Dan
We’d laid out pipe,shifted the spare fuel from the shed, and I was just about to head up to double-check the guttering when I waved at Tom as he stepped out of his car. Exhaustion marred his features, yet he still held a smile before heading to the main water hose.
I carried on with my task, aware the smoke wasn’t easing and the wind continued to build. While it was important to hope the crew working the fire a few kilometres away was not only safe but successful, the reality of needing to be prepared sat heavily on my chest.
After seeing the gutters were clear, I worked through my mental checklist, trying to ensure if the fire came this way, we could try to stop it in its tracks, and if we were unsuccessful, that we’d done enough to protect as much of the house as possible.
Too many Australians had already lost so much. I didn’t want that to happen to the Fosters. The knowledge they were insured offered a semblance of relief, but that wouldn’t help the heartbreak that came with losing the property they’d worked so hard for.
“Dan.” Craig’s call reached me, the urgency clear.
I descended the stepladder and jogged to the front of the house. He stood with his parents and Ross.
“Mum’s going to head on out and take her car and the horses to Ross’s,” Craig explained.
It made sense. Even if the fire didn’t catch up, it was best to be prepared, just in case. I nodded. “What’s the plan? Any news?” After the barest of glances at Ross, my gaze travelled to Tom, who remained rigid, eerily so.
“I’ve just spoken to Mike. They seem more confident they’ve contained the area near the creek, but they’re worried about the wind.” Tom cast a concerned glance at his wife, no doubt aware that her worry would increase if he said much more. “Let’s just get Harriet out on the road, and we’ll see what else needs doing.”
He led Harriet to the SUV by the hand, leaning close and speaking quietly. She bobbed her head a few times. Her fear, though, was palpable, walloping me in the gut. Harriet was like a second mum to me. I had very few memories growing up that didn’t feature one of the Fosters. I glanced away when she pulled Ross into a hug, too tempted to suggest he go with her. There was no chance he’d go, though, not yet. Ross was a special breed of stubborn when he wanted to be, but there was no way I’d allow him to put himself at risk. If it came down to it, I’d throw him in the back of his ute and strap him down and race him out of here.
“Dan, get yourself over here.” The emotion in Harriet’s voice didn’t sit right, flickering to life my own concern.
A small smile formed on my lips as I embraced her. She’d know it was fake.
“Don’t you dare put yourself at risk.” Her voice was low against my ear. “And you make sure you look after that boy of mine.” She finished with a squeeze and pulled away. I simply bobbed my head, more than aware that she knew I would always look out for Ross. The woman was too damn perceptive.
As she pulled away a few moments later, Tom let the full extent of his fear be known. The lines around his eyes appeared more pronounced, the redness in his eyes reflecting the exhaustion beating at him. “It’s likely that the wind will push the fire this way.” He cast his focus in the direction of the large gum about twenty metres from his house; its leaves were swaying with increasing speed. The smoke tickled my nose already, threatening to make me sneeze, and while it wasn’t that dense, the likelihood it would be soon was high.
“We continue to soak and try our hardest to ensure nothing comes close to the house,” Tom said, his voice clear. “Craig, you focus on the water truck, and we’ll use the embankment as our marker to call in for help if anyone is available; if not, we’ll then use the midway pipeline as our point to leave, okay?”
Knowing that walking away would be so damn hard, I nodded, but our lives were so much more important. If we couldn’t control the flames by the point he’d said, there was no way we’d be able to once the house's wooden frame caught—certainly not without the fire truck here.
“Ross, the embankment is your cue to leave and get to your pla—”
“Not a chance,” he said, interrupting his dad. “I’ll go when you go.”
Tom’s gaze hardened as he looked at Ross; mine did too, ready to back the old man up should I need to. “This is non-negotiable. You aren’t trained like your brother and Dan.”
Ross flicked his attention to me, steely determination set in eyes I’d missed over the years. I quirked my right brow in challenge, hoping he read my face clearly. He wouldn’t be getting support from me. His eyes narrowed a little before he returned his attention to his dad. “I know enough to be helpful. I’m not going to be all gung-ho and put myself or anyone else at risk.” He shook his head. “Give me some credit.” He then focussed on his brother. “Craig, come on. Us even talking about this is ridiculous and wasting time.”
I jerked my head in Craig’s direction.
His eyes were on Tom. “Ross is right, Dad. We’re wasting time. He’s not stupid when it comes to shit like this.” Craig’s support was immediate.
“No.” The loudness of my voice seemed to startle us all. But the word was out there now, and all eyes were on me.
A crease wrinkled Ross’s forehead. “No?” He shook his head. “Seriously, it’s not like you or anyone,” he said pointedly, “has a say. Now get your heads out of your arses and—”
“I’m serious.” I didn’t flinch, didn’t ease my focus away. Instead, my sight was locked on Ross and his heating cheeks. No doubt anger and frustration were the cause, but I didn’t care what shit was thrown my way. I’d follow through with my promise to protect him.
“And why the hell—”
Once again, I cut him off. But this time, I would slice through all the BS and shut this down for good. A niggle in my mind told me I was being a domineering prick, but I could live with that if it meant Ross was safe. “I won’t be able to keep you safe while trying to put out damn fires.” My tone remained even despite the acceleration of my heart.
“Oh, hell,” Craig said, followed by a snort. “Dad, come on. Let’s carry on and let the caveman here do his thing.”
Not flipping Craig the finger took restraint, and I could only imagine what his dad’s reaction was—something I’d worry about later. My whole focus was on Ross and the widening of his eyes and the change in the set of his shoulders when my words seemed to hit their mark.
“What exactly are you saying?”
I grinned despite the panic edging its way into my chest that I was actually going to do this, loving how he stepped up to the challenge. Of course, now was so beyond not the right time to be airing my feelings for the guy. But sometimes opportunities came along in the most bizarre of moments. I’d be a fool to ignore this one and not seize the opportunity.
When Ross stepped into my space rather than me making the move, my heart flipped over. His brows rose in expectation, egging me on.
“My focus is always on you,” I admitted. “You being so close to a situation you’ve not been trained for means I won’t be able to do my job properly.” I wanted to swallow, to clear my throat, but instead, I ploughed on. “I need you to let me help your dad and your brother. I need you to not feel as though you have to step beside any of us in this situation.” My voice dipped, and my gaze slowly flicked to his eyes and then his mouth. “And I need for you to let me kiss you, just so I know I’m not imagining this.”
It was out there—my words, my emotions, my truth. There was no taking them back. Relief spread into my veins, knowing I no longer had to keep wondering about the possibility of there being an us. It wasn’t until he smiled and grasped my shoulder, though, that finally, despite the shitty situation, despite his stubborn arse, I knew somehow we’d get through all of this intact.
