They had just finished shifting back into their human shapes and were lacing up their assorted hiking and loggers' boots when the helicopter arrived with a hurricane-like blast of rotor wash and a deafening roar from the engines.
The next fifteen minutes passed in a dizzying scramble of activity as the rescue team lowered a rescue basket, connected to the helicopter by a long steel cable, to the beach. With the firefighters' assistance, the rescue team in the helicopter hoisted the kids to safety one by one, followed by the adult campers.
As the last of the Ordinaries was being hoisted safely up to the helicopter, Ken shouted to Maggie, "You're next! Step on up!"
"You guys coming too?" she yelled back.
Thor, who was helping Ken, shook his head. "Nah!" he replied. "We need to get back to work."
"Are you crazy?" she demanded.
Mr. Hotness stepped up next to her, chuckling. "Nope, we're smokejumpers. And we're not leaving until we get this fire knocked down."
Smokejumpers, huh? Maggie had always heard that smokejumpers were the toughest of the tough. These guys sure seemed to want to live up that reputation.
Thor gave her a quick, hard hug. "You did good, Maggie. You saved those kids."
"Especially since you could have just bugged out and left the Ordinaries to fend for themselves," added Steve.
"No, I couldn't have," she told him firmly, and his smile of approval warmed her. She added, "But you guys are the ones who actually saved everyone. If you hadn't shown up, I would've only been able to save three or four of those kids."
She shuddered.
Steve leaned in and gave her a hug. “You're amazing and you did everything right, Maggie.”
She liked the way he said her name. His body, pressed briefly against hers, felt really good—strong and lithe. And he smelled even better. Her inner jaguar sat up and took notice.
Uh-oh, she thought, as a treacherous spark of attraction kindled deep inside her belly.
Now that the crisis was over, she was painfully aware of what she looked like. Cold and exhausted, no makeup, and wet hair plastered to her head and straggling over her shoulders in limp strands…Yeah, I'm a hot mess right now.
Not that it matters, she told herself. I'm done with dating, remember? Besides, even if Mr. Hotness is interested, I don't live in Colorado, and I'm way too busy for a long-distance relationship.
Then it was her turn for Thor and Ken to help her into the rescue basket.
As she was slowly hoisted aboard the 'copter, she remembered something important.
“Hey, I almost forgot," she yelled down at the group of firefighters who stood on the rocky beach, waving her off. "I'm opening my new bakery in Denver next Saturday. It's called Cacao. Come by for lots of goodies! Hell, stop by anytime for free coffee and pastries. Just tell my staff that you're part of the Rocky Mountain Smokejumpers!"
All of the assembled shifters brightened at her words.
"Awesome," Thor replied, giving her a grin and a thumbs up. "We'll be there!"
Mr. Hotness added with a big, sexy grin, "See you next week, Maggie!”
Chapter 3
Cry for Help
Denver Smokejumper Base
Friday, June 23
"So, I've meaning to ask," Steve Lopez said as he put his freshly cooked hamburger and bowl of salad on the table and took a seat next to Thor Swanson in the smokejumper base's courtyard. "Is your friend Maggie Ornelas mated? Or seeing anyone seriously?"
After six long days of backbreaking work, the Rocky Mountain Smokejumpers and the other firefighters had finally gotten the Routt Fire under control. The team had hiked out to the trailhead this morning for pickup. There they'd met the shuttle buses that had ferried them and all of their gear back to their base, located on Denver's outskirts.
Through a long, exhausting week of cutting brush and digging fire lines as the team fought to control the fire, Steve had found himself thinking about Maggie a lot.
She had been utterly magnificent both in her human and her jaguar shapes, sleek and confident, and sexy as hell.
Shifter etiquette discouraged staring at a fellow shifter when they got naked before or after a shift, but Steve hadn't been able to resist the temptation to drink in the sight of all those lovely curves and the delectable dark rose nipples crowning her generous breasts.
He'd been dying to talk to Thor about her, but working and camping in close quarters with his other team members meant no chance for a private conversation until now.