Dallas Fire & Rescue: Lighting His Fire (Kindle Worlds Novella) (MacKay Destiny Book 5) Read online

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Paige Tyler. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Dallas Fire & Rescue remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Paige Tyler, or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Lighting His Fire

  A Dallas Fire & Rescue/MacKay Destiny Crossover

  By

  L.J. Garland

  Lighting His Fire

  MacKay Destiny

  Brigit MacKay fights fires from the air. Flying her helicopter to save lives and land rules her mind and heart. It’s all she’s ever dreamed of doing. But when she spots a body through the smoke haze, her life takes a turn she never expected.

  Relationships have left Carter Kohl with a broken heart. Wary of women, he keeps things light. No-strings sex works fine for him. It’s not like he feels any connection anyway. Not until he meets a sexy helicopter pilot who sparks his interest.

  Attraction blazes but Carter’s secrets threaten to destroy the tenuous relationship they’ve built. He wrestles with the fact that Brigit has accomplished what he believed impossible—lighting his fire. Can he risk his heart and trust her with the truth?

  Table of Contents

  Lighting His Fire

  A Note from L.J. Garland

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  About the Author

  Also by L.J. Garland

  A Note from L.J. Garland

  Dear Reader~

  When I was invited to write for Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World, plots immediately began whirling around in my brain. While training to be a private helicopter pilot, I had the opportunity to speak with a helicopter pilot who fought fires. I already knew how difficult it was to fly using both hands and both feet all at the same time. I couldn’t image flying through smoke and over fires much less dropping huge buckets of water. To say I was impressed with his talent and dedication would be an understatement. So, when the opportunity came along to write a story with a character who was a helicopter pilot who fought fires came along, I jumped on it.

  I’d like to thank Paige Tyler for inviting me to write for Dallas Fire & Rescue. Your world rocks!

  Thanks to Kate Richards for your expert knowledge, support, and friendship. And for all the other wonderful things you do. Hugs!

  To my parents for believing in me. Thank you for standing behind me and loving me. I’m truly blessed!

  To my family for…well, everything. To my parents who always said I could do anything. To my boys for being understanding and giving Mom some “quiet time.” And to my amazing husband, Jeff. Without you, this whole “writing thing” would’ve never happened. You’re my rock, my soul mate, best friend, and the love of my life. Always and forever.

  And to my readers for going on this journey with me. Thank you! I hope you get wrapped up with these characters as much as I did.

  If you enjoyed this story, check out the rest of the books in the Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World! http://paigetylertheauthor.com/BooksDallasFireAndRescueKind…

  You may also notice the series title on the cover, MacKay Destiny. This is just one MacKay Destiny story of many that are spread out over several Kindle Worlds.

  I love to hear from my readers. You can write to me at [email protected].

  You can also find me here:

  http://lj-garland.blogspot.com/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LJGarland/

  Twitter: @ LJ_Garland1

  I look forward to hearing from you.

  L.J. Garland

  Dedication

  To all the firefighters who put their lives on the line every day.

  You’re an inspiration.

  Chapter One

  Aquarius: Your day begins routinely, a cup of coffee and a quick bite before you’re off to start your day. But change is in the air. What first appears to be a catastrophe could be a doorway to something new. As the poet Alice Maynell said, “Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind.” Trust your intuition and flow with the tides of the Universe. If you do, you’ll end up exactly where you belong.

  “Helicopter November 211 Beta Foxtrot, this is ground crew.” Randall’s voice flowed through the com system in Brigit’s helmet. “We sure could use a drop of water right about now.”

  She thumbed the radio button on the cyclic. “Ground crew, I’m refilling the Bambi Bucket now.” She lowered the collective, the Bell 205 eased down over the lake, and the safety-orange bucket dipped into the water.

  Her gaze swept the panel, checking gauges—fuel, transmission temperature, oil pressure, engine temperature. She’d been in the air a little over an hour. Everything looked good, but with the warmer weather combining with the heat swells from the fire, she needed to be vigilant. If she cooked the engine…. Yeah, that would so not be good.

  Brigit pulled the collective, and the helicopter rose higher. The added weight from the full bucket dangling on the cable below caused the rotor blades to chop the hot summer air. Wump, wump, wump.

  She hovered above the lake, letting the Bambi Bucket find its center. If it swung too much, it would act like one massive pendulum—bad news for a helicopter.

  “The fire’s climbing up the west ridge toward the highway. We’ve almost got a firebreak at the bottom and are working our way around.” Randall coughed. “We need you to deploy near the highway, give our guys time to get up there.”

  “On the way, ground crew.” She pushed the cyclic, urging the helo forward. “Helicopter November 211 Beta Foxtrot departing east from Milford Lake for requested deployment.”

  Brigit left the lake, flying above the mix of hardwoods and evergreens while keeping in mind how far the package she ferried hung below her helo. Finding the fire wasn’t difficult. The billows of black smoke on the horizon contrasted with the bright-blue Northern California sky, marking her destination.

  She made a pass to the south, fighting the Santa Ana winds that kept trying to push her back. Below, Cedar Valley’s firefighters beat down the blaze. Brigit’s stomach clenched. It looked like the fire had spread even farther west since she’d been gone. Randall was right. The fire had almost reached the highway. Damn winds.

  She did a flyover near the highway to assess where she could make the biggest impact. Clouds of smoke wafted into the air, dense and acrid. Choosing her path with care, she followed the road. Though she was rated to fly IRF—using only her onboard instruments to fly through fog or clouds or smoke—she preferred to go visual. Seeing what actually lay ahead of her was always better, especially when flying so low to the ground.

  Unfortunately, with the way the Santa Anas were kicking up today, it wouldn’t take much for the fire to jump the highway. A single spark on the wind and the blaze would keep eating everything up straight on to Cedar Valley. Not good.

  Choosing her flight path, she pressed the re
mote button, letting go several controlled bursts of lake water onto the blaze below. As she doubled back for another round, fresh columns of smoke rose into her path. She doused the flames a second time, and as she flew over, something caught her eye.

  Finishing the second run, she turned again, moving ahead slowly. What had she seen amid the smoke and underbrush?

  The rotors chopped the air, the downwash sending smoke rolling down the hill. She peered out the pilot’s side window. I know I saw something that didn’t—

  There!

  On the ground lay a body. Face down. From the size, she suspected it was a man. With the noise from the Bell engine and the rotor blades, the guy should’ve at least looked up. He didn’t move. Is he dead?

  She pressed the radio button. “Ground crew, this is helicopter November 211 Beta Foxtrot. I….” What? How should she phrase something like this over the air?

  “Say again, Beta Foxtrot?” Randall’s calm voice flowed through her helmet.

  “I think I found a body up here.”

  “A body?”

  “Affirmative.” She swallowed. “Can you bring a crew up to check him out?”

  “We’re coming around the south end already.” He sounded winded. “Almost to the highway.”

  “I’m hovering right above him. He’s still not moving.” Her horoscope had mentioned “catastrophe.” She’d thought it referred to the wildfire. Had it meant the discovery of a dead body? Makes no sense. How the heck is a dead body supposed to turn into an opportunity?

  “We see you, Beta Foxtrot.”

  Brigit spun the helicopter 180 degrees. Not far down the highway, a crew of four Cedar Valley Fire Station firefighters jogged toward her. They found the body. Randall, his lanky height distinguishing him from the bulkier guys, knelt in the brush. He tugged off his glove then set two fingers to the victim’s neck. He twisted toward his crew and said something she couldn’t make out then lifted his face to her. Lifting his hand, he gave her a thumbs-up.

  “He’s alive,” he reported over the radio.

  For some reason, her heart made a heavy thump against her breastbone.

  “I sent the guys to get a body board from the truck,” Randall said. “They’ll bring it up on one of the four-wheelers.”

  “Roger.” Not dead. The guy isn’t dead. Thank God.

  “We got the firebreak below. The rest of the crew is coming up on the north and south ends to slow the blaze. With the water you dropped along the highway, we should have it under control.” He pointed to the guy on the ground. “Cedar Valley doesn’t have the medical facilities to handle this. You need to airlift him to Sacramento Mercy Hospital.”

  “Roger. You shut the highway down?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Then I’ll land farther up and detach the Bambi Bucket.”

  He waved her on.

  Brigit flew a little over a hundred yards away to a place on the highway with a scenic overlook. The added parking spaces and cut away trees so visitors could see out over the valley allowed more than enough room for the Bell 205’s twenty-four foot rotors. After landing, she set the helo’s systems on idle, allowing the Lycoming engine to cool some and the big blades overhead to slow to a lope.

  After pulling the detach mechanism for the Bambi Bucket, she hoped out to ensure it had indeed released and that none of the cable lay over the skids. Getting a skid tangled in a cable? Anything unexpected like that could cause a dynamic rollover—a recipe for disaster. Glad I checked. Wouldn’t want the “catastrophe” my horoscope mentioned to be crashing my copter!

  She crawled back into the pilot’s seat and thumbed the radio. “Cedar Valley Fire Station, come in.”

  “This is Cedar Valley Fire Station.” Her grandfather’s strong voice filled her ears. “What’s up, Brigit?”

  “Randall and the crew have the fire under control.”

  “I heard.” Normally, as the chief, her grandfather would’ve been onsite right alongside the crew, but Becky, the station’s coordinator, had called in sick. Granddad had volunteered to step in. She wasn’t surprised he’d been monitoring the radio. “You have enough fuel to make it to Sacramento?”

  “Roger that.” She looked up the road. Randall and the guys were coming her way. “Randall and the crew are almost here. Gotta load him and get going.”

  “Okay. We’ll see you when you get back.”

  Getting out again, Brigit slid open the crew door. Randall and Todd loaded the man who remained unconscious, and hopped in the back. Both Randall and Todd were trained paramedics, too, so she had no worries that they knew what they were doing. She got into the pilot seat, strapped in, and cranked up the engine while the guys secured the man.

  Wump, wump, wump.

  After clearing the area around her, she double checked her fuel and other gauges then lifted into the air. Within about forty minutes, they approached Sacramento.

  “Mercy Hospital,” Brigit called from the helicopter, “this is November 211 Bravo Foxtrot, approaching from the northeast. We’ve got an injured man onboard. Request clearance for landing.”

  “Helicopter Bravo Foxtrot, you’re clear for landing,” a deep voice reverberated in her helmet. “A team is on the way to the roof.”

  No sooner had she set down on the helipad than a medical team of four dashed across the roof to meet them. Randall and Todd handed the guy off then climbed back into the copter. Within moments, the transition had been completed. Brigit stared out the window, catching a glimpse of the man’s face before the team whisked him inside the hospital. Something about him….

  “Let’s head home,” Randall said as he climbed into the cockpit, the lanky silver-spoon boy-turned-firefighter taking the seat next to hers.

  “You’re leaving Todd in the back all alone?”

  Randall laughed. “He’s a big boy. Besides, watching you handle this bird is a sight to behold.”

  “You’re such a flirt.” She shook her head.

  “If you’d let me take you out to dinner, I’ll do more than just flirt.” He flashed what she imagined he thought was his killer smile. “We can go to Gondolas for some pasta and wine.”

  She looked around her, checking that the immediate area and airspace remained clear, then called her departure before lifting from Mercy Hospital’s roof. When they were in the air and heading toward Cedar Valley, she checked the instrument panel, noting they had plenty of fuel to get home.

  “Come on, Brigit. Have dinner with me.” He grinned again. “I’ll even throw in a slice of triple-layer chocolate cake.”

  “That’s really nice of you, Randall. And I appreciate the offer, especially after a day like today.” She lifted an eyebrow and glanced his way. “But what would your girlfriend say?”

  Chapter Two

  “So, when can I get out of here, Doc?” Carter sat in the hospital bed, all the wires and tubes hooked to him like a damn marionette. He wanted to shake them off and get the hell out.

  “Mr. Kohl,” the elderly Dr. Brix said as he adjusted his glasses. “The CAT scan and x-rays came back clear. But you were in a motorcycle accident and airlifted here because you were found unconscious. You were not wearing a helmet, Mr. Kohl.” He gave a disproving stare over the rims of his glasses. “I’m surprised all you have is a mild concussion.”

  “My mama always said I had a hard head.” His temples throbbed, but he forced a smile.

  Dr. Brix frowned.

  “Look, it’s been twenty-four hours, right? If nothing’s broken or about to burst, I’m ready to get out of this joint.” He gestured toward the clipboard in the doc’s hands. “So, just sign me off and I’ll free up this bed for some poor soul who really needs it.”

  “Humph.” The doctor left the room, his shoes squeaking on the tile floors.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  Carter looked toward the door, and, Lord have mercy, in walked an angel. Long legs, jeans hugging sweet curvy hips, breasts perfect for his palms, shoulder-length wavy dark hair, and the b
luest blue eyes he’d ever seen. Her bow-shaped lips curled into a smile, and he swore the heart monitor skipped a beep. Damn.

  “Hi.” She came in a little farther, stopping near the foot of his bed.

  He lifted one knee to hide his body’s response to her. What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn’t like he’d never been around beautiful women before. He’d even bedded his fair share. But something about this beauty had him off-kilter. “Hi, darlin’.”

  “I….” She shook her head and turned toward the door. “Never mind. Hope you feel better.”

  “Wait.”

  She faced him, her glacier gaze lasering straight through him.

  He swallowed. “Do I know you?” He sure felt like he did. Or should.

  One slim shoulder lifted and fell. “I doubt it. You were unconscious.”

  Unconscious? He frowned. “So, you…saved me?” No way. She didn’t look a buck ten sopping wet. No way she could’ve dragged him anywhere. Maybe she just called for help.

  “I found you. Off the shoulder of the highway.” She stepped toward him, held out her slim hand, and, as he slid his fingers over hers, a hot sense of awareness flooded him. “I’m Brigit MacKay. I work at the Cedar Valley Fire Station.”

  “You’re a firefighter?” He’d heard their gear was heavy…like sixty pounds or something. The training rigorous.

  She grinned, her entire face lighting up. “I do fight fires. But I do it from the air. I fly a helicopter and drop water.”

  “A helicopter firefighter. Impressive.”

  “Thank you.” She slowly pulled her hand free from his grasp. “And you are?”

  “Asking you out to dinner.” What the hell? Where did that come from?

  A hot-rose color crept up her neck and into her cheeks. “Umm….”

  “I’m Carter Kohl.” He levered himself higher against the pillows in the bed, attempting to appear more presentable—as though anyone could look presentable in these damn tissue-thin hospital gowns. “And I’d like to take you out to dinner to say thank you for rescuing me. You saw me from your helicopter? While you were up in the air?”