Page 10 of Playing with Fire

Beckett smiled, the right side of his mouth hitching up slightly higher than the left, making him look impossibly sexier. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to pass that message along to my parents.” He opened the bag and pulled out what looked like a long sheet of aluminum foil before tapping the fire department logo on his coat with a long forefinger. Willa tried not to think too much about the strong hand that finger was attached to and what he could do with it, but it was difficult because she was still absolutely mystified.

“You know, Willa. I told you how you could find me, but I gotta say, this is extreme even for you, Wild Woman.”

Willa stared, blindly nodding again when his words finally struck her. “Wild Woman?” Willa squeaked. It wasn’t the worst nickname she’d ever been given, but she certainly didn’t understand how she had come to earn it. The last few years of her life had definitely been wild, but not in a way that would be any kind of brag.

Beckett’s smile widened. “Yeah. Wild Woman.” He winked. Wrapping the shiny silver sheet around her and smoothing the hair off Willa’s face, he continued to fuss over heras he gazed into her eyes. His were a beautiful hazel, the flecks of green and gold near the center capturing her attention and holding onto it tightly. “How about I tell you all about it on our way out of here?” Warmth spread though Willa’s body as she placed her hand in his and she nodded once more. Despite the horrible way the hike had started, it would end on a much better note now that Beckett was with her.

Chapter Seven

~Beckett~

The call coming into the station that a hiker had gone missing had been a bit of a surprise to Beckett, not because people don’t get lost up on Orchard Peak, but because it normally doesn’t start happening until late fall or early winter. Once heavy rain and snow set in, the department always got called out at least once a month to rescue a tourist who didn’t know any better and had gone hiking when they shouldn’t have or without taking the proper precautions. Luckily, they’d never had anyone lose more than a little time and pride in their navigational ability, but getting lost out in the woods was still serious business no matter what time of year it was.

Jude was on-call with Beckett. When the announcement came through dispatch, the two of them grabbed their rain gear and emergency bags before driving out to the trailhead. They put the Chief and the probie on standby in case any other calls happened to come in while they were out searching for the missing hiker before strategizing about what search pattern they would use. Beckett relayed all the information they had on the hiker to Jude as the other man drove the rescue vehicle, shaking his head at the fact they didn’t have much to go on.

The man on the phone had told Beckett he had brought a date out for a hike and she had gotten lost, so all they knew going in was that the hiker was female and had been apart from her date for over an hour. When they arrived at the trailhead and talked to the man, he admitted that he didn’t know much about her other than her name, that she had blonde hair, and that she was not dressed for the weather.

He also admitted to leaving her alone on a trail she was unfamiliar with, something Beckett planned on giving him a stern talking-to about once he found the person and got back.Once the man spoke the name of the woman, however, his mind kicked into rescue mode, focused on nothing other than finding her. Hearing Willa’s name lit a fire under Beckett’s already expedited ass, and he practically ran up the trail to start searching for her.

The rain had let up some, but the terrain was still soft and slippery, his boots sometimes failing to catch with certainty, but Beckett refused to let any of that keep him from his goal. When Willa had left him hanging the other day, he wondered if he would ever see her again. Leaving the ball in someone else’s court wasn’t something Beckett was known for or used to, but he knew he couldn’t just bulldoze his way through things with her.

Willa seemed skittish, like she was wary of either him or romance altogether, but he could imagine something really special between the two of them. Still, there was no way he was going to risk what could be the start of something amazing by being his normal headstrong self. Beckett had to be thoughtful and unselfish. He had to consider what was right forher, but before they could have a shot at anything, he had to find her. Imagining Willa cold and alone, out in the unfamiliar wilderness, sent him into a panic, but Beckett remembered his training, kept his wits about him, and stuck to the plan. There was no way he would leave her out there, not when he wanted, no,neededto see her again.

The minutes ticked by with Beckett shouting her name out into the area thick with evergreens until his voice grew hoarse and his throat grew raw, like he had repeatedly swallowed shattered glass. Just when he thought that things wouldn’t improve, a call into the rain proved him wrong. Following the sound of the earsplitting wail, Beckett jumped over fallen trees, dense brush, and enough mud to pack in the pool at the day spa downtown. The rough terrain didn’t bother him. It was merely a minor inconvenience on his way to reachinghis goal. When Beckett finally found Willa, he could breathe again, having held the air in his lungs from the first time he’d heard that douchebag utter her name.

Beckett relaxed his shoulders. His heartbeat slowed down enough that he was certain he was no longer having a heart attack. Despite his elation at spotting her, Beckett frowned as he approached her, watching her shiver as she huddled against a tree trunk. He could tell from where he stood about twenty feet away that she was cold and scared. He wanted to lighten the mood with some easy conversation.

Beckett hadn’t meant to let his little nickname for her slip, but with her hair plastered to her face and her body caked in mud, how could he not? She looked wilder than ever, though as he squatted next to her and took in her expression, she didn’t have the same carefree look about her that she had the first day he’d seen her. She looked downtrodden, understandably so given the circumstances, but the sight still broke Beckett’s heart.

Giving her a once over to assess her injuries, Beckett found himself frowning again when his eyes landed on her swollen ankle. “Looks like you’re hurt.” Holding up his hands in front of him, Beckett raised a brow in question. “Mind if I take a look?”

Willa’s head slumped to the side, her darkened hair getting caught in the bark. She was clearly tired and Beckett wanted to be quick so they could get her warm. “Yes, though I’m pretty certain it’s not broken.” She winced when he touched the swollen skin.

“Definitely twisted though.” Beckett glanced up at her with a sad smile. “I’m guessing that’s why you’re lounging at the base of a tree and not making your way down the mountain.”

Willa huffed, the action taking some of the heaviness that seemed to be weighing her down off her chest. It was amazing how much relief Beckett felt at even just that small improvementin her mood, and the fact that he felt it spoke to how he was already half gone for the woman. “I would hardly call it lounging, but yes, it hurts to put weight on it.”

Nodding, Beckett tightened the Mylar blanket around her shoulders, tucking it closer to her body to help trap what little heat she was emanating. “Well, that just leaves one question.” At her raised brow, he spread his arms wide with a grin. “How do you want to be carried out of here?”

Willa’s eyes grew three sizes as her jaw went slack. “Carried?” Her voice was high as she scanned the empty wilderness. “I figured you would call for a stretcher or an airlift or something.”

Beckett’s smile magnified at the adorably perplexed expression on her face. “Nope. I’m afraid that I’m the fanciest ride available.” He grabbed his two-way radio and relayed to Jude that he’d located Willa and would meet him back down at the bottom of the trail, further requesting that he get a medical kit ready for her ankle. When Jude replied in the affirmative, Beckett gave Willa a final once-over. “So, do you want me to cradle you or would you prefer a piggyback ride? Normally you wouldn’t get options, but since you’re a fair bit smaller and lighter than me, you get to choose. Lucky you.”

“Lucky me,” she whispered. Willa’s eyes trailed up and down Beckett’s body. His shudder had nothing to do with the cold seeping in through his raincoat.

The interest in Willa’s eyes was obvious, and he welcomed it wholeheartedly. Beckett wasn’t an overly vain man, but he knew that he was fairly good-looking and he worked hard to keep his body in tip-top shape. He and his brothers had a reputation in town for not only being some of the most ambitious men but also some of the most handsome. Right now, as Willa’s pink tongue peeked out to catch a drop of rain sliding down her cheek, he couldn’t help but feel grateful to his parentsfor the good genes they’d bestowed upon him.

“Cradle carry,” Willa confessed huskily. It was possible the sultry tone was from the screaming and the cold, but Beckett liked to think it was also from the desire he perceived in those seafoam eyes of hers. “If that’s okay.”

Pleased with her decision, Beckett reached one arm beneath her back and slid the other under her legs, careful not to jostle her injured foot or dislodge the blanket that warmed her. “It’s more than okay. You’re the one calling the shots, Wild Woman. I’m just the one doing the heavy lifting.”

Willa slapped his shoulder just as Beckett straightened to his full height. “Hey, I thought you said I was light.” Willa’s playful expression eased the tightness in his chest, but he still wanted to get her to safety fast and needed to stay focused. “And you said you would explain that little nickname you gave me.”

“I said you were lighter thanme, but I see your point,” Beckett replied, starting their journey. “As far as the nickname goes, well, that’s just what came to mind the first time I saw you.”

Beckett would remember that day for the rest of his life. The sun poured through the windows of her car and bounced off her golden hair, casting her in an angelic light as she danced wildly in her vehicle. She didn’t care how she looked or who was watching. Willa hummed thoughtfully then stayed silent as Beckett stepped over the rough terrain, managing to get them back to the trail just as the rain finally stopped.

Pausing for a moment to adjust the precious bundle in his arms, Beckett smiled down at her. “You just looked so completely free, like there was nothing stopping you from going about getting whatever it was that you wanted, even if it meant having to do the hard thing. It reminded me of myself. I don’t know, I guess I can’t really explain it,” he mumbled, shrugging. Words had never been Beckett’s strong suit and he was slightlyfrustrated that he couldn’t give her more than he just had.

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