Wildfire (10 page)

Devon’s answer about her research served as a much needed reminder that she was here to work. She had a deadline, her superiors were waiting for her report and she needed to get home to her sister—her very pregnant, very alone sister. She mentally scolded herself for focusing on anything other than work. She had planned ahead, as usual and given herself a little extra time in case of snow, but she would still have to use the time wisely in order to finish on schedule.

So what if Elaine had given her the most remarkable kiss of her life? It didn’t matter that Devon could still remember every curve of Elaine’s body, or that she could still feel the way her own nipples had swelled in the palm of Elaine’s hand. No, there was no reason at all that she should lose sight of her purpose for being up here in these mountains. Unfortunately, all she could think about was why she was in this cabin.

Since there was no way that Devon could actually work while the snow was falling, she chose to spend the day in the warmth of the cabin, taking advantage of the electricity to write out notes and focus on work, though at times it was hard not to simply watch both the snow falling and Elaine catching up on her field reading. If she kept her focus on work after the snow, there was no reason she shouldn’t enjoy Elaine’s company.

Finally calling it quits on her notes for the day, Devon joined Elaine on the couch in front of the fire.

They talked more about the spill and shared their own personal experiences during the emergency. Devon was grateful for the distraction that the pleasant conversation provided. She learned that Elaine had stubbornly refused to leave her post in spite of the fact that man after man was forced to rotate off the line. Exposure to the toxins and the danger to her crew had been at the forefront of Elaine’s mind throughout the cleanup. Despite their hazmat suits, many rangers had fallen ill.

Her respect for Elaine continued to grow, but so did the alarm that Elaine had put her life in jeopardy. There was absolutely no doubt that Elaine was dedicated to both her crew and her job, a quality that Devon understood completely.

“I’m surprised that they let you into the contamination zone so early.”

Devon smiled. “I can be very persuasive.”

Elaine gave her a look that said she didn’t doubt Devon’s powers of persuasion, but she still asked, “So how did you get access to the spill site so early?”

 “Actually this was the third incident I had worked. Through cooperation with the Forest Service, Park Services, Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Transportation we were finally able to come to an agreement. By having someone dedicated to the environment come in right away, a lot of harm to the plant life and wildlife could be avoided.

“No offense, but rangers are trained in botany. We had to be here anyway. Why not just have one of us handle it? Why expose more people than necessary?”

“If you were fighting a fire, would you stop to take a core sample of a tree?”

Elaine frowned. “Of course not.”

She smiled with satisfaction. “Exactly. You were focused on putting out the fire so to speak. The response crew was focused on their job. There is no way that any one of you would have had time to examine the shrubs and soil when you were busy trying to stop the spread of the pollution.”

Elaine’s nod seemed to concede the point. “So they let you in. How close did they let you get?”

She knew that Elaine wasn’t being condescending. A ranger was trained for every aspect of forest management and during a crisis they didn’t like anyone that they considered a “civilian” getting in their way and making things more difficult. Over the years she had learned how to thwart their objections and get the job done.

“I was right there in the thick of it. Smack-dab in the middle so-to-speak.”

Elaine’s eyes widened. “Only a few select, well-trained crews were allowed that close to the disaster site that early on.”

She lifted a brow and asked with amusement, “Do you doubt me?”

Elaine grinned. “No, I don’t doubt you. I’m just confused.”

“I’ve been through the training. It was part of a coordinated effort that Congress implemented. I guess they figured if they had more versatile people who were cross-trained to fill multiple roles, they would have to employ less people overall.”

“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I totally agree, but unfortunately we don’t get to make the rules. They do.”

Elaine’s brow furrowed. “Don’t they know how many people would lose their jobs?”

God, she’s adorable.
“You know how it is. They would rather save a buck than save the environment. That way they have more money to play war.”

Elaine’s voice rose slightly. “Don’t they know that we’re fighting a war out here?”

She placed her hand over Elaine’s and said softly, “You don’t have to convince me. We both know that they only consider it a war if there are human casualties. The death of our forests and its wildlife, well that’s just not important to them in comparison. As far as I’m concerned, preserving our land and wildlife is paramount, but well, the big boys just don’t always agree.”

The feel of Devon’s hand on hers was warm and gentle and strangely comforting to Elaine. She knew that she should probably pull her hand away, but she was loath to do so. Instead she redirected them to the topic they had veered from.

“I guess the Department of Transportation let you into the spill site, because I know the rangers wouldn’t have let you in. It was too dangerous.”

Devon’s laughter filled the room. Elaine loved Devon’s laugh.

“I pulled rank.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yes, the DOT did let me in and yes, the rangers were against it, but because of my standing with the EPA, they didn’t really have much of a choice.”

“Aren’t you a little young to have such power?”

“How old do you think I am?” Devon’s eyes revealed her amusement.

She studied Devon for a long minute. Her skin was flawless, showing no signs of aging or sun damage, even though Devon had told her that she spent a lot of time working in the field. There were laugh lines around her eyes, but that was just evidence of someone who enjoyed life, a trait that Elaine adored.

Okay, so maybe Devon was a genius. “You can’t be a day over twenty-five.”

Devon chortled. “Don’t I wish! I just turned thirty a few months ago.”

Elaine, mumbled, “If it makes you feel any better, you’re just a baby. I’m thirty-eight.”

Devon poked Elaine in the ribs. “That explains a lot.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,
grandma
, I knew there was something I liked about you. I’ve always had a preference for older women.”

“Thanks, I think.” She lightly threw a playful elbow in Devon’s direction even as she wondered if Devon was serious that she liked older women.

“Seriously, you certainly don’t look thirty-eight. I never would have guessed that in a million years. I hope I look as good as you do when I’m thirty-eight.”

Not sure what to say, she decided to let the comment slide. “It’s impressive that you are held in such high esteem at your age.”

“When I was a freshman in college I applied with the EPA. A couple of years later I was offered a job so I finished college early. I was promoted when I got my master’s and again when I received my Ph.D. Let’s just say, I worked my ass off.”

Damn
, Elaine was impressed. “To think I thought I was doing good to make captain.”

Elaine hadn’t realized that she had spoken the words out loud until Devon squeezed her hand. “I am very impressed that you’re a captain. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but the fact remains that you have far more responsibilities than I do. Not to mention the fact that you are also a woman in a male-dominated field.”

She looked into the steel gray eyes and saw the sincerity of Devon’s words. “True.”

“I study plants, water and soil. I’m not saying that I don’t do anything else, or that what I do isn’t important, but I don’t have nearly as many fields of discipline or training. I don’t have to be a firefighter, a police officer or lead a search and rescue team. And let’s not forget,” Devon added with a wink, “your duties of scaring unsuspecting botanists off of rocks so you can rescue them.”

She felt her face flush, partly from her embarrassment, but more from the heat of Devon’s hand on hers.
How can a wink and a smile cause me to feel this way?
“So what made you decide to become a botanist, anyway?”

“My mom used to have plants all over the house when we were kids. I used to spend hours with her watering them and talking to them. Every single one of them had a name.” Devon’s nostalgic smile abruptly faded.

The change in her expression concerned Elaine. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m sorry. I hang on to those good memories, but still the reality saddens me.”

She waited patiently for Devon to continue.

“I lost my parents while I was in college. That’s part of the reason my sister and I are so close. We’ve always been there for each other and why it is so important that I finish this assignment so I can be home with her when my nephew is born.”

“I’m so sorry,” she spoke softly as she gave Devon’s hand an affectionate squeeze. “If you don’t mind my asking, how did it happen?”

“There was a robbery at our house. I guess they thought nobody was home, or maybe they didn’t care. Either way, my parents were found in the living room by the police after the neighbor reported gunshots. By the time the paramedics got there, it was too late. I thank God that Raine was out with friends or I would have lost her too. It was hard and I hope that they know the things they taught me as a child made such an impact on me that I chose to do what I do. I’m sorry.” Devon paused. “I didn’t mean to put a damper on the conversation.”

“Not at all.” Trying to put Devon at ease, she asked, “What else made you want to be a botanist?”

“My parents used to take us camping every summer. We didn’t go to campgrounds or anything like that. We would hike into some remote area and the only things we were allowed to take were the things we could pack in and pack out. I loved it.” Devon looked Elaine directly in the eye and smiled. “It’s kind of funny. I’m all about the land and nature and my sister, well; she’s a city girl through and through.”

Elaine was glad to see Devon’s expression clear as she mentioned her sister. There was obviously plenty of affection there.

“Anyway, as the summers passed, more and more people ventured further and further into the woods. I guess I was about eleven when I figured out how disgusted I was by the litter and the disregard people had for nature. We found old tires, refrigerators, oil drums and so many other things that had no reason for being there, other than the callousness of the people who left them there. It was then that I decided that I had to do something to protect the area that I loved so much.”

Elaine nodded in agreement. She completely understood where Devon was coming from. She couldn’t believe how relaxed she felt talking with Devon. Devon was real and they seemed to share so many of the same thoughts and feelings. She couldn’t remember a time that she had shared such an unforced and truly pleasant conversation. It certainly never happened with Grace. Even in the beginning, she and Grace never had much to talk about. Not to mention, Grace didn’t have much of a sense of humor, unlike Devon, who seemed not only to love laughing, but made Elaine laugh as well. She and Grace had their passions, but very few in common and Grace had lied about some of hers. It wasn’t all bad; it just was what it was.

She was dying to ask Devon more about her home life, precisely if she had someone special at home or if she was single, but instead decided to focus on trying to act like a ranger, not a lust-driven lesbian. After all, she was a professional, right?

“So where do you call home when you’re not here in a ranger’s cabin?” Devon asked.

“Well, I live in Sandpark Point, but sometimes I feel like I live at the station.”

“How funny, I live in Barrington. I go to Marblerock all the time to shop. I’m surprised we’ve never met before now or at least seen each other.”

A moment of silence passed before Elaine glanced up at Devon again and suddenly the site of wet, perfectly tanned skin glistening in the sun flashed before her eyes.
Yep, way to be a professional, El.
Trying to ignore the rise in her body temperature, she stumbled for the first time during their conversation, searching for words. She had been curious about something ever since she had seen Devon swimming in the pool. “So, is there a story behind the tattoo I noticed on your shoulder or is it just a youthful indiscretion?”

“
That goes back to college. A few months after my parents died I decided to get it as a reminder. It’s a phoenix rising from the ashes. It was a moment of clarity and commitment and a constant reminder that I can survive anything.”

Devon paused as though lost in thought before asking, “So what about you? What made you decide to become a ranger?”

Elaine smiled as she realized how similar her story was to Devon’s. “My parents used to send me to summer camp. I hated it there because I never seemed to fit in. It was hard to go to camp and bunk with a bunch of girls knowing that I was different. I wanted to be
with
the girls, but I didn’t want to be with the girls talking about boys.”