Page 62 of Love in the Time of Wildfires

She set her toothbrush in its holder before turning and saying, “Good mor—” That was all she got out before he sprang into action, stepping close, taking her face with his hands so he could kiss her. Minty—she’d never tasted better. Lifting her, Logan set her ass on the sink counter as he pressed himself between her legs. He closed his eyes, reveling in how she kissed him back, sliding her tongue with his as her fingers scraped through the hairs at the nape of his neck. He felt greedy and weak for needing so much from this woman—someone he didn’t deserve—but asking for it anyway. Undoing the bathrobe strap at her waist with fumbling fingers, when it fell open, Logan slipped his hands inside. She was gloriously naked underneath, beautiful, radiant. He grew hotter, harder when a moan came from her throat as he brushed his thumb between her legs.

“River,” he breathed between kisses, her name sounding more like a request to give him permission to do anything.

“Yeah, okay.” Breathing hard, her hands went to his boxer briefs, and she shoved them down.

He didn’t waste any time stepping out of them, grasping her ass to haul her closer, and pushing into her. She released a gasp before moaning, “Yes.”

Fuck. She felt unbelievable—his control was already slipping, but he didn’t stop pumping into her, couldn’t stop, especially when she made those little sounds of pleasure. His breaths came hard as he gripped her flesh within his grasp, watching as the expression in her eyes turned from hazy to bright realization before her head fell back against the vanity mirror and she exploded in cries while squeezing him. He pushed deep into her one final time, pressing his face into her neck, and experienced his own release. Logan wasn’t sure how being with her always made him feel soft and vulnerable, like he wanted to wrap himself in her fuzzy bathrobe and hold her to him.

He closed his eyes and lazily kissed her, realizing he’d never get tired of this and unsure how he’d ever leave again. It didn’t seem fair anymore. Maybe he’d eventually drop the job—find some other way to get that lone cabin in the woods. Except if it wasn’t big enough to house her too, he wasn’t sure he wanted the place anymore.

“Do you have to go to work today?” he asked.

“In a bit. What are you going to do today? Get some more sleep?”

While he was disappointed she didn’t have the day off, he couldn’t expect her to put her work on hold for him when he could never do the same for her. “Probably start doing laundry, and I have to clean my truck. Maybe do some grocery shopping.”

He moved aside so she could hop down, and she adjusted her bathrobe into place after cleaning herself. “I don’t have a lot but definitely feel free to eat whatever is here.”

Logan took a quick shower after that. When he came out rubbing his hair with a towel, he found her in the kitchen, fully dressed for work, eating what looked like cold mush from a jar and laughing at something on her phone. Logan grabbed a mug from one of her cupboards, pouring himself a cup of coffee before checking River’s fridge. She wasn’t kidding when she said she didn’t have a whole lot. What in the hell did this woman eat? There were about six different cheeses, salsa, half an avocado, a bag of baby carrots, some Greek yogurt and that was about it. After nothing but fire camp food, Logan was ready for real meals and made the plan to do a decent grocery haul while she was working.

He sipped on his coffee as she did the same from the fox mug he’d given her.

“I was just telling Mimi about my new mug. Now she wants one,” she told him.

“Is that right?” His own phone rang, and he prayed it wasn’t work already.

Even worse—the screen read Dad.

His father hadn’t called him since—he couldn’t remember the last time. The man had never been much of a phone person, using Logan’s mother if he ever wanted to pass a message. Curious, he answered, because perhaps this was an emergency.

“Hey, Logan. How you doing, son?”

“Okay,” he replied, waiting for the bad news to come.

“Your mom said you were done with a job?”

“Yeah, just got home last night.”

“You know, I was just . . .” his father cleared his throat. “. . . reading about the Flat Fire, and it seemed like a big one.”

Logan had no idea what was happening here. It was difficult to believe they were having a regular conversation, like they used to have in the old days. “Yeah. I think it went to fifty-six thousand acres by the time we left.”

His father coughed, clearing his throat again, which made his voice sound frailer than it used to. “Yup, you’re going to get your good fire with those numbers.”

“It was okay,” Logan answered, unsure if he could let his guard down or if this was a prelude to one of his father’s regular rants.

There was an awkward pause, neither one seeming to know what to say next. His father asked, “You still seeing that girl of yours?”

“River? Yeah.” Logan felt protective of her. He didn’t care if this was his father. He’d shut everything down if Anthony said anything against her. At the same time, Logan felt bold claiming to be doing anything with River, let alone seeing her.

To Logan’s surprise, his dad replied, “Well, she seems to be really something.” Was this a compliment? Considering this was his father, it possibly was. It had been a while since his dad had been positive about anything.

“Yeah, she is really something,” Logan replied, throwing a glance to River, who winked over the mug of her coffee as she took a sip from it. She then checked her phone, mouthed the words Gotta go, set her mug down, and pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaving.

“She knows what she’s getting herself into? Being with someone in this job isn’t easy, you know.”

If anyone knew this, it was Logan. He already had one failed relationship. His father, on the other hand, did not. He’d never mentioned anything when Logan had been dating Amelia. Why was his dad asking this now?