Firefly Mountain Read online

  “So I can photo the fighters in rounds of two so I’m not leaving you understaffed at any given time,” she said.

  “Sounds okay to me.” Chief Warner leaned back in his chair. “Your daddy came to see me the other day.”

  Gini’s shoulders tensed. “He did?”

  The chief nodded. “Told me how important the animal shelter is to you. I mean, I knew you volunteered there. Heck, everybody knows that about you. But, I didn’t know pet therapy is what helped you with your…your, ah…you know, situation.”

  Gini hated that the chief knew about her situation. She hadn’t wanted to tell him, but once her daddy retired as chief he insisted they sit the new chief down and explain it all to him. It was the safe, responsible thing to do, her daddy had said. And he’d been right. Damn him, he was right. Didn’t make sitting there across from the chief any less uncomfortable though. The way he was looking at her with a mix of sympathy, curiosity, and a touch of fear had her feeling like a monster.

  She’d kept it in check though. Hadn’t had an incident in nearly ten years. She kept things light and fun. Didn’t get involved with people who pissed her off. Meditated, practiced yoga, gardened, worked with the animals at the shelter and on her farm. All of that kept her balanced, peaceful. She loved her work, her clients, her assignments. Never had an angry thought at the studio or behind her camera lens.

  Still, the possibility was there. Always lurking beneath her calm, centered exterior. The chance of her temper rising and…

  Gini shook her head to chase away the negative vibes. She cleared her throat and said, “I’d do anything to help out the shelter. They’ve been good to me over there. Giving me my own keys, letting me work and visit there whenever I want. I think this calendar will pull in a lot of money. Money that can go into expanding the shelter, adding more full-time vets and a clinic perhaps.”

  “A good cause, Gini. A real good cause. I’m sure all the men will be willing volunteers, but I haven’t told them yet. Figure they’d be more likely to say yes to a sexy little thing like you than an old geezer like me.”

  Gini let the “sexy little thing” comment go. After all, hadn’t she worn this dress—one she knew made her eyes electric—to be more persuasive? To get the men in a generous sort of mood? A questionable tactic, but Haddy had talked her into using it. It had already worked its magic when she’d come into the station. The compliments had flown around the vehicle bay like moths to a bright light.

  Smirking, Gini stood. “I hope they all agree. You’ve only got twelve of them, and I need all twelve to make the calendar.” She paused and sent the chief a grin. “Unless you want to pose.”

  “My posing days are over, sweetie.” He patted his generous stomach. “Since I’ve been behind this desk, I’ve let the years catch up with me.”

  She shook hands with the chief, thanked him, and stepped back into the vehicle bay. Chief Warner was right behind her. He whistled loudly, causing her to wince and cover her ear.

  “Gather around, men. Miss Gini here has a favor to ask all of you.”

  Jonah was the first to stand in front of her. He winked encouragingly. Gini had already discussed the calendar with him over coffee in her kitchen this morning. Of course he was all for the opportunity to get shirtless and be photographed. She knew he wouldn’t have any objections. He’d offered several posing options as he fixed her barn door, some of them involving exposing a tease of butt crack. The two of them had laughed until tears ran down their cheeks.

  Gini waited until all the fighters were in range. She scanned the assembly and noticed the new fighter, Patrick, at the back of the crowd, hands in his pockets again. She judged he had to be over six feet tall, and every inch appeared muscled and fit. His dark hair and beard were neatly trimmed, his navy uniform pants and polo shirt spotless. Something in the broody hazel eyes told her there was more than a superhero firefighter there.

  She offered him a smile, and Patrick obliged with a slight nod of his head. Something also told her he didn’t smile much. That it took a big effort to get him to smile.

  “Well, fellas,” she began, “I come to ask for your help.”

  “I’ll help you with whatever you want. Whatever you need,” one of the fighters called.

  “William, we’ve been over this,” Gini said. “I don’t date married men.”

  Laughter circulated among the men until Gini wagged a finger at all of them. Like schoolchildren, they hushed and gave her their full attention.

  “I’m looking to raise money for the Burnam Animal Shelter. To do so, I want to photograph all you sexy guys. Yes, even you, Chuck.” She smirked at the fighter standing nearest to her, who narrowed his eyes and held up a fist, pretending he was going to sock her.

  “I want to make a calendar, sell it, and give the proceeds to the shelter. We’ll have a calendar-signing event when it’s finished, and women will drool all over you for twelve solid months. What do you say? Who’s with me?”

  Hands flew up in the air, and Gini applauded. “I knew I could count on you, my heroes. I’ll set up a schedule of when each of you will head over to my farm and bare your lovely chests for photographing.” She was about to say more when Patrick slipping from the group caught her attention.

  “More info to follow, boys.” She weaved through them and stood over Patrick who’d crouched down over the fire hose snaked out on the floor. “Don’t want to hear the details?”

  “Nope.” He dragged the hose over to the nearest truck. The muscles in his arms flexed, and Gini was mesmerized for a moment. She’d put his picture in July, her birth month. Definitely.

  “Why not? I’m—”

  “Not going to take my picture,” Patrick finished. He busied himself with the hose.

  “What? Come on. I need all twelve of you for the calendar.” Gini put her hands on her hips.

  “You’ll figure something out,” he said. “I don’t photograph well.”

  “Doubt that,” Gini said before she could stop herself. Toying with the strap on her purse again, she tried another tactic. “You like animals, don’t you, Patrick?” She angled her head toward Midas, who had taken up residence under the stairs again.

  “Sure, but—”

  “Then you’d succumb to a little harmless picture-taking to help them out, wouldn’t you?”

  “Look. I’ll give you a donation if you’d like, but no pictures.” He neatened the hose he’d been loading.

  “Are you serious?” Gini couldn’t believe he was refusing.

  “Totally serious.”

  Gini touched a hand to his forearm and he froze. “Please?” she asked.

  “I. Don’t. Do. Pictures. End of story, Blondie.” He peeled her hand off his arm and turned back to the truck. “You’ve got enough willing guinea pigs for your little project. Leave me alone.”

  ****

  Patrick could actually hear her mouth drop open though he didn’t turn around to see. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut and sent a silent prayer of forgiveness to whoever might be listening. Not that he believed anyone answered prayers. Not his anyway.

  He hated pulling out the bad guy, but he’d do it to keep her off his back. Had to.

  He waited for Gini to walk away, but she didn’t. Just stood there behind him instead. Only when someone shouted, “Fire!” did Patrick turn around. Gini’s face was white, all the healthy blush in her cheeks drained away.

  When Patrick saw one of the bushes lining the walkway to the fire station burning furiously, he ran past Gini to help extinguish the blaze. Once the flames were doused, blackened twigs were all that remained of the shrub.

  Patrick looked up to see Jonah guiding Gini toward a black SUV parked at the curb. Her beautiful legs wobbled as Jonah appeared to be supporting most of her weight. He was murmuring something to his sister when he settled her into the passenger seat. Jonah hopped into the driver’s seat and sped away.

  “Know anything about landscaping, Barre?” Chief Warner tugged Patrick back toward
the bush.

  “Yeah,” Patrick said. “I know bushes don’t burst into flames all on their own.”

  “Around here, kid, sometimes they do. Go with Chuck, pick out another bush, and replace this one.”

  Patrick bit back the dozens of questions circling his mind. Somebody had a secret here. He knew something about secrets.

  Chapter Four

  “He made me so mad.” Gini brushed the hair out of her face as she gazed out the car window.

  “I know.” Jonah’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry, Gini.”

  “Not your fault, Jonah.” Gini touched a hand to her brother’s elbow.

  Jonah shook his head. “No. I should have tested Patrick out better. He seemed so nice. Easy going. I should have made sure before introducing him to you.”

  “You can’t screen everyone. Besides, I’m the older sister, remember? I’m supposed to take care of you.”

  “And you do. We take care of each other.” Jonah sent her a quick glance and a smile.

  He was right. Her entire family took care of each other as if it were the only job they had. Family came first. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her parents or Jonah. They had done so much for her through the years. Tried to understand her situation. Kept her calm and happy. Put her back together when things went to Hell. Lied to keep the curious from discovering what she was capable of.

  Gini counted the handful of small shops lining Pinecrest Avenue. One bookstore, charmingly cozy. One café, sandwiches and salads. One flower shop, lilies in full bloom. One hardware store, nuts and bolts. One bakery, her mother’s pride and joy.

  Gradually, Gini settled her stirring emotions. Seriously, what had Patrick done that was so bad? He didn’t want his picture taken. That was fair. He had a right to refuse. But why did he refuse? And why was he such a jerk about it? Did he actually call her Blondie?

  Her stomach burned as the tone in Patrick’s voice echoed in her head. She went back to counting shops as Jonah turned her SUV onto Maple Grove Court. Now she counted houses, and with each exhale, she released the anger. Let it seep out of her and vanish into the atmosphere. By the time they pulled onto her parents’ driveway, she was centered again.

  “I have to get back to the station,” Jonah said, “but you shouldn’t be alone or go to work yet.”

  Gini cupped her brother’s cheek. “Once again, you have come to my rescue. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Jonah.”

  “Me neither. You’re such a handful.” Jonah jutted his cheek toward her and accepted the kiss she dropped there. “Get Ma or Pop to take you to the studio, and I’ll pick you up there later so you can have your car back.”

  Gini slid out of the car. She waved as Jonah backed out of the driveway. He saluted her and drove out of sight around the corner. Gini stood on her parents’ front walkway for a few minutes until the door opened behind her.

  “Gini?”

  “Hi, Daddy.” Gini turned to face her father. The look in Walter Claremont’s pale blue eyes told her he already knew what had happened.

  “Chief Warner called.”

  Probably wants you to keep me on a leash. Gini toyed with a pebble on the walkway with her sandal.

  “Come in here, honey.” Walter wrapped his arm around her shoulder and prodded her inside the house.

  “Where’s Mama?” Gini accepted the chair her father dragged out from the kitchen table.

  “She stopped at the bakery. You know how she still likes to get her hands on the dough from time to time.” Walter smiled as he poured them both glasses of lemonade and sat across from her.

  Gini took a long swig, and the remaining residue of the morning’s disaster washed away.

  “What happened?” Her father rested his hand atop hers.

  “Nothing, Daddy. It was foolish. I let someone get under my skin.”

  “Who?”

  “A new firefighter, Patrick Barre.” She watched Walter’s hand curl into a fist. “Down, Daddy. It was my fault, not his.”

  “Anyone who upsets my girl deserves a good beating.”

  “No, no. I let my guard down. He seemed pleasant enough, but when I mentioned taking his picture, he refused. Strongly.”

  “Why wouldn’t he want his picture taken?” Her father’s eyebrows lowered. “Maybe he’s in trouble with the law or something.”

  “I don’t think so. Probably wouldn’t be a firefighter if he was a criminal or in the witness protection program. He’d pick something lower profile to blend in better.”

  Walter nodded. “Suppose that’s true. You’d better stay away from him. You’ve gone a long time without a—”

  “Flare up.”

  Her father’s wry smile made her heart ache.

  “Happy thoughts, baby. Happy thoughts.” He patted her hand and finished the last of his lemonade.

  Happy thoughts. Right. She could do happy thoughts. They had gotten her this far, and she wasn’t about to let some smug jerk who didn’t “do” pictures make her lose control. She’d avoid him. Simple.

  ****

  Patrick wiped the sweat from his forehead and studied the newly planted bush. Chuck had gone off to get the hose to water it. Looking at the work they’d done, no one would ever know the former resident of this particular spot had been charred to an untimely death.

  What the hell had happened? Patrick leaned his chin on the handle of the shovel as he thought back to the morning. Jonah’s hot sister visits. She unveils her ridiculous calendar fund-raising plan. She gets all over his case about having his picture taken. A bush explodes into flames. Jonah escorts shaky sister off the grounds. Patrick was missing something in this whole scenario, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what.

  “Let her rip!” Chuck called back to the station. A gush of water rained down on the new bush. The soil around it was drenched in no time, and the branches splayed open.

  Patrick waved and the fighter manning the hose cut the water. Droplets dripped from the branches, and the earth had that wet, summer sun smell. He breathed it in and put thoughts of Gini aside. That’s where such thoughts belonged anyway. Aside. Way aside.

  As he turned to follow Chuck into the station, Patrick noticed the black SUV shooting to the back parking lot. He’d caught a glimpse of Jonah in the driver’s seat. The passenger side was empty.

  “All set out there, boys?” Chief Warner asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Patrick said. “What hap—”

  “Good, good,” the chief interrupted. “Dorm and kitchen cleaning duty is yours, New Guy. Hop to it.”

  Patrick opened his mouth, but caught the tension in the chief’s jaw. “Yes, sir.” As he climbed the stairs, Jonah came in through the back doors.

  “Claremont, my office. Now,” Chief Warner said.

  “Look, Chief,” Jonah began. “She didn’t mean—”

  “Office, son. Get.”

  Jonah threw up his hands and marched into the chief’s office. The door closed and Patrick couldn’t hear anymore. He was curious though. So curious.

  Let it go, man. None of your business. He’d keep his distance from Jonah Claremont and his mysterious, annoying sister. He’d gone this long without close friends. He could go longer. Too bad. Jonah seemed like someone he wouldn’t mind getting to know better. Whatever. He lived closer to Raina now. Family would have to be enough.

  ****

  No better color in the world. Inferno orange. Vibrant and alive. She loved the flecks of yellow and red that chased each other through the blaze. Reaching higher, gaining strength, throwing a scorching heat that melted everything in its path.

  Such power, such divine power. It filled her. Scared away the dark shadows threatening to swallow her at every turn. Nothing could touch her when a fire burned. It surrounded her, protected her, made her feel real. She was a candle, and without the flame, she was useless.

  This particular fire flickered in time with her pulse. The smoky scent of old wood caressed her nose. Made h
er think of all those campfires she didn’t enjoy as a child. Those campfires where her father told her she was a no good mistake. Told her the world wouldn’t ever accept her. Never understand her.

  He’d been right, but she was changing that. The fire made it possible. If she could cause such destruction, the world would have to notice. Have to deal with her. Have to try to stop her.

  As if they could.

  The warmth from this blaze reddened her cheeks. Couldn’t get too close. Close was dangerous. Windows smashed with the pressure. Glass sprayed, a million heated shards catapulting into the cosmos. Walls crumbled. Family photographs curled and turned to ash. They’d rebuild, but that wouldn’t stop the next fire from being born. Wouldn’t stop the reverence they’d now have toward the strongest of the elements.

  Fire was king and she its loyal subject.

  ****

  The alarm echoed through the fire station and sent everyone into a flurry of action. Gear was donned, engines started, sirens sounded. Two quint trucks raced to Cloudson Drive where fire engulfed a raised ranch. Neighbors crowded the streets as they shook their heads and held their families close.

  Patrick hopped out of the truck as soon as it screamed to a stop in front of the blaze. The heat blasted him, and he threw on his helmet, face mask, and air cylinders. He signaled to Jonah that he was going in. Jonah confirmed the signal and followed right behind him.

  Dispatch had noted it was unknown whether or not the house was occupied. Patrick and Jonah had been assigned to find out. They broke some windows that hadn’t already shattered to let some of the smoke out as they searched. The first floor was empty as was the second. Patrick found a door leading to the basement and when he opened it, a wide-eyed older woman met his scanning sweep.

  “Get me out!” she screeched.

  Patrick grabbed the tablecloth off her kitchen table. He doused it at the sink and threw it over the woman. Covering her face—always careful to cover their faces—he scooped the little grandmother up and bolted for the stairs. The front doors had been hacked away by other fighters and his path was clear.