Kitabı oku: «Facing the Fire», sayfa 2

Well, she’d suckered him in once with that helpless act. Damned if he would fall for it again.

She sighed. “Look. Can we just forget it? I don’t want to argue all the way to Missoula.”

“Yeah.” He didn’t need this aggravation. He had enough problems to deal with. He needed to hightail it back to Missoula and get himself checked by a doctor so he could return to the jump list.

“Catching the dog won’t take that long,” she added. “I’m sure he was somebody’s pet.”

“We’ve already stayed here too long. That road’s going to close any minute.”

“Is the fire really that close?”

He glanced at the thrashing treetops. “It depends on the wind speed, but yeah, it’s almost here.”

“But what’s the dog going to do in the fire?” Her dark eyes pleaded with his. “He can’t run with that hurt paw. And he’s so hungry.”

“He’ll get away.” He returned his gaze to the dog skulking from the safety of the trees. Despite his assurances, they both knew that he wouldn’t make it. He was far too weak to escape a wildfire.

“Just give me five more minutes.” Her soft brown eyes met his again, and despite the urgency, he felt himself waver. “Please?”

He pulled his gaze from hers and back to the swaying pine trees. He was a damn fool, risking his life for a stray mutt and a woman who had betrayed him. But crazy or not, the sooner they captured that dog, the faster they could leave the forest.

“Three,” he told her. “And not a second more.” Resigned, he opened the rear passenger door and riffled through his PG bag. He found his supply of beef jerky in the side compartment, removed several strips and handed them to Jordan. “Here. If this doesn’t get him, nothing will.”

“Thanks.” Her full mouth softened into a smile, and he felt the tug to his heart.

He was a fool, all right. Annoyed by his weakness for this woman, he strode to the front of the Jeep. Then he propped himself against it to wait.

Jordan walked to the edge of the road, broke off a piece of beef jerky and tossed it to the dog. The dog eyed it and scented the air. The warm wind blew dried pine needles across the road and lifted the fur on his ruff. After several seconds, he padded forward and licked the jerky, then finally gulped it down.

Jordan held out another piece. “Come on, sweetie,” she cooed. “Come here. We won’t hurt you.”

Without warning, Cade felt the caress of her soft voice, remembered it sliding over him in the dark, along with her lips and body. His gaze roved her tiny waist, the curve of her bottom encased in tight blue jeans, the pale patch of skin exposed beneath the T-shirt. He wanted to run his hands up that silken skin, taste her heat, her desire. Hear that low moan she made when he stroked her naked breasts.

He dragged in his breath. This was a hell of a time to remember their sex life—the one thing they’d gotten exactly right.

He forced his attention back to the dog. Looking as mesmerized as Cade had once been by Jordan’s voice, the dog crept cautiously closer. But he stopped a few feet from her hand.

Cade’s admiration rose. The dog was smarter than he’d ever been. That sexy voice wouldn’t trap him.

“Come here,” Jordan wheedled. The dog whined, and she tossed him another piece of jerky. Still trembling, he again inched forward. Then he snatched up the jerky and ate it.

“That’s right,” Jordan encouraged. She held out another piece. “You’re such a sweetie. Such a good dog.”

The dog moved even closer. Just inches from her hand, he stopped, plopped his hindquarters in the dust and craned his neck toward her hand.

“Look, he has a collar. He really was someone’s pet.”

“Jordan—”

“I know. We’re almost there. Such a good dog,” she continued cooing. Seconds later, the dog scooted forward and took the beef from her hand. “Good boy! Now let’s get you in the car. Come on, sweetie. Come on.” Holding another fragment of jerky, she backed slowly to the Jeep. The dog glanced at Cade and yawned.

“Look away,” she said.

“What?”

“You’re stressing him out. Don’t look him in the eyes. And yawn if you can. That will make him feel safer.”

Skeptical, but willing to do anything to hurry them out of the forest, Cade turned his head and faked a yawn. In his peripheral vision, he saw the dog creep toward the Jeep, and his respect for Jordan grew. So she could manage dogs.

“Okay, this is the test.” She set the jerky on the floor of the Jeep and stepped back. “Come on,” she urged.

The wind creaked the pine branches in the silence. The dog limped forward, then stopped. Seconds ticked by, and Cade’s impatience mounted. But just as he opened his mouth to protest, the dog jumped into the Jeep.

Jordan closed the door. “Got him.” She whirled around and beamed up at him, and he felt the kick to his heart. “That beef jerky was perfect. What a great idea.”

“I guess he just needed the right enticement.” His gaze slid over her creamy face to the pale smattering of freckles on her nose, over soft, full lips and down to her breasts. His pulse leaped. He knew what had motivated him.

Until she’d gutted his heart and stomped out his illusions. His jaw hardened. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Sure.” Hurt flashed in her eyes and she turned away.

Hell. He hadn’t meant to sound rude, but he didn’t have time to mince around her feelings. They had to get out of this forest fast.

While she retrieved the bowl she’d set in the road, he climbed into the Jeep and closed his door. The movement sent pain shooting through his shoulder and he struggled to breathe. As bad as he ached, he must have cracked his collarbone, maybe even a couple of ribs. Jordan slid in beside him and slammed her door, and the sound throbbed through his skull. He probably had a concussion, too. He just hoped it wouldn’t keep him off the jump list long.

She cranked the engine and they lurched forward. Unable to buckle his seat belt, he planted his feet wide against the floorboard to steady himself in the seat. Fighting off another bout of dizziness, he closed his eyes.

For several moments, they drove in silence. Warm air rushed through the open windows. The Jeep bounced down the dusty road, eating up the distance toward the front. Like any seasoned smokejumper, Cade used the spare time to rest.

“Do you smell something?” Jordan asked.

He blinked open his eyes and sniffed. “Yeah. That damn dog stinks.”

She shot him a wry smile. “I mean besides the dog. I could smell him out in the open.” Her smile faded, and worry crept into her eyes. “I think I smell smoke.”

He inhaled deeply this time, ignoring the ache in his ribs. The faint scent of burning pine filled his lungs. “Yeah, I smell it.”

“Do you think we’re too late to get through?”

“We’ll find out.” He scanned the thick trees lining the road but didn’t see signs of the fire.

“I’ll go faster.” She accelerated, and the Jeep leaped forward. Dirt spun under the tires and kicked up clouds of dust. They hit a hard bump, jarring his shoulder, and he choked back a groan. He didn’t care how much the damned thing throbbed. He’d have to wait and deal with it later, after they got past the fire.

The Jeep rocketed down the road and the smell of smoke grew stronger. Jordan stared straight ahead, her brow furrowed in concentration. Cade felt his own tension mount.

Then smoke drifted over the road and his stomach tightened. The fire was closer than he’d thought. And unless the front made a sharp detour, they’d be caught in its path.

They careened around a curve and up a knoll, and suddenly, the front appeared on the right. Deep-orange flames surged toward them. Dark, heavy smoke roiled over the road.

“Stop!”

Jordan slammed on the brakes. The Jeep skidded sideways, and Cade braced his boot against the dashboard to keep from hitting the windshield. They abruptly jerked to a stop.

The roar of the wildfire filled the forest. The wind whipped the tall flames skyward and curled them high through the trees. Dry branches exploded in brilliant bursts, shooting flames through the crowns.

“Oh, God,” Jordan breathed.

Cade frowned. From what he could see through the smoke, the perimeter was completely erratic. Long fingers of flame ran ahead of the front, pushed by the powerful winds. Sparks blew through the billowing smoke and torched spot fires over the road.

A gust of wind scattered ashes on the Jeep. Flare-ups hissed and snapped beside them.

“Cade,” Jordan said, her voice unsteady. “What are we going to do?”

Good question. “We can’t outrun that flame front.” Unless there was a natural barrier ahead that protected the road. And he sure as hell didn’t remember one.

His shoulder screamed as he reached back for the radio in his PG bag and he blinked against the pain. Maybe someone had reconned the fire from the air and knew if they could make it. The smoke was too thick for him to tell from the ground.

But then the wind gusted again. The smoke lifted, and he saw the road for himself. It ran straight ahead, right into the path of the fire.

He glanced at Jordan. Raw fear shone in her eyes. “Can we get out?” she asked, her voice trembling.

His gut twisted, and he reluctantly shook his head. “Not through that. We’re trapped.”

Chapter 3

Trapped? Jordan tore her gaze from Cade and gaped at the inferno raging before her. A fierce roar shook the air. Flames swirled up pines like fiery tornadoes and shot sparks far overhead.

Fear slammed through her nerves and she stifled a cry. They had to get away. Run! But she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t even see where they needed to go.

Ashes blew across the windshield and the grass beside the Jeep started burning. A towering wall of fire charged toward them while thick, heavy smoke rolled over the road.

“Turn around,” Cade said over the noise.

“But the grass is burning!”

“So back up and then turn around.”

Of course. Her heart hammering, her breathing shallow, she threw the Jeep into Reverse and hit the gas. They sped back to a wide spot in the road and she slammed on the brakes. The Jeep bucked to a stop, then stalled. “Oh, God.”

“Take it easy,” Cade said, his voice even. “We’ve got time.”

Time? With the world around them on fire? She flicked her gaze to Cade. He slumped back in his seat, his head cradled casually against the headrest. How on earth could he stay so calm?

Her gaze switched to the windshield. The wild flames thundered over the earth, and terror raced through her chest. But Cade was right. This wasn’t the time to panic. She needed to control her fear and get them away from this fire.

Inhaling deeply, she cranked the engine and spun the wheel, making the Jeep lurch forward. Then she hit the brakes, shoved the gearshift into Reverse and shot back.

They stopped, and she sucked in another breath. She’d turned the Jeep around. Now she just had to drive away. Her heart still sprinting, she floored the gas pedal. The Jeep fishtailed, straightened and hurtled back up the dirt road.

They rounded a bend, and she looked in the rearview mirror. The flames disappeared behind the dense stands of fir trees, and she hitched out her breath. They were safe, at least for now. She eased up her foot on the gas.

Several breaths later, her heart stopped quaking. She pried her fingers from the steering wheel and rearranged her grip. The roar of the fire gradually faded, and her galloping pulse finally slowed.

But then she heard a soft, high whistle from the backseat. She pulled her foot off the gas and glanced back.

The dog huddled on the floor behind Cade’s seat, trembling wildly and breathing in thin, reedy gasps. “For goodness’ sake,” she said. He was hyperventilating. She reached back and stroked his soft head, and his worried gaze lifted to hers. “Don’t worry, sweetie. We’re okay.”

At least she hoped so. She glanced at Cade, still slouched calmly in his seat, his booted feet planted on the floorboards. “What are we going to do now?”

His vibrant blue eyes met hers. “You remember that old logging trail past the cabin?”

“How could I forget it?” They’d hiked that trail dozens of times to picnic in the meadow by the stream.

At least they’d intended to picnic. Heat gathered low in her belly, along with a memory as intense as any fire. Of lying in the warm, sunlit grass, Cade’s strong arms holding her tight. His hard face taut, his breathing ragged. His eyes singeing hers.

His blue eyes narrowed, and she knew he remembered it, too. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs and she yanked her gaze to the road.

“It might not be open,” he continued, his voice rough. The husky timbre made her shiver. “I couldn’t tell when we were setting up to jump. The timber’s too heavy to see the road from the air.”

“I guess we can give it a try.”

“We don’t have a choice. There aren’t any other roads out here.”

She tried to picture the abandoned road. She remembered long, deep ruts and knee-high weeds, at least in the section they’d hiked. They’d never quite made it past that meadow.

She cleared her throat. “Do you know where it comes out?”

“According to the map, it should hook on with another Forest Service road on the other side of the mountain. That’s if we can get through.”

“And if we can’t?”

“We’ll figure something out.”

That remark was so typical of Cade that, despite her fear, the corner of her mouth curved up. “How many times have I heard that line?”

He lifted his uninjured shoulder, and she marveled again at his calm. He never worried or panicked, even with a forest fire licking his heels. He excelled when things got tough.

His confidence impressed her, though, and always had. And his strength. Her gaze slid down his corded neck and broad shoulders to those big, callused hands and muscled thighs. He was a tough, capable man, all right, and it had been easy to let him take charge.

But after he’d left, none of that strength had helped her. Not during the endless nights she’d spent alone. Not when she’d discovered she was pregnant. And especially not on the desperate drive to the hospital or in that cold, white hospital bed.

Or during the grief-stricken days that followed, when loss turned to desolation.

A hollow feeling filled her chest. She’d never told Cade about the baby. When he hadn’t returned, she’d simply packed a bag and left, the same as he’d done to her.

A sliver of guilt pierced her throat. She knew she’d handled that badly. Instead of fleeing Missoula, she should have stayed and told him the truth. But she’d been nineteen years old, in an agony of pain, and so shattered she couldn’t think straight.

And what did it matter now? The past was gone. And at least she’d learned her lesson. After suffering through a childhood with a wandering father and then that lonely marriage to Cade, she wanted a man who stayed home. And she’d have one, as soon as she got them out of the forest.

Her mind safely back on track, she drove quickly along the dusty road, past the spot where they’d rescued the dog. Minutes later, their old cabin came into view. Despite her neglect, it hadn’t changed much over the years. Dead branches littered the rooftop, but the weathered logs framing the one-room structure still lent it a sturdy look.

“You still have that chain saw?”

Startled, she glanced at Cade. “You think the road’s that bad?”

“It could be.”

She sucked in a breath. If trees blocked the road, it would take forever to cross the mountain. And what if the fire came their way?

Determined not to panic, she hissed her breath back out. “It’s in the toolshed.” She parked between the trees behind the cabin and cut the engine.

Cade climbed down, and she opened her door to follow. Then she paused. She’d had a hard time cleaning that cabin, surrounded by impressions of Cade. Every chipped plate, every battered utensil had flooded her with memories, reminding her of those tender days. And the bed….

Her face flamed. No wonder she’d ignored the cabin all these years. It had been far easier to let it go than relive those delirious times. And how could she stand to be here with him now?

She had no choice. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath of pine-tinged air and stepped down. “We’ll be right back,” she told the dog and closed the door.

Fir needles cushioned her steps as she trailed Cade to the wooden toolshed behind the cabin. She tried not to walk too close, to keep some distance between them. She didn’t want to feel his heat, his power, that mesmerizing tick of desire that consumed her whenever he was in sight.

He stopped at the door and waited for her to unlock it. She stepped beside him and that smoky scent reached her nostrils, along with the essence of Cade. Her head felt light, and her pulse quickened at the vivid memories. How many times had they done this together, coming home to the cabin? But back then, they’d be laughing. Cade would pull her close and nuzzle her neck….

Her hands shaking, her face burning, she fumbled to unlock the rusty padlock securing the door. She didn’t dare look at Cade.

She finally unhooked the lock and stepped back. Cade moved forward and she braved a glance at his face. His jaw was rigid, the muscles along his cheeks tense.

Without warning, his gaze met hers. And for an instant, she saw that old fire in his eyes, the urgency and passion.

And then, just as fast, it was gone.

Unable to breathe, she yanked her gaze to the ground. And suddenly, an ache swelled in her heart, along with a deep sense of loss, as if something special had disappeared from her life, something unique. A connection, a sense of destiny she’d never felt with anyone since. And maybe never would again.

Her throat cramped as Cade shoved the creaking door open and stepped past her into the shed. His boots tramped hard on the wooden floor, and his wide shoulders filled the narrow doorway. She blinked back the blur in her eyes.

Seconds later, he turned and handed her a coil of nylon line with an old wooden clothespin stuck to it. Somehow the rope made her feel even worse, and the wedge in her throat grew thicker. It shouldn’t have been fun washing their clothes by hand, stringing that line across the cabin in the winter, letting the clothes dry by the heat of the woodstove while they made love on the bed. But dear God, she’d adored this man.

She looked at his unyielding face and just then, it struck her. The deep bitterness he felt, the resentment. The fierce anger he’d fostered for years.

He blamed the collapse of their marriage on her.

But that was crazy! He was the one who had left. He’d chosen his job over her.

But he didn’t see it that way. A sick feeling spiraled through her stomach. Oh, God. “Cade, I…” Her voice shook, and her heart battered hard against her rib cage. “Back there, when we were catching the dog, you said, you thought I’d…that I’d abandoned you.”

He stilled, and the muscles along his jaw tensed. “You’re trying to tell me you didn’t?”

“Yes. I mean no, I didn’t, I never…”

“Right.” Bitterness seeped through his voice. “Well, you sure as hell fooled me.” He made a sound of disgust and turned away.

And her heart balled even tighter. She never would have abandoned Cade. She’d loved him back then, truly loved him, with a passion bordering on desperation. He’d been the center of her world, the hero of her childhood dreams—or so she’d thought.

But even when he’d crushed those dreams, she’d never intended to hurt him. She’d just been too wrapped up in her own misery to do anything more than flee.

She gazed at his rigid back and her heart wrenched. She had to tell him that. Even if it didn’t change how he felt, he needed to know the truth. He probably wouldn’t listen to her now, and with the fire at their backs, this wasn’t the time. But somehow, before they reached Missoula, she would explain.

He lifted a plastic fuel container with his left hand, shook it, and handed it back. Then he pulled the chain saw from the shelf. “When was the last time you used this?”

“I never have.”

“Hell. The damn thing probably won’t run.” He set it on the ground outside the shed, turned back and grabbed an ax. He set that down next to the chain saw.

“That’s it,” he said, still sounding angry. “Let’s go.”

Her heart weighted, she tucked the clothesline under her arm, picked up the chain saw, and headed toward the Jeep. She heard Cade close the shed door behind her.

He helped load the tools through the rear window, and every jerk of his arm, every twist of his head tightened her nerves, reminding her of the unfinished business between them. Still, she was thankful for his silence. With her emotions so raw, she didn’t trust herself to speak.

“The trail starts just past that boulder,” he said when they’d climbed back into the Jeep.

“I remember,” she managed. She pulled back onto the road and drove slowly toward the large rock, then stopped when she spotted the trail. Ferns sprawled over deep ruts and potholes. Branches poked through the clusters of weeds.

Her apprehension rose. “It looks pretty rough. Do you think the Jeep will make it?”

“It had better.”

“You’re right.” No matter how primitive, this road was their only way out. She tentatively stepped on the gas.

The Jeep bumped over a branch. The grooves around Cade’s mouth deepened and he cradled his arm to his chest. She hit the brakes, concerned. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You don’t look fine.” His skin had paled and new creases lined his forehead.

He flicked his hard gaze to her. “Well, looks can be deceiving, can’t they?”

A swift jab of hurt lanced her chest. “You think I deceived you?”

He raised a brow but didn’t answer, and she yanked her gaze to the trail. So he thought she had deceived him, that she’d lied to him when she left. In a way, she didn’t blame him. But he was wrong, and she had to explain that. She owed him that much after everything they’d shared.

But this wasn’t the time. Her throat aching with guilt and apprehension, she pressed on the gas. Fortunately, dodging branches demanded concentration and she pushed the past to the back of her mind.

But that left her to deal with the present. And no matter how difficult the trail was, her senses locked on the man stretched beside her. His long, muscled legs and sturdy boots filled the periphery of her vision. Every time she inhaled, his low, smoky scent scored her lungs. Even the rasp of his breath stroked her nerves into heightened awareness.

But then, he’d always had that effect on her. From the moment they’d met, he’d taken command of her senses. The attraction had been instant, overwhelming, sparking a passion they couldn’t contain. But even a fire that hot couldn’t sustain a marriage, especially when Cade wouldn’t stay home.

She glanced at him again and stifled a sigh. Unfortunately for her, the man still rattled her senses. Ten long years hadn’t dimmed that attraction one bit.

Which was going to make this one uncomfortable drive.

About a mile past the cabin, the road started climbing. Thankful for the distraction, she stopped and shifted to all-wheel drive. The sun slid behind the mountain as she powered uphill, sending long shadows over their path. The pines turned a darker shade of green, and the warm air gradually cooled.

Suddenly, she spotted the old meadow and her heart jammed in her throat. And despite her intentions, sensations clawed through her nerves, memories of rolling in that fragrant grass, alive and in love with Cade. When need had surged, and laughter had turned to breathtaking hunger.

Desperate to banish the memories, she stomped on the gas. The Jeep lurched forward, the meadow disappeared behind them, and she slowly released her breath.

She braved a glance at Cade. He stared straight ahead, the muscles along his jaw taut. Whether from pain or seeing the meadow, she didn’t know. And no way was she going to ask.

A moment later, he cleared his throat. “Have you used this Liberty much off-road?”

She inched out her breath. “It’s not mine. I rented it at the airport. I thought I might need an SUV if the roads were bad, and the Liberty was all they had.”

His eyes met hers. “So you don’t live around here?”

“No, I work in Virginia. I just came here on my vacation.”

“To stay in the cabin?”

“No, to sell it.” She pulled her gaze to the road. Frankly, she didn’t know why he’d ever given her the place. She hadn’t asked for it. And although she loved to hike, he was more the outdoorsman.

Maybe it had reminded him too much of her.

“So you don’t come here much?” he persisted.

“No.” Her gaze met his again. “This is my first trip back.”

His blue eyes narrowed on hers. She waited for him to ask why she still owned a cabin she never used. Why she hadn’t severed that tie to him years ago. Questions she’d refused to ask herself and certainly couldn’t answer.

His eyes searched hers, and her pulse drummed in her throat. “Looks like you picked a bad time,” he finally said.

“Yes.” She dragged her gaze away. Her timing stank, all right, especially since she’d come back to get over him. And the irony of that struck her hard. Instead of being able to forget the man, she now had to spend hours trapped in this Jeep beside him, conscious of every movement he made.

Moments later, the trees on the side of the road thinned, and Cade straightened in his seat. “Stop for a minute, will you?”

“Sure.” Anxious to put some distance between them, she braked and turned off the engine. Cool air blew through the open windows, along with the distant roar of the fire.

Cade grabbed his radio and climbed out. Jordan glanced back at the dog curled behind his seat and wondered if he needed a break. But what if she couldn’t catch him?

“Sorry, sweetie,” she said. “We’ll let you out later, when we’re farther away from the fire.” She stroked his head, smiling when he looked up and whined. He really was a sweet dog. Thank goodness she’d found him in time.

She got out of the Jeep, closed the door and stretched to ease the tension from her shoulders. Then she joined Cade at the edge of the road.

She looked down at the forest and the air locked in her throat. A sea of fire shimmered below them, rolling and seething like something alive. Brilliant orange flames streamed over the livid mass and whipped high into the sky.

“Looks like it jumped the road,” Cade said. “It’s a good thing we turned around.”

She searched for signs of the road they’d traveled, but the fire had swallowed it up. She shivered, suddenly very glad Cade was with her. What would she have done on her own?

The cool wind gusted and blew her long hair forward. She gathered the thick mass and held it over her shoulder to keep it out of her eyes. “It’s windy up here.”

“It’s that front pushing through.” He lifted his radio and pushed a button. A small red light came on. “Campbell, this is McKenzie.”

“McKenzie,” Trey radioed back seconds later. “What the hell are you still doing out here? I thought you’d be soaking in a hot tub with some naked blonde by now.”

Cade chuckled, and a swift pain cramped Jordan’s chest. Caught off guard, she sucked in her breath. She couldn’t be jealous. That was ridiculous. She and Cade were divorced!

She glanced at him, and her lungs closed up. He stood with his long legs braced apart, his wide shoulders framing his muscled body. Of course the women flocked to him. And when he looked at them with those eyes…

“Listen,” he said into the radio. “We couldn’t get through on the road, so we turned around. We’re up on the ridge behind the cabin.” He paused, and Trey said something she didn’t catch. “It’s pushing west,” Cade said, “but the perimeter’s erratic.”

Her stomach still churning, she turned away. Below her, a tree exploded, launching deep-orange flames toward the sky. She tried to imagine people down there fighting that fire—smokejumpers like Trey and Cade. How on earth did they find the courage?

“You’re probably going to need that tanker,” Cade said. “The mud should help you get close. Just make damned sure you’ve got an escape route.”

An escape route. She swallowed hard.

“Probably back inside the burned-out area,” he added. “And heads up on this one. I don’t like the way it looks.”

Fear lodged deep in her throat, and she took a long look at the fire. She’d never understood that aspect of Cade—how he could stand the danger. It had seemed reckless to her, even selfish, that he’d risk his life for this job. Every time he’d left, she’d been terrified he wouldn’t return.

And now that she could see the sheer enormity of the fire, the risk seemed even worse.

“Yeah, I’ll keep you posted.” He turned off the radio and his gaze met hers. And without warning, her world tilted even more. He was good at this, she realized, an expert. A leader who took charge and got the job done.

Not the thrill-seeker she’d once thought.

And he cared about his men. Enough to radio and help them, even when finding his own way out.

She cleared the sudden tightness from her throat. “Can they really put out this fire? It’s so huge.”

“It’s getting there.” He gazed down at the blaze. “They’ll have to get a tanker in here in the morning, probably bring in a hotshot crew and get more saws on the line.”

“Why didn’t they do that to begin with?”

“Because the fire wasn’t big enough then.” His gaze met hers. “Smokejumpers are the initial attack team. They drop us in while the fire’s still small, and we put it out before it goes big.” He smiled wryly. “At least that’s the idea. If we can contain it, we save them a lot of money.”

She looked out at the fire again. “You save more than money.” That fire devoured trees and killed animals. And if it reached a populated area, they could lose homes and people, too.