Read Online Fire in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) by Becca Jameson - Free Book Online
Authors: Becca Jameson
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her brain cells out and shuffled them around on the ground, like fifty-two pickup.
“They are just east of here, but your captain is on his way to this location. He’ll be here in a sec. Were you injured?” Hardin glanced down at her body and nodded.
“No. I’m fine. Glad there was a cave entrance at that precise location this morning, but I’m all good.” She stood straighter.
The only thing injured was her pride. It was tough enough proving her value as a female firefighter. She didn’t need this sort of occurrence to make the guys think she wasn’t up to the task.
Just then a brush truck pulled up behind the cruiser and Captain Wilson exited, rounded the hood and headed her way. “White. Thank God you’re okay. You scared the piss out of us. Fucking smart of you to duck into a cave. You were well and truly screwed when the wind changed direction and trapped you against that hill.”
His words were like a balm. Instead of reprimanding her for being careless or implying she wasn’t up to the job, the man commended her for her quick wit. She exhaled a long breath she’d been keeping stored up since the minute she’d entered the cave in the first place.
Brianna worked hard for this career and she didn’t intend to blow it now. She had been the only girl she ever met who went as a firefighter for Halloween every year from the time she was four years old. This was her life. Her father had been a firefighter. He’d died in a freak accident when a ceiling collapsed when she was twelve. Her mother had died a few years later of a broken heart. The woman never got over the death of her husband. Even with Brianna by her side, she hadn’t coped well.
Brianna had gone to live with an aging aunt for a few years, but the minute she’d graduated from high school she’d come back to the Smokies to fulfill her dream of following in her father’s footsteps.
The man had been her idol. Even his death hadn’t stopped her from wanting to make this her career. If anything, his dying solidified her drive to reach this goal.
She wanted him to be proud of her…wherever he was.
“Where’s the rest of the unit? I’m ready to get back on the line.”
Wilson shook his head. “Not today. Take the rest of the day off. Join back up at the base tomorrow morning. Six sharp. You need to unwind. That was quite a scare.”
“But—”
“That’s an order, Brianna. Not a suggestion.” He eyed her seriously. Captain Wilson often called her Brianna when they were alone. She knew for a fact he didn’t call any of the others by their first names. She was astute enough to realize he thought of her as sort of a daughter he never had. And that worked out perfectly since she thought of him as a father figure in the absence of her own.
Brianna opened her mouth to complain again but thought better of it. She didn’t need to sound like a whiney brat on top of everything else that happened. “Okay, sir. I’ll meet you in the morning then.” She turned toward Jaxon who’d stepped several feet away from her when her captain had arrived. A thought made her glance back. “Captain? Did anyone else get trapped?”
“No. It was close. Michaels was in the next position over from you. He ran backward when the wind shifted. He got lucky. Wide open space was behind him. It was he who radioed in your location and reported you missing. He hoped you’d ducked into a cave.”
Brianna nodded.
The sheriff spoke up then. “I’ll drive you into town.”
“Thanks, Hardin. I really appreciate your help in this matter. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m grateful for your assistance.” Wilson took Hardin’s hand. Then he turned to Jaxon. “Are you the one who found her?”
“I am.” Jaxon shook the captain’s hand next.
“Jaxon is one of the best trackers I have in this area. If he can’t find someone in my mountains, they aren’t there.” Hardin beamed with pride. His explanation was a little lacking to her ears, and
“They are just east of here, but your captain is on his way to this location. He’ll be here in a sec. Were you injured?” Hardin glanced down at her body and nodded.
“No. I’m fine. Glad there was a cave entrance at that precise location this morning, but I’m all good.” She stood straighter.
The only thing injured was her pride. It was tough enough proving her value as a female firefighter. She didn’t need this sort of occurrence to make the guys think she wasn’t up to the task.
Just then a brush truck pulled up behind the cruiser and Captain Wilson exited, rounded the hood and headed her way. “White. Thank God you’re okay. You scared the piss out of us. Fucking smart of you to duck into a cave. You were well and truly screwed when the wind changed direction and trapped you against that hill.”
His words were like a balm. Instead of reprimanding her for being careless or implying she wasn’t up to the job, the man commended her for her quick wit. She exhaled a long breath she’d been keeping stored up since the minute she’d entered the cave in the first place.
Brianna worked hard for this career and she didn’t intend to blow it now. She had been the only girl she ever met who went as a firefighter for Halloween every year from the time she was four years old. This was her life. Her father had been a firefighter. He’d died in a freak accident when a ceiling collapsed when she was twelve. Her mother had died a few years later of a broken heart. The woman never got over the death of her husband. Even with Brianna by her side, she hadn’t coped well.
Brianna had gone to live with an aging aunt for a few years, but the minute she’d graduated from high school she’d come back to the Smokies to fulfill her dream of following in her father’s footsteps.
The man had been her idol. Even his death hadn’t stopped her from wanting to make this her career. If anything, his dying solidified her drive to reach this goal.
She wanted him to be proud of her…wherever he was.
“Where’s the rest of the unit? I’m ready to get back on the line.”
Wilson shook his head. “Not today. Take the rest of the day off. Join back up at the base tomorrow morning. Six sharp. You need to unwind. That was quite a scare.”
“But—”
“That’s an order, Brianna. Not a suggestion.” He eyed her seriously. Captain Wilson often called her Brianna when they were alone. She knew for a fact he didn’t call any of the others by their first names. She was astute enough to realize he thought of her as sort of a daughter he never had. And that worked out perfectly since she thought of him as a father figure in the absence of her own.
Brianna opened her mouth to complain again but thought better of it. She didn’t need to sound like a whiney brat on top of everything else that happened. “Okay, sir. I’ll meet you in the morning then.” She turned toward Jaxon who’d stepped several feet away from her when her captain had arrived. A thought made her glance back. “Captain? Did anyone else get trapped?”
“No. It was close. Michaels was in the next position over from you. He ran backward when the wind shifted. He got lucky. Wide open space was behind him. It was he who radioed in your location and reported you missing. He hoped you’d ducked into a cave.”
Brianna nodded.
The sheriff spoke up then. “I’ll drive you into town.”
“Thanks, Hardin. I really appreciate your help in this matter. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m grateful for your assistance.” Wilson took Hardin’s hand. Then he turned to Jaxon. “Are you the one who found her?”
“I am.” Jaxon shook the captain’s hand next.
“Jaxon is one of the best trackers I have in this area. If he can’t find someone in my mountains, they aren’t there.” Hardin beamed with pride. His explanation was a little lacking to her ears, and
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