Chapter 9
Colton
He found her an hour later inside the jump shack, sitting on a gear bin with her elbows on her knees, staring at nothing. Her crew had dispersed to showers and medical checks. Deanna sat still, the adrenaline crash written all over her body.
“We don’t have to do this tonight if you aren’t up to it.” He moved over to her. “Want to go another time?”
Deanna perked up upon seeing him. “No, I need to go. If I sit here, I’ll replay what happened today on a loop until I go insane.” She rubbed her face with both hands. “Give me time to shower and become a human being. Hang out in my tent if you like.”
“I’ll take you up on that,” he said, moving to the door. “See you in a few.”
Colton entered her tent and relaxed on her cot. He woke up mid-snore when Deanna shook him.
“That was fast.” He let out a deep yawn, then stretched, his muscles loosening.
“Always is, when you’re sawing logs like you were.” She’d changed into jeans and a denim jacket, damp hair cascading over her shoulders, which fully awakened him.
They strolled out to his pickup, and he held the door for her, earning an amused look. They rolled out of the parking lot, the fire base shrinking in his mirrors.
He kept catching himself glancing sideways instead of at the road.
As they merged onto Interstate 90 and sped toward Butte, the mountains faded into a deep purple as twilight took over.
“Tell me about Reeva,” she said out of the blue.
“What do you want to know?”
“How long were you together?”
“Two years,” he replied. “We met at a fire in Colorado. She flew water scoopers, and I flew tankers.”
“What ended it?”
“We wanted different things. She wanted me to quit aerial firefighting to fly tourists around Glacier National Park. Safe and predictable, but boring after a while.”
He left out the part about the texts to other men he’d found on her phone.
The hidden side income from charters she’d never logged, and asking him questions about Precision’s insurance policies, his maintenance schedules, his fuel suppliers.
Questions a girlfriend rarely cared about.
He’d answered without thinking, chalking it up to her being a fellow pilot. In hindsight, maybe not.
He glanced over. “You’re not concerned about her, are you?”
“Should I be?”
“Not in the least. We split up a couple of years ago.” He motioned at her. “Kick back and get some shuteye for a half hour.”
Deanna woke as Colton pulled into the restaurant parking lot.
Lydia’s hit the perfect note with their red leather booths, dim lighting, and the luscious aroma of garlic and grilled beef. They ordered their meals and draft beers. Deanna got to work on her ribeye while Colton attacked his ravioli.
“So,” she said around her first bite, “you want to know what it’s like when mud hits fifty feet from your shelter?”
“Lay it on me. Pun intended.” He popped a ravioli into his mouth.
“It’s like God slaps the mountain with a wet blanket.
This massive whump and red mist seeps through every gap.
The temperature drops a fraction, which doesn’t sound like much.
But when you’re wrapped in an aluminum candy bar wrapper while fire rolls over you, a split-second of cooling is everything. ”
Colton’s eyes flicked to hers. “We make a good team. Three fires running, and we haven’t lost anyone.”
“I don’t want you to think I always need rescuing.” Her tone was unyielding. “I’m not a damsel in distress.”
He filed that away. “Never crossed my mind. You carried Kylie out of an active fire zone. Hardly damsel behavior. We all help each other, remember? It’s what we do best on these project fires.”
“I left our packs and tools behind,” she lamented. “Thousands of dollars of government equipment.”
“To save your friend’s life.”
“My jump boss will have words with me when I fill out my after-action incident report.” She looked away, shaking her head.
“Your supervisor can take a flyin’ leap,” he muttered.
“Now, now.” She offered him a playful smile. “Be nice.”
“I’m off duty. I don’t have to be nice.” Colton sipped his beer. “Besides, anyone who’d prioritize equipment over personnel should get their priorities straight.”
They talked through dinner about safer topics like flying stories, jump mishaps, and the absurdities of government bureaucracy.
“I’m glad you’re here with me tonight,” he said, clinking his beer with hers. “And glad your jump crew made it out safely today.”
“Thanks to you.” Her smile made it all worth it.
In fact, it lit his heart on fire. Maybe he could nudge this beyond a friendship. He waved away Deanna’s insistence to pay for her meal and flicked his credit card toward the server.
“Are you in a hurry to get back?” he asked. “Want to take you somewhere.”
“Sounds mysterious.” She wiggled her brows. “Is it a hidden cave?”
“That’ll be the next thing I show you. You’ll see.” Instead of heading to Anaconda, Colton drove in the opposite direction on I-90 up to Homestake Pass, about six miles from Butte.
Darkness had fallen by the time he turned toward Homestake Lake. He parked in the campground lot, and they strolled side by side along the shore. The gentle lapping of the water accompanied them as rising trout broke the surface to feast on insects, leaving ever-widening rings in the moonlight.
“So beautiful,” she mused. “And peaceful.”
“Used to come here alone when things got to be too much. Gave me time to think. Dad always said the mountains had a way of makin’ problems seem less significant.”
“Smart man.” She picked up a flat stone, skipping it across the water. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“How personal? Like what deodorant I wear or how many women I’ve dated?” He found a rock and skipped it.
“Have you ever been in love? You know, like for real?”
Not the question he’d expected. “Once, back in college.”
“What happened?”
“It didn’t work out. Instead, she fell for my roommate and married him. They have three kids.” A wry smile. “It was meant to be, as they say.”
“How about Reeva? Were you in love with her?”
He chuckled. “Ha, figured you were headin’ somewhere with your love questions.”
“Well, were you?” She gave him a mischievous smile.
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Inquiring minds want to know.”
“Thought I was at first, but it became a relationship of convenience, if you know what I mean.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “What about you?”
She hesitated. “I thought I fell in love a few times, but it was only me wanting to be wanted. I got a rush from the conquests. Sounds heartless, right? Can’t believe I did those things.”
“Ah, pangs of regret. At least you’re honest.”
“I have to be.” She faced him. “The guys I went after were challenges. If they had girlfriends, they would be even more appealing. How twisted is that?”
“Not twisted, only misguided,” he said. “Wanting what we can’t have.”
“Except I took it further by making it a game of cat and mouse.” She smirked. “Just so you know, only Kylie has seen my soft side. And now you.”
He lifted a brow. “I’m honored. But I’m no mouse. I’m more like a cat. Meow,” he purred out, kicking a rock out of the way.
“What was worse were the gossipers lining up for my latest mistake like it was an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast.”
He laughed, then caught himself. “That must have sucked.”
“Ha, you’re telling me.” She stooped to pick up a rock and skipped it across the water.
The night deepened. Stars dotted the sky, brighter on this mountain pass than the smoky fires near Anaconda. The evening cooled and Deanna relaxed, her ease making her even more beautiful.
“I love this so much. Thanks for bringing me here.”
He had an urge to kiss the nape of her neck. “Wanna go for a swim?”
She bent to trail her fingers through the water. “Brr, too cold.”
“Oh, come on,” he urged. “When’s the last time you did anything for fun?”
She flicked a bemused glance in his direction. “You’re suggesting skinny dipping?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Think how good it’ll feel after you nearly became a toasted marshmallow today.” He didn’t want to push, but a quick dip would do them good. The thought of seeing her naked wouldn’t suck, either.
She eyed the lake, then him. “I’m honest-to-God too tired to dive in and do all the things.”
“All the things? I like the sound of that.” Colton closed the space between them, the night air cool off the water. His attention dropped to her mouth and stayed there. “Hope you’re not too tired to pick up where we left off.”
“You mean in your plane?”
Instead of waiting for an answer, he caught her mouth with his.
Heat rocketed through him after trying to keep his distance, and one taste of her undid every bit of it.
He gathered her in, arms circling her waist, and fit her body to his.
He let her feel what she did to him, past the point of hiding it now.
A faint sound caught in her throat and tore the last of his restraint loose.
He deepened the kiss, tasting her, and she melded herself to him. He gave the kiss room to grow, and when they broke, she sought his lips for more.
God, he wanted her. Wanted to lay her down in the grass by the water with no witness but the stars stacked over the Rockies.
Hell, one more second and he’d lose the will to stop.
One glance downward confirmed his self-control had officially left the building.
He broke the kiss and stepped back, his breathing ragged.
Deanna swayed, fingertips to her lips. “Colton, oh my God.”
His pulse stumbled. “Oh-my-God good, or oh-my-God bad?”
“I’m out of practice with—with—whatever we’re calling this.” She caught her breath. “Are we dating?”
A laugh rumbled out of him. “Call it whatever you want. Though most people don’t list their character flaws before a first kiss.”
“I’m not most people, as you well know. I just wanted you to know who I was before, and who I am now.”
“I don’t give a shit about any of that.” He caught her hand and reeled her in. Moonlight ran silver along the lake behind her, and she outshone all of it. “You’re a smokejumper who faces down grizzlies, pries pilots out of wrecks, and hauls hurt firefighters to safety. Hard to top, in my book.”
“You make me sound like Wonder Woman.” Her words brushed his lips.
“You are. You’re a wonder to me.” The truth of it landed low in his chest.
“Well. Thank you.” She smiled. “We should head back.”
Neither of them moved.
He held her close as the water lapped the shoreline. No hurry to let this end.
“Early briefing, remember?” she murmured.
“Right.” He let go, and they crossed the grass toward his pickup. He’d have given a season’s pay to lie with her in the grass and let morning find them there.
They drove to Anaconda with Deanna’s hand resting on the console, occasionally brushing him when he changed gears. When they rolled into the parking lot, they climbed out and ambled into base camp.
Deanna pointed to a waving figure near the medical tents.
“Looks like Ace,” said Colton. “Here to see Kylie, I’ll bet.”
“I should warn her.” Deanna picked up her pace. “He seems sweet, but she’ll freak out if he randomly shows up at our tent.” She jogged toward the tents, calling back, “Tell him to wait a few minutes!”
Colton walked over to Ace, who narrowed his eyes. “Your jumper ran off to warn Kylie I’m here, didn’t she?”
“She’s not my jumper.” Colton was amused at his friend’s assumption. Then again, he wasn’t good at hiding things. His mom used to say he wore his heart on his sleeve.
“Right,” replied Ace with a dour look. “That’s why you look like you’ve been doing the mess-around.”
Colton ran his tongue across his slightly swollen lips.
“Must have been some dessert.” Ace grinned. “I’m happy for you, man. She seems like a good one.”
“She says she’s a work in progress.”
“Aren’t we all,” mumbled Ace.
Deanna emerged and waved them over. She’d seated Kylie outside their tent in a camp chair, foot elevated and wrapped, resting on a cooler.
“Hey, Ace,” said Kylie. “Heard you planned to stop by.”
“Wanted to make sure my rescue crew pulled through today’s firefight.” He produced a bag. “Medical supplies. By which I mean chocolate.”
Kylie laughed. “Chocolate’s the best medicine.”
As Ace settled beside Kylie, Deanna walked Colton toward his pickup.
“I’m glad Ace is here to keep Kylie company,” said Deanna. “Are you sure he’s an upstanding guy?”
Colton nodded. “I’ll vouch for him. Known him for a long time, he’s a good person. No worries.”
“Good. One less thing.” She rested her palm on his arm. “Hey, thanks for tonight. The dinner, the lake, and . . . everything else.”
“I especially enjoyed the everything else.”
She laughed softly. “So did I.”
“Thank you for trusting me with your soft side.” He glanced around for nosy onlookers, then gave her a peck on the cheek. “Goodnight, Miss Brooks. Radio me anytime for help. I’m happy to assist.”
“I will, Sky King.” Her fingers drifted to her cheek where his lips had brushed and stayed there. “Thanks for helping us today.”
“Anytime.” He cranked the engine and smiled all the way to his hotel.