Fighting the Flames(6)

 

"Fine. Take this." He handed her his helmet, and she shook her head. He thrust it into her hands. "Do it or go back inside, Syd."

 

The nickname came as a shock to her. Memories flooded in, of Maddox lounging in front of the TV with Rob, drinking beers, and him absently thanking her for bringing them food. "Thanks, Syd."

 

And later after the funeral: "I'm so sorry, Syd. So damn sorry."

 

Maddox had been working with Rob at the time of the accident.

 

"Put it on, dammit!"

 

She obeyed his barked command, and then he pulled out an ax. "Use that to push limbs toward the flames or stir the dirt."

 

She nodded. She might not be trained to work without water, but she'd listened to enough of the guys' stories to know the basics. She gripped the ax, and then he grunted.

 

"Hold on." He reached into his pack and came out with a spare pair of gloves. When she took them, their hands brushed. Electricity traveled through her fingers into her arm and swirled in her chest, but he seemed unfazed.

 

She eased the gloves on. They were far too big, but she'd deal. She was happy to be helping save her land.

 

They worked alongside each other for most of an hour. As he cut, she'd shove brush back, keeping it out of the yard. At this time of year in California, everything was as dry as dust, even the grass. A small flame could go a long way, and her cabin wasn't out of danger yet.

 

She pulled off the helmet to backhand sweat from her eyes. Maddox straightened, staring at her. A pull in her gut made her look back. His hard lips compressed, and then he turned away and started cutting again.

 

She couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to say something to her.

 

"Sydney! It's Sydney!" the call reached them, and they both stopped working to see Lincoln striding in their direction, his helmet off and grinning from ear to ear.

 

When he enveloped her in his big, strong hold, yanking her off her feet, she put her arms around him and squeezed him back. The reunion   felt so good, so right. Why had she stayed away from these guys all these years? She'd been selfish, living in her own grief for too long. It was time to step out.

 

She could see past the smoke now.

 

Lincoln set her back on her boots and looked her over. "You didn't tell us Sydney was in the cabin, Maddox," he said without removing his gaze from her.

 

She felt Maddox come up behind her, his body heat a wall against her back, burning through the thin fabric of her sweater. "She was." He said no more.

 

"It's great to see you. Looks like most of the flames are away from the cabin, but I came to talk to you before I go down the ridge with Blaze and we start checking for heat."

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

This practice was exclusive to smokejumpers-they took off their gloves and used their bare hands to feel the ground, ensuring no fire could rekindle. If it was hot, they stirred the earth up to disperse the heat.

 

"Before you go, what extra gear you got?" Maddox asked over her head.

 

She wanted to twist and look up at him. He was a whole head taller, and she'd get a perfect view of his chiseled jaw, bristled with rough black hair. She folded her gloved hand into a fist and gripped the ax tighter with the other.

 

"If you'd stuck around for the drop, you'd have extra gear too, dickhead," Lincoln said with a note of teasing. He was tall and lean with muscle, his head shaved close. Last time she'd seen him, he'd had a thick mop of brown hair.

 

"Yeah, yeah. If you have anything Syd can use, give it to her."

 

Lincoln removed his pack and produced an extra water bottle, some flares, and some granola bars.

 

"Thanks," Maddox said before she could. "That'll hold her over for a bit until we can get her airlifted." He looked at the sky where the smoke plumed and swirled, indicating the wind speed might not be ideal for an air rescue.

 

Her throat closed up, but she swallowed against it. She was safe with these guys. If anybody could get her out of here alive, it was them.

 

Maddox put a hand on her back. A thrill ran through her, dropping low into her belly. She blinked, stunned, and missed what he'd said.

 

"Sydney, drink some water. You need to stay hydrated," he repeated.

 

She nodded and shook off her too-big glove to open the bottle. He did the same, and Lincoln tore open a granola bar with his teeth just as another jumper came out of the smoke.

 

"Blaze!" She bounced on her toes and then ran into his arms. He picked her up too, swinging her like a pendulum. Then he gave her a smacking kiss on the forehead and set her down.