Page 28 of Falling for the Hotshot

“H-how did you… How did you know?” Was he psychic? Did someone tell him? It dawned on me that Don could have told him more information, but I really didn’t get that sense either.

“Just a wild guess, but when a guy is running around hearing the praises of everyone around him, and it sounds like people have been minimizing how special you are in his comparison… I knew this guy had an ego the size of the Grand Canyon. And Autumn, you didn’t deserve that. You deserve someone who makes it known that you are the prize.” I was stunned by his words. Tears welled up in my eyes. This wasn’t about looks, this wasn’t about physical chemistry, athletic ability, or how well someone looked in a white lab coat. For once, someone who didn’t even know what I looked like, who was getting to know me on a personal, deep level, was speaking to my soul.

“Are you still there, Autumn?” I wiped back my tears, choking back more ugly crying that I couldn’t stop. Then, I realized I didn’t have to stop.

“Yes, I’m here,” I said through the tears.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said softly. I shook my head, laughing again because he couldn’t see it.

“These are happy tears. Tears of release. Thank you, Blaze. No one has ever spoken to me like that in all of my life.”

“That’s a crime, Autumn. You deserve only kindness coming towards you. I hate to do this now, but I have to check back in with the fire crews. I’ll be back, Autumn.” And at that, I cried some more. It was the perfect timing to sign off for now, as I needed to reflect on my feelings and talk to God. All of these things were happening at once, feeling both fast and slow as molasses. But now that we had a fire on the border of my territory, I prayed for safety of the surrounding towers, for Blaze in dispatch, and for myself in Tower Three.

*****

“Kerry to Tower Three.” Kerry’s voice perked me out of my padded bench, where I had been lounging with my Bible, peeking up from the pages every few minutes to make sure there was no new smoke around me.

“Tower Three to Kerry, over.” I had a smile talking to her. She was a great lady.

“Does tomorrow work for a supply run? I can’t say how much longer we have, but the temps are still looking scalding for the next few weeks at least…”

“Tomorrow works great for a supply run,” I said, jumping up.

“Great. I’ll pick you up at the base at eight, if that works for you?”

“That would be perfect. See you then. Over.”

I tore through my suitcase, looking for the clothing I was teasing myself for packing. Up until now, I laughed at the prospect of wanting to look cute whilst working in a lookout tower. I didn’t have a reason… until now. Until Blaze.

Blaze could look like the Ogre of Hunchback Hill, and I would still find him charming because of his kindness, his humor, and his ability to make me feel beautiful. His masculinity brought out a femininity that I had long forgotten I had. As I tore through the suitcase, I found the pretty earrings that brought out the color of my greenish-blue eyes and the sheer black lace top that I liked to wear over a tank top with jeans and cowboy boots. When I brushed out my tangled hair, I would look like I’d just walked out of a shopping mall, not a lookout tower. The only problem was I couldn’t possibly hike down the hill in these cowboy boots. They were made for slipping a boot out of a stirrup on a saddle, not for treading down uneven, rocky, slippery terrain. I’d probably go down on my rear if I tried, as I laughed at the thought.

Since I’d be leaving the tower tomorrow for the first time since talking to Blaze, I just had a feeling like there would be a fleeting chance I would see him. After all, Kerry was supposed to pick me up last time, and then it was Don instead. What if… No, certainly they wouldn’t send someone from dispatch to help me get my groceries. Besides, the person had to be able to hike up the hill with me, and Blaze’s leg was not there yet. From the sounds of it, he struggled to walk around the room still.

Either way, I prayed that he and I could meet. I prayed so hard, and I waited for God to answer me. Tomorrow couldn’t have come soon enough.

Chapter 24

Higher Ground

Autumn

That morning when I called in my report, Melody answered. I was so excited to hopefully be coming by today that I didn’t even bother to ask for Blaze.

“Tower Three to Dispatch,” my smile going ear to ear.

“Dispatch to Tower Three, over.” Melody didn’t sound as cheery.

“Goooooood morning, Melody! I can see the smoke from the fire to the south, but otherwise, my area is clear.” I could tell I annoyed her with my excitement by the way she followed up.

“May I have a visibility report?”

“Visibility, twenty miles at least. Except to the south, over.”

“Copy that, thank you.”

When Kerry picked me up for the day’s supply run, she let out a low whistle.

“Autumn, you look incredible. This experience has really done you well.” I looked down at my clothes, which didn’t look as cute as I hoped, given that they were wrinkled from being folded, and thanked her. She wasn’t talking about my clothes; she was talking about me. Just like Blaze, Kerry saw me for me. And I appreciated that to no end.