The Firefighter's Vow by Amie Denman

Author:Amie Denman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-11-14T20:31:57+00:00

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TONY LINED UP at the front of the pack with five other firefighters in full gear. He told them all to pace themselves and not try to be heroes, but he knew darn well they would all compete with themselves and each other. He’d run with three of them before, but Marshall and Laura were wild cards.

It was past sunset, but it wasn’t dark. The evening light would last another hour, and all the runners had glow sticks, necklaces and bracelets. It added a layer of safety and fun. The firefighters running in gear already had reflective stripes, and he noticed Laura had attached a glow stick to her helmet, anyway.

One of the police officers fired a starter’s pistol, and the dozens of runners took off. Athletes in shorts and sneakers quickly overtook Tony’s group, but he didn’t let it bother him. Instead he focused on the sizable donation for the burn unit. That was what mattered.

As long as he wasn’t the last firefighter across the finish line.

He passed familiar local businesses in downtown Cape Pursuit. They all had their lights on and lanterns out front for the summer solstice event. Bystanders clapped for all the runners, but especially for the firefighters running in full gear. Marshall dropped back after the first mile, but Laura kept pace with the group. Tony glanced over several times and noticed her flushed face in the streetlights they passed. She took off her helmet once and swiped back stray hairs.

As they approached the two-mile marker, Tony felt as if he were standing unsheltered in front of a raging inferno. He remembered the incredible heat from his previous nine runs, and he vividly recalled nearly passing out once and being tempted to strip off his coat or quit three other times. He slowed his pace to accommodate the heat. Took a cup of water from a race volunteer and noticed Laura did the same.

One more mile. He could do it. A runner Tony had known since high school dropped back, pressing a hand to his side, so Tony ran alongside him and talked for a few minutes. When the man stopped at a water station and waved Tony on, Tony noticed that Laura was no longer next to him.

Had she dropped back without his noticing? Been overcome by the heat? He turned and looked behind him, encumbered by his helmet and the darkness. He saw reflective turnout gear on the ground, a glow stick lodged in a helmet, also on the ground.

Tony stopped, pivoted and ran back. Was Laura okay? His heart burned in his chest and he thought he would burst into flames as he raced toward the firefighter on the ground. When he reached her, he realized immediately that the problem wasn’t with Laura. She was helping a woman who sat on the ground clutching her lower leg.

“Charley horse,” Laura said. She massaged the woman’s leg. “Used to see it all the time with the kids on the cross-country team.”

Tony dropped to his knees beside Laura and immediately felt his own leg seize up.

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