around the fire camp. Not with all the big, noisy equipment moving around.
Sure enough, Jared came striding toward them, wearing a white hard hat, his Forest Service shirt, spruce-green pants and heavy fire boots. He looked handsome, strong and in control, and Meganâs heart gave a powerful thump.
âLet me go, Mom. I want to see him.â Caleb strained against her hand, and his eagerness surprised her.
âYouâve got to wait,â June said. Being the big sister, she tugged on Calebâs shoulders.
âWeâre going to see him, but you kids stay with me. Remember what I told you about safety while weâre up here? No wandering off, or I wonât be able to bring you up here again,â Megan told her children.
âOkay,â Caleb grouched.
Both kids nodded obediently, but that flew right out the window the moment Megan let go of Calebâs hand. He raced toward the firefighter, screaming with joy.
âJared! Jared!â
âHi, Caleb.â Jared welcomed the boy with a big smile and open arms.
Caleb hugged him tight. As Jared swung him around, the childâs laughter filled the air. June stayed beside her mother, seeming a bit ambivalent toward the FMO. Megan felt a hard lump of ice form in the pit of her stomach. Her son loved this man. Which made it even more difficult to pull away from him. And once more, she regretted bringing her kids up on the mountain with her today.
âHi, there.â Carrying Caleb, Jared greeted Megan with a smile that sucked the air right out of her lungs.
âHello.â She forced herself to look away as she set a box of canned corn on top of the growing pile.
âLet me call a camp crew over to help. Weâll have you set up in no time,â Jared said.
He set Caleb on his feet, then sauntered off and returned moments later with five strapping young men wearing blue jeans, long-sleeved shirts and work boots. They didnât hesitate before they each pulled on their leather gloves and went to work. Megan was startled at how quickly they got everything unloaded.
Next, they started laying out the tent. With people stationed on all four sides, they spread the heavy canvas across the ground, pulling and stretching until it was a wide oblong shape. The barracks-style tent was huge, large enough to cover tables and chairs to seat three hundred people at one time. After arranging the support lines, they installed the wooden masts to hold the tent up.
âPull!â Megan called to the men.
In unison, they lifted the masts and the tent rose slowly into the air. Caleb stood near her, pressing his tongue against his upper lip as he grunted and helped Tim Wixler tug on the line with all his might. As the tent rose into the air, June giggled and hurried beneath it, staring straight up at the heavy canvas. She stood near Jared, who was installing the center mast.
Crack!
The sound of a gunshot caused Megan to jerk her head around. June looked at her mom, her eyes wide with alarm. Megan couldnât tell where the sound had come from.
âLook out!â one of the men yelled.
Another crack sounded, like the snap of a heavy timber. Megan stared in confusion. A sick feeling settled in her stomach. Something was wrong, but she didnât know what.
At that moment, Jared darted in front of June, placing his own body protectively at the fore. Simultaneously, the center mast broke in two, the top portion hurtling through the air toward Jared. It struck him solidly across the chest with a sickening thud. He grunted and reared his head back, as though the air had been knocked out of his body. Blood spattered into the air, and he jerked his hand up to his chin. Red oozed from between his fingers. The broken mast must have clipped his chin, slicing though his flesh.
âJared!â Megan cried.
He was injured! And in a fraction of time, Megan knew that without him there, the heavy mast would have struck June across the head.
The
Sure enough, Jared came striding toward them, wearing a white hard hat, his Forest Service shirt, spruce-green pants and heavy fire boots. He looked handsome, strong and in control, and Meganâs heart gave a powerful thump.
âLet me go, Mom. I want to see him.â Caleb strained against her hand, and his eagerness surprised her.
âYouâve got to wait,â June said. Being the big sister, she tugged on Calebâs shoulders.
âWeâre going to see him, but you kids stay with me. Remember what I told you about safety while weâre up here? No wandering off, or I wonât be able to bring you up here again,â Megan told her children.
âOkay,â Caleb grouched.
Both kids nodded obediently, but that flew right out the window the moment Megan let go of Calebâs hand. He raced toward the firefighter, screaming with joy.
âJared! Jared!â
âHi, Caleb.â Jared welcomed the boy with a big smile and open arms.
Caleb hugged him tight. As Jared swung him around, the childâs laughter filled the air. June stayed beside her mother, seeming a bit ambivalent toward the FMO. Megan felt a hard lump of ice form in the pit of her stomach. Her son loved this man. Which made it even more difficult to pull away from him. And once more, she regretted bringing her kids up on the mountain with her today.
âHi, there.â Carrying Caleb, Jared greeted Megan with a smile that sucked the air right out of her lungs.
âHello.â She forced herself to look away as she set a box of canned corn on top of the growing pile.
âLet me call a camp crew over to help. Weâll have you set up in no time,â Jared said.
He set Caleb on his feet, then sauntered off and returned moments later with five strapping young men wearing blue jeans, long-sleeved shirts and work boots. They didnât hesitate before they each pulled on their leather gloves and went to work. Megan was startled at how quickly they got everything unloaded.
Next, they started laying out the tent. With people stationed on all four sides, they spread the heavy canvas across the ground, pulling and stretching until it was a wide oblong shape. The barracks-style tent was huge, large enough to cover tables and chairs to seat three hundred people at one time. After arranging the support lines, they installed the wooden masts to hold the tent up.
âPull!â Megan called to the men.
In unison, they lifted the masts and the tent rose slowly into the air. Caleb stood near her, pressing his tongue against his upper lip as he grunted and helped Tim Wixler tug on the line with all his might. As the tent rose into the air, June giggled and hurried beneath it, staring straight up at the heavy canvas. She stood near Jared, who was installing the center mast.
Crack!
The sound of a gunshot caused Megan to jerk her head around. June looked at her mom, her eyes wide with alarm. Megan couldnât tell where the sound had come from.
âLook out!â one of the men yelled.
Another crack sounded, like the snap of a heavy timber. Megan stared in confusion. A sick feeling settled in her stomach. Something was wrong, but she didnât know what.
At that moment, Jared darted in front of June, placing his own body protectively at the fore. Simultaneously, the center mast broke in two, the top portion hurtling through the air toward Jared. It struck him solidly across the chest with a sickening thud. He grunted and reared his head back, as though the air had been knocked out of his body. Blood spattered into the air, and he jerked his hand up to his chin. Red oozed from between his fingers. The broken mast must have clipped his chin, slicing though his flesh.
âJared!â Megan cried.
He was injured! And in a fraction of time, Megan knew that without him there, the heavy mast would have struck June across the head.
The
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