Burning Desire by Marie Harte
Chapter Thirteen
Tex spent Sunday with his friends at Brad’s mom’s house for a picnic. Oscar and Gerty were there, as was Avery, Brad’s girlfriend. Bubbles tentatively nosed Klingon when the puppy wasn’t too busy bothering an older Maltese. Otherwise she lay under a table, waiting for someone to drop food.
Tex had missed his buddies. They ate hot dogs and burgers and harassed each other over cornhole, only the best darn outdoor game to be created. Unfortunately, Avery was pretty damn good and a sore winner.
“Hey, Tex.” She smiled at his defeat. “Who’s the dog you brought with you? Bubbles?”
Hearing her name, Bubbles ambled over to Avery for some welcomed belly rubs.
“Oh, she’s so cute! How old is she?”
“Seven, I think.” He sighed. “I want to keep her. I already love her, but I have no time to give her the attention she deserves, and it’s killing me.”
“Could she maybe be a station dog?”
“I thought about that. I’d have to get permission, but I just don’t see that for her. She’s still a little timid with crowds. This picnic is as busy as we’ve been, and she’s been under the table for most of it. She’s sweet but likes it quiet.” He checked his phone. His brother hadn’t texted back about Tex’s plan for the family to take her. “I want my family to keep her down in Texas. She could live out her life on the ranch or with my folks. She’d be outside a lot or could have plenty of quiet indoors. They’d love her.” He knew they would, his momma especially.
“We can try to home her here. I know we could get her with a good family.”
“I know, I just don’t want her to go.” Christ, he felt tears in his eyes looking at the damn dog, who looked at him with so much love. He blamed his emotional state on Bree, who was stirring him up in weird ways.
Avery patted his arm while he blinked away useless emotion. “It’s okay. I feel the same way when I see all these lonely animals that have no place to go and no room at Pets Fur Life.”
Just then, his phone buzzed. “Hold on.”
Yo, loser. We’re making a road trip. We’ll take the dog home with us.Wyatt shot him a thumbs-up emoji.
His heart lightened. Who’s we?
Me, Oliver, and Josh. Uncle Owen wants our idiot cousin to do something useful, and he’s got another month until boot camp.
Tex breathed easier, feeling less guilt for finding Bubbles another home. Awesome. Let me know when. You can stay with me.
Duh. Later, little guy.
Tex looked down at Bubbles. “Hey, good-lookin’, I think I got you a new place to live. And it’s full of Southern dogs, so you’ll have a great place to lay down your head begging for ribs.”
As if she understood him, Bubbles barked and grinned.
If only all females were this easy to manage. The guys heard the good news and cheered, Oscar especially, as he looked forward to meeting the brother Tex had told him so much about, Oscar and Wyatt having so much in common.
Brad’s mom made the party complete with some dance moves to technopunk that had everyone laughing.
The hours passed. Tex hated to leave but had to get in a workout. He hadn’t been lying last night about all the good food putting some sag on his wag. Reggie agreed to go with him, so after stopping by his place to grab his stuff and drop off Bubbles, Tex joined Reggie in some running gear and took a five-mile run around Reggie’s neighborhood. They talked as they ran, the workout good for breathing control but not too strenuous.
“So, you and Bree, huh?” Reggie commented.
“It’s not going until we finish her project. Then her dad will try to demote me for looking at her or breathing her same air.”
Reggie raised a brow. “That’s not right.”
“I told him that. Not exactly about me and Bree, but in general.” Tex relayed his conversation from the previous night.
“Fuck, that’s rough. You can say what you want about HR and the union, but Gilchrist is smart. He’ll find ways to keep you under his thumb. And you can use your union rep forever, and it still won’t help. Networking, son. It’s all about who you know.”
“And who you don’t blow, apparently.” Tex groaned. “Reggie, I really like her. I’m not out to fuck and fly. I want to be with her. But I love my job. I don’t want to lose it.”
“So maybe you’re no longer the love-them-and-leave-them-eventually type?” Reggie put on a burst of speed that Tex easily matched. Reggie started breathing hard. “I hate that you’re fast.”
“And sexy and smart and strong. I know.”
“I can out-bench you.”
Tex smirked. “If it makes you feel better, yep, you sure can.” The reality was Reggie could lift more. The strongest in their group, the guy surely looked it. His arms and chest were bodybuilder-huge. Of course, he’d only gotten that big since breaking it off with Amy.
“You can haul my big ass out of a fire without too much of a struggle.” Tex gave him a thumbs-up, and Reggie flipped him off. “You have that going for you, Reginald.” He laughed at the face Reggie made. “But I’ll outrun you any day of the week. Comes from chasing after stray cattle as a kid. I used to run for miles instead of going to preschool. That’s how they raise ranch kids.”
“No kidding?”
“Of course I’m kidding. Duh. Wrangling cows as a toddler?” Tex laughed. “Yeah, right.”
“Sometimes I hate you.”
“Only sometimes. I’m making progress now, ain’t I?”
After having to run from Reggie on a sprint back, Tex eventually made it to his truck and parted ways from his buddy. He went home, did some much-needed laundry, and played with Bubbles before giving in and texting Bree. She’d asked for a day’s space, but he missed her. And if she didn’t want to talk to him, she could ignore her phone, he reasoned.
She texted back right away, which made him feel better. Melissa is being weird. Not sure what’s going on.
She ok? U ok?
Bree called him. “Sorry. I can’t text all this when my brain is on overload. Melissa is acting really strange. Carrie too. She hasn’t called me back, and I left three messages.”
“Um, maybe she’s busy?”
“It’s me, Tex. When I call, Carrie answers. Something’s up. Plus, I can’t stop thinking about my dad. He’s insane for actually thinking he can still tell me who to date.”
“I’m sorry. Hope I didn’t make things worse when I talked to him. All I said was that you should be able to decide who you go out with. I never said or hinted it might be me.”
“Well, all I know is, if he tries to make your life miserable for any reason, you let me know. That’s not happening.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She chuckled. “What did you do today without me ordering you around the city?”
He told her about his picnic, the run with Reggie, and doing chores.
She had done her own set of chores and made her dad apologize by fixing her shower.
“Nicely played.” He paused. “Did he ask how you knew to stop the water?”
“I told him I’d googled it. After the crap he put you through at dinner, I didn’t want to let him know you’d been in my—gasp—house. I’m telling you, Tex. It makes no sense. My dad is a good guy. He’s just not rational about my social life.”
“He’s a dad. They’re known to be odd. My dad once dumped a load of manure in Liam’s bed to make a point about his room looking ‘like a shit house’—his quote. Needless to say, my brother kept his room neat from then on. But my momma was not happy about Dad’s way of handling things.”
She laughed. “I can imagine.”
They chatted about more family experiences, and he told her his brothers and cousin would be making an appearance in a few weeks. He wondered what they’d think of her.
“Oh, wow. More McGoverns. I can’t wait to meet them.” She paused. “I mean, if they’re around when I’m around.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged.” It warmed him that she thought about a future with him in it. Then he worried what that might mean. Reggie’s comment about Tex being a love-them-and-leave-them-eventually type hit home. Was possibly ruining his career worth a month or two of being with Bree? No way—that was normally what he’d say before cutting himself loose. But he couldn’t. Not yet. Should he say something about his uncertainty? Or wait?
“Oh, man.” Bree let out a breath. “It’s getting late, and I still have some things to do before tomorrow. Can you swing by to get me at eight? Or is that too early?”
“No problem. I plan to get in a workout before I grab you. Back to getting up early. You’ve been spoiling me.”
“Good. No more sleeping in for you.”
He sighed. “You’re a morning person. I thought you were just a perky blond, but now I can see it’s in your DNA. You like getting up early.”
“Yep.” She sounded cheerful, and that made him smile.
“See you tomorrow then. It’s supposed to warm up to seventy, so be prepared to sweat.”
“Ha ha.”
Seattleites prized their warm temperatures and considered anything above sixty to be hot.
“Sweet dreams, Bree.”
She paused. “You just had to say that, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. I’ll see you tomorrow, Romeo. Be prepared to find us a fire. I need more heat for my photographs.” She hung up.
Confused yet charmed, Tex did his crunches before hitting the sack. And damned if he didn’t dream about Bree doing all manner of things without clothes on.
He woke to a raging hard-on and took his fantasies of her to the shower to work them out. He’d always been a sexual guy, but he’d never jerked himself off so much when dancing around a woman. He and Bree surely had some intense chemistry.
When he met her Monday morning, it was business as usual. They cautiously handled each other in a polite yet friendly manner, Bree sticking to her photography and Tex doing his best to keep it professional. Being near her caused everything inside him to stand up and shout, but he figured he’d keep it cool and focus on the job.
The day went well, and he felt proud for being able to pull back and view being with Bree as a job. Well, except for those small smiles she had just for him or the flirty way he kept teasing her, complimenting her, and using any excuse to touch her. The hand on the small of her back. Helping her out of the truck. Helping her into the truck. Leaning close to smell her shampoo.
God, he had it bad.
He promised himself he’d be better the next day, and to give himself a break, he decided to take her to Station 44.
After picking her up Tuesday morning, he informed her of the plan. “Okay, we haven’t taken a lot of shots of my station since the first day, so I thought we could follow the gang today to see what’s what around town.”
“We haven’t taken shots?”
He flushed. “I mean you.”
“Ha. You’re blushing. So cute.”
“Hush, woman. You’re distracting me.”
She chuckled.
“I talked to the guys, and I’m calling in our bet.”
“What bet?”
“Brad and I beat the pants off Mack and Reggie at Spades last week. It’s sad really. In the Marine Corps, you spend a lot of time waiting around and end up playing a lot of cards or dominoes. Brad’s almost as good as I am.”
“He was in the Marines too, right?”
“Yeah. All four of our crew are prior service. Mack was in the Air Force as military police. Brad and I were infantry. Reggie was a sonar tech in the Navy. After we got out, we all met at one point or another and got assigned together, and we stuck. I guess it helps we all did time in the military first. We’ve been together for years. Anyway, that’s not what you asked. Point is, Mack and Reggie still don’t get that they just can’t beat us, and I like to remind them as often as I can.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
“They lost, and now they have to clean our cars and bring in treats from Sofa’s.”
“Sofa’s? Sure, let’s hit Station 44 today. Great idea.”
He grinned.
When they arrived, Brad nodded at them to join him by the engine in the vehicle bay.
“Why aren’t we going upstairs?” Bree asked.
“Because Hernandez and his cronies are circling like buzzards.” Brad glanced around to make sure they had the bay to themselves. “LT brought in his wife’s banana bread, and the guys are all over it.” He grinned at Tex. “Poor Ed has to take a break from the magical bread to work out with the battalion chief this morning.”
“My dad’s here?” Bree blinked.
“Good.” Tex grinned. “Let him compete with Ed and keep them all busy kissing ass. That leaves us with Sofa’s.”
They met Mack and Reggie at a counter along the wall. Today it held a carafe of coffee, paper cups, and plates and napkins to go along with the delicious aroma of baked goods in a box Mack opened.
“Here. You win.” Mack’s sour expression made everything sweeter.
“When are you and Reggie cleanin’ my truck?”
Mack ignored him. As did Reggie. “Hi, Bree.” Mack took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Don’t you look like a fresh spring daisy today?”
She laughed. “Flatterer.”
Reggie smoothly cut in front of Mack and guided Bree to the treats. “Ladies first.”
“Right. Brad, after you.” Mack bowed.
“Asshole,” Brad muttered.
Bree grabbed a blueberry muffin and coffee while Reggie chatted her up.
“How’s it going?” Brad asked in a low voice as he joined Tex a few steps away.
“Okay, so long as her dad stays off my ass.” Tex sighed. “I’m really confused, man.” He made sure Bree couldn’t hear him. “I want to be with her. Like, dating and shit. But that threat from her dad, screwing with my job? This is my life, you know?”
“The guy’s probably just messing with you. Chief Gilchrist is a good guy. Everyone knows it.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Mack had hung back and said in a low voice, “You know, you’re making too big a deal of this. Just hang out with her in private. See where it goes. Then if it’s serious, you make some decisions. If not, you two crazy kids have fun, and no one cares because no one knows.”
Tex tried to consider taking things one step at a time, but for some reason he kept envisioning a future with the sexy photographer. “Oh, ah, yeah, that’s a thought.”
Brad left him to flirt with Bree, or be personable, as he liked to call it. Bree didn’t seem to mind being surrounded by his friends as they let her inside the engine to take all the pictures she wanted. Mack held her coffee for her, and Reggie guarded her muffin in the event the idiots upstairs came down.
They ate and drank, enjoying the lovely morning. The food really hit Tex’s happy spot, and he made a mental note to visit the bakery to tell Elliot how much the firehouse enjoyed his food. Maybe he’d bring Bree with him when he did.
That would be fun. But not a date. Their date would have to be enjoyable and creative while also being private. Hmm. He’d have to think on that.
Reggie called out, “Yo, Tex, get your head out of your ass. Bree wants us to pose for a picture.”
“You mean she wants to frame me with you less-than-handsome bookends.”
“Oh, whatever.” Mack huffed. “I’m the centerpiece here, Tex.”
“Gentlemen. You are all drool-worthy.” Bree gave them directions, moving them just so, adjusting her camera and fiddling. She shot a few pictures before the alarm sounded. The guys shot to their lockers to get their gear on. And man, did they move.
Bree continued to take shots as they geared up and got ready to leave.
Excitement filled him even though Tex wouldn’t be taking part. “Okay, guys, we’ll follow along.” Then he realized they were missing a body. “Where’s the new guy?”
“We left Rob upstairs with the others.” Brad rolled his eyes. “He’s got the personality of a rock.”
“And not a pet rock, because they’re fun,” Mack said.
Bree bit her lip. “They really are. I had one as a kid.”
“I’m coming,” Rob said as he raced into the bay followed by Hernandez’s crew hopping into the aid trucks.
Wash frowned. “I didn’t know the photographer was here.”
“Why should you?” Tex asked.
“Do I smell food?” The giant homed in on the Sofa’s box like a bloodhound. “Yo, Hernandez. They had food and the pretty lady and didn’t share.”
Hernandez flipped Tex off before heading into Aid 44. “I’ll remember this, McGovern.”
“Whatever.” He turned Bree’s attention to both trucks. “Aid 44 and Aid 45 are going out with the engine on this one. Sounds like we need to follow.”
“Uh-oh.” Daughter to a firefighter, Bree would know the seriousness of having everyone out on a call.
He hustled with her to the battalion truck outside as the engine screamed out of the bay, followed by the aid vehicles, and flashed the lights as they headed out.
With the scanner on, Tex picked up the information. A bad fire in an abandoned building that used to be an auto shop not two miles away. Bad news, as the place hadn’t been completely cleaned out yet and likely still had oil and chemicals inside.
As they neared, an explosion rocked the air.
“Shit.” He followed the sirens and pulled in a bit behind, away from danger should another explosion happen but close enough to feel the heat.
“Oh my God.” Bree gaped, her camera in hand, as she left the truck with Tex.
“Shoot, woman.”
“I know, I know.” She snapped photos fast, moving closer and around while Tex continued to guide her back, away from the blaze and responding personnel.
There had to be an accelerant in play, because the fire had spread rapidly and continued to burn like crazy.
The lieutenant was directing people, making sure they established command, an ops link, and had people on the hoses. Brad and Mack were already on one of the hoses to water down the blaze closest to them while Reggie and Rob readied to head inside. Hernandez and Wash suited up as well, two more ready to go in and scope things while the other two on Hernandez’s team remained with the aid truck.
Tex listened to the handheld and said to Bree, “Station 28 is on the way. They had something come up, or they’d have been first on scene.” He steered Bree back when she wanted to move closer.
“But I need that shot.”
“Come on. With me.” He hurried them around the action toward the back of the warehouse, which hadn’t yet burned like the front, though smoke poured from the broken windows on the second floor.
Bree gasped.
“What?”
She zoomed in on the building with her camera. “Tex, I see people inside!”
“How many? Can you tell?” He radioed the lieutenant and told him what Bree relayed.
“Looks like three people, no, four. Two older women, a teenage girl, and a young man. They don’t look so good.” An odd mix of folks to be hanging around an old, empty auto shop.
“LT, Bree can see four people. Two older women, a young man, and a teenage girl. Stuck on the second floor. Wait. I can see the girl waving.” He waved back and yelled, “Stay there. We have help coming,” though he didn’t think she could hear him over the noise of the fire and more sirens. “Make it fast, LT. The smoke is bad.”
“Roger. Out.”
It killed Tex not to go inside and help, but he waited while Rob and Reggie rushed around the back, found an open door, and headed inside. Hernandez and Wash stood by outside. Tex changed the channel on the handheld to listen to the operation inside. The guys would communicate via their breathing apparatuses on the ops channel.
He listened as Rob and Reggie scoped the area and were able to locate a set of stairs that hadn’t yet been touched by the fire.
Bree listened with wide eyes, her camera lowered as the action unfolded. Hernandez and Wash continued to wait. The two-in-two-out rule applied, making safety a priority not just for the victims but the responders as well, so one team always had the other’s backs.
“This is scary,” Bree said, her voice quiet. “I mean, I know the job. I’ve seen my dad do this, but it’s still hard.”
He put a hand on her shoulder as they watched and listened.
Rob and Reggie reported they had the two older women, but the younger pair had decided to try to get out themselves.
Bree left Tex behind as she darted to the other side of the building.
“Damn it, Bree. Wait.”
She kept running then stopping to look up through her camera, and he realized she wanted to see if she could help from a better view outside the building. A different perspective.
“There. I can see movement inside. But it’s on the ground floor, and I can’t be sure…”
Tex called it in. Hernandez responded, still waiting for Reggie and Rob to exit. The other two on Hernandez’s crew pulled an aid truck around back as well, so everyone was ready. More firefighters joined the team, waiting out front.
Tex heard through the radio that Rob and Reggie had exited with two women needing medical attention for smoke inhalation but no burns or obvious injury otherwise. Hernandez and Wash then went inside and quickly found the two younger people and escorted them out, the teenage girl in a fireman’s carry.
They put her in the aid vehicle and rushed away while the others helped the older women to medical attention.
Invested in the action, Tex hadn’t realized Bree had kept taking photos. He hoped she got what she needed. He knew he hadn’t, wishing he’d been inside with the others. That desire to help, to be a part of it all, only emphasized that firefighting was in his blood. These men were his people, and he could allow nothing to come between him and his passion.
He glanced at Bree and sighed, wishing his life could go back to being uncomplicated. “You did good, Bree.” He escorted her around to the front of the building, where the captain and her father stood watching as Ed took charge. Her father gave her a sharp look before giving Tex a short nod.
As if Tex would let Bree fall into danger. The thought of that happening didn’t comprehend.
And Tex realized his grand passion might not just be for firefighting, but also extended to one gorgeous blond with a caring heart.