Big Daddy Firemen (Big Cedar Daddies Book 2)

The fire engine came to a controlled stop close to the sight of the grass fire.

Walker breathed a heavy sigh as he slid from the truck. It wasn’t that he minded the job.

He didn’t.

Firefighting was in his blood. The hard tasks that accompanied the calling was to be expected.

No, what he minded was the frequency of these fires. Something was going on here. Something bad. He just couldn’t make all the pieces fit. But he couldn’t worry about the why or who right now. He had to focus on the what.

And the what was a grassfire that was threatening to spread quickly if he and the boys didn’t get to work.

He was happy to see Quinn arrive a minute later, getting out of his police cruiser and taking orange cones from the back.

“I’ll get it blocked off,” he yelled.

There was no need for the firemen to say anything as they got the hose ready. Quinn was damn good at his job. They were, too.

It was a strange scene playing out before them. The deep, dark winter night was pierced by the eerie glow of fire. It had sprung up along the side of the narrow, two-lane road that cut through a swath of rolling, tree-covered mountains. A mile down the way, after the speed limit dropped, it turned into Big Cedar’s Main Street before opening back up again just outside of town.

The fire crackled and hissed, feeding hungrily on the dry winter grass and underbrush, sending tendrils of smoke curling into the cool night air.

The orange and red flames danced wildly, their heat palpable even from a distance, creating a stark contrast against the pitch-black night. The headlights of a passing car briefly illuminated the scene around the blaze, highlighting the quick scarring of the fire’s destructive path. Quinn stood to the side of the road, waving the motorist around the danger, and watching as they disappeared safely into the night.

The acrid scent of burning vegetation mingled with the fresh, earthy smells of the surrounding forest. Thankfully, the smoke wasn’t too bad… yet. With any luck, the guys would have the flames extinguished before it could get that way. Those winding roads were dark enough at night for motorists anyway. They didn’t need the extra curtain of smoke to make them any more dangerous!

Thankfully, there was some good news amidst the chaos.

“It’s an easy one,” Austin called out as he worked the hose up and down the hot, orange line.

Walker smiled, thankful for the small victory. With the growing sense of dread twisting his insides, he’d take any and all good news he could get.

Austin’s words proved true, and it didn’t take long to get the flames out. Walker and the crew had arrived before it had a chance to grow very large. The sun’s morning rays would illuminate a black patch of scarred, scorched earth, but it wouldn’t be a very big one.

Once things had quieted down—and extra water had doused the spot where the fire had been and everything around it—Quinn sidled up to the firefighters and breathed a heavy sigh.

“Been too many fires lately.”

Austin, Cane, and Walker all nodded.

“Yep,” Walker said. He shook his head as he spoke again. “And I intend to find out what’s going on. The investigation starts in the morning.”