Page 31

Olivia chuckled, her ribs aching.

“Let’s get out of here,” Connor said, taking her hand to lead her away.

They headed back to the pavilion. There were different faces in the circle now, because the shift had changed. The conversations were almost exactly the same though. Sports, of course, was a big subject. And the rodeo that would be happening the next night.

“This is the first year for the festival to be here, though, right?”

“Last year, in Austin, they had a goring incident,” Mandy, one of the women of the crew told her. “Trucks couldn’t get to him in time. The medics got there, but they were blocked in by traffic and couldn’t get through. The rider died on his way to the hospital.”

Olivia winced. “That’s so sad.”

“And it’s another reason why the festival was moved,” Tim Johnson told her. “Ostensibly it was because it had outgrown the venue. Realistically, it was because Austin would have brought back memories of the talent lost.”

“Damn. Was Courtney the manager last year?”

Connor shook his head. “First time. And I hope everything goes off without a hitch.”

Olivia lifted her brows skeptically, and Connor tended to agree with her. They had another thirty-six hours to get through.

They sat and chatted for a while, but Connor was restless. Teams would roll out if there was a call, but it quieted down significantly, and by nine he was ready to head back to the fire house. “Are you ready?”

Olivia gave him a smile and a nod, pushing to her feet. Maybe she’d gotten bored as well. Or maybe she wanted to spend time with him like he did with her.

Connor helped her into the truck more for an excuse to touch her than anything else, but he took advantage of the proximity to drop a kiss to her lips as he drew the seatbelt over her. She cupped his jaw in her hands and nibbled at his lower lip. Dark stubble was growing in on his jaw, and he knew it was probably rough. Then he heard the catcalls. Grinning, he drew back out of the truck, sending a glare toward the pavilion. “Shut up, fuckers.”

Everyone laughed, even Olivia. And the ones that didn’t laugh were staring in outright surprise. He didn’t flaunt his relationships, and he very rarely brought anyone to the firehouse to socialize with the crew. Actually, he couldn’t remember ever bringing anyone since he’d become chief, four years ago.

He was allowed to have a personal life, though. Yes, he was on call almost twenty-four seven, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have another life outside of the station house. He had family that seemed to be breeding like rabbits, and his parents were always doing some project or another to bring them all over to the ranch for dinner or a cookout. He had a motorcycle he liked to ride whenever he and Jack had time off together.

It used to be the three of them, then Henry was killed. It took he and Jack a long time to get back on the bikes. They switched to trail riding, but it wasn’t the same thing. Every time they went out it seemed like there was something missing. Someone.

The department had done a parade before the Fest to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the Rebellion, as it was eventually called. The targeted attempt to snatch back a country from the American forces had failed, but it had left a scar as devastating as 9-11. The losses for that one day had exceeded any other day in Operation Enduring Freedom, numbering just over two thousand killed. Double that number had been injured. That one day of attacks had left more injured servicemen than the other thirteen years combined.

Connor shook his head, wondering what they could have done differently. Discouraged him from joining. Doubtful. It had been his dream to be in the military for years. Connor had served, then gotten out after three years. He always kind of felt responsible for Henry’s death because the kid had always tried to emulate his big brother.

The sun was just going down after they left the snarl of the park traffic.

“I think we might need showers,” Olivia said, pinching her shirt and sniffing.

“Luckily for you, the fire house has unlimited hot water. We installed those instant water heater boxes, and they’re amazing. There are days when we might need three or four showers in a shift.”

“Oh, I bet,” Olivia murmured. “There are days like that as a nurse, too.”

“So, you were a nurse when in the Army?”

“Yes. I had just gotten my RN when I applied, and I was feeling very patriotic. I wanted to go over and save as many men as I could.” She gave him a sad smile. “They just seemed to keep coming.”

“It was a thankless job, wasn’t it?”

She heaved a sigh. “Yeah… but then, every once in a while, I know I really made a difference. It’s no different from being a fire fighter. There are days when everything is a slog, and then those shining days when you realize you changed the course of someone’s life.”

He slanted her a grin. “Yeah. I get that. It’s the curse of those who serve.” He flicked on the blinker to turn, then sped up through the light. “We can’t change everyone’s life, though.”

She glanced at him. “You’re thinking of Jessamy.”

He made a face in agreement. “I don’t know why she’s stinking in my head. I know she’ll land in a good home, but it bothers me she’s alone right now.”

“I know. There are always families looking for young children.”