Smoky Mountain Sweethearts. Cheryl Harper

that rain was still a possibility.

      Sam clenched his hands together to keep from twiddling his thumbs and stared out over the trees. Might as well be at the top of the world on a day like today.

      “Out with it.” Ash inhaled deeply, his face completely expressionless.

      “I’m going to apply for the wildland firefighting crew opening,” Sam blurted as he stared hard in the opposite direction. If Ash sneered, he’d know the guy had even less faith in his chances than Sam did.

      “Might as well.” Ash rolled his shoulders and wiped a drop of rain off his forehead.

      Then he stretched out the leg that sometimes gave him trouble and moved his foot from side to side. The climb up the rocky top of the mountain was a challenge for most people. Sam spent more time going up and down trails than he did on flat land, but Ash was in the office now.

      “Don’t even think it,” Ash muttered.

      “What?” Sam asked. He knew there was no way the guy could read his mind, but Ash missed nothing.

      “I’m not slowing down a bit.” Ash turned his head slowly to give him a narrow stare.

      “Fine.” Sam nervously chewed on his thumbnail and then yanked his hand away. He wasn’t a kid anymore. When he was growing up, Avery Abernathy would have snorted in disgust and pointed at him like he was a baby if she’d caught him chewing his fingernail. “Bad habit. Nerves. Knew a girl once who did the same thing but would deny it until the end of time.” Nervous babbling. No good. Sam clamped his hands together. “How good are my chances?”

      Ash sighed. “Gonna be competitive.”

      “All the good jobs are. I had to volunteer here for two years before I even got an interview,” Sam said. “That your only concern?”

      Ash squeezed his eyes shut. “Are we about to have a moment?”

      Sam huffed out a laugh and called Ash the worst combination of curse words he knew.

      “Well, I’d say you’ve got a real problem with authority,” Ash drawled, “but no one is going to deny you’ve got experience, conditioning and training. If it was New Mexico, I’d be worried. You’d get sand in your shorts and run crying to mama, but the mountains will be enough like home.”

      “A problem with authority,” Sam said. “That must be why I hang out with you.”

      Ash’s slow blink was his only acknowledgment that Sam might have a point.

      “If it comes to it, I will make sure my high opinion of you and your dedication to the job are well known,” Ash said as he stood slowly. The rocks were wet but still solid. “That what you brought me all the way up here for?”

      He’d thought Ash needed to get out of his cabin. Brooding didn’t even begin to cover what the guy could do with free time, but there was only so much a guy could do. “Yep. That’s it. I wanted to make sure I have your endorsement.”

      “What do I know about firefighters? I manage calm, stable reserve rangers. Those guys, the ones who parachute in to put out these fires, they’re crazy.” Ash shook his head. “You should fit right in.”

      “They’re the best of the best, taking on the worst wildfires, the ones that can destroy whole forests, not to mention everything else in their path.” Sam turned to start the slow descent down the rock face. “Here, we babysit controlled burns and put out lightning strikes.”

      “And save lives and conserve native flora and fauna and history and put your lives on the line by standing too close to the flames when it counts.” Ash grunted. “That ought to be enough danger for any one person for a lifetime. Those fires or these, those forests or these, your job is important,” he said before he drawled, “sweetheart.” His sarcasm had saved them both from one of those touchy-feely moments.

      Sam concentrated on making it down to the trail. If he stumbled and fell, he’d never hear the end of it. Well, if he fell over the edge, he’d never hear the beginning of the trash talk, but his funeral would be embarrassing.

      “You told your mother yet?” Ash asked as he stepped down next to Sam. They still had the hike back to the trailhead, but it would be a piece of cake, even for Ash.

      “Not yet.” That was the part he dreaded. “Think I’ll wait to see if I even rate an interview. You know how it goes. Postings usually come up in January, so it may take forever, but this drought...” Sam shrugged. “It’s worse out West. I figure they’re in a hurry to get the crews fully staffed.”

      Ash grunted. “Probably can’t leave a vacancy for long. Too dangerous.”

      Spring and summer would be the busy seasons. They were here in the Smokies as well, but search and rescue got more interesting in the winter. He’d plan to spend plenty of time volunteering here at home. That would scratch the itch.

      “Gonna be a job up soon in search and rescue, incident commander.” Ash turned to stare over his shoulder as he headed down the trail. “Think you might be interested in that?”

      Sam had the volunteer hours. There’d be hours and hours and hours of training and the competition for jobs here wasn’t much less intense than it was for the few slots that opened in the regional firefighting teams.

      He could consider it as a backup plan.

      But he loved fighting fire.

      Sam shook his head. “No, I know what I want.” He wanted a new challenge. He needed it.

      Ash didn’t answer as they made it back to the trailhead. Sam had no idea if getting Ash out of his cabin had made a lick of difference, but he wasn’t ready to go home.

      “I was thinking of heading over to Obed to do some climbing. Want to go on your next day off?” Sam asked as they made it back to the parking area.

      “Nope. I like my feet on the ground.” Ash didn’t hesitate as he slid into the reserve’s SUV. He raised two fingers in his version of a wave, backed out of the parking spot and headed for his cave.

      Leaving Sam with nothing to do and energy to burn.

      He turned to look back up the trail and took off running. Maybe he could beat his best time. If he did it in the rain, that would be something to brag about.

      Not that he’d have any proof, but four more miles in the rain should be enough for one day. Sam hit the trail hard, clearing the first switchback easily, and ran until his heart pounded and he had to concentrate on breathing. The view was forgotten as he focused on each step of the rocky path up and then back down the mountain.

      Pleasantly tired and overall satisfied with tying his best time, Sam slid into the truck and started it up. Not much for a firefighter to do on a misty day like this one. There was no lightning to keep things interesting. It was a bad idea to whine about things being too quiet. Mother Nature had a way of kicking up a fuss, but his trip back to Sweetwater was easy enough. When he parked in front of the housing for Otter Lake rangers, he could see his mother’s Cadillac.

      Apparently, he’d missed everything but the goodbye, though, because Regina Blackburn was trotting down the covered steps that led to the second-floor apartments. “There you are. Soaking wet.”

      She smoothed her sleek bob behind one ear and plucked at his gray T-shirt. “I brought over some groceries and the leftover roast beef you forgot to take with you last night. It’s in the fridge.”

      “Thanks, Mom,” Sam said as he pretended he was about to give her a bear hug. She shook one hot-pink fingernail in his face.

      “Don’t you do it. I’ve got cards with the girls and no time for a change.” She gave each cheek an air-kiss. “Now, I’d ask you what you were doing, but it was something foolish that will make an old woman have palpitations if she discovers her favorite son participating, am I right?”

      Sam mimed zipping his lips and tossing the key.