Burn Zone (Hotshots 1)

“Trust me. I’d much rather cut timber than be in the classroom.”

“Yeah, well, don’t get ahead of yourself.” Linc was borderline gruff, but Jacob ignored him and climbed in back of the truck, next to Garrick. If he acted normally, Linc would too. Eventually.

And he was right because Linc settled down when they were out there, scaling trees and hauling branches and doing the other work that needed doing. Linc and the other guys had worked together so long that they had a natural rhythm, a steady patter of inside jokes and good-natured insults that kept the day moving and the work from getting too boring. Of course, it would be far different in the middle of an active fire, but Jacob enjoyed the tree climbing and other arduous tasks. He didn’t even mind the teasing that the others sent his way. It was worth it if it meant getting to hear Linc laugh and if it gave him a better shot of fitting in.

“Damn. You’re fast.” Garrick whistled low as Jacob made fast work of returning to level ground after a preliminary ascent to prepare for felling a tree. The praise felt good, even if he did wish Linc were the one acknowledging his skills.

“Guess we can use you when we have to do some demos like we do for the school groups sometimes. Less waiting around for the kids.” Linc picked up his chainsaw.

“Is that the same thing as ‘good job’ in Linc-speak?” he teased as soon as the others were out of earshot, heading down the trail to the next spot.

“Good job ensuring that Sims and the higher-ups will give you extra work all season long.” Linc’s voice lightened. “But, then you always did seem part cat, leaping from branch to branch like that. What were those obstacle courses you used to do when you were training on the regular?”

“Parkour. I still do them some, especially in the winter. And when Tyler or some others from the old squad are in town and want to work out.”

“Thought he stayed in Vegas pretty much full-time these days,” Linc growled.

Oh, good. Nice to see he wasn’t indifferent to jealousy. Jacob didn’t even bother trying to hide his smile. “He is. But he’s still got family here. And all that old shit between us...over and done. It’s easier to be friends now, forget there was ever anything else there. He’s still fun to spar with.”

“He broke your damn heart,” Linc said in an urgent whisper, almost like he wouldn’t turn down the chance to lay Tyler flat himself. That was cute.

“Hearts heal.” Jacob shouldered his gear. Truth was, whatever he’d felt for Tyler had faded like the summer sun, mellowing into a sort of cool regard where he could appreciate being crazy kids together but not get worked up over old hurts. However, not even Tyler worked him up like Linc did, which was why he hurried to keep up with the others, keep the temptation to flirt at bay. Linc would either take him up on his offer or not. Most likely not, but Jacob would deal with that disappointment in due time, away from the job. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life with a pointless crush, but at the same time, he wasn’t quite ready to give up all hope.

For the rest of the week, he managed to keep his distance. The work was grueling but with each successive jump and task he was even more sure that this was the work he was supposed to be doing. He didn’t stop wanting Linc’s praise, but he tried to focus on the things he could actually control. Wanting Linc wasn’t one of those things, but there was also no point in making both of them continuously miserable.

Not when the job was still so new, and his life was very literally on the line with each new skill and mission. By Thursday, he was ready for their first cargo drop and pack-out. He’d had several successful jumps that week and was ready to finally feel like a functional crew member at last.

Getting the chainsaws and other equipment ready to drop was much more complicated than he had thought. Everything had to be packed exactly right and loads balanced to ensure that the cargo arrived at the same place they did. They’d even take MREs and other rations down with them. With a real deal fire, they would take at least forty-eight hours’ worth of supplies on their person and in the form of cargo drops. Even their own weights had to be balanced—him taking on more since he was the lightest of their four, something Garrick delighted in pointing out.

“Come on, Rook. Doesn’t anyone feed you at home?”

“I burn it all off. Unlike you. And we can’t all be giraffes.” He wasn’t that short—only a little shorter than Linc, perfect for when they...