Some sparks catch. Some consume. When a tomboy
FOREST FIRES Preview
Some sparks catch. Some consume. When a tomboy with spunk and opinions runs up against a mild mannered biologist, they seem an unlikely pair. Finding common ground isn’t easy until nature gives them a push, pitting them against a force bigger than both of them. Only by working together can they save themselves and perhaps forge something lasting in the bargain.
When Charley ambled into the Tavern an hour later and hopped onto her stool, she was serene, relaxed, and didn’t want to mess with a good thing. Dink moseyed over. “Hey, ugly. You want a rum and Coke?” Unperturbed, she smiled placidly back. “Yes, thank you.” He did a double-take. “Okay.” Shrugging it off, he said, “Tell me you don’t want food.” “Why?” Her calm slid a titch. “Abby’s going to be late. The babysitter’s sick so she has to wait for Stacy to get off work before she can get here.” “What sort of time frame am I looking at?” Closing one eye, he did the mental guesstimate. “Thirty minutes, maybe more?” Then he groaned. “Shit, you do want something, don’t you?” “I’m starving.” He sighed. “Fine, but you have to watch the bar if I’m going in back to cook for you.” “I can do that.” “So what do you want?” “Burger. You know how I like it.” He went into the kitchen and she picked up her drink and finally looked around as she took a
sip. She nearly choked when she spotted Drake and Heidi Chapman all nice and cozy at a back table. Their heads were tipped close together, their voices no louder than an intimate hush. Her good mood dissolved like an Alka-Seltzer tablet. How wonderful. How precious. She hated him. Drake looked up and noticed her. He waved and Charley gave him a cool nod in return. Excusing himself, he rose and brought their empty glasses back to the bar. He set them down and looked around. “Where’s Dink?” “Making me something to eat.” “I guess I can wait.” She resented having to help him, but she did promise Dink. “What do you need?” “Two more pale ales.” “I’ll get ‘em.” She dropped off the stool and went behind the bar. Setting the dirty glasses in the bus tub, she grabbed two fresh ones. “Thanks.” Drake’s gaze locked on her deep purple fingertips when she pulled the tap back. She glared defensively back at him. “What?” The guy looked alarmed, stunned, grossed out? She couldn’t quite tell. “Geez, what happened?” he asked. “Pinched ‘em.” “Ouch. Today?” “Yep.” She slid the first glass at him and started filling the second. “You should have come with us instead.” Like she needed the reminder. She shot an aggravated glance at Heidi and said, “Maybe I should have.” One eyebrow cocked, he glanced back and forth between the two women then slowly grinned. “Aren’t you going to warn me away from Heidi too?” Charley scowled at him. “Why would I?” “Well, you were kind enough to steer me away from Randi. I wondered if you have anything important to say about Heidi.” She thrust the second glass across the bar at him and tried not to sound too grumpy. “Nothing. She’s a perfectly nice and interesting woman. She should suit you very well.” Damn it! He leaned in and whispered, “You wouldn’t consider talking me up a little, would you?” Her temper rumbled inside her like a volcano with indigestion. “I hardly know her. Besides, from what I can see, you don’t need my help.” He gave her a careless shrug. “Your decision. You could have played a major role in my love life, but you chose not to get involved.” Picking up the second glass, his eyes swept over her with warm appraisal. Then he smiled. “You look really nice today. Your hair especially. Beautiful.” Then he walked off, leaving Charley staring after him, stunned by the compliment. She only came back to herself when Drake sat down and winked at her from across the room. She jerked to attention and scrambled out from behind the bar. Hopping up on her stool, she turned her back
on him. Dink strolled out of the kitchen with her hamburger just in time to catch her taking a large swig of her drink. “Whoa. Slow down there.” He stole a fry as he set her dinner down. “Hey! That’s mine.” She pulled her plate closer, protecting it so he couldn’t steal another. “Just one.” He popped the fry into his mouth and flashed an annoying grin as he chewed. “I could use a napkin,” Charley reminded him, then added, “Oh, before I forget, Drake came up for two more beers.” Dink set the napkin at her elbow. “Noted. Thanks for helping out.” The door flew open and Abby rushed in. “All taken care of.” She looked around. “Hey! You said you needed help. There’s like five customers.” “I just wanted you here,” he admitted sheepishly. Abby’s demeanor softened and she went behind the bar, stretched up on her tiptoes, and gave him a long kiss. When Dink finally released her, she turned to greet Charley. “What’s up?” “Not much. How’s my nephew?” “Lately? He’s been a monster. I can’t wait until he’s old enough for school.” “And here I thought you’d be thinking of giving him a little brother or sister soon,” Charley teased. Abby shuddered. “I’m not insane.” “I don’t know. Maybe we should talk about it,” Dink said playfully. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her back against him. “No.” Abby made a sour face and squirmed away. He reached out and managed to pinch her butt before she disappeared into the kitchen. Dink cocked his ear toward the swinging doors and listened. “Wait for it.” “Wait for what?” asked Charley. “Dink!” Abby yelled. He grimaced. “I left a little mess back there.” Charley shook a fry at him. “If you keep annoying her like that she’s going to dump your ass.” “Nah. Abby adores me.” “Then marry her.” He let out a long groan. “Not you too. Don’t you think I get enough of that from the parents?” “Four years is a long time to be engaged, and now you have a son together.” “We can’t afford to get married yet.” She snorted at his excuse. “How expensive does it have to be? Just go to the courthouse and have Oliver marry you. It’ll take five freaking minutes.” “Abby’s gonna want something more than that.” “Have you asked her lately? Maybe she’s just waiting for you to bring it up again?” Dink’s brow creased in thought. “She wanted a nice church wedding when we first got
engaged. I guess I just assumed that was still the plan.” “Things change. People change. Obviously your situation has changed. You guys are already a family. Now you just need to make it official.” “You’ve been talking to Mom, haven’t you?” “It’s time, Colin.” Her rare use of his given name sobered him. “I’ll give it some thought.” She rolled her eyes. “Go clean up your mess and apologize for leaving it.” “Eat your hamburger.” “Move.” “I’m going.”
Heidi put her camera away. “It’ll probably be a few days before I can get those prints to you, is that okay?” “No hurry.” Drake lifted his glass to his lips and glanced over at Charley for the twelfth time. He loved looking at her, and when he was standing behind her a few minutes ago, it took every ounce of self-control he had not to reach for that sleek fall of hair like a drowning man. Heidi laughed at him. “A little distracted there, Drake? Why don’t you just invite her to join us?” He slowly brought his gaze around and gave Heidi a cockeyed smile. “Because I’m having way too much fun figuring her out from a distance.” “What? I don’t get it.” He shot another quick look at Charley and got a frosty glare in return before she spun on her seat. Her pointed snub amused him. Chuckling, he confided in an undertone, “Charley likes to pretend I’m totally irrelevant and she’s not the least bit interested. She needs to work on her poker face.” His eyes strayed back to her and he burst out laughing because it didn’t take an ornithologist to recognize the bird she showed him. Heidi looked over to see what was so funny but Charley had already turned away. “Why?” “I’m not sure, but I can’t wait to see how this plays out.” Heidi considered Charley sympathetically over the rim of her glass. “She’s not happy we’re sitting together.” She fell silent for a moment before musing aloud, “I wonder if she’s ever had a girlfriend. She’s actually quite pretty.” “She’s not a lesbian,” Drake murmured, his focus fixed on the cute tomboy. Heidi snorted into her beer, barely holding it together. “I know that. What I meant was a girl friend, someone to soften her rough edges, initiate her into the sisterhood.” He sighed. “Doubtful. From what I understand, she only hangs out with guys. It’s strictly platonic.” Heidi studied Charley long and hard. “I can already visualize her swan-like transformation.
That would be so—” She laughed and snapped her fingers under Drake’s nose, bringing his eyes back to her. “I was talking to you. Oh, forget it. She’s doing just fine without the Eliza Doolittle treatment.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Heidi smiled at him. “She doesn’t need the trappings. She’s got your attention without them.”
Forest Fires is available in Paperback and digital eBook on… All Romance eBooks / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Createspace / Google Play / iBooks / Kobo
Some sparks catch. Some consume. When a tomboy with spunk and opinions runs up against a mild mannered biologist, they seem an unlikely pair. Finding common ground isn’t easy until nature gives them a push, pitting them against a force bigger than both of them. Only by working together can they save themselves and perhaps forge something lasting in the bargain.
When Charley ambled into the Tavern an hour later and hopped onto her stool, she was serene, relaxed, and didn’t want to mess with a good thing. Dink moseyed over. “Hey, ugly. You want a rum and Coke?” Unperturbed, she smiled placidly back. “Yes, thank you.” He did a double-take. “Okay.” Shrugging it off, he said, “Tell me you don’t want food.” “Why?” Her calm slid a titch. “Abby’s going to be late. The babysitter’s sick so she has to wait for Stacy to get off work before she can get here.” “What sort of time frame am I looking at?” Closing one eye, he did the mental guesstimate. “Thirty minutes, maybe more?” Then he groaned. “Shit, you do want something, don’t you?” “I’m starving.” He sighed. “Fine, but you have to watch the bar if I’m going in back to cook for you.” “I can do that.” “So what do you want?” “Burger. You know how I like it.” He went into the kitchen and she picked up her drink and finally looked around as she took a
sip. She nearly choked when she spotted Drake and Heidi Chapman all nice and cozy at a back table. Their heads were tipped close together, their voices no louder than an intimate hush. Her good mood dissolved like an Alka-Seltzer tablet. How wonderful. How precious. She hated him. Drake looked up and noticed her. He waved and Charley gave him a cool nod in return. Excusing himself, he rose and brought their empty glasses back to the bar. He set them down and looked around. “Where’s Dink?” “Making me something to eat.” “I guess I can wait.” She resented having to help him, but she did promise Dink. “What do you need?” “Two more pale ales.” “I’ll get ‘em.” She dropped off the stool and went behind the bar. Setting the dirty glasses in the bus tub, she grabbed two fresh ones. “Thanks.” Drake’s gaze locked on her deep purple fingertips when she pulled the tap back. She glared defensively back at him. “What?” The guy looked alarmed, stunned, grossed out? She couldn’t quite tell. “Geez, what happened?” he asked. “Pinched ‘em.” “Ouch. Today?” “Yep.” She slid the first glass at him and started filling the second. “You should have come with us instead.” Like she needed the reminder. She shot an aggravated glance at Heidi and said, “Maybe I should have.” One eyebrow cocked, he glanced back and forth between the two women then slowly grinned. “Aren’t you going to warn me away from Heidi too?” Charley scowled at him. “Why would I?” “Well, you were kind enough to steer me away from Randi. I wondered if you have anything important to say about Heidi.” She thrust the second glass across the bar at him and tried not to sound too grumpy. “Nothing. She’s a perfectly nice and interesting woman. She should suit you very well.” Damn it! He leaned in and whispered, “You wouldn’t consider talking me up a little, would you?” Her temper rumbled inside her like a volcano with indigestion. “I hardly know her. Besides, from what I can see, you don’t need my help.” He gave her a careless shrug. “Your decision. You could have played a major role in my love life, but you chose not to get involved.” Picking up the second glass, his eyes swept over her with warm appraisal. Then he smiled. “You look really nice today. Your hair especially. Beautiful.” Then he walked off, leaving Charley staring after him, stunned by the compliment. She only came back to herself when Drake sat down and winked at her from across the room. She jerked to attention and scrambled out from behind the bar. Hopping up on her stool, she turned her back
on him. Dink strolled out of the kitchen with her hamburger just in time to catch her taking a large swig of her drink. “Whoa. Slow down there.” He stole a fry as he set her dinner down. “Hey! That’s mine.” She pulled her plate closer, protecting it so he couldn’t steal another. “Just one.” He popped the fry into his mouth and flashed an annoying grin as he chewed. “I could use a napkin,” Charley reminded him, then added, “Oh, before I forget, Drake came up for two more beers.” Dink set the napkin at her elbow. “Noted. Thanks for helping out.” The door flew open and Abby rushed in. “All taken care of.” She looked around. “Hey! You said you needed help. There’s like five customers.” “I just wanted you here,” he admitted sheepishly. Abby’s demeanor softened and she went behind the bar, stretched up on her tiptoes, and gave him a long kiss. When Dink finally released her, she turned to greet Charley. “What’s up?” “Not much. How’s my nephew?” “Lately? He’s been a monster. I can’t wait until he’s old enough for school.” “And here I thought you’d be thinking of giving him a little brother or sister soon,” Charley teased. Abby shuddered. “I’m not insane.” “I don’t know. Maybe we should talk about it,” Dink said playfully. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her back against him. “No.” Abby made a sour face and squirmed away. He reached out and managed to pinch her butt before she disappeared into the kitchen. Dink cocked his ear toward the swinging doors and listened. “Wait for it.” “Wait for what?” asked Charley. “Dink!” Abby yelled. He grimaced. “I left a little mess back there.” Charley shook a fry at him. “If you keep annoying her like that she’s going to dump your ass.” “Nah. Abby adores me.” “Then marry her.” He let out a long groan. “Not you too. Don’t you think I get enough of that from the parents?” “Four years is a long time to be engaged, and now you have a son together.” “We can’t afford to get married yet.” She snorted at his excuse. “How expensive does it have to be? Just go to the courthouse and have Oliver marry you. It’ll take five freaking minutes.” “Abby’s gonna want something more than that.” “Have you asked her lately? Maybe she’s just waiting for you to bring it up again?” Dink’s brow creased in thought. “She wanted a nice church wedding when we first got
engaged. I guess I just assumed that was still the plan.” “Things change. People change. Obviously your situation has changed. You guys are already a family. Now you just need to make it official.” “You’ve been talking to Mom, haven’t you?” “It’s time, Colin.” Her rare use of his given name sobered him. “I’ll give it some thought.” She rolled her eyes. “Go clean up your mess and apologize for leaving it.” “Eat your hamburger.” “Move.” “I’m going.”
Heidi put her camera away. “It’ll probably be a few days before I can get those prints to you, is that okay?” “No hurry.” Drake lifted his glass to his lips and glanced over at Charley for the twelfth time. He loved looking at her, and when he was standing behind her a few minutes ago, it took every ounce of self-control he had not to reach for that sleek fall of hair like a drowning man. Heidi laughed at him. “A little distracted there, Drake? Why don’t you just invite her to join us?” He slowly brought his gaze around and gave Heidi a cockeyed smile. “Because I’m having way too much fun figuring her out from a distance.” “What? I don’t get it.” He shot another quick look at Charley and got a frosty glare in return before she spun on her seat. Her pointed snub amused him. Chuckling, he confided in an undertone, “Charley likes to pretend I’m totally irrelevant and she’s not the least bit interested. She needs to work on her poker face.” His eyes strayed back to her and he burst out laughing because it didn’t take an ornithologist to recognize the bird she showed him. Heidi looked over to see what was so funny but Charley had already turned away. “Why?” “I’m not sure, but I can’t wait to see how this plays out.” Heidi considered Charley sympathetically over the rim of her glass. “She’s not happy we’re sitting together.” She fell silent for a moment before musing aloud, “I wonder if she’s ever had a girlfriend. She’s actually quite pretty.” “She’s not a lesbian,” Drake murmured, his focus fixed on the cute tomboy. Heidi snorted into her beer, barely holding it together. “I know that. What I meant was a girl friend, someone to soften her rough edges, initiate her into the sisterhood.” He sighed. “Doubtful. From what I understand, she only hangs out with guys. It’s strictly platonic.” Heidi studied Charley long and hard. “I can already visualize her swan-like transformation.
That would be so—” She laughed and snapped her fingers under Drake’s nose, bringing his eyes back to her. “I was talking to you. Oh, forget it. She’s doing just fine without the Eliza Doolittle treatment.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Heidi smiled at him. “She doesn’t need the trappings. She’s got your attention without them.”
Forest Fires is available in Paperback and digital eBook on… All Romance eBooks / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Createspace / Google Play / iBooks / Kobo
