Page 11 of Five Alarm Love
“Pull the rig out,” Tuli said.
Hunter jumped up into the driver’s seat like gravity wasn’t a problem, but Tuli took precious seconds to manually lift his damned right leg so he could get his foot into the boot.Hip flexion hadn’t completely returned, along with full sensation.All due to the femoral nerve damage from the snow machine accident last spring.
That accident might not have been an accident.One second Tuli was on the machine, and the next he was impaled by a backward-facing branch whittled sharp and set at the perfect height.Lieutenant Kate and the state trooper investigation team hadn’t been able to conclude that it was intentional.
Sure felt intentional as Tuli was bleeding out in the snow.
Now he was left with loss of function that he hid from the world.Funny how he had never wanted to post clips from those early rehab visits.Now his recovery clips were fifteen seconds of nothing-to-see-here and a big smile as he worked out on gym equipment.
He hoped that his physical function would catch up with his attitude.
All Tuli had wanted to do since childhood was become a firefighter.He had been so focused on his goal of returning to work and retaining his position as town’s fire chief that he bluffed his way through the doctor’s appointment to get clearance for active duty.
Tuli grabbed the handle of the passenger door and stepped up, relying on the upper body strength he had built up over the past several months to compensate.He had banked on not having to test the leg quite so soon.Maybe he wouldn’t have to bend and lift much.
“Let’s go,” he motioned.
“Think EMS will be there?”Hunter flipped on the siren and turned onto the two-lane state highway.
“Sure.How come?”Tuli knew why but dreaded the answer.
Somehow, the bro flexed in full turnout gear while driving.If Tuli wasn’t baseline irritated by the dude’s attitude, he would have been impressed.
Hunter grinned.“Hanging out with my cousin, showing her my firefighting skills.”
“Really?”
“No.You figured out my endgame.”Somehow, he turned up the wattage even more on his broad smile.“I want to rescue someone cute and be a hero.Get on TV.”
It took all of Tuli’s willpower not to tell the guy to cram it up his fire hydrant.As chief, Tuli had to maintain control and some level of professionalism.
As a normal dude in normal society, he wanted to drop a ladder on Hunter.But he had to tread cautiously with Lou’s cousin.
Tuli wasn’t confident that Hunter had her best interests at heart.
Heck, who was he kidding?Hunter hadHunter’sbest interests at heart.
Who had Lou’s best interests?
Did Tuli want to steer her toward a guy who did?A guy who would be right for her and who could provide what she needed?Tuli’s palms sweated in the gloves.At one point he had been ready to try to be that guy.
That was then.
Instead of responding to Hunter’s dumb comment, he held up a hand to shut the guy up while working the satellite phone.No radio, because so much of their work was in remote locations.Dispatch relayed additional details.
“Damn it.”He put the phone back in the holder.
“What?”Hunter asked, peering through the windshield as the few vehicles pulled over on the highway to let them pass.
“Single dwelling.Two family members not yet accounted for.”
For all his swagger, trainee Hunter knew when to shut his mouth, grip the wheel, and press the accelerator.He also seemed to know where to go without directions.Made sense.After all, he’d lived in Yukon Valley much of his life up until he’d left for Seattle for the past several years.He’d just returned a year ago and lived at his dad’s place in the village.
Tuli knew everyone’s history.#Smalltown.
They turned off the highway onto a gravel-and-dirt road that led to the dwelling.The Beck family had been in Yukon Valley for three generations.They worked hard and were solid folks.Now they needed Tuli’s help.
The fire engine bumped and bounced under him as it climbed the hill to the property.Smoke billowed up from what he assumed was the structure.Or what was left of it.In the side mirror of the firetruck, additional flashing lights spun behind him.Likely EMS and state trooper vehicles.
