.