chainsaw into its case.
“Yeah, finished.” Sweat ran in rivulets along my face. I couldn’t wait to get down from this ridgeline and get my helmet off.
The fire was a small one compared to our last blaze, but when the call had gone out shortly after Avery left my house, I’d answered. I would always answer. I thought of it as my last hoorah with the Midnight Sun crew.
I’d also cursed like a fucking sailor. This fire, as small as it was, had cost me four days with Avery. Maybe in the larger scheme of things, four days didn’t mean much. But when I was only guaranteed a couple of weeks with her, four days was forever.
“Let’s get out of here,” Bishop said, hoisting his chainsaw to his shoulder.
I gave the ridgeline one last look. Would this be the last time I was called to the Alaskan wilderness? It was a bittersweet thought. Next year this time I’d be on the Legacy crew, as long as we could pull back the numbers the council wanted.
“River?” Bishop called as the team started down the mountain.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” I said, turning to join the line of guys. If we got down in the next couple hours, there was a chance we’d make it back in time for me to see Avery tonight.
“You ready to head home?” Bishop asked as I fell in next to him.
“Which one?” I asked.
“Both, I guess.”
“I’m ready to see Avery.”
A grin spread across his face. “So that’s how it is now, eh?”
“To be honest, I don’t really know how it is. She agreed to come to Colorado for the weekend, so I’ll take it.”
“And anything else she has to offer?” He shot me a little side-eye.
“I’ll take anything she’s willing to give,” I answered softly.
Never one to talk about his feelings, Bishop’s jaw tightened. His mouth opened and closed a few times, until it was downright painful to watch.
“For fuck’s sake, just say it. Whatever it is.”
“Do you want to reconsider the Legacy crew? You have a life here, a house, a great team, and a great girl. I wouldn’t think any less of you if you didn’t want to go.”
I thought about it—the simple act of staying. I loved Midnight Sun, my house, the landscape…hell, even the crazy hours the sun kept were growing on me. Staying gave me a shot at keeping Avery, really seeing what we could turn into. If being in a relationship was as easy as being her best friend, then I knew we could be extraordinary. But as certain as I was of how perfect we’d be, I also knew that the actual chances of her moving with me were insanely small.
She’d never leave her father, and he’d never agree to move.
But if I didn’t go, Legacy wouldn’t get her Hotshot crew back, and I’d lose the last piece of my father. So would Bishop and every other Legacy kid.
So I was pretty much fucked either way.
“River?” Bishop asked again as we continued our descent.
“Sorry, just a lot on my mind. I haven’t changed my mind about the crew. I’m just hoping that visiting Colorado is enough to make Avery want to come with.”
Bishop whistled low. “That’s a lot to ask of a girl you’ve been dating for a week.”
Were we dating? We hadn’t really had the whole “what are we” talk. “It’s a Hail Mary. The whole thing with her is, but I couldn’t just leave and not try.”
“You’re in love with her.”
My grip tightened on the axe handle. “How long have you known?”
He shrugged, moving the chainsaw. “Since the first year we were here. I figured you’d get your shit straight sooner or later.”
“It’s pretty much the latest moment possible.”
“Yeah, well, we don’t remember the easily won games, right? The victories we remember are the ones where the outcome came down to the last minute, the overtime.”
“The Hail Mary,” I said.
He slapped my back. “The Hail Mary.”
* * *
T he bar was busy for a Tuesday, but it was Ladies Night, which brought the women out for the drinks, and the men out for the ladies.
I made my way
“Yeah, finished.” Sweat ran in rivulets along my face. I couldn’t wait to get down from this ridgeline and get my helmet off.
The fire was a small one compared to our last blaze, but when the call had gone out shortly after Avery left my house, I’d answered. I would always answer. I thought of it as my last hoorah with the Midnight Sun crew.
I’d also cursed like a fucking sailor. This fire, as small as it was, had cost me four days with Avery. Maybe in the larger scheme of things, four days didn’t mean much. But when I was only guaranteed a couple of weeks with her, four days was forever.
“Let’s get out of here,” Bishop said, hoisting his chainsaw to his shoulder.
I gave the ridgeline one last look. Would this be the last time I was called to the Alaskan wilderness? It was a bittersweet thought. Next year this time I’d be on the Legacy crew, as long as we could pull back the numbers the council wanted.
“River?” Bishop called as the team started down the mountain.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” I said, turning to join the line of guys. If we got down in the next couple hours, there was a chance we’d make it back in time for me to see Avery tonight.
“You ready to head home?” Bishop asked as I fell in next to him.
“Which one?” I asked.
“Both, I guess.”
“I’m ready to see Avery.”
A grin spread across his face. “So that’s how it is now, eh?”
“To be honest, I don’t really know how it is. She agreed to come to Colorado for the weekend, so I’ll take it.”
“And anything else she has to offer?” He shot me a little side-eye.
“I’ll take anything she’s willing to give,” I answered softly.
Never one to talk about his feelings, Bishop’s jaw tightened. His mouth opened and closed a few times, until it was downright painful to watch.
“For fuck’s sake, just say it. Whatever it is.”
“Do you want to reconsider the Legacy crew? You have a life here, a house, a great team, and a great girl. I wouldn’t think any less of you if you didn’t want to go.”
I thought about it—the simple act of staying. I loved Midnight Sun, my house, the landscape…hell, even the crazy hours the sun kept were growing on me. Staying gave me a shot at keeping Avery, really seeing what we could turn into. If being in a relationship was as easy as being her best friend, then I knew we could be extraordinary. But as certain as I was of how perfect we’d be, I also knew that the actual chances of her moving with me were insanely small.
She’d never leave her father, and he’d never agree to move.
But if I didn’t go, Legacy wouldn’t get her Hotshot crew back, and I’d lose the last piece of my father. So would Bishop and every other Legacy kid.
So I was pretty much fucked either way.
“River?” Bishop asked again as we continued our descent.
“Sorry, just a lot on my mind. I haven’t changed my mind about the crew. I’m just hoping that visiting Colorado is enough to make Avery want to come with.”
Bishop whistled low. “That’s a lot to ask of a girl you’ve been dating for a week.”
Were we dating? We hadn’t really had the whole “what are we” talk. “It’s a Hail Mary. The whole thing with her is, but I couldn’t just leave and not try.”
“You’re in love with her.”
My grip tightened on the axe handle. “How long have you known?”
He shrugged, moving the chainsaw. “Since the first year we were here. I figured you’d get your shit straight sooner or later.”
“It’s pretty much the latest moment possible.”
“Yeah, well, we don’t remember the easily won games, right? The victories we remember are the ones where the outcome came down to the last minute, the overtime.”
“The Hail Mary,” I said.
He slapped my back. “The Hail Mary.”
* * *
T he bar was busy for a Tuesday, but it was Ladies Night, which brought the women out for the drinks, and the men out for the ladies.
I made my way
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