Her Firefighter Hero

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“Daddy bought a new rope for our swing, but he got killed before he could put it up,” the girl informed Jared in a matter-of-fact voice.

She showed him where the yellow rope lay coiled on the workbench in the garage. After inspecting the black rubber tire, Jared quickly set up a ladder and a sawhorse to hold the weight of the tire as he hoisted it over the sturdy tree branch. He then shimmied up the ladder and tied a knot in the rope to hold it tight. A gust of warm air blasted him in the face, and he thought about the dry winter they’d had and the coming fire season. He had no doubt he’d be seeing more of Megan over the coming months, and that caused a flutter to fill his chest.

Caleb was the first to try out the swing. As Jared pushed the little boy through the air, his laughter was infectious. Even June smiled. Jared never knew that making two kids happy could bring him so much joy, as well.

Glancing up, he caught Megan watching him from the kitchen window. Heat flushed the tips of his ears. Her face looked quiet and pale. As if she didn’t approve of him being here. He knew this had been her husband’s job. He should still be here, pushing Caleb and June on the swing. Not him. Not a stranger. These weren’t his children. This wasn’t his wife and family. Tension knotted the muscles at the base of Jared’s neck. It was best not to get too attached to these youngsters or their beautiful mother.

As he continued to look at Megan, he saw a slight frown tugging her delicate brow, and her eyes filled with misgivings. Tim Wixler had told Jared what a happy couple Megan and her husband had been. Now she was cautious and guarded.

A flurry of emotion overwhelmed him. He really needed to go. He said his goodbyes and suffered through a heartwarming hug of gratitude from Caleb. Even June thanked him. But Jared didn’t go inside the house to tell Megan farewell. And as he got into his Forest Service truck and drove away, he reminded himself that he didn’t want another woman in his life. His ex-wife had left him for another man. She’d found happiness with someone else. Someone that wasn’t him. Jared had no desire to put his heart at risk a second time.

Megan was a contractor for catering meals to the firefighters and nothing more. He had put out a fire at her restaurant, fixed her washing machine and the tire swing. That was enough.

At least, that’s what he had to keep telling himself to make sure his heart stayed safe.

Chapter Four (#ulink_b2d285d6-1d0a-59e1-857d-fd7c81f34854)

Megan walked up the front steps of Connie and Tim Wixler’s tan stucco house. Lifting her head, she caught the tangy aroma of barbecue in the air. The afternoon breeze fluttered over her, teasing wisps of hair around her face. Although it was unseasonably warm, the air held a slight chill and she was glad she’d worn a sweater.

Connie had arranged for a babysitter for Caleb and June. A teenage girl from down the street had come over to stay with the two kids. Megan thought it was kind of nice to have a night away from her children. She couldn’t remember the last time. On the one hand, she felt guilty for not spending more time with them. After all, they were her main priority now that Blain was gone. But on the other hand, she longed to feel carefree and happy again. And she wondered if that was even possible anymore.

She knocked on the door but didn’t wait for someone to answer. Having been here dozens of times over the past ten years, she turned the knob and stepped inside.

“Hello! Anyone here?” she called to the empty living room.

Voices and laughter came from out in the backyard. The house smelled of boiled eggs and potatoes, and she figured Connie must have made her delicious potato salad.

She walked into the kitchen, noticing the clutter of dishes, plastic wrap and food items spread across the countertops. No doubt Connie had been cooking up a storm. But why make so much food for just three people?

Through the screen door, Megan caught sight of Tim standing in front of the propane barbecue. Brian Dandrige, the superintendent of the Minoa Hotshot crew, and his girlfriend, Gayle, stood beside the table. Sean Nash, the crew boss of the hotshots, and his fiancé, Tessa, were chatting with Connie over a bowl of chips, dip and finger foods. Old friends, every one. Other than seeing them at the restaurant now and then, Megan hadn’t mingled with them much since Blaine’s death. Not because they hadn’t called or come by to visit her. She just hadn’t wanted to socialize much with other people.

Megan felt suddenly edgy and anxious. She hadn’t realized dinner at Connie’s house would include some of Blaine’s old coworkers. She thought it would be a quiet evening, just the three of them.

Taking a deep breath, Megan tried to settle her nerves. Blaine had been gone almost a year, and it was time for her to get out and be around others. But it wasn’t easy. In a way, she felt disloyal to Blaine for moving on and living while he had died.

Stepping over to the screen door, she pushed it open and went outside.

“Hi, Megan! It’s so good to see you,” Gayle called.

“Hi there!” Megan smiled and waved, doing her best impression of pretending she wanted to be here.

“Howdy, Megan. How do you take your steak?” Tim asked.

“Medium well. Where do you want me to put this?” She lifted the bowl of pasta salad she’d brought with her, hoping she had enough for this large crowd.

“Over there.” Tim pointed his tongs at the picnic table, set up beneath the shade of a tall wisteria tree in full bloom. The afternoon breeze wafted the sweet aroma of flowers to her.

Breathing deeply, Megan turned and froze. Across the expanse of green grass, Jared Marshall stood beside the table holding a can of soda pop in one hand. The afternoon sun gleamed against his dark blond hair. He was dressed casually in a pair of navy blue slacks and a white polo shirt that fit his muscular arms and chest to perfection.

Her gaze locked with his for several pounding moments. His dazzling blue eyes crinkled at the corners, and she realized he was just as confused as she was. Maybe Tim had thought this a good way for Jared to get to know the crew leadership in an informal setting. Brian and Sean were year-round employees. The rest of the hotshot crew was seasonal, working during the summer months and into the early autumn.

But in a rush, Megan realized what was going on. This gathering wasn’t just for the hotshots to get to know their new FMO. Her mind quickly did the math. Eight people were here. Four couples. Each of them were romantically involved, except for her and Jared. This was a setup, pure and simple. Connie and Tim had been pushing her for months to let them fix her up on a blind date, but Megan had refused. Obviously, Connie had decided to ignore her and had paired her with the handsome fire management officer. A pseudo blind date. Under false pretenses. Because Connie knew Megan would never have agreed to come otherwise.

“Megan, I’m so glad you’re here. You can help me with the baked beans.” Connie engulfed her in a warm hug.

“You’ve been very devious,” Megan whispered.

“Yes, but you’ll forgive me. You always do. And since you’re here, try to have a teensy bit of fun.” Connie spoke low, for her ears alone. Then the woman drew back and smiled as she whisked the bowl of pasta salad out of Megan’s hands. “I’ll take this for you. It looks delicious.”

Connie turned toward the table. “Jared, would you please get Megan a drink?”

“Sure,” came his hesitant reply. His gaze shifted to her flushed face, and he jerked one shoulder. “What would you like?”

“Something diet,” Megan said.

He brushed past her as he reached inside the cooler chest. He rattled around in the ice for a moment before pulling out a diet cola. After he popped the tab, he handed the can over with a smile. They drew together close enough to chat without including everyone else in their conversation.

“It looks like we both got ambushed,” he said.

A warm, fluid feeling washed over her. He would have had to be blind not to realize that Connie had paired them up for the evening. Obviously he hadn’t been in on the surprise either, but Megan didn’t know if he resented it or not. And her face heated with embarrassment.

“You didn’t know there would be other people here tonight, either?” she asked to confirm.

He shook his head, an uncomfortable smile curving the corners of his handsome mouth. “Nope. I thought I would be their only guest. I think we got played by a couple of masterminds.”

She took a sip of her soda, the carbonation burning her throat as she swallowed. “Yeah, some matchmakers. But I fear it’s mostly Connie’s doing. She’s not pleased until everyone is happily married off. She just doesn’t understand the word no. I’m so sorry about this.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

And she knew it wasn’t Jared’s fault, either. She just wasn’t ready to start dating again. Especially not someone who worked in such a dangerous profession. Nor was she prepared to bring a man into her small family. Even having Jared fix the swing in her backyard had upset little June. Megan knew it wasn’t because June didn’t like him, but because he wasn’t the girl’s father. Caleb was young and loving toward everyone, but Megan didn’t want to push June too fast. The girl wasn’t ready for another daddy in her life. Neither was Megan ready for another husband. It was that simple.

Or was it? Megan sighed. Maybe she should at least try to find happiness with another man. And yet, she couldn’t seem to let go of Blaine. They’d been college sweethearts, and she’d loved her husband for so long that she didn’t know how to stop now that he was gone. Honestly, the thought of dating another man made her feel disloyal to the love she’d shared with him.

“I figure we have two choices this evening,” Jared said in a soft voice. “We can leave right now, or we can stick it out and try to have some fun.”

“There’s a third option,” Megan said, trying not to sound too angry.

He quirked one brow. “And what’s that?”

“We could strangle Connie and Tim and then flee to South America.”

Jared laughed, a rich baritone that seemed to soothe her jangled nerves. “I’m afraid the cops would catch us for sure. Are you okay with spending some serious time in jail?”

She shook her head. “No, I’ve got children waiting at home. We better stick with option number two.”

“I’m game if you are.”

“Okay,” she conceded, trying to be a good sport. But it wasn’t easy.

She stooped down and petted Connie’s dog. An old basset hound named Sam.

“My kids keep asking me for a dog,” she said.

“Yeah, Caleb told me. Are you going to get them one?”

She shook her head. “Maybe someday. Right now, we’re never at home. And the poor animal couldn’t come with us to the restaurant. It would violate the health codes. But Caleb keeps asking anyway.”

“I’ve been thinking about getting a dog myself.”

She crinkled her nose. “Really? They are lots of hard work. I keep telling Caleb that, but he won’t listen. He informed me the other day that kids are supposed to have a dog. That he needs to learn responsibility. And what better way to do that than by taking care of a new puppy?”

Jared chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure Caleb and June will grow up normal and well-adjusted even without a dog.”

“I hope so.” She laughed, trying to sound happy. But inside, she was screaming. She already liked this man too much. Spending more time as his date tonight would only make matters worse. But it looked as if she didn’t have a choice right now. Not unless she wanted to be rude.

“Would you like some chips and salsa?” he asked, indicating the colorful bowls Connie had set out for her guests.

“Sure.”

He accompanied her over to the table nearby. His voice was deep and warm. He bumped against her arm and the feel of his fingers against her bare skin made her entire body thrum with reaction. Megan glanced up in time to see Tessa playfully swat Sean on the shoulder. He said something that made her laugh. In response, Sean gave her a hug and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Tessa snuggled in close against his chest. They were engaged to be married in December and seemed so natural and happy together. And Megan envied the love they shared.

“They’re a cute couple, aren’t they?” Jared said, noticing her gaze.

“Yes, they are. They deserve to be happy.”

“They definitely do. Where are your kids tonight?” Jared asked.

“Home with a babysitter.”

“It must be nice to have a night off.”

“It is,” she said.

She looked up, meeting his eyes. He stood close enough for her to feel his warmth. To catch his scent. She stared at him, mesmerized. Frozen in time. For several quiet moments, nothing existed in the world except him. An insane notion, considering they were standing in Connie’s backyard and surrounded by lots of other people. Then, Megan came to her senses and stepped away.