Page 82 of Burning Justice

Maria waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah.”

Crew dragged JoJo over to dance.

Across the room, Skye and Rio sat at a table, their heads close. Maria said, “You think they’re talking about baby names already?”

Kane chuckled, probably thinking it was too soon, but Maria knew a secret only the girls on the team knew.

Saxon, Mack, and Hammer played pool across the room. Mitch and Tucker, their wives, and the jump base pilot and spotter chatted at a table.

Maria spied a T-shirt that said Last Chance County and gasped. “Is Ridge here?”

Kane said, “First, I think you need to tell me about Crispin’s job offer.”

Maria turned and slid her arms around his waist. “It isn’t an operator position. It’s admin and logistics. Some travel, some schmoozing with Department of Defense bigwigs. Stuff like that. He made it sound super boring, and I can work remotely. Wherever…we are.”

“Hmm. We. I like the sound of that.”

She kissed him. “I thought you might.”

He’d spent two weeks in Georgia with the Army before coming back to finish out the season smokejumping. They hadn’t talked about what he wanted to do next.

“Where might we be?”

“I’m still figuring that out.”

“Did Hammer talk to you?”

Kane nodded. “He and Mack are going back to Colorado, and Saxon is gonna go with them.”

“Their hometown?”

“Renegade Mountain.”

Maria said, “We should go visit them.”

“I already said we would.” He took her hand and led her to two guys wearing matching black shirts with LCC Fire Department on them, close to where Logan sat on a stool. Logan’s health had stabilized, but he wasn’t ever going to fight fire anymore. He’d accepted a position as incident commander with Cal Fire and started in a couple of weeks.

Maria had seen a photo of Bryce, Logan’s twin brother, before. He was dating Penny, Tori’s sister, who stood close by, talking to Jamie. Both of them started laughing.

Logan lifted his chin, and the two firefighter guys turned. Bryce stayed by his brother while the other man approached them, a look of awe on his face. Ridge Foster had Kane’s build and green eyes but a side part in his darker blond hair.

“My cousin, the hero. Back from the dead.” Ridge grinned, an edge of sadness in his eyes.

Kane burst out laughing. “You think I’m gonna die for real and leave you to have all the fun without me?” He let go of Maria’s hand and hugged his cousin. It started out with a lot of manly backslapping that sounded painful, but they settled in quickly. Hanging on to each other. Brothers, even if they were cousins. Two men who’d grieved losing each other.

Kane cleared his throat. “Good to have you back.”

“You too, bro,” Ridge said.

Maria swiped under her eye. “You guys are adorable.” They’d missed each other, even if they’d been able to text and communicate in other ways some.

“And your girl, here with you.” He shoved Kane aside playfully and held out his hand. “Ridge Foster. Charmed to meet you.”

She set her hand in his, laughing. “Nice to meet you as well.”

Kane slid his arm around her, severing the hand hold. “Get your own girl. You can’t have mine.”

Ridge gaped, astonished, but it was clearly only pretend. “How dare you insinuate I would try and convince her to run away with me?” He glanced at her. “Do you want to? You know, just in case.”

---