When Sparks Fly (First-Responders Book 1) (2 page)

The sun has already reached the horizon as we walk through the empty bay. “Well, I guess I better be on my way. I’ve still got a mile to go back to the house.”

Seth grabs my wrist gently. “Oh no you don’t. There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight until I know you’re home safe.” He turns to one of the other guys, “Hey, she only lives a mile away, so I’m gonna run her home real quick. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure thing, man. Take your time with that little cutie,” he responds. “I know I sure would,” he mumbles as the other lets out a cat-call whistle.

Seth cuts his eyes back at his comrades, daring them to smart-off again.

“Just ignore them. They’re fresh out of the academy,” he says as an apology.

He walks me to the side of the building, and my mouth gapes. He’s got a jacked-up, black-as-night Hummer. “Nice wheels.”

“Thanks. It’s great for the beach. I haven’t ever gotten close to getting stuck. I’ve pulled quite a few stranded trucks out as well.”

I climb up in and allow him to shut the door for me. As he walks across the front, the headlights showcase his incredible body, even
with
a shirt on.

“So, where am I taking you?” It feels like a prickly wheel runs up my spine when he speaks.

“5318 Pueblo Vista.”

The drive is entirely too short. As he gets out, I notice his iPhone sitting in the console. I quickly grab it and add my information, sending a text to myself as well so that I have his. He catches me and raises an eyebrow. “Just in case you might want to check up on me later.”

He laughs, and I know he knows.

I hop down on still wobbly legs, and he walks me up to the door. After sliding my key into the lock, I turn around to face him. He’s so close, I can feel the heat radiating off of his body and with his proximity, I have to look up at him. My eyes linger on the perfect three day stubble shading his jawline. All I want to do is run my tongue along the edge and then bite his earlobe.

“Well, goodnight then…”

It suddenly dawns on me that I haven’t even given him my name. “Macy. My name is Macy, and thank you for being so kind.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Macy. You take care of yourself, and keep your injuries covered for the next several days.”

He turns and walks down the driveway as I push the door closed behind him. Leaning up against it, I can feel my heart rate running wild. “Seth,” I whisper. So much sexier than Fireman-Joe.

Rookies.
I shake my head in frustration. The academy training standards definitely aren’t what they used to be. “Reset and do it again!” I bark out.

This is the first week out of the academy for Blake and Tyler. Today we’re working on quick-response hose stretching and hydrant attachment. Their times are horrendous, and they aren’t working together as a cohesive unit. “Tyler, remember to make sure that the hose is attached to the hydrant first. Blake, as soon as he torques it down, you each grab a side of the roller and sprint. It has to be a flat lay down. If it turns on itself, you will lose pressure and cause spasms in the line making it difficult to control.”

“Yes, sir!” they respond in unison.

I don’t mind the training aspect of my job. I really don’t. But when the academy isn’t making sure the basics are one hundred percent understood before moving on, well, it’s like trying to build an upside down pyramid; one block on the bottom and adding more on top. Without a stable foundation, these guys aren’t going to succeed, and someone is going to get hurt. Or even worse; killed in an accident.

After another hour, I can tell the guys are getting fatigued. Bunker suits are miserable in these summer temperatures, but they have to learn to both deal with it and know how to work with them on. The thick gloves give everything a completely different feel than bare hands, but they also allow you to work where you otherwise couldn’t.

“Looks like you two finally have it down,” I praise. “Let’s call it. Drag all the hoses out down the driveway to dry. Then you can get those suits turned out, and we’ll chow.” I can see the exhausted, and yet excited release of breath from them both. Their pace picks back up as they unroll each length of hose, stretching from just inside the bay, all the way to the end of the drive.

Knowing they worked their butts off, I head inside to the kitchen and start making sandwiches. Three types of meat, three kinds of cheese, loads of lettuce, tomato, and mayo, all times six. Yeah, these guys can eat, and I’m in dire need of a decent workout, so I will too.

“Thanks, ‘old man,'” Blake smarts off as he jogs in ahead of Tyler, and grabs a plate of food.

“’Old man?” I huff. “Looks to me like you have plenty of energy left. Maybe you need some wind sprints.” I raise an eyebrow at him for the comment.

“No, sir. I’m good. Thank you, sir,” he corrects, retracting his previous statement.

“Humph, that’s better.”
Hell, I’m only twenty-eight.

The cold meat sandwiches are quite perfect in this warm, humid weather approaching summer. I opt to only eat one of mine, packing the other up and tossing it on the shelf in the fridge. Heading to the bunk room, I change from my duty uniform into a pair of basketball shorts and tennis shoes. Returning to the common room, I get Blake and Tyler’s attention. “Guys, I’m heading outside to get a workout in.” They both just raise a hand over their heads to signify that they’ve heard me. They’re too busy on the damn Xbox I never should’ve let them bring in to worry about me.

I head out through the door and into the bay. We’ve got practice connectors mounted to the wall just outside the bay doors, and I know just what I want to do. Grabbing two hoses, I connect them each to the wall, stretch them out, and grab the opposite end of each. They are still wet, adding the perfect weight. I begin single arm slams with the lengths, and it doesn’t take long before the burn starts in my shoulders and down through my forearms.
Yep, this is definitely what I needed.

Just as I hit my breaking point and release the hoses, I hear something from behind me. Looking back, I watch in horror as a very attractive woman trips over the remaining hoses and crashes against the pavement. I cringe when I hear her head smack down and I all-out sprint to her, praying her head isn’t busted open.

“Miss? Miss are you okay?” She’s out, and her breathing is shallow. Carefully lifting her, I bring her inside to the small medic room and place her on the cot. She’s got some really bad road rash on her left leg and elbow. Grabbing supplies, I clean the wounds up with saline spray first, removing the little bit of debris, then with hydrogen peroxide. After drying everything off, I spread Bacitracin ointment and bandage her up.

Her breathing has regulated, and I question whether or not I should take her to the ER for a CT scan. I opt for the former and decide to keep her under observation for now. In addition to my paramedic training, I trained in the Navy to deal with concussions in the field. “Blake,” I call out. Within seconds he comes running from indoors.

“Yes, sir?” He cocks his head when he looks into the room, confusion marking his brow.

“Keep an eye on her, will you? I’ve got to get cleaned up. Let me know when she wakes up.”

“Will do.”

I head inside. “Tyler, get the hoses pulled in. We had a jogger that was injured.”

He drops his controller instantly. “On it, sir.”

I strip out of my clothes and start up a cool shower. I’m a little shaken, knowing that my decision to leave the hoses out led to this girl’s demise.

Damn. She is stacked and cute as hell from what I could tell. The eyes really make a person, so I will have to wait and see.

As I’m redressing, I hear Blake call out, “Hey Seth, she’s waking up man.” I hurry back out, and even through her confused look, I can see the sparkle in her hazel eyes I was hoping for. Once I’ve gone over with her what happened, gotten her calm, and had the opportunity to touch her hand, she decides it’s time to leave.

I think this girl is strong and determined to be self-sufficient, but no way am I about to let her walk the rest of the way home. That shit just wouldn’t sit right on my conscious. Plus, my mother raised me better than that. Her house isn’t far, so I insist on taking her home. When we get there, I hurry around to her side to open the door and catch her with my iPhone. I cock my eyebrow at her.

“Just in case you might want to check up on me later.” She smirks, knowing she’s caught.
You better believe I’m going to be checking up on your cute little ass.

Walking her to the front door, I finally get her name.
Macy. Mmm. Short, little, sexy Macy.
I flash her my brilliant smile as I walk away. Seeing the flush to her skin, recognizing her attraction to me, I know this won’t be our last interaction.

As I drive back to the station, I realize I can still smell her in the Hummer. I take so many deep breaths, pulling the floral scent into my lungs that I’m dizzy by the time I park. Remembering Tyler and Blake’s comments about “taking my time with that cute little thing,” I start plotting. Seeing as they had the energy reserves for comments like that, I think some additional
expenditure
tomorrow will be necessary. The entire bay at the station could use a good top to bottom cleaning and organizing, on top of their daily exercises of course.

I smirk as I climb out of the Hummer and head back inside.

Karma’s a bitch, and tomorrow that bitch is named Seth Avery.

The second my heart rate returned to normal, I was on my cell dialing my best friend. Rachel and I have been inseparable since the second grade. We had the chickenpox at the same time our third-grade year and went to D.C. together after sixth grade for a Future Leaders of America camp. Got in our first car accident together, and even went to Senior Prom together as “friends.” Yeah, that was an interesting summer of discovery. I wipe my chin at the memory like I do every time I think about it.

“Oh my God Macy, tell me everything!” Rachel screams as she comes crashing through the front door.

“I’m feeling fine, not that you even care, obviously.” I jab her in the side with my elbow as she walks past. “Shit!” I grab my left elbow. Acting out of instinct, I didn’t even think before throwing my injured limb into her ribs.

“Ha! That’ll teach you.”

“Rachel, you’re such a bitch.”

“Yeah, but I’m
your
bitch.” She winks at me as she carefully takes me in a hug. “So, tell me what happened. And get us a bottle of wine.”

“Do you think drinking is the best idea in my current condition?”

“Okay, well then get
me
a bottle of wine. I’ll drink enough for the both of us.”

“Geez,” I whine stomping off toward the kitchen. I grab a bottle of blush from the fridge but I don’t even bother with grabbing her a glass; she won’t use it while drinking alone. Returning to the living room, she takes the bottle with a smile, well aware that I didn’t bring a glass on purpose.

“I’ve got to say; I’m a little hurt that you’re more interested in my five minutes of contact with Fireman-Joe, whose name is Seth by the way, than the fact that I’m all banged up.” I cross my arms and flop down into the soft heaven of the double-sized living room chair.

“You wished you were all banged up by Seth,” she says over the lip of the wine bottle, a mischievous twinkle in her light blue eyes.

The pillow I chuck at her narrowly misses her head. “You know what I mean.”

“Are you walking, talking, and attempting to cause me bodily harm? Then I’d say you’re just fine, normal in fact. Now, spill the damn beans! Is he as gorgeous up close as he is from the road?”

Rachel has listened to me speak about the sexy fireman for weeks. She demanded I take a more direct approach than just jogging by and praying for him to speak to me.

“Even more so,” I say dreamily I roll my head back and close my eyes briefly, reliving the feel of his strong, rough hand on mine and the sound of his deep voice reverberating through me. “Mmm,” I moan lightly.

“Um, need a moment, Macy?”

Opening my eyes, I let go of the lip I’m rolling between my teeth. “Or maybe you could help?” I cock my head to the side and stick my tongue out at her.