Chasing Fire

this cabin up in Washington State, and that’s where he wanted to be. Everybody knew it was his last season. He kept a distance, if you know what I mean, with the rookies especially.”
    Gull nodded, sampled pound cake. Ambrosia. “He didn’t want to get close. Didn’t want to make any more personal bonds.”
    “I think that was a good part of it. Then L.B. took over. You know how he is. He’s the boss, but he’s one of us. Everybody knows if you need to bitch or whine or let off steam, you can go to him.”
    “Here’s to L.B.”
    “Bet your ass.” She tipped her head as they clinked beer cans. “I like having sex with you.”
    Those cat eyes gleamed in the firelight. “That’s a nonsequitur I can get behind.”
    “Seriously. It occurs to me that the season’s half over, and I’ve never had another one like it. Murder, arson, mayhem, and I’m having sex regularly.”
    “Let’s hope the last element is the only one that spills over into the second half.”
    “Absolutely. The thing is, Gulliver, while I really like sex with you, I also realize that if we stopped having sex—”
    “Bite your tongue.”
    “If we did,” she said with a laugh, “I’d still like sitting around the fire with you, and talking about whatever.”
    “Same here. Only I want the sex.”
    “Handy for both of us. What makes it better, over and above the regular, is you don’t secretly wish I’d be something else. Less tied up with the job, more inclined to fancy underwear.”
    He pulled out a cigar, lit it. Blew out a long stream. “I like fancy underwear. Just for the record.”
    “It doesn’t bother you that I had a hand in training you, and I might be the one giving you orders on a fire.”
    She took the cigar when he offered it, enjoyed the tang. “Because you know who you are, and that matters. I can’t push you around, and that matters, too. And there’s this thing I didn’t think mattered because it never did. But it does when it’s mixed in with the rest. When it’s blended, like we said before. You bring me flowers in a bottle.”
    “I think of you,” he said simply.
    She pulled on the cigar again, giving her emotions time to settle, then passed it back to him. “I know, and that’s another new element for the season. And here’s one more. I guess the thing is, Gull, I’m in care with you, too.”
    He reached out for her hand. “I know. But it’s nice to hear you say it.”
    “Know-it-all.” Still holding his hand, she tipped her head back, looked at the star-swept sky. “It’d be nice to just stay here a couple of days. No worries, no wondering.”
    “We’ll come back, after the season’s over.”
    She couldn’t see that far. Next month, she thought, next year? As distant as the stars. As murky as smoke. Always better, to her way of thinking, to concentrate on the right now.
     
     
    TOWARD DAWN, Gull slipped through a dream of swimming under a waterfall. He dove deep into the blue crystal of the pool where sunbeams washed the gilded bottom in shimmering streaks. Overhead water struck water in a steady, muted drumbeat while Rowan, skin as gold and sparkling as the sand, eyes as clear and cool as the pool, swam toward him.
    Their arms entwined, their mouths met, and his pulse beat like the drumming water.
    As he lay against her, his hand lazily stroking along her hip, he thought himself dreaming still. He drifted toward the surface, in the dream and out of the dream, and the water drummed on.
    It echoed in the confines of the tent when he opened his eyes. Smiling in the dark, he gave Rowan a little shake.
    “Hey, do you hear that?”
    “What?” Her tone, sleepy and annoyed, matched the nudge back she gave him. “What?” she repeated, more lucidly. “Is it the bear? Is it back?”
    “No. Listen.”
    “I don’t want . . . It’s rain.” She shoved him with more force as she pushed to sit up. “It’s raining!”
    She crawled to the front of the tent, opened the flap. “Oh, yeah, baby! Rain, rain, don’t go away. Do you hear that?”
    “Yeah, but I’m a little distracted by the view right this minute.”
    He caught the glint of her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder, grinned. Then she was out of the tent and letting out a long, wild cheer.
    What the hell, he thought, and climbed out after her.
    She threw her arms up, lifted her face. “This isn’t a storm, or a quick summer shower. This is what my grandfather likes to call a soaker. And about damn time.”
    She pumped