Wildfire Sweethearts by Leigh Bale

Author:Leigh Bale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Tessa sat in the forest supervisor’s headquarters and gazed at the fire management officer. She felt like she faced a firing squad. The team had returned home from the wildfire yesterday, but maybe she should have waited a little longer before scheduling an appointment with the FMO. She’d told Harlie, her crew boss, that she needed some personal time to run a quick errand. He’d willingly agreed, but she’d seen the questioning look in his eyes as she’d left the hotshot base.

“What is so urgent that you wanted to see me about?” Jared Marshall sat behind his wide, faux-mahogany desk and folded his hands over his chest.

Even though Jared had married Megan a number of months ago, Tessa had no illusions. Not in the workplace. She didn’t want to be here, but she felt compelled. At the beginning of the fire season, she had thought she could keep her distance and work with Sean without involving her heart. But she’d been wrong. Her conflicting emotions were driving her crazy. It was time she did something about it. She had to get away from Sean, for good this time. But it wouldn’t be easy. Most hotshot crews had filled their vacancies long before she’d returned to Minoa. And being a woman starting over on a new squad of macho men meant she’d have to prove her value all over again. For that reason she’d tried to stick it out here, but now she believed a transfer would be better than this angst she was feeling around Sean.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke without stammering. “I’d like to request a transfer to another hotshot crew.”

Jared’s eyebrows lowered, but he didn’t blink. He just stared at her with a dark, brooding gaze that told her he didn’t approve.

“Why?” he finally asked.

Here it was. The big question.

“You already know my history with Sean. Do I really need to explain?” she asked.

In fact, Jared had been a good friend to both of them. But right now Jared was wearing his FMO hat and she knew he’d be nothing but professional in dealing with this situation.

He heaved a deep exhale. “Look, Tessa, it broke all of our hearts when Zach died. But firefighters understand the risks. It comes with the job. It wasn’t Sean’s fault. It just happened. In fact, Megan and I were caught in the same burnover with our kids. We were very blessed to make it out alive.”

Tessa tightened her hands, determined to remain calm and rational. She liked that Jared referred to Megan’s two young children as if they were his own. And she was so grateful they’d made it out of the fire with nothing more than a bit of smoke inhalation. If only Zach had been able to do the same.

“I understand that more than anyone,” she said. “But Sean doesn’t seem to get it. He broke off our engagement, yet he’s so protective of me. With all that’s standing between us, it’s become difficult to work with him.

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