Her Firefighter Hero (3 page)

“That sounds fine. I've got several giant coffee pots we can use. Will you need me to provide the ice?”

He nodded. “Yes, please. And I suggest you hire two or three more cooks to help you prepare the food. Will that be a problem?”

She finally met his eyes. “No, I'm planning to speak with some people I know tomorrow afternoon. Since it's seasonal work and only if we get a fire nearby, I think they'll come out of retirement to help me. I also know of two school cooks who are out of work for the summer. I think they'll jump at the chance for this kind of job. I'll alternate their schedules, so they don't get too worn out with the long hours. And then, I'm hoping to make a trip into Reno next week, to buy some additional equipment. Once I've got everything ready, I thought you could come over to check it out.”

Impressive. He much preferred hiring an experienced caterer like Megan. She obviously knew what she was doing, but yes, he would want to check it out. “That would be fine. It sounds like you've already thought this through.”

“I have. But—” she swallowed again “—I just want to make sure my food crew won't be anywhere near the forest fire.”

He hesitated. Obviously, he wouldn't put her or her people in harm's way. And yet, she seemed to be overly worried about it. And for some odd reason, he felt a protective impulse come over him. To reassure her. To keep her safe.

“No, you won't be working close to the fire. The camps are usually situated in a safe zone. I'll ensure your protection. I can promise you that.”

She released an audible breath, and it finally dawned on him that though most people would want to be assured of the same thing, Megan's reasons stemmed from having her husband die in a fire. And he couldn't blame her.

“Mrs. Rocklin, I can assure you that no harm will come to you or your people. Safety comes first with me. We can replace buildings and trees, but no one should ever be injured or die in a forest fire.” And he meant what he said. Deep inside, he knew he'd do whatever it took to keep his word.

A slight smile curved her lips, and she stepped back on the front porch. “I'm glad to hear that. And please, call me Megan.”

He smiled too, beyond relieved to have a caterer set in place. This was his first assignment as an FMO, and he wanted to do a good job. Contracting people to provide food, bulldozers, drop planes and pumper trucks was a large part of his work. He felt better having this item settled.

They discussed her fee and a few other details. As she stepped down off the porch and headed toward the sidewalk, he accompanied her to her truck.

“I can bring the contract by your restaurant in a day or two for you to sign,” he said.

Zipping her jacket up to her throat, she met his gaze. “That would be fine. And thank you. I won't let you down.”

He smiled. “I have no doubt that's true.”

She opened the door to her truck. And as he watched her climb inside, flip on the headlights and drive away, he felt surprisingly happy inside. A strange notion that made him question why. And though he hated to admit it, he knew the answer. He wanted to see more of Megan Rocklin. And that knowledge left him feeling both a little frightened and excited all at once.

Chapter Three

“M
ommy, that man's here.”

Megan looked up. Caleb stood in the doorway of the laundry room in their house.

“What man?” Down on her hands and knees, Megan wrung out a dripping rag into the mop bucket. She blew a long tendril of hair out of her face and glanced toward the threshold again. Jared Marshall stood there, tall and imposing. Little Caleb stared up at the man, a look of hero worship filling his eyes.

“Oh!” Megan's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. She almost groaned out loud, thinking this day couldn't get much worse. Why did this gorgeous man have to catch her mopping up a mess from the leaky washing machine?

Dressed in his Forest Service uniform, Jared held several white papers in his big hands. In a rush, Megan sat back with a thump, taking in the bronze shield pinned to the left front pocket of his drab olive green shirt. He looked so official. So imposing.

Bracing her hands against the floor, she pushed herself to her feet, a knot of tension tightening at the back of her neck.

“Hi, Jared. I didn't expect to see you today.” She dropped the rag into the bucket, noticing that her wet fingers were wrinkled like prunes.

His gaze swept across the room. He observed the washing machine pulled away from the wall, the tools resting on top of the dryer and the sheen of water still covering the damp floor.

She felt nervous and out of sorts having this man in her home. Her house wasn't fancy, but it was normally clean and comfortable. So, why did he have to show up just now, when everything was in a mess? And why did she care what Jared Marshall thought about where she lived anyway?

He chuckled, the low sound sending a shiver up her spine. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but I guess we keep surprising each other.”

“Yeah, we sure do. You caught me at a bad time. The washing machine sprang a leak.” Her voice sounded unnaturally high to her ears.

She turned and moved the bucket out of the middle of the floor. Facing him, she lifted her chin, trying to retain a bit of dignity.

Pretending not to notice her predicament, Jared waved the papers in the air. “I brought over the contract for you to sign. I took it over to the restaurant, but they told me it was your day off. I figured you wouldn't mind if I stopped by.”

Her breath whooshed from her lungs. “Of course not. I only go into the diner on Mondays if they get swamped by customers. It's usually our slow day. I was trying to catch up on some laundry, but it didn't work out quite as I'd planned.”

She took a step, her tennis shoes squeaking against the tile floor.

She indicated the towels and a load of soggy clothes still sitting inside the washing machine drum, half-filled with water. They were waiting for a spin cycle that wouldn't come, and Megan dreaded rinsing the clothes before wringing them out by hand. With everything else she had to do today, she didn't need this problem to cope with. She wanted her laundry clean and put away.

“Jared can fix the washer, Mommy,” Caleb said with confidence.

Both Jared and Megan snapped their heads in the boy's direction, looking surprised. Jared closed his mouth and his gaze zeroed in on the washing machine. June joined Caleb, watching the scene with wary eyes.

“I pulled it out away from the wall, so I could get at the problem,” Megan said.

But the truth was, she didn't have any idea how to fix the machine. Megan had used the wrench to shut off the water, but not before she'd been doused by the spray. She pushed a limp strand of hair back behind her ear, highly conscious that she must look horrible. No makeup. Her hair a mess. Dressed in worn blue jeans and a ratty sweatshirt.

“I have no idea how to fix the leak,” she confessed.

And the drowsy little town of Minoa didn't include a plumber. Folks usually dealt with problems like this on their own. It was expensive to bring an expert in from out of town. Blaine had always handled these situations for them, which was just one more reason she missed him. She'd been about ready to call Tim Wixler, to see if he might be able to come over after he got off work. Now she didn't want to ask for Jared's help, but she sure could use it.

“Looks like the washing machine made quite a mess,” Jared said.

“It did. Water was all over the place. Huh, Mommy?” Caleb scrunched up his nose as he gestured at the walls and floor.

Megan dried her hands on an old towel and heaved a disgruntled sigh. “Yes, I was just cleaning it up.”

“My dad always fixed the washer,” June said in a slightly defensive tone.

Jared quirked one brow in an endearing smile. “He did, huh? I'll bet he was very handy at fixing things. Do you mind if I take a look?”

June didn't respond. She just studied him, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Please do. And thank you.” Megan stepped back to let him through, tugging on her children's arms to get them out of the way.

Right now, she didn't care that Jared was a wildfire fighter. She'd be grateful just to have her washing machine back in commission. Besides the added expense of buying a new machine, she didn't have time to drive into Reno to shop for one right now. If necessary, she could do it when she went into the city to buy the extra equipment she needed to cater meals to the firefighters, but that wasn't her preference. Her budget was stretched too tight already.

“Why don't you read through this while I see what I can do?” Jared handed her the contract and scrunched his tall frame into the narrow alcove behind the washer so he could inspect the hoses connecting the machine to the faucet.

Megan took her kids into the kitchen, where they all sat at the table and she pored over the contract. There were two copies, and she assumed one was for her. She'd just signed on the bottom line when Jared came in wiping his damp hands on a towel.

Caleb popped out of his seat and stood wriggling with anticipation. June folded her arms and scowled at the man.

“You don't happen to have any hose washers, by chance?” Jared asked.

Megan cocked her head to one side. “What do you mean?”

He held out his hand. On his calloused palm rested a little black washer that was split in two. “This kind of washer. It seals the connection between the faucet and the hose. This one is split, which is what I believe caused your leak.”

She crinkled her nose in a grimace. “It was more like a geyser. And yes, I use those kinds of washers on my garden hoses.”

He nodded. “Yes, that's right. Do you have any extras lying around?”

She stood and pulled open a drawer filled with a variety of junk. Tape, string, paper clips. A catchall drawer where she stashed odds and ends. She snatched out a small package she'd put there last summer and handed him a washer.

He flashed a satisfied grin. “I'll have it fixed in a jiffy.”

“See? I told you so. Jared can fix anything,” Caleb crowed with victory.

June didn't say a word. Just sat there with a frown tugging at her brow. Megan figured the girl was feeling territorial because a strange man was in her house. A man that wasn't her daddy.

Megan and the kids followed Jared into the laundry room, craning their necks to watch him work.

“Can you show me how to fix it? Then I'll know what to do the next time this happens,” Megan said.

“Sure. Come here.” Jared waved her over.

The children stood beside the dryer while Megan squeezed in against the wall and Jared placed the washer inside the hose opening. Standing this close to the man, she caught his clean, spicy scent and gulped in a shaky breath.

He screwed the connection onto the faucet and tightened it down. As he worked, his arm brushed against hers, sending currents of warmth and energy zinging up her arm.

She stepped away quickly, her face heating up. “You think that's it?”

“We'll know in a moment,” he said.

Wrapping a towel around the connection, in case it sprayed the room again, he turned the water back on with several quick twists of his wrist. The hose pulsed twice as it filled with water, then held strong. Jared tossed the towel aside, then moved the washing machine back into its position beside the wall.

“That's it. You're all set,” he said.

“Wow! You made it look so easy.” Megan gazed at the washing machine with awe.

“Yeah, I think you got the hard part of cleaning up the mess.”

She chuckled. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate this.”

“Yay! Jared did it.” Caleb jumped up and down.

But June just scowled.

Jared reached out and ruffled Caleb's thatch of unruly hair. He smiled wide at the two children. “It was my pleasure.”

A liquid feeling of warmth washed over Megan. Her children were starved for a man's affection. Even June. And Jared was so likable. Her kids needed their daddy, but fate had been cruel to them all. They still grieved for Blaine, but with this handsome stranger standing in her home, Megan couldn't help thinking about the possibilities. She missed having a man around the house. The deep laughter as he played with her children. The brute strength to fix a broken pipe. The soft hugs and assurance when she was feeling lonely or sad.

“Now we have to celebrate and say thank-you to Jared with some ice cream and cookies,” Caleb announced.

Megan released a shuddering breath. “Yes, of course.” She didn't want to serve ice cream to the FMO and, in spite of him fixing her washing machine, she wished he hadn't come to her home. But how could she say no? Her children didn't understand her aversion to firefighters and that she didn't want Jared to linger. They only knew their daddy was a hotshot. And that Jared was a nice man that had helped them out twice.

“Actually, I've got to get back to the office,” Jared said.

“But you gotta stay for cookies. They're homemade. You just gotta,” Caleb howled.

“My mother makes the best cookies in town,” June said, folding her arms and lifting her chin higher in the air. It was almost a challenge. As if Jared would offend them if he didn't eat one of their cookies.

Megan refused to meet Jared's eyes. A conflict as old as time waged a war inside her mind. The desperation to protect her family fought against her desire to be near this amazing man. She couldn't tell him to leave, but neither could she ask him to stay. The choice was his alone.

“Okay, I'll try at least one,” Jared said.

“Yippee,” Caleb whooped.

The boy tugged on Jared's hand, pulling him into the kitchen. Megan followed, letting her daughter help her as she got out a tub of vanilla ice cream, four bowls and a plastic scoop. Jared sat in a chair to wait while Caleb placed the cookie jar in the middle of the table. Within minutes, they were all munching on fresh cookies and spooning ice cream into their mouths.

Megan nibbled her treat in silence. One thought pounded her brain. She'd already signed the catering contract. It was too late to take it back. Her copy sat on the table. Jared had folded his copy and slid it into his back pocket. And now more than ever, she questioned her judgment in agreeing to cater meals to the firefighters. It would only serve as a constant reminder of her lost love. But honestly, she didn't have the courage to ask for the contract back.

* * *

Jared wished he hadn't come here. He should have waited until tomorrow when he could have returned to the restaurant to give Megan the catering contract to sign. Because now he'd caught a tiny glimpse of what it felt like to have a family of his own. A wife and children that needed him as much as he needed them. All the years he'd been married to Sharon, she'd put off having children. And out of respect for her feelings, he hadn't pushed her. But not having kids was one of his biggest regrets.

Now he needed to get out of here. Before he remembered how lonely he was. But Megan must be lonely, too. He'd seen the pictures in her living room, hanging on the walls and standing on the top of the piano. Pictures of Megan with her kids and a man. Her husband. If the wide smiles were any indicator of happiness, he figured she'd loved the guy more than anything else. And Jared couldn't help wishing there was just one person in this world that loved him like that. That there was one woman who missed him when he was gone and couldn't wait to see him again.

He ate his ice cream too fast and immediately regretted it. Pressing his fingers against his forehead, he clenched his eyes tightly shut as pain throbbed through the top of his head.

“What's the matter, Jared?” Caleb asked.

“Brain freeze,” he spoke low and tight.

At least the pain took his mind off how wonderful it was to sit at this table and enjoy the laughter of two sweet kids and their overly quiet mother.

“You ate your ice cream too fast,” June said.

“Mom says to eat slowly, so your food will digest properly,” Caleb said.

Jared almost laughed, thinking what a proper, wonderful mother Megan was to her two children. The kind of woman he wished he'd met and married back when he'd first started his career with the Forest Service. She hadn't known how to handle her broken-down washing machine, but she'd tried. She worked hard at the restaurant, seeming to pull her load without complaint. She did what had to be done. And he respected her for that. But he knew it couldn't be easy on her.

“I'll remember that the next time.” He gritted out the words in a strangled voice.

When the pain in his head eased, he stood and placed his bowl and spoon in the sink. “Well, I better get going.”

He looked at Megan, noticing her pale face and wounded eyes.

“Hey! Maybe Jared can fix our broken swing, too,” Caleb said.

June looked up, her mouth pursed with annoyance. Jared tensed, getting the impression she didn't like him horning in on the chores her father used to do.

Jared met Megan's eyes. He wanted to help out, but he also felt uncertain about his role in this family's life right now. He wasn't really a friend, and yet he wanted to be.