The Fireman's Perfect Match Read online

  At least being here at the station, I can have calls with Mindy. They are literally the bright spot in each day. We’re navigating this new normal, me being away, and her waiting for me to come home.

  The guys and I have our two-hour workout this morning and then we’ll work on equipment. First break we have, I’m going into a secluded spot and giving her a call. As I’m thinking that, I hear Jared out front.

  “Hey, Caleb. You better come out here.”

  He sounds pretty urgent. I walk out into the kitchen and nearly drop to the ground. Before I can think another thought, Mindy comes running at me and jumps up into my arms. “Mindy! What on earth! You are here? How?”

  She holds on and I spin her around. I see Jared watching us with a grin on his face. She leans in and kisses me and then she giggles.

  She says, “I couldn’t take thinking of the rest of the summer away from you. I’ve got nothing solid going on most days now that camp is over. I decided to drive out and surprise you. I know you’ve got to do your routine here. I just wanted to see you.”

  I set Mindy down, and sit back on one of the barstools around the kitchen island. She stands right in front of me holding my hand and rubbing her fingers across my knuckles.

  I tell Mindy, “I’m floored. You have no idea how happy you just made me. You want a tour around? I’ve got to take the guys on a workout in a minute. We’ll be running for an hour and then hitting the weights, but I’ll have time after we finish. Can you stay for a bit, eat lunch with us? I hate to leave you for even a minute now that you are here.”

  “I’d love a tour. Do you need to work out first? I can wait. I brought a book. I didn’t know how much time we could actually spend together. I know you have your routine when you are here.”

  I realize Jared is still standing there.

  “By the way, Mindy, this is Jared. I told you about him. He’s my best friend here at the station—and we own a house together in West Yellowstone.”

  She says, “Hi, Jared. Nice to meet you, officially.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mindy. I feel like I’ve already known you for years with all the talking Caleb has done about you since I met him. Welcome to the station. Hey, Caleb. Why don’t I take the guys on the run? You and Mindy can take a walk instead. We’ll meet back for weights in an hour.”

  I say, “That would be awesome, bro. Thanks.”

  Jared heads out to the rest of the guys, leaving me and Mindy alone in the kitchen. I pull her in towards me while I’m sitting on the barstool. I cup her face in my hands and look in her eyes.

  “You surprise me. I mean really. All these years you held back, and since we started dating, you are full of spontaneity and initiative.”

  I lean in and give her a kiss full of the passion she ignites in me. I hope my kiss conveys my devotion to her. She kisses me back, our mouths fitting together like two puzzle pieces. She’s nestled against me. I can feel her heartbeat against my chest. Then she pulls back, smiling a full smile that reaches her eyes.

  “Caleb.”

  She says my name like it’s the most precious word she ever spoke.

  Then she bends towards me and kisses me again. Her lips are soft and full. All I can think is how many years I have waited to do this, and how I never want anything to separate us again. Our kisses linger and then Mindy pulls away slowly, glancing up at me with hooded eyes, her lips swollen and her face beaming. She leans in and rests her head on my chest. We hold one another, refueling for the next leg of our separation.

  I could stay like that forever, but I also have this desire to let her see my life here, to include her more deeply into the time I’m not with her.

  I ask, “You want the grand tour?”

  I want to show her everything, to remember each room with her in it when she’s gone.

  She says, “You bet. Give me the grand tour.”

  “So, this is the kitchen. It’s where the magic happens, as you know. Actually, we all take turns cooking. Through off season only four of us are usually here full-time. But right now, we have twenty guys—and we’re talking guys who eat about four thousand calories a day a piece because of how hard we work out to stay in shape, so imagine a feed lot for bulls. That’s about what we’re pulling off here these days when we’re not on a fire.”

  She smiles and puts her hand in mine. I take her from room to room showing her the bunks, the little library, our den, the weight room, and the garage. We chat while we tour.

  After the tour, we walk outside. I lead her down a path that runs straight behind the station. She shares about summer camp, and I tell her about the fire work we just came off of. We talk about what we’ll do when I’m off in the fall. Her teaching job will pick back up, but we’ll have weekends free together. We come back to the station just as the guys are getting in from their run.

  Mindy says, “I love seeing your station. Now I can picture you here when you aren’t on a fire. When you talk about this place and the guys, I’ll have faces and a place to imagine.”

  I lean in and kiss her again. My head is swimming with the fact that she’s here. We walk out to her car so she can grab her book.

  After my workout with the guys, I shower and spend a little more time with Mindy. I have responsibilities to attend to, so I get those out of the way. She stays on for lunch. If I had known she was coming, I would have made something special. Instead, it was Roy and Chad’s turn to cook chili and hot dogs. So, she gets to eat what they cooked. She seems to like it well enough.

  The atmosphere is so different with her here. It’s hard to describe what happens to twenty guys when a beautiful, intelligent woman is in their midst. All I know is I make sure I stay right next to her and put my hand around her shoulder or waist as much as possible. She’s mine and every one of those nineteen men ought to know it.

  After lunch I walk Mindy to her car. She looks up at me with those captivating blue eyes.

  She says, “I’m so glad I came out here. I thought you might think I was crazy, but it’s not that bad of a drive and it’s beautiful. I just had to see you.”

  I say, “Seriously. You made my day. Heck, I think you made my year!”

  She giggles and then she loops her arms around my neck, and I bend in to kiss her. I know there are at least a few sets of eyes on us from inside the station. I kiss her one more time and tell her I’ll call her right after this next fire, or in the middle of it if we get cell service. She gets in her car and I shut her door for her. I stand watching her car until I can’t see it anymore. Fall can’t come soon enough.

  THE NEXT DAY WE GET word that a fire near Gardiner is gaining ground on the north side of the park. We load up the trucks and head out. Coby drives one and I drive the other.

  We arrive at base camp, check in and are assigned to a division. Each of us is given the radio channel we’ll be working on. The chief in charge of this job tells us where the fire is moving and gives us a rundown of how the wind and weather are impacting things. Our company gets our objectives.

  This fire we are clearing brush. I am on a chainsaw crew today. As the fire approaches, the environment feels more surreal because of the way the smoke filters sunlight. There is an eerie otherworldly feel around us. Today we can hear the fire moving in the distance. It sounds like a faraway freight train and sometimes like an industrial fan as the air is sucked into the flames.

  The team and I are cutting and clearing branches and shrubbery to make sure the fire doesn’t have as much fuel when it heads this way. It’s intense work in a blaze this big. We’re hot and under a lot of pressure. We have to be on high alert, watching for signs of any change in the fire conditions around us.

  As we are cutting, our radios come through with a warning. The blaze changed direction. It’s moving quickly our way. We turn to go, and I feel a sudden hit to my legs. Something heavy has knocked me hard. A searing pain radiates through my right leg and I fall backwards ...

  chapter eleven

  Mindy

 
I AM SITTING ON MY porch swing the day after I visited Caleb at his fire station. I’m so glad I took that trip. I almost didn’t. A summer breeze blows through ruffling the pages of my book and blowing my hair back. I wonder what Shannon is doing.

  Mindy: Hey, Shannon. What are you up to today?

  Shannon: Just cleaning house—maybe run later when it cools off. How was Caleb? Was he surprised?

  Mindy: So surprised. Totally worth the four-hour drive. Scenery was beautiful. Took a walk. Caught up a little.

  Shannon: ... and kissed! lol

  Mindy: It goes without saying ;) I feel a lot better having gone to see him. Knowing I can pop in on him sometimes makes it much better. I think they are back on a fire again today. It’s pretty crazy how intense their work is.

  Shannon: Want to join me on my run later? Or you could pop by for pizza and a movie tonight.

  Mindy: Hmmmm. Burn calories, or pack them on? Hard call. I’m enjoying the latest Jamie Langston Turner novel right now. Let’s say pizza and movie. What time?

  Shannon: How about 5:30 or 6:00?

  Mindy: 5:30 is good.

  I spend the rest of the afternoon immersing myself in a gripping story of a woman who lived through tragedy and found hope through a healing friendship. The characters are so well written, and the book is set in the South. I can’t believe a whole afternoon drifted by while I read. Good books do that—they sweetly absorb you into a fictional world, taking you along on the character’s journeys. The best of stories inspire or move us in ways that linger long after the book is finished.

  At 5 p.m. I collect myself and take my things inside. I pull a brush through my hair and grab my keys to head over to Shannon’s. Her home is closer to downtown on a little street with older craftsman-style homes. I’m pulling up to Shannon’s little bungalow when my phone rings.

  Kat sounds flustered.

  She says, “Mindy, hi. I have some serious news. We just got a call from a firefighter who works with Caleb.”

  My heart races.

  Kat continues, “Jared said something happened to Caleb when they were working the fire outside Gardiner. He was hit by a large branch in the leg and it knocked him backwards. They were able to get him out, but they had to helicopter him here to the ER. He’s at Bozeman Deaconess right now.”

  I feel like I’m hearing her through a tunnel. Tears stream down my cheeks. I struggle to understand what Kat is saying. It feels like a bad dream.

  I ask, “Kat! Is he okay? I need to see him! Kat! Tell me he’s going to be okay!”

  My breath is coming quickly between my words as I gasp between sobs.

  Kat asks, “Mindy, are you alone?”

  “I’m in front of Shannon’s. I was about to go in for a movie and pizza.”

  She says, “Listen. I think you might be in shock and not in the best condition to drive. Can you see if Shannon can drive you to the hospital and we’ll make sure you get your car and get back home. Okay, hon?”

  “Yes. I need to see Caleb. Kat. I need to know he’s okay.”

  “I know, sweetheart. Go in and get Shannon. See if she can take you. Call me back if she can’t.”

  I say, “Okay,” and set my phone on the passenger seat.

  I walk up to Shannon’s home. I feel like I’m in a nightmare. A low pounding fills my head. I feel numb. I knock on the door. Shannon must see something in my facial expression.

  She asks, “Mindy, are you okay?”

  “Caleb was hurt in a fire. He’s at Deaconess. I have to get to him. Can you drive me? Kat doesn’t think I should drive.”

  “Yes. Of course. Let me grab my shoes and keys.”

  Shannon and I get in her car and head off. She starts praying while she drives.

  God, you love Caleb. We pray you take care of him. Give him good care. Give Mindy peace. We put this whole situation in Your hands. Amen.

  I say, “Thank you, Shannon. I hadn’t even thought to pray.”

  My shirt feels damp from tears. I’m overwhelmed and stunned. I just saw Caleb yesterday. He lifted me up and spun me around. He was strong. We laughed. We took a walk. We planned what we’ll do in the fall. Now he’s in the hospital. It doesn’t feel possible. The verse from my devotional starts reciting through my head:

  Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death You are with me.

  I pray silently. “God, You are with me. You are with Caleb.”

  As we drive, I call my mom. She picks up on the first ring.

  “Mom, Caleb was in a fire outside Gardiner and he was hurt. I’m on the way to the hospital to see him. Kat and Jack are on their way there too.”

  “Oh, honey. Do you want me and Dad to come stay there with you?”

  I tell her, “No. It’s okay. I will let you know if I need anything. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mindy. Let us know if you need us in any way, okay, sweetheart.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” I drop my phone into my purse.

  Shannon lets me out at the emergency room entrance. She asks, “Do you want me to park and come in with you?”

  “No. That’s okay. Kat and Jack will be here. I so appreciate you giving me a ride.”

  “Anytime. Let me know how he is when you have time, or if you need anything.”

  “Thanks. I will.”

  I walk through the sliding glass doors and ask the receptionist how I can find Caleb Anders. The man gives me a visitor tag and takes my ID. He checks to see if my name is on a list and then tells me Caleb’s in room 507. He points towards the elevators and says I can take those up to the fifth floor.

  chapter twelve

  Caleb

  I FEEL UNEASY. BRIGHT lights and white walls. Where am I? I was on the fire. Something hit me. A branch? My leg feels like it is on fire. I have a throbbing headache. The fire is turning directions! I have to make sure the guys are okay! I snap up quickly and feel a wave of dizziness.

  A strange voice says, “Mr. Anders, my name is Nurse Jan. You have to take it slowly. You are at Bozeman Deaconess. You have a concussion and a broken femur. You were hit by a falling branch from a tree. When you fell you hit your head on some rock. Please relax, Mr. Anders. Your brother and sister-in-law are on their way. Can you lie back down for me, Mr. Anders? Caleb?”

  “I’m in the hospital?

  “Where is my team?

  “Are they okay?”

  The woman says, “Mr. Anders I will answer all the questions I can. You need to lie down, okay?”

  “Yes.”

  I lie down. My stomach feels queasy. I’m trying to piece things together.

  I ask, “So, the other firefighters—Jared, Coby, Roy—are they okay?”

  I feel the urge to get out of here and help them.

  I explain, “They are my responsibility. I can’t leave them.”

  “Mr. Anders, Jared came with you in the helicopter that flew you in when you had to medevac to the ER. He is in the waiting room right now. The rest of your team is okay as far as I’m aware.”

  I say, “Thank you.”

  Images of the guys and the fire flit through my mind.

  I mumble, “Can I see Jared?”

  “You need your rest. If you promise to stay calm and take it easy, I can bring Jared in here for a short visit.”

  I lie down and pretty soon Jared comes into the room where I am in a hospital bed with monitors going on behind me. I notice I have an IV line in the crux of my left elbow. How did this happen? It seems so blurry as I try to remember.

  Jared comes near to me and says, “Hey, bro. You doing okay? You gave us quite a scare.”

  I feel overwhelmed.

  “Sorry, Jared. I can’t remember all the pieces.”

  “I got hit?” I ask him as I grasp at the vague image of what happened.

  I tell Jared, “I think I remember something hitting my legs. Then it’s not so clear until I woke up here just now.”

  He says, “Yeah, a loose branch caught some of the flame when the fire changed
directions. It was about nine-inches in diameter and it flew at your legs at an angle when it came down. We were on the way out of the area. It hit you in the thigh and you flew backward. Your head hit a rocky part of the path and you were out cold. You were moaning even though you weren’t responsive.”

  Jared blows out a breath and continues.

  “We radioed out and used a four-man carry to get you to the medics. The helicopter showed up pretty quickly and I insisted on going with you. The chief cleared me. Coby’s running the fire team with us gone. He’s got things under total control. I called your brother and Kat.”

  I lay there trying to take this all in. I feel fuzzy and tired. Mindy! Does she know?

  “Jared, does Mindy know?”

  “Yeah, your brother said he’s calling her. They are on their way. I think she’s coming too.”

  I say, “My leg is broken.”

  Facts are coming and going in my mind. As soon as I make sense of them, they seem to blur together or disappear. I need to clarify everything. I want to understand. I need sleep. My eyes are heavy. I hear some mumbling voices.

  When I wake up Mindy is standing over me looking like an angel. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. My mouth feels cottony and scaly inside. I clear my throat.

  I tell her, “Don’t cry, Mindy. Are you okay? I’m sorry this happened. I didn’t want to scare you.” I look up into her eyes. She’s everything to me. I feel so tired, though.

  “I love you, Mindy.”

  My eyes droop. It’s a fight to keep them open. Mindy’s hand comes up to my face. I open my eyes again. She has the deepest look of concern in her eyes. She looks tired and worn out.

  “Caleb. I love you too.”

  She loves me? I feel so weak. I shift my weight and an agonizing pain shoots through to my toes and up my hip. I wince and let out a cry at the excruciating sensation. I feel as though knives are cutting in my thigh.