looked as surprised as Becca was.
Of course, there was no one important around to notice how much progress Becca was making with Julia. Just Aiden.
“Good answer, don’t you think, Bec?” Aiden said, sounding like a bad imitation of a motivational speaker.
“Let’s compare that to the model.” Becca was pleased with Julia’s answer. She was certainly on the right track. For a moment, there was hope…if she could just forget that Aiden could ruin things for her with NIFC…or the possibility that he might want this baby.
“The model doesn’t predict the winds as accurately as they have on other fires I’ve been on,” Julia noted a few minutes later.
Becca almost fainted with relief at Julia’s revelation. “It’s the slopes. All bets are off on ground-wind prediction when the topography is so severe.” Okay, that was a bit of an overstatement, but wind predictions certainly hadn’t been accurate here.
Aiden raised his eyebrows with a quirky smile and a nod,indicating this was not news. Becca ignored him. She couldn’t admit that Carl was pulling predictions out of his worn baseball cap.
“Why don’t we hike up the ridge a bit and take some readings? Carl’s going to be up there, and you might change your predictions after being out in the field,” Becca suggested when they’d reviewed the model some more. She wanted to show both Julia and Carl the dangers of keeping to their current strategy, and hoped Carl would agree to support her recommended strategy in front of Sirus.
With Aiden in camp, she didn’t fear getting run over by a Hot Shot crew this evening. The gas supply had been restored and crews were being carried to and from the drop point by truck. Besides, Aiden looked exhausted, so a hike was probably the last thing on his agenda. Becca could relax once he wasn’t sitting within five feet of her watching every move she made.
Julia almost pouted, her lip drawing down, but in the end she didn’t argue. “I suppose there’s time before dinner. Would you like to come?” Julia asked Aiden.
“Sure,” Aiden stood with envious energy, as if he hadn’t been working on a fire since the wee hours of the morning.
Pressing her lips tightly together so that she wouldn’t release a primal yowl of frustration, Becca gathered up her instruments and walked away, not waiting to see if Julia and Aiden would follow her. Only when she was trudging up the path did she look back. Julia was trailing along as if she were the older, pregnant woman, not Becca. Aiden walked just a few steps behind, calling out greetings to friends as he passed, then pausing to share a joke with one of the equipment managers.
Why hadn’t she noticed in Las Vegas that he was a louder, more comedic version of Colin Farrell? Too much energy. Too much volume. Too young. Too much a danger for her peace of mind. What would Sirus say if he knew Aiden had fathered this baby? He’d forget about ever thinking she deserved a chance at that Boise job, that’s what.
That’s when Becca saw that Sirus was watching them.
And he wasn’t smiling.
CHAPTER SIX
“I SENT J ULIA BACK .” Aiden strode past Becca on the trail, barely breathing hard.
“You what?” She leaned one hand against a tree, unable to take as deep a breath as she needed since the baby stretched and elbowed her lungs. Becca didn’t know who to be angrier at— Julia and her aversion to the woods, or Aiden for casually dismissing her.
The Boise job was slipping through her fingers.
Aiden paused mid-stride to look back down on Becca. “Julia was congested and having trouble keeping up. And, you know, if she can’t keep up with you, something’s gotta be wrong.”
“You insufferable idiot!” She was ten times angrier at Aiden than she ever could have been at Julia.
“Hey, I was being nice.” Aiden had the nerve to look offended.
Becca found it hard to draw enough breath to chew his irritating butt out, which was good because she couldn’t afford to
Of course, there was no one important around to notice how much progress Becca was making with Julia. Just Aiden.
“Good answer, don’t you think, Bec?” Aiden said, sounding like a bad imitation of a motivational speaker.
“Let’s compare that to the model.” Becca was pleased with Julia’s answer. She was certainly on the right track. For a moment, there was hope…if she could just forget that Aiden could ruin things for her with NIFC…or the possibility that he might want this baby.
“The model doesn’t predict the winds as accurately as they have on other fires I’ve been on,” Julia noted a few minutes later.
Becca almost fainted with relief at Julia’s revelation. “It’s the slopes. All bets are off on ground-wind prediction when the topography is so severe.” Okay, that was a bit of an overstatement, but wind predictions certainly hadn’t been accurate here.
Aiden raised his eyebrows with a quirky smile and a nod,indicating this was not news. Becca ignored him. She couldn’t admit that Carl was pulling predictions out of his worn baseball cap.
“Why don’t we hike up the ridge a bit and take some readings? Carl’s going to be up there, and you might change your predictions after being out in the field,” Becca suggested when they’d reviewed the model some more. She wanted to show both Julia and Carl the dangers of keeping to their current strategy, and hoped Carl would agree to support her recommended strategy in front of Sirus.
With Aiden in camp, she didn’t fear getting run over by a Hot Shot crew this evening. The gas supply had been restored and crews were being carried to and from the drop point by truck. Besides, Aiden looked exhausted, so a hike was probably the last thing on his agenda. Becca could relax once he wasn’t sitting within five feet of her watching every move she made.
Julia almost pouted, her lip drawing down, but in the end she didn’t argue. “I suppose there’s time before dinner. Would you like to come?” Julia asked Aiden.
“Sure,” Aiden stood with envious energy, as if he hadn’t been working on a fire since the wee hours of the morning.
Pressing her lips tightly together so that she wouldn’t release a primal yowl of frustration, Becca gathered up her instruments and walked away, not waiting to see if Julia and Aiden would follow her. Only when she was trudging up the path did she look back. Julia was trailing along as if she were the older, pregnant woman, not Becca. Aiden walked just a few steps behind, calling out greetings to friends as he passed, then pausing to share a joke with one of the equipment managers.
Why hadn’t she noticed in Las Vegas that he was a louder, more comedic version of Colin Farrell? Too much energy. Too much volume. Too young. Too much a danger for her peace of mind. What would Sirus say if he knew Aiden had fathered this baby? He’d forget about ever thinking she deserved a chance at that Boise job, that’s what.
That’s when Becca saw that Sirus was watching them.
And he wasn’t smiling.
CHAPTER SIX
“I SENT J ULIA BACK .” Aiden strode past Becca on the trail, barely breathing hard.
“You what?” She leaned one hand against a tree, unable to take as deep a breath as she needed since the baby stretched and elbowed her lungs. Becca didn’t know who to be angrier at— Julia and her aversion to the woods, or Aiden for casually dismissing her.
The Boise job was slipping through her fingers.
Aiden paused mid-stride to look back down on Becca. “Julia was congested and having trouble keeping up. And, you know, if she can’t keep up with you, something’s gotta be wrong.”
“You insufferable idiot!” She was ten times angrier at Aiden than she ever could have been at Julia.
“Hey, I was being nice.” Aiden had the nerve to look offended.
Becca found it hard to draw enough breath to chew his irritating butt out, which was good because she couldn’t afford to
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