Dakota Heat (Book 3 - Dakota Hearts) Read online

  Her face turned flush. He wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or exertion.

  “Well, maybe not. There’s always one stubborn lug nut…”

  “And you’re determined to conquer it.”

  “Damn right,” she said, chuckling softly. Smooth. Musical. He liked her laugh and the mellow sound of her voice.

  “Gotta love an independent woman.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” Sam extended a hand to help her up to her feet.

  “I’m all set.” As Summer got to her feet, Sam watched her wipe the back of her jeans with her hand. His eyes were immediately drawn to the shapely curve of her buttocks and he suddenly had a longing to run his hand over the same path her hand had just traveled.

  He cleared his throat. “Let me give it a try.”

  “I told you. It’s stuck.”

  Sam took the tire wrench and placed it into position. He put a little force behind his push. One, two pushes and then the bolt turned.

  With a grin of satisfaction, he said, “There you go.”

  Her shocked look had him laughing.

  “You weakened it. I just finished it off.”

  Summer rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to make me feel better. Thanks for the muscle but I can take over from here.”

  He stood up and let Summer take his place by the flat tire. She lifted it off and set it aside. Sam took the spare tire she’d propped up against the side of the car and rolled it over to her and said, “We didn’t have a chance to be properly introduced this morning. I’m Sam McKinnon.”

  She glanced up at him before picking up the tire and placing it in position on the car. “I know. Adam mentioned it.”

  “He did.”

  “And you were there when he introduced me to the crew this morning, so I’m guessing you know my name.”

  He grinned. “Yes, I do. Summer Bigelow. You’re a long way from your home in Providence, Rhode Island.”

  She stopped what she was doing and stared up at him with a deer-in-headlights look that left him cold. “How’d you find that out?”

  “You have Rhode Island plates. Providence was just a lucky guess.”

  She began turning lug nuts to secure the tire. “Oh.”

  “You sure you don’t want me to help you with that?”

  “Changing a flat tire was one of the first things my father taught me when I learned to drive. He said I had no business operating a motor vehicle if I couldn’t get myself out of a flat tire.” She tightened the lug nuts with the tire wrench, giving a grunt for added emphasis with each turn. “Damn lug nuts get me every time. Please don’t tell anyone you had to help me. I’ll never be able to show my face amongst the guys.”

  He raised his hand as if making an oath. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  Sam picked up the flat tire, rolled it to the back of the car and dropped it into the trunk. Once he had that securely in place, he picked up the duffel bag and suitcase.

  “Leaving us already?” he asked.

  The little Honda slowly floated back to right as Summer released the jack. When she was done, she stood up, wiping her hands on her backside again. Damn, that simple move drew his attention away from his question and had him forgetting what he’d asked.

  “No, just moving house,” she said. “I stayed at the base dormitory last night.”

  “Which is a Crew Haul that consists of a cot in a tin can trailer. Yes, I know it well.”

  She chuckled. “I’m sure you do. But I was thankful for a place to sleep after my long drive. I could have slept on the ground and still slept. I got a call this afternoon about the…an open room at a motel around here so I’m going to stay there. That is if I can find the motel.”

  Standing by the car, Sam got a really good look at Summer for the first time. His throat went dry, looking at the blue of her eyes and the soft color of her medium length blond hair against the setting sun behind them. She had her hair pulled back in a messy pony tail as if she’d haphazardly tied it when she’d discovered the flat tire. Her round face and high cheekbones made her look more delicate than he imagined she was. Her pink lips were pursed just a little as she looked up at him, as if waiting for a response.

  “The motel is near the center of Rudolph, next to the diner and across the street from the clinic where my brother, Hawk, works as a doctor. If you follow me you can’t miss it.”

  Summer smiled up at him and it actually stole his breath away. Good Lord, when was the last time he’d gone weak in the knees over a female smiling at him? But there was something there…a hesitation that didn’t seem quite right.

  A few shorter strands fell across her face and she nervously pushed them behind her ears as she spoke. “Thanks, but I’m not sure of the name of the motel. I’m sure I can find it on my own.”

  “There’s only one motel in Rudolph. It’s not hard to find. Just a few turns off this road. I’m going that way anyway.”

  She seemed to weigh his offer, but her hesitation had him wondering why. “I appreciate that. My GPS started giving me fits somewhere between South Bend and Des Moines and hasn’t recovered since. So I’m not trusting it to find my way around these back roads.”

  Sam pointed to his SUV. “I’m stopping in the diner for a bite to eat. Do you want to join me?”

  Her mouth dropped open, her lips still pursed in that way she did earlier. He liked it and it made him want to bend his head and brush his mouth on hers just to taste how sweet those lips really were.

  “Oh, I don’t think so,” she said. “I need to unpack and go through my notes and—”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Are you always this dedicated to your work?

  “Yes,” she answered quickly.

  With a slow smile, he said, “I like that. But all work and no play is not good.”

  “Something tells me you get your share of play time in.”

  Sam laughed at that. “Just don’t listen to any rumors. I swear they’re all lies. I will have lots of distraction now that I’m home, though.”

  “Yeah. Okay, well it was nice to formally meet you, Sam McKinnon. I’m sure we’ll see lots of each other.”

  His fingers curled around hers as her hand slipped perfectly into his. “I’m counting on it.”

  Sam stared at her wordlessly for a long moment before realizing that she was standing by the driver’s side, door ajar with one foot inside and the other on the road.

  “We should get off the side of the road like this,” she said, the words rolling off her tongue quickly.

  “Right.”

  A moment later, Sam was left watching Summer Bigelow from his rear view mirror. There was a cautiousness about her that she tried to hide. But the fear in her eyes as she popped her head up from behind the car, along with the relief in recognizing him had Sam wondering what was really scaring her.

  The few minutes that he’d spent with Summer had told him two things. She was not here because she’d planned to be here. And the expression that had come over her when he’d offered to bring her to the motel was enough proof for him that she afraid of something or someone.

  As he drove, Sam wondered just what would make a woman like Summer that frightened. But what concerned him most was that he didn’t just want to know what demons she feared enough to be that scared when she’d seen him. He suddenly wondered why he seemed to be so curious about the woman at all.

  # # #

  Chapter 3

  “You want me to spend the entire day with Samuel McKinnon?” Summer asked before she could stop herself.

  “You have a problem with that?” Adam asked, clearly surprised.

  “No, of course not,” Summer replied, forcing her expression to remain impassive even as she felt heat rising in her cheeks. Of course she had a problem with that. After yesterday’s embarrassing fiasco, she’d done nothing but dream up ways to avoid the sinfully handsome fireman so as not to relive yesterday’s humiliation.

  She’d been genuinely terrified whe
n she’d pulled over to the shoulder of the road with that flat tire. She couldn’t believe she’d managed to drive all the way from Providence to Rudolph without incident. Then her first day in Rudolph, she was left stranded by the side of an empty road with a flat.

  During those long moments when she’d climbed out of her car and pulled out the spare tire and jack, all Summer could think about were those pictures of her taken by the serial killer. Her mind ran rampant and every little noise in the woods behind her sounded ominous. She’d been so preoccupied with that stubborn lug nut that she hadn’t even heard Sam’s car or his approach.

  Then she proceeded to make a colossal fool of herself. The man probably thought she’d been breathless because of him. And worst of all…she had stared at him with total girl crush. Totally uncool. Completely humiliating.

  But how could she not? Sam McKinnon was the very definition of a chiseled Greek god. She was sure his name was right next to warrior protector in the dictionary. All the Hotshots were required to workout daily to stay fit for the rigorous activity they dealt with during fire season. But Sam McKinnon… Lord help her.

  “Summer?”

  Her head snapped up as she looked at Adam again, realizing she hadn’t heard a word he’d just said.

  He leaned back in his chair. “It’s understandable that you’d be distracted by what’s happening in Providence. But I need you to focus here. You are safe here. You can be sure of that.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  Adam turned his head with the hard rap of knuckles on the office door.

  “Come in.”

  The door opened and Sam McKinnon took up every inch of space in the doorway. No wonder she’d taken him for a warrior protector.

  Sam nodded a hello to both of them.

  “You’ve met our new dispatcher, Summer Bigelow?” Adam asked.

  “Yes,” Sam said, sitting in the seat next to Summer. “I take it you had no problem with the tire this morning?”

  “I’m still using the spare, but it’s working.”

  “Spare?” Adam asked.

  “I had a flat tire last night on the way to the motel. Sam stopped when he saw me changing the tire.”

  “Since the two of you have already had a chance to get to know each other a little, you’ll feel more comfortable working alongside each other today. Sam will get you up to speed on the operation here. We never know when fire season is going to go into full swing and we have a lot of clean up and prescribed burns to do in the area.”

  She drew in a deep breath as she folded her hands in her lap. “Sure.”

  Sam was staring at her, into her eyes as if he were searching for some deep secret.

  She wove her fingers together. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “I figured you’d get a decent night sleep in a real bed, but you look like you didn’t sleep at all last night.”

  “Thank you,” she said dryly.

  “I didn’t mean you look bad. You just look more worn out than you did yesterday morning after that long drive.”

  “Oh, that’s so much better. I can’t wait for you to really turn on the charm.”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “This isn’t coming out right at all. I’ve lost all points I gained helping you with that lug nut.”

  She lifted her eyebrows.

  Sam made a face that showed he knew he was busted. “And I just blew that secret, too.”

  “Maybe you should quit while you’re ahead,” Adam said, chuckling.

  “You thought he was ahead?” she remarked.

  “Guess not,” Sam said with a shake of his head as Adam laughed louder. His face grew serious. “It’s just that you seemed pretty terrified when I came up on you by the side of the road. I hope I didn’t scare you too much.”

  Summer darted a glance at Adam, whose eyes had narrowed. She had been reliving the nightmare of seeing those photos the serial killer had taken of her as she struggled with the car tire. Her imagination had run rampant as she found herself alone on the side of the road, wondering if anyone was watching her. She’d nearly jumped out of her skin when she’d suddenly realized she wasn’t alone and hadn’t heard anyone approach.

  But then she’d turned and seen Sam standing there, looking so commanding, and her fear melted away. His eyes, although a steely gray in the fading light, had been kind and filled with concern as they’d run over her face. His smile and deep, reassuring voice, made her trust him almost instantly.

  “No,” she said quickly. “You just…I didn’t hear you stop. I’m fine. Really.”

  Sam looked at Adam, then at Summer.

  Adam cleared his throat. “I assumed you might feel more comfortable at the motel, but maybe staying here in the dormitory will be better until you get more comfortable with the area. You’ll have people you know all around you. These roads aren’t well lit like the city roads in Providence you’re used to.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. The motel is fine for now. And once I settle in a little more I plan on finding a rental in the area. I’ll be fine.”

  “Well, then Sam is your man,” Adam said, gesturing with his hand to Sam. “He’s the only one on the crew who knows the area.”

  “I don’t know of any rentals off hand. But I know a lady who knows just about everything going on in town. If there is a rental, she’ll know about it. I can introduce you to her.”

  Adam chuckled, making Summer wonder just who this “her” was to Sam. She didn’t need to know. She only needed to find a comfortable place to live.

  “If you happen to see this lady friend of yours, I’d appreciate finding out if she knows of any vacancies in town,” Summer said. When the silence dragged on, she added, “So where do we start?”

  * * *

  They’d spent the afternoon going over the basics of Hotshot gear and the running of the basecamp.

  “Everyone will spend the first two weeks getting trained and tested to make sure they’re up to standards. At some point I’ll get you up to speed on the maps of the area and take an afternoon or two to drive out to the area the fire crew will be doing some clearing and prescribed burns.”

  “I didn’t realize I’d be going out in the field,” Summer said as they walked toward the dispatch center along the already trampled patch of grass in the large pasture where the makeshift agency basecamp had been set up.

  “It’s not really necessary as long as you understand the maps and how to relay information.”

  “I’ve been certified in fire dispatch.”

  He glanced at her, his lips slightly lifted as he said, “You don’t have to convince me. You came very well recommended by your chief back in Providence.”

  Summer stopped walking. “How do you know that?”

  Sam turned and looked back at her. “Because I talked to him on the phone. Matt is his name, right?”

  Color stained her face.

  “I like to know who I’m working with,” he added, his eyebrows slightly knitted on his forehead. “Out in those hills I’m responsible for the lives of my crew. Surely you can understand that.”

  “Of course.” She was being ridiculous. And the way Sam seemed to look at her with such depth told her he wasn’t buying her cool act every time she tried to recover. The last thing she needed was to act like she was an inept idiot and have him lose confidence in her ability.

  “There are aerial view maps here, right?” she asked.

  “Yes. You’ll find them in the dispatch office, which is down the hall from Adam’s office. But the Black Hills are unique and this land was overrun with floods and damage from the ice storms this past winter. I find it’s always good to have a visual of the area we’ll be working as it looks right now. It doesn’t prepare any of us for the uncertainties. But being as prepared as we can be makes our job safer. The map can only give you so much information.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you?”

  She stared up at Sam for a brief moment, wondering whether or n
ot it was a simple question or a challenge.

  She pushed an errant strand of hair away from her face that the wind had blown around. “You don’t trust me?”

  “Trust? I don’t know you well enough yet. Like I said, you come here highly recommended.”

  “Then there shouldn’t be a problem.”

  She smiled even though she didn’t feel it. His probing stare was definitely a challenge.

  “What I don’t understand is why a woman who is so admired in her job back in a big city like Providence…”

  Summer sputtered. “Big city? Hardly.”

  He shrugged. “Okay, a city. I’ve never been to Providence. But it certainly isn’t Rudolph or any of the other small towns in South Dakota that I know. Why here when you could have gone anywhere, especially when Matt had such high praise for you?”

  She chose her words carefully. “I have never done fire dispatch before. Why not South Dakota?”

  He made a face that Summer found incredibly adorable and at the same time, hated that she did. Thoughts of Sam McKinnon had consumed her mind ever since she’d met the man. She wasn’t staying in South Dakota. And from what Adam told her, neither was he. Smokejumpers and Hotshots didn’t work in her little state of Rhode Island so the likelihood of anything other than a quick fling happening between them was zero. And since Summer wasn’t into cheap, meaningless sex, no matter how gorgeous a man Sam McKinnon was, they were at less than zero.

  Still, she couldn’t ignore the way his warm eyes seemed to caress her as he gazed at her.

  It had to be her imagination. And lately she’d found that her imagination was a wild as the crazy turn her life had taken.

  “Let’s go. I’ll show you your home away from home for the next six months,” he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder to lead her toward the dispatch office.

  Her feeble explanation seemed to satisfy Sam, which brought a weird sense of relief and disappointment. Only Adam knew of the danger Summer had faced in Providence and her real reason for ending up here in Rudolph. It was safer that way, and yet part of her wanted to confide in Sam. She didn’t know why.

  It was crazy. She’d only just met the man. And yet something about him told her she’d be safe with him.