That Hot Night

“Face it Janey, we’ve been found out and now we’re in this thing together.”

“Together? No, we’re not. This is a mistake. It has to be.”

“Would that really be so crazy? You and me, dating?” He waved to the food laid out all around us. “We’re halfway there.”

We are? I shook my head. “We’re friends who sleep together sometimes, Rafe. That’s it.” He knew this which meant he was messing with me.

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself, go right ahead. Just pick up some food and eat or I’ll have to tell Reese you didn’t like it.”

His threat worked and I picked up the plate he’d assembled and took a bite of barbecue chicken with a long, low moan. “You don’t fight fair.”

Rafe leaned over and put his thumb and forefinger under my chin, lifting it until our gazes locked together. “Don’t you forget it, sweetheart.”

Oh, holy hell.Rafe“Captain Montgomery, thanks for all your help. No hard feelings.” Captain Sylvester from the Ogden FD held out a soot-covered hand, his expression sheepish yet grateful. The Tulip FD had been called in to assist on a ranch fire that straddled Tulip and Ogden.

I looked at the hand and slid my own dirty hand against his. “None at all. I’m just happy we could help. And that none of us had to stay all night.” Sylvester had initially opted for a more cautious approach that would have risked the fire spreading from the main house on the ranch, to the dry land and older buildings beyond. “We’re good, Captain.”

A slow smile across his craggy face and he ran one hand through his salt and pepper hair. “Great. I’ll forward all the paperwork to you by the end of the week, Captain. Have a good night.”

I nodded and watched Sylvester walk off, smiling and shaking hands with a few of his men before wishing the Tulip firefighters a good night. He We managed to save most of the property and every firefighter on duty walked off on their own power, so I considered it a win.

What I didn’t expect when I turned my back to the property, was to see Janey there. I wasn’t crazy enough to think she was here for me but she was here and I took advantage of the moment and strolled over to her with a smile on my face. “Janey. I didn’t realize you were interested in shooting news stories.”

She looked up with a small smile curving the corners of her mouth and shrugged. “I’m not. These are for a new series I’m working on.” She notched her chin in the air defiantly. “I do more than calendar shoots, Rafe.”

I frowned at her tone, wondering if she was feeling hormonal but too damn smart to say so. “I know that, jeez, I’m just asking why I’m getting the pleasure of seeing your face after a long night of fighting fire.”

“Oh. Right.” Even in the dark night with the moon hanging low, I could see the blush staining her cheeks at my compliment. “Sorry. I guess I’m a little on edge about this new series. It’s something new for me, something I’ve never really contemplated and I’m more than a little nervous about it. That’s not your fault and I know that, so I’m sorry.” She sighed heavily and blew a stray tendril from her face with a bashful smile.

I took advantage of her admission and that look in her eyes, and pressed into her personal space. “Tell me more about this project.” I never gave it much thought but I assumed she liked taking engagement and wedding photos, plus all the other photo jobs she did around town.

She shook her head and tucked a few strands of hair behind one ear. “I’m not ready to talk about it yet. It’s new and something I haven’t experimented with before and like I said…nervous.” She was cute when she rambled and the mortified look on her face when she realized she was nervous and rambling, was even better. “Anyway don’t you have some firefighting duties to get back to?”

“Nope.” I flashed a smile down at her. “We’re just about done.”

Janey nodded. “You managed to save the land. That’s great.” Her smile widened and she looked up at me like I was some kind of hero.

“That’s the job,” I told her honestly, not looking for another person to see me as something more than a man. Especially Janey.

She shook her head, determination shining in her green eyes like she was ready to fight if she needed to. “I heard you arguing with Captain Sylvester about saving the land and stopping the spread first. You did it, Rafe. Don’t downplay it. Modesty doesn’t suit you,” she said with a wide, teasing grin.

“Yeah, well what does suit me?” Verbally sparring with Janey was fun and the smile that spread across my face could not be contained.