Chapter 13

What a rush.

And not just the sense of jumping off a building, but…the falling.

The being caught.

The adrenaline of not just surviving, but living.

Emily watched as her hotshot team sprayed water on the house, now engulfed in flames. Droplets fell in the saturated air like a sort of baptism.

Fear or faith. Both. The fear could make her smart. The faith could make her bold.

And at the end of it, God would catch her.

Maybe Spenser would be there too, because he stood behind her, his arms locked around her, his head on hers, watching the fire die.

"They'll probably want a statement," Spenser said softly.

"Yeah." She glanced at the sheriff's police cruiser where Trace Wilder sat in the back seat. "I wish I'd seen Winchester tackle him."

"Me too. But Win did miss our epic jump."

"No worries, the camera caught everything."

She glanced over at the voice. Cosmos, his arms folded, watching the fire eat his prop. "Really?"

"It was a great stunt. I'm going to figure out how to put it in the movie. If I can." He glanced over. "After we rewrite the ending. Good instincts there, Spenser. You should be a producer, the way you know story and set life."

Spenser made a sound, something of agreement.

"Deacon gets the girl?" Emily looked up at him.

"Only in the movie." Spenser smiled down at her.

"I think I mentioned no movie set romances," Cosmos said.

"This is the real thing," Spenser said.

The real thing. She wrapped her hands around his strong arms. The real thing.

Then she turned, put her hands on his chest. "Are you sure? I mean, we were just in a fire. Very dramatic. Maybe…"

"Sheesh. What does a guy have to do to convince you that he's in love with you?" He met her gaze. "Nizaagi"ian."

"I knew you could speak Iwoni!"

"Yeah. I'm pretty much fluent. But you know, I was pretty bored on set, so…"

"I love you, Spenser Storm. Not Quillen, although maybe you'll always be a little bit of a space cowboy in my heart, and not because you're a movie star. But because you're sweet and kind and brave, and you make me brave. With you, I feel safe."

"Even in the middle of a fire?"

"Mostly safe." She winked. Raised up on her toes?—

"Micah!"

Oh. She lowered herself back down and spotted the voice, coming from Conner, who was striding over to her, wearing his hard hat and yellow shirt, a grim expression.

Spenser let her go. "What's going on?"

"Commander Dafoe is calling a meeting. We got a call of the fire we set down yesterday stirring back to life and headed for a nearby ranch. We need all hotshots on hand and that means you too, Emily."

"She just jumped out of a burning house!"

Conner drew in a breath.

Oh, perfect. She looked at Spenser. "It was part of the movie. Great scene. Epic." She slid her hand down to Spenser's, took it, and squeezed.

"What about her statement to the police?"

"It'll have to wait. We're leaving the trouble crew here to finish up with the house—you and Houston and Dakota come with me." He looked at Spenser. Then, after a moment, nodded. "I think Jim will like you enough."

Then he walked away.

"Jim?"

"Conner is my godfather. He's talking about my dad." She turned to him and put her arms around his neck. "I gotta go."

"I know."

"And so do you. You have to finish your movie."

He sighed. "Yeah. Cosmos will have to shoot the finale on the backlot." He touched his forehead to hers. "But I'll be back in Montana as soon as we finish, I promise."

She nodded, the smoke biting her eyes.

"Want me to swear on the Star of Elianna?—"

She kissed him, her arms around his neck, holding onto her favorite hero, lost in the magic of her happy ending. She got the hero, and the man, and…

And it was well, very well, with her soul.

He kissed her well, no acting about it, and when she let him go, he nodded, something sweet in his eyes. "Go, save the galaxy."

"One world at a time." She winked, then ran to catch up to Conner.

* * *

Thank you for reading Flashpoint! Gear up for the next Chasing Fire: Montana romantic suspense thriller, Flashover by Megan Besing. Turn the page for a sneak peek!

SECRETS. BETRAYAL. SACRIFICE.

THIS TIME, THEY"RE NOT JUST

FIGHTING FIRE.

She never expected her second chance to show up…

When her special ops brother was killed, Sophie Lamb left everything—and everyone—behind to start over. Now the owner of a ranch that rescues neglected horses, they've become her entire life. And sure, she's still haunted by the death of her brother, but she doesn't have time to miss those she's lost—including her high school crush, Houston James, who she absolutely never thinks about. Okay, almost never.

In the middle ofa wildfire…

Houston James can't catch a break. Sure, he survived a house fire, and became a youth pastor, but a recent false accusation in ministry has sent him into a summer fighting fires. The last thing he expects is to find the girl he can't forget…

When the blazing Montana wildfire threatens her ranch, Sophie refuses to abandon her rescued animals. But the last person she expects to show up and demand her evacuation is of course, Houston James.

Then her prized stallion goes missing, and she and Houston must work together to track him down before the fire catches up to them. And when they stumble upon a shocking discovery, they are forced to work together, and confront their heartbreaking past, if they hope to survive.

In this relentless fight against external threats and the ghosts of their pasts, Houston and Sophie stand on the brink of a second chance. But the fight isn't over when the threat she left behind finds her…now, what will her second chance at love cost her?

Don"t miss out on this gripping tale of survival and redemption in the heart-pounding second installment of the Chasing Fire: Montana series.

Keep reading for a sneak peek!