shook hands firmly and then Sam stepped back to slip an arm around Laurel. Dex stood apart from Cady.
“Hey, Dex. Which one of Cady’s cakes is your favorite?”
Dex stilled. Laurel’s innocent question had Cady’s stomach doing tumble turns. When he didn’t reply right away, Sam and Laurel looked at him curiously. Then they looked at Cady. Then, back at Dex.
He rubbed a hand over his hair, which left it spiky and unruly, like he’d just got out of bed. Like he’d just fucked someone in the kitchen of Cady’s Cakes. Or on a mountain. Or in his truck. Cady swallowed hard. Her head was still spinning and she felt like she’d scarfed too many cupcakes.
Dex chuckled politely and when he looked Cady directly in the eyes, she tried to remember to breathe.
“Who can decide, huh?”
“Hell, that’s my phone,” Sam started, fishing his cell phone out of his pocket before turning away to talk.
“No, no,” Laurel said with a laugh. “You don’t have to be diplomatic around us. We all have our favorites. Mine is the mini lemon meringue pie, obviously. Don’t tell anyone, Cady, but I think I ate five of them just now. Sam’s is the mint bar and Hugh over there adores the red velvet cupcakes. I know Jacqui and Vin share a love for the chocolate chip ones, as well as for each other, obviously.” Laurel slapped Dex playfully on the arm. “So, name your poison, McCoy.”
Sam was back, his expression stern, businesslike. “McCoy, we’ve got to go. Round up everyone from the crew. We’ve got to get airborne.”
“Yes, captain,” Dex said swiftly and after a quick glance at Cady, and a small nod in her direction, Dex disappeared into the crowd.
Sam leaned down and kissed Laurel gently. Cady noticed a flash of fear on Laurel’s face, which she bravely tried to smother with a smile and a deep breath.
“Love you,” Sam whispered.
“Love you, too,” Laurel whispered as she kissed him. “Now go.”
Sam hurried out the door, following by everyone in The Drop Zone who was connected with the base. Cady and Laurel watched Jacqui leave, too. She worked at the front desk and was a vital cog in the smooth running of the station, especially when they had smokejumpers out on a mountain.
Cady linked an arm through Laurel’s. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“Watch him go, you mean?”
“Yes.” Cady shivered.
Dex was one of the crew now. Strapping up with a parachute and jumping into the sky. She shivered again, fear sitting in the pit of her stomach, the image of him leaping out of a plane vivid in her head. She’d been worried when he’d been away in Missoula on training, but this feeling, this nervous electricity she felt in every synapse in her body? Why was she feeling real fear now?
Because what he’d just told her had changed everything. He’d kissed her back. That was why. He’d wanted her, once.
And knowing that changed everything.
“It’s his job. It’s what he loves to do. And he’s a damn good captain to those men and women.” Laurel squeezed Cady’s arm. “Dex will be okay. Sam will have his back. So will everyone else.”
“I’m not—” Cady bit the words that sat on the tip of her tongue. Worried, she’d been about to say. Like hell, she wasn’t. She knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink until Dex McCoy was safely back on the ground.
Chapter Six
D ex and the rest of the crew—Sam, Vin, Ace, Liam, and the other team members—were back at the station. As soon as they’d arrived, they’d had a briefing from Sam in the ready room, before heading into to the locker room to suit up. He’d told them that lightning from an early fall storm had set off a fire in the mountain range above Glacier Creek. Dex had smelled the smoke the minute he’d stepped out of The Drop Zone. All the crew had.
The crew gathered on the runway and waited for the fixed-wing aircraft to circle back towards them. Dex checked his harness, made sure it was tight.
“You okay, rookie?” Sam’s
“Hey, Dex. Which one of Cady’s cakes is your favorite?”
Dex stilled. Laurel’s innocent question had Cady’s stomach doing tumble turns. When he didn’t reply right away, Sam and Laurel looked at him curiously. Then they looked at Cady. Then, back at Dex.
He rubbed a hand over his hair, which left it spiky and unruly, like he’d just got out of bed. Like he’d just fucked someone in the kitchen of Cady’s Cakes. Or on a mountain. Or in his truck. Cady swallowed hard. Her head was still spinning and she felt like she’d scarfed too many cupcakes.
Dex chuckled politely and when he looked Cady directly in the eyes, she tried to remember to breathe.
“Who can decide, huh?”
“Hell, that’s my phone,” Sam started, fishing his cell phone out of his pocket before turning away to talk.
“No, no,” Laurel said with a laugh. “You don’t have to be diplomatic around us. We all have our favorites. Mine is the mini lemon meringue pie, obviously. Don’t tell anyone, Cady, but I think I ate five of them just now. Sam’s is the mint bar and Hugh over there adores the red velvet cupcakes. I know Jacqui and Vin share a love for the chocolate chip ones, as well as for each other, obviously.” Laurel slapped Dex playfully on the arm. “So, name your poison, McCoy.”
Sam was back, his expression stern, businesslike. “McCoy, we’ve got to go. Round up everyone from the crew. We’ve got to get airborne.”
“Yes, captain,” Dex said swiftly and after a quick glance at Cady, and a small nod in her direction, Dex disappeared into the crowd.
Sam leaned down and kissed Laurel gently. Cady noticed a flash of fear on Laurel’s face, which she bravely tried to smother with a smile and a deep breath.
“Love you,” Sam whispered.
“Love you, too,” Laurel whispered as she kissed him. “Now go.”
Sam hurried out the door, following by everyone in The Drop Zone who was connected with the base. Cady and Laurel watched Jacqui leave, too. She worked at the front desk and was a vital cog in the smooth running of the station, especially when they had smokejumpers out on a mountain.
Cady linked an arm through Laurel’s. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“Watch him go, you mean?”
“Yes.” Cady shivered.
Dex was one of the crew now. Strapping up with a parachute and jumping into the sky. She shivered again, fear sitting in the pit of her stomach, the image of him leaping out of a plane vivid in her head. She’d been worried when he’d been away in Missoula on training, but this feeling, this nervous electricity she felt in every synapse in her body? Why was she feeling real fear now?
Because what he’d just told her had changed everything. He’d kissed her back. That was why. He’d wanted her, once.
And knowing that changed everything.
“It’s his job. It’s what he loves to do. And he’s a damn good captain to those men and women.” Laurel squeezed Cady’s arm. “Dex will be okay. Sam will have his back. So will everyone else.”
“I’m not—” Cady bit the words that sat on the tip of her tongue. Worried, she’d been about to say. Like hell, she wasn’t. She knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink until Dex McCoy was safely back on the ground.
Chapter Six
D ex and the rest of the crew—Sam, Vin, Ace, Liam, and the other team members—were back at the station. As soon as they’d arrived, they’d had a briefing from Sam in the ready room, before heading into to the locker room to suit up. He’d told them that lightning from an early fall storm had set off a fire in the mountain range above Glacier Creek. Dex had smelled the smoke the minute he’d stepped out of The Drop Zone. All the crew had.
The crew gathered on the runway and waited for the fixed-wing aircraft to circle back towards them. Dex checked his harness, made sure it was tight.
“You okay, rookie?” Sam’s
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