Page 8 of Passions Ignite

“And this is Captain Hallie Hunter,” the chief continued, introducing her to a serious-looking woman with a tired smile.

“Good to have you here,” Hallie said, her handshake quick but firm.

“Thanks,” Zoey said, quieter now. She could feel the weight of the room pressing down on her, the unspoken expectations. It was the same as Forest Vale, only her previous comrades didn’t hold any silent judgment.

A familiar face walked over to meet them. It was the nice firefighter, Leilani Silva. “Hello, Lieutenant Knight.”

“Leilani, we meet again.”

They shook hands.

“I see you’ve met Silva here,” Chief Thompson said.

“Yeah, I already did.”

Leilani nodded and walked toward the hoses. The chief led Zoey through more introductions, each blending into the next until they reached the large bay where the trucks were kept. Zoey’s eyes scanned the area, taking in the equipment, the orderly rows of hoses, and the gleaming trucks. It was all so familiar yet foreign at the same time.

As they reached the end of the bay, Zoey spotted a group of pilots near the far wall. One of them, the woman from earlier with dark hair and intense blue eyes, caught her attention. She stood apart, her arms crossed over her chest, whispering with another pilot.

“That’s Lux Valentine, chief pilot,” the chief said, following Zoey’s gaze.

Zoey almost said she recognized her from earlier, but she didn’t. The other pilot next to Lux listened attentively, nodding intermittently. It looked more like a rallying of directives than a conversation. Lux’s body was striking, and the curl of her lips switched from sensual to a snarl constantly. Her blue eyes were hard, and her dark hair was in a neat bun. Her body was beautiful, lithe, and athletic with beautiful curves.

Zoey nodded, tearing her eyes away from Lux. “Looks like she knows her stuff.”

“She does,” the chief said. “But she’s not the easiest to get along with. Stubborn, to put it mildly.”

Zoey shrugged. She could see that Lux Valentine was difficult. It was written all over her face, defiant stance, and tense shoulders. Lux looked like she seriously needed to loosen up. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Zoey glanced over her shoulder at Lux one last time. She quickly dismissed the thought. Relationships hadn’t worked outfor her before. There was no reason to think this time would be any different. And as beautiful as she was, Lux Valentine looked exactly like trouble. Trouble with a capital T.

The chief studied her for a moment. “Get settled in. We’ll need you at command ops tomorrow.”

Zoey closed the door behind her, leaned against it, and closed her eyes. The room was quiet, but her thoughts were loud. She took a deep breath and pushed away from the door, looking to clear her head.

She’d need a clear head to contribute tomorrow, which meant she’d need to stop thinking of Lux Valentine in any way other than professional.

3

LUX

Lux woke up the next day more tired than when she went to bed. She rolled over and patted the empty space next to her.

She recalled Phoebe’s words but quickly discarded them. It was of no use. She’d rather have just a cup of coffee in bed with her. She certainly didn’t need a partner.

She picked up her phone. Two missed calls from Dad.It’s been a day since she last heard from him. Perhaps she could stop by at his place before heading back to the station for the meeting at command ops.

She returned the call, and he picked up after a few rings. “Hello, princess.”

“Princess?” She chuckled. “I’m Chief Pilot Valentine now, Dad.”

Her father’s laugh floated into her ears from the other end of the line. “My bad then. How’re you, little princess?” He stressed the word “little.”

“I’m fine, Dad. Sorry I missed your calls. Are you okay?”

“Younger than I’ve ever been. I’m sure I’d be better if you came to see me.”

“I could stop by before going to the station.”

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