Chapter Four
When Tyler had his job interview with the Forest Service in California, Aidan had leaned back in his seat and fixed him with a hard stare. They’d gone through the usual preliminaries—his work history, physical fitness, a time he’d had to manage others. Tyler thought that about covered it. Then Aidan said: “Tell me about the last time you lied.”
Tyler remembered staring at the man, his mind racing. Was this some kind of trick? He was supposed to say he never lied, right? Or else confess that when he was ten he took money from his father’s dresser—but add on that he returned the cash and forever learned his lesson, proving what an upstanding citizen he’d become.
That itself would be a lie, of course. He’d kept the money, had in fact found ways to filch more. His father never noticed the twenties were gone. He’d remarried by then and the twins had just been born. Which meant that when it came to Tyler, he never noticed a thing.
Tyler, remembering his father, had taken a moment to study the line of Aidan’s brow, his fingers steepled over his mouth.
“Just now,” he admitted, feeling his face go hot under the older man’s gaze. “When you asked whether I felt ready to take on the challenges of working in a district as large as this. I told you yes, obviously. I said what I thought you wanted to hear.”
He’d looked away, thinking perhaps he shouldn’t have said that. But it was too late, and so he plowed on.
“The truth is that I have no idea. I feel like I’m running straight into this because I’m supposed to, I don’t know, prove myself. But am I ready? Sometimes I think I might never be ready. I feel like I’m lying, or at least pretending, when I say that I am.”
He couldn’t believe the outburst. He thought for sure he wouldn’t get the job. Aidan wanted men and women who were stronger, bolder, and unafraid. This had been a test, and Tyler had failed.
But Aidan extended his hand across the desk. “Welcome aboard, son,” he said. “Anyone who claims to have never told a lie is already lying. And anyone who isn’t serious about the risks of this job isn’t someone I want on my crew.”
The lie Scott had confessed to in his interview was telling a girl he was a law student when he’d been working in the Home Depot lumberyard instead. It hadn’t worked—the woman had been studying for the bar and took two seconds to figure out Scott was full of shit. Scott had told Aidan he wanted a job he could be proud of. Fear had never crossed his mind.
Tyler had trained hard. He knew what to do in a dozen different emergency situations. He gained the trust of the team and moved up in the ranks. But he never lost that feeling he’d described to Aidan when he was new to the job—the sense that he was sprinting ahead with his eyes closed, afraid of what was coming. Afraid of what might happen when he stopped.
Overseeing the firebreak was supposed to be a rest for him, something he knew he could handle. An easy stepping-stone that would allow him to transition into some kind of managerial role with no actual flames and no one getting hurt on his watch.
But when he returned to the Gold Mountain Nature Center on Monday morning, his stomach was a snake pit of nerves. He knew there’d be opposition to the firebreak. There always was. But how was he supposed to know the strongest opponent was going to be the same woman he’d wished hadn’t been kidding when she said be my boyfriend tonight?
Tyler was lucky he had a strong sense of direction, was trained in wilderness survival, and that it had been a short trip back to where he and Abbi had parked. Didn’t she get that nothing about this was personal? Constructing a firebreak meant building a gap in the vegetation, a barrier that could slow down or even stop a wildfire from spreading. How could any reasonable person complain about that?
Tyler had studied the topography. He knew there were natural firebreaks around Gold Mountain, like rivers, lakes, cliffs, and roads. But the weather had been dry even for this part of the Cascades, and the wildfire threat had everyone on edge. After seeing fires burn out of control across the west, the Forest Service was implementing additional protection in areas where human infrastructure was close to vulnerable lands. Tyler was here to help, not make things worse for anyone.
But nothing about this was going to be easy. And it was only about to get worse. Because pulling in right behind him was a large white truck that he recognized from the parking lot at Mackenzie’s. A large white truck with a logo that said Russell’s Construction Company on the side.
…
911, Abbi texted. She’d just pulled into the parking lot at the nature center and been greeted not only by Tyler’s truck, which she’d been expecting, but Russ’s. Stick her in the oven, because she was toast.
What’s up? Mack’s text came back right away.
At work and Russ is here.
Tell him your boyfriend will kick his ass.
My boyfriend is here, too.
That’s good! I heard his pickup line, lol, and saw you guys leave together. Can’t he help you out for another day?
Abbi was in the middle of typing out why that was not an option when Mack wrote back again. Wait. Why is your boyfriend at work?
You should have gotten his ID before you sent him to me. “Boyfriend” is with the Forest Service.
?!?!?!?!
As in, some so-called expert here to oversee the fucking firebreak. Abbi knew Mack would get what she was talking about. They’d been going over it for weeks, trying to figure out what Abbi should do.
Does Tyler know you’re supposed to be stopping him?
He does now.
Did you figure all this out before or after you banged his sexy fireman ass?
After. Obviously.
I’m sure you left things on a really good note, then. Like how you’re going to stop his work but still be his fake summer gf.
Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. After he told me I’m wrong, don’t know what I’m talking about, and overreacting.
Fuck, Abs. That sucks.
I have to go, I’m already late. Or maybe I’ll run into the woods to be eaten by bears.
Don’t, I’d miss you.
Can I suddenly come down with the flu?
In July?
You’re right, bears = better.
There’s no reason you and T would be lovey dovey in the office. Just don’t tell Russ it’s not actually a thing.
I can’t believe you got me into this mess.
I didn’t tell him to say he was your boyfriend! I just told him to bring you a drink!
Yeah, well. Now I REALLY can’t let the firebreak go through.
Russ must have been doing the construction. If Abbi walked into that meeting and couldn’t make a dent in the firebreak plans, then he and Tyler would both think she was incompetent. Not to mention her boss, her whole office, and the hiring committee. She could kiss that promotion good-bye.
It’s just one meeting, Mack wrote. I’m sure you’ll think of something.
Maybe WA imposed stricter regulations when I wasn’t looking.
Think harder.
Which didn’t make Abbi ever want to get out of her car.
But if she didn’t show up at this meeting, then there’d be no one present saying no to the firebreak. And no way she’d be able to show she had the chops to take on more at work.
She took a deep breath and got out of the car. Tyler was just going to have realize what he was up against now.