Chapter 21
Fire Behavior
Autumn
Days went on with banter-filled conversations that always evolved into deepening topics.
Sometimes, Blaze would be a little more reserved if Melody was there.
Sometimes, he wouldn’t. I knew that he wasn’t alone all the time, so we did try and keep things somewhat professional, despite growing feelings.
“Dispatch to Tower Three,” Blaze’s voice filled the lookout. My cheeks hurt from smiling.
“Tower Three, go ahead.” A pause filled the silence.
“Radio check?” he asked, and I howled with laughter.
“I thought I was the only one who did radio checks?”
“Do you mean phony radio checks, just to hear my voice?” He had a silly tone to his demeanor today, and I loved it.
“So, this isn’t a phony radio check? This is real—you weren’t sure if your equipment was working, or what?”
“This is phony. I just wanted to say hi.” I grinned like a lunatic and praised God for such a fun crush I was developing.
“Well, hi, Blaze,” I said. My cheeks felt like I needed a week without smiling to ever recover from this. “What candles do we have burning today?”
“I think today’s scent is mulberry pie. She has it a little further from me than normal.” Laughter filled the other end of the line.
“What is a mulberry, anyway?” I asked with a giggle.
“A berry from the region of Mul,” Blaze replied with an unshakable confidence. I was cackling with laughter now.
“Really?” I gasped for air through my laughter.
“It is very difficult to visit Mul this time of year,” he said. Tears were rolling down my face.
“And why is that?” I could barely get the words out.
“Peak berry season.”
“Blaze!” I snorted with laughter.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I have no clue what a mulberry is either.”
“But that sounded so correct, and I completely believed you for every word.” He was laughing now, too.
“That says more about you than it does about me, Autumn.” I could hear Melody in the background speaking to another dispatcher.
“What is your favorite scent? What smells like home to you, Blaze?” I had read once that men love the smell of pumpkin pie. It was some sort of universal phenomenon, and I wondered if that was true.
“Probably fresh pine trees. This is my home, in the forest, at the base of our fire response. I wish I could live here year-round.”
“Where do you live when you're not here?” I asked.
“Ahh, well, this is rather embarrassing for a man to admit, but I just moved out of my place at the beginning of the season and currently all of my belongings are stored in my mother’s garage.” It didn’t deter me an ounce.
“Are you planning on moving in with her once the season is over?” I swore I thought I heard him shake his head.
“No, definitely not. My lease terms had me locked in for two years, and I knew I didn’t want to stay.
When the season is up, I’m looking for a new place to live, and I am hoping for something in a part of Maple Haven that’s a tad more remote than where I was living.
What about you? What smells like home and while we are diving into the wells of personal information…
What is your home address?” I was cackling with laughter again.
“Laundry,” I say, and the moment the word came out of my mouth, I could practically smell the softener all around me.
“Is that like, your ‘thing’? Laundry?”
“I live above a laundromat. It’s not glamorous living by any means, but it lulls me to sleep as if I’ve fallen into hibernation, and it’s extremely affordable.
The place is actually quite cute, too. It has a sage green tiled bathroom, a bright white kitchen, and smells like Downy all the time.
” There was comfort in sharing details about my apartment with Blaze. I think he was enjoying it, too.
“Wow, it sounds… Cozy,” Blaze laughed.
“It really is. So…” I considered a topic change. “If you won the lottery, what would you buy?”
“Land.” His answer was rapid-fire.
“That’s it?” I asked.
“That’s everything,” he said. I sat in his words for a minute, taking in who he was.
“What would you do with it?”
“Build a log cabin. One with indoor plumbing and electricity,” he scoffed.
“Oh no, are you also living without indoor plumbing?” I teased.
“Sort of. We have a sort of bath house, but the water pressure leaves something to be desired.”
“Sun shower user here.” I raised my hand, not that he could see me.
“I can attest that you get used to zero water pressure. But I very much like your idea about building a log cabin. What would it look like?” And our conversation went on about our hopes and dreams, our futures, and eventually, he circled back.
“So, you know all about my Douglas fir log cabin with two bedrooms and a river rock hearth,” he went on.
“But you never told me the things you would buy if money was no object.” I nodded, knowing I may need to own up to that teaser sooner than later.
I thought of all the things in the world that would be at my fingertips but came up short.
“There’s really nothing I want that can be bought,” I said, and I knew it was a rather lame answer, but it was the truth.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone answer the question that way before. I feel the same way… Other than land, of course.”
“Can I make a confession?” I asked.
“Oh, I better sit down for this one.” My eyes grew wide.
“Were you standing this whole time?” I asked.
“My radio tether allows me to stand while taking one step backwards and forwards. It’s part of my physical therapy, and I’m getting stronger every day.” I was overjoyed to hear that. “Now, back to you, Tower Three. Confession time.”
“I want it all,” I said, biting my lip. “Love. Marriage. A baby in a baby carriage.” He hissed with laughter.
“You want a baby. Copy that,” he teased.
“I want those things in that order, thank you very much.”
“I know what you mean,” Blaze said, a softness to his voice.
“I think that’s what most people want; they are just too scared to admit it.
Like me.” Instead of replying, I let the silence speak for itself.
God was working on something between us, and I took a moment to praise Him.
“I’ve wanted it for as long as I can remember.
A family of my own.” His words hit home like an axe to a log.
“Tell me more about your cabin. Would it have a porch?” He chuckled at my question.
“Of course it would.”
“A wraparound porch?” I pressed.
“Is there any other kind?” I had to consciously stop the smile on my face as my jaw was starting to have a dull ache.
“Okay, what about rocking chairs?”
“Two rocking chairs, of course.”
“Why two? Why not just one rocking chair?” I teased, wanting to hear him explain.
“Because the… The person who would be living there with me would be awfully jealous of mine. She needs her own.”
“She?” I asked.
“My future wife.” Something about how he said wife made all of the hair on my arms stand up. It felt like he was talking about… me.
“Now that I think about it, it seems like a porch swing would be better than a rocking chair.”
“Then we’d have to build one.” At this moment, I melted into my cushioned chair. A long pause followed. “Tower Three?” he asked, but I felt like I was floating in the clouds.
“Go ahead,” I replied formally.
“Thanks.”
“Thanks for what?”
“Thanks for making my time here so… interesting.”
“I could say the same for you.” Meeting Blaze was the most exciting part about this whole adventure.
“We should probably stop inventing radio checks just to talk to one another,” he teased.
“I won’t if you won’t,” I said.
“Copy that.”