He was tired, sweaty, and fucking dirty. The fire had been a real bastard. They’d been called out in the middle of the night to an old house on Oak. It had looked to be half falling apart on the outside, and that was before the fire got to it. The inside hadn’t been much better.

The neighbors had called it in when they’d noticed the flames and hadn’t been able to find the old guy who lived there anywhere out on the street. Problem was, no one knew if he was still inside, either, but their chief wasn’t taking any chances.

Whether it was the old space heater with a frayed cord, or the pile of newspaper stacked in every available corner, the place had been a death trap just waiting for the first spark. Mason, their company captain, had yelled out the orders. Shane manned the aerial, swinging it around to the second-story window while Connor and Jeremy, the other rookie, went around back to set up a vent. The rest of the company, Seth included, had entered the building through the rapidly deteriorating front door as Engine 46 set the hoses.

The guy had been a hoarder, with paper and plastic crap lying all over the floor. Seth was instantly glad for his oxygen tank. He hated to think what toxic gases were already in the air as all that stuff burned. Even through the mask, the air had been hot, cloying.

The smoke was thick as he’d climbed the stairs, fire jumping from the walls to the furnishings. He could hear the others starting the water behind him and Seth said a quick prayer that the structure would hold long enough for him to be able to search it all. That was something that Mason had drilled into them from the first hour of his first shift. Seth didn’t know the full story from Mason’s past, but he knew enough to know that they searched every room of every fire, until the Battalion Chief called them out. He followed Mason’s instructions without question. No one was dying on his watch because he’d gotten sloppy.

He’d finally found the guy, wedged in the corner of his bed and unconscious—from the smoke or fumes, Seth couldn’t tell. He’d grabbed onto the man’s shirt and dragged him to the stairs, hefting him down and praying the entire way that the floor didn’t give way beneath him.

The fire had rolled over his head, roaring in his ears, as he’d carried the elderly resident down the stairs, dodging yet more random crap. Mason and Matt had stood guard at the front door, hosing the ceiling behind him and keeping the flames at bay long enough for them to get the hell out. Even with their efforts, less than a minute after he’d stormed through the front door, the entire room had flashed over. He’d felt the heat on his back even as he’d forced his legs to keep moving. Damn. Chief Stone was going to kill Seth himself if he needed a new turnout jacket again already. The last one hadn’t been his fault. Well, not exactly. He should have known better than to listen to Jeremy’s bright ideas on how to get back at the guys for the newbie hazing. He hoped he’d been clear enough of the heat that this one came out unscathed.

Shane had grabbed the man from his shoulder, pulling him onto a stretcher and fitting an oxygen mask. Seth pulled off his own mask and took a deep breath, grabbing a bottle of water and emptying it over his head. The air outside was cool despite the raging inferno behind him, and it had felt glorious on his skin and in his lungs. He’d turned and leaned against the truck, catching his breath as 46 set the water directly on the fire now that they were clear.

Just another day on the job.

What wasn’t typical was the woman standing in Chief’s office. Alex was sitting at his desk, a frown on his face, as he watched the woman. She’d been waiting outside the firehouse as they’d pulled up, and she refused to talk to anyone other than Stone. She’d been in his office for a good half hour already, and it didn’t look like their conversation was going to be over anytime soon. Not if the agitation he could sense practically rolling off the woman was any indication.

Seth shot a look at Mason, who shrugged. Okay, so their captain had no idea who she was, either. She alternated between perching on the end of the chair and pacing back and forth through the room, occasionally waving a hand in the chief’s direction. He couldn’t hear much more than a muffled word here or there, but from the look on her face, she wasn’t happy with the chief’s answers.

She was slim, but tall, possibly only a few inches shorter than Seth. Long brown hair was swept over one shoulder and secured behind her ear. Despite her height, there was something about her that was incredibly delicate. Her hands moved constantly, her eyes bright as she started pacing again. She turned away from the captain, facing the window, as she let out a breath. Her eyes closed for a brief moment, as if gathering up her strength, and when they opened again, she made direct eye contact with Seth. Damn. She had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Her cheeks flushed and she stared at him, eyes narrowing. He quickly looked away. That lasted all of ten seconds, but by the time he looked her way again, she’d turned again and had resumed her apparent interrogation of the chief.

Someone shoved a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. Surprisingly, it looked edible. Must not be Matt’s turn to cook. He grabbed a piece of toast from the center of the table and shoved it in his mouth along with a forkful of egg. They still had a couple of hours on shift and Seth had learned early to eat fast or not at all some days.

He was halfway through his second piece of bacon when Mason pushed away from the table and walked swiftly to the chief’s closed door. Knocking, he looked at the chief with raised eyebrows and was waved inside.

“Wonder what that’s all about.” Matt said, dropping into the chair next to Seth. The milk sloshed over the edge of his bowl of sugary cereal. How on earth he ate that crap and continued to meet the physical standards for the job, Seth had no idea. He’d take a plate of protein any day over that junk.

“No idea,” Seth said. “But she seems pretty worked up about whatever it is.” Maybe she had a bone to pick with the chief over a recent fire. No, if that were it he’d recognize her, wouldn’t he? He couldn’t remember anyone looking like that at their last few call outs—and with one look at her face, Seth was certain he’d never forget it. They often met people on the worst day of their lives, but even if he’d seen her streaked with soot or in the darkness of a fire at night, he’d remember her.

“Hey, Knucklehead.” Matt nudged him with his elbow, shaking Seth out of his head. “Mason wants you.”

Seth looked up, almost choking on his final bite of bacon. Mason stood at the entrance to the chief’s office, crooking a finger toward him. What the hell did he want? Seth was just a rookie. He and Jeremy never made any decision at a call that would be worth being mad over. He stood, wiping his hands down the front of his already-dirty uniform, and walked into the chief’s office. “Seth Kelly, meet Maya Graves,” the chief said. Seth leaned forward and shook her offered hand. He looked over at Mason. If anyone wanted to clue him in anytime soon, that’d be just great.