Page 58 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
And while the hotshots were excited and anxious to get going, Beau’s posture deflated a bit. He’d just added another heavy load to his already burdened shoulders. He didn’t want to go up to fight the fire, but he would. He would because everyone had asked for his help.
Everyone except Dylan.
“We got this, Holt,” Dylan snapped. “You can stay.”
Beau’s face hardened. “Like I said, we’ll see. Show me your plan.”
Dylan marched back to a truck and Beau followed. Spreading out a map on its hood, they hashed out a plan as the twenty-man crew unpacked supplies.
And with everyone busy, I slunk further away from the group. On top of worrying that one of these men would recognize me, now I was worried that Beau would go with them up the mountain.
Nick must have sensed my unease because he backed away too. “Your boy is one of the best there is. If he goes up with Dylan’s crew, they’ll all be coming back.”
“He’s, um, not my ‘boy,’ ” I corrected, though his statement did loosen the knot in my stomach a bit.
“Right,” Nick said dryly. “Next you’re going to tell me that you two weren’t going at it right as we pulled up.”
Curses.
Nick chuckled. “If I were going for a man, Beau would be my number one. Good thing for you, I’m married.” He nudged my shoulder and I realized there was no use pretending he hadn’t caught me.
I grinned. “Good thing for me.”
“Seriously, though, Beau is one of the best. When it comes to navigating the woods, there’s no one better in this part of Montana. The search and rescue team he’s built in Jamison County is legendary. He gets pulled all over the state to help with tough cases. If he goes up with Dylan, everyone will come back safe.”
I believed him. “Thanks, Nick.”
“You’re welcome.” He bent low to speak quietly. “When things settle down, maybe you can tell me what you’re really doing up here.”
Caught again. “Okay,” I whispered. Nick hadn’t bought our fake story but I hoped that everyone else would be easier to convince. I didn’t need a bunch of strangers trying to figure out my real identify.
“Suit up!” Dylan called out to his men. “We’re going to hike up from here. The trail will be longer but it’s an easier first mile.”
A rumble of agreement sounded before bags were opened and the men began donning special clothing and boots with practiced ease. From the trucks, one man unloaded a variety of pickaxes and hand shovels. Beau folded up the map he’d been reviewing with Dylan before both men came my way.
“Sabrina,” Beau said, “this is Dylan Prosser. He’s the lead off the Big Sky Hotshots.”
I held out my hand and greeted Dylan, but before Beau could explain who I was, Michael called him and Nick over to his truck, leaving me alone with Dylan, who still hadn’t let go of my hand.
“What’s a sexy gal like you doing up here?” Dylan asked with a smug grin.
“Working.” I wiggled my fingers free and tucked my hand in my back pocket.
I kept my answer short and vague. This guy’s cocky arrogance was seeping from his pores. I’d dealt with enough of his kind to know that the less you said, the better. He’d take even the slightest bit of kindness as a green light to hit on me relentlessly.
In college, Felicity and I had deemed men like him a Creepy Carl.
Dylan didn’t get my hint and stepped too close into my personal space. “Working? Maybe later you can tell me what you
like to do for fun.”
I didn’t have to tell him to back off. One of his crew members came over and interrupted his advance. “Would you mind if I filled my CamelBak with fresh water?” the man asked.
“Not at all.” I smiled at the welcome escape and stepped around Dylan, giving him a wide berth as I went inside the outpost. I sensed his eyes on my ass the entire time.
The man that I had led inside wasn’t the only visitor to my temporary home. Soon a line formed at the sink as the entire crew filled canteens and water packs. I slunk back into the corner and listened to their banter, grateful for an excuse to stay inside and away from Dylan.
Most of the hotshots were young men, I guessed in their twenties, and though a few of them had that roughness Nick had warned me about, for the most part they all behaved like gentlemen in my presence. Though, with as tightly as I was hugging the wall, I think most of them didn’t even notice I was there.
