12. Rayne

Rayne

Rayne lethimself into Nick's house a couple of days later, marveling at how comfortable he felt there. Nick was at the station, clocking the last few hours of a twenty-four-hour shift, but Rayne wanted to do something special for Nick to surprise him when he got home.

He walked into the bedroom, past the watercolor mountain range and collage of photos, and stopped dead in his tracks. His pulse quickened and his heart pounded as he turned to take a good look at what had caught his attention. His knees went weak, and he fell more than sat on the bed, his jaw dropping as he stared at the wall.

The photos of Nick's friends and family still hung unchanged, but the photos of Geoff had been rearranged, a few removed altogether. It was the additions to the collection that had stunned Rayne. Each new framed photo featured either him, or him and Nick.

One was of Rayne practicing on the ice by himself at the rink in Boulder. He remembered that shot. Nick had been on the other side of the boards videotaping him so Rayne could review the footage later for what he needed to work on. In the photo, he was skating toward Nick at the end of practice, coasting on one foot, and the smile on his face . . . the pure happiness exuding from him in 2D was so palpable it threatened to floor him. Nick made him feel that way.

His throat tightened, and he struggled to swallow as he moved to the next photo of him on the ice with the Flatirons Youth Hockey Club, where he'd been explaining a stick handling technique to a couple of the kids, who were both looking up at him like he was some kind of hero. The next shot was a selfie they had taken on one of their many trips up to Panorama Point. This one was taken at night, with the twinkling bokeh lights of Boulder behind them. Another was of the two of them at Chautauqua Park with Roo. And the last photo . . . They'd been at another barbecue at Capmany's house and Rayne was sitting in Nick's lap on the lounge chair, in a full-on lip-lock. Rayne laughed. They'd earned quite the round of whistles and wolf calls with that one.

When had Nick found the time to do this?

Rayne rose and gently traced his finger along the corner of the frame that held the picture of him and Nick kissing. He loved every photo, but mostly, he just loved Nick.

I'm in love with Nick Seavers!

Overwhelmed by the gesture and the realization of finally putting the right word on how he felt about Nick, Rayne spun and raced for the door.

He couldn't wait for Nick to come home.

"Roo," he shouted as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. "Let's go see daddy."

She came bounding through the dog door, jumping excitedly at his side as he ran to his car.

He probably exceeded a few speed limits on the short drive, but when he arrived at the station, only Jackie, the emergency services clerk who worked in the back office, was there.

"Whoa," Jackie held up a hand, a look of concern on her face at his harried entrance. "What's happened?"

"What? No, nothing." At least nothing he wanted to share with Jackie. "Just looking for Nick."

She relaxed and smiled with a shake of her head as she settled back into her chair.

"They're all out on a call." She glanced at the clock hanging on her desk. "I don't know how long they'll be. They've been out for a while now. You might want to wait at home."

"I'll hang out here," he said, and Jackie nodded, going back to whatever she'd been working on.

Waiting was not his forte. He paced the length of the empty garage a couple of times, Roo on his heel, before deciding to kill the time shooting hoops in the yard. Anything to keep moving.

He'd been playing keep-away with Roo rather than shooting the ball for a few minutes when a call from emergency dispatch crackled over the speakers. He missed the first part, but what he caught when he skidded around the corner back into the garage sent his heart into his throat.

". . . explosion in the industrial complex on Spine Road. Firefighters are trapped inside. Boulder stations four and seven respond. See station five fire chief on arrival."

"Where was that call?" he demanded in a panic when he bolted into Jackie's. "Is that where Nick is?"

But before she could answer, he had his phone out of his pocket and to his ear. Nick's number when directly to voicemail.

"He's not answering his phone."

"You know they can't use their cell phones on calls," Jackie admonished, but her voice was kind. "Relax, Rayne. Seavers knows what he's doing out there. All the firefighters out there have been in situations like this before. They'll all come home."

But Rayne didn't hear her. Not really. "I have to go there."

"No," she said, her tone firm. "The best thing you can do is wait here."

But that was the last thing he could do.

"Watch Roo!" he shouted as he bolted down the hall and out to the parking lot. He barely took a second to buckle in before he was racing down the street while his heart pounded deafeningly loud in his ears. He didn't need his GPS to guide him to the industrial center. All he needed to do was follow the thick black smoke billowing into the sky from the east.

Fire trucks and apparatus from multiple stations, police cars, and ambulances were all over the scene when he arrived. He pulled over, coming to a screeching stop half on the curb and launched from his car at a full-out sprint. What he thought he could do while wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and without any real firefighting experience under his belt yet, he didn't know. He just had to be there to make sure Nick was okay.

"Hamilton, stop!" Lieutenant Verlice blocked his path, getting ahold of his arm and yanking him back. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Where is Nick?" He panted, frantic. The air was thick with smoke and hard to breathe. "I need to find Nick."

Verlice pursed her lips and glanced away. If Rayne hadn't been watching her so closely, he'd have missed the shift.

"He's in there, isn't he?" He pointed toward the building, fully engulfed in flames.

Glass shattered and rained down on blackened concrete. Ice cold fear gripped him, and his head spun. He shook uncontrollably.

"We'll get him out, Rayne," she said. "I promise."

He snapped his head to her. First rule of firefighting: Don't make promises you might not be able to keep.

As though she'd read his thoughts, she stepped closer. "We will get him out."

The conviction in her voice cut through his panic, though it was just a skim off the top. But he nodded. She knew what she was doing. They all did. He would only get in the way and be one more person they had to look out for. And Nick would have his hide for putting himself in danger like that.

Verlice pointed across the yard, where police officers were keeping people at a safe distance. "Go wait over there. I'll send Nick over when we get him out."

Someone shouted her name, and she gave Rayne a little shove. "Go!"

Reluctantly, he went to stand with the rest of the onlookers behind the yellow police tape as Verlice charged back into the fray.

"Come on, Nick," he whispered under his breath. "I need you to get out of there."

I need you.

He watched, unable to breathe, as firefighters on apparatus ladders at varying heights attacked the flames with gallons upon gallons of water. He couldn't tell if they were making any headway or not. The fire was so large and roaring so loud it seemed an impossible task.

After what felt like an eternity, where every worst case imaginable played through Rayne's mind and his eyes stung so badly that he had to squint to see, three firefighters emerged from the burning building, stumbling and coughing.

"Nick!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

One firefighter went down on his knees and the other two pulled him back to his feet and carried him away from the building. Rayne would have recognized the firefighter on the left helping carry anywhere, even under all that protective gear and mask.

He called Nick's name again, and mindless of the police tape, the shouts to stop, and any danger to himself, he raced toward Nick as the three firefighters approached the ambulances.

Nick spun around at Rayne's cry and grunted as Rayne threw his arms around him and gripped tight. Nick's bunker coat was scorching hot and covered in soot and carcinogens, but Rayne didn't care because Nick was alive and whole, and he was never letting him go.

"What are you doing here?" Nick leaned back so he could take his mask off. "It's not safe here."

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Rayne fought back a sob, his throat painfully raw from the smoke and shouting.

He knew the risks of the job. Hell, he'd eagerly signed up for it himself, but he'd been so scared for Nick. Terrified at the thought of losing Nick when he'd just realized how much he meant to him. How much he needed him in his life.

"I love you," Rayne whimpered. "I fucking love you so much."

Nick froze for a second before pushing out of Rayne's embrace. Panic gripped Rayne for a different reason this time. This wasn't how he wanted to confess his feelings to Nick, and what if they weren't returned? But before he could fall down that rabbit hole of nonsense, Nick began frantically struggling to get his SCBA off and out of his bunker coat, dropping them carelessly to the ground at his feet and yanking Rayne into a crushing embrace.

"I love you too," he rasped, his voice thrashed from smoke, and he kissed Rayne.

Right there. Surrounded by burning buildings and emergency responders of every walk and rank. He reeked of fire and who knew what else, his kiss was salty and sooty, but that kiss was everything because it meant Nick was alive.

Nick broke away and coughed, but his eyes were bright as he looked at Rayne the same way Rayne had seen Verlice looking at Jenny at the first barbecue—with so much love and adoration it made his toes curl.

"If the Blitz makes an offer," Rayne said. "I'm not taking it."

Nick frowned. "Don't do that because of what just happened. Because of me."

"Of course, it's because of you." Rayne gripped his hand. "I don't think you were listening when I told you a home is more important to me than hockey and you are my home."

Nick was quiet for a second, and then a brilliant smile lit his face.

"I never thought it would be possible to love someone again." Nick coughed. "Or as much as I love you."

"Sorry to interrupt," the paramedic cut in, "but we need to check you over before you leave, Lieutenant Seavers."

Nick nodded and sat on the back bumper of the ambulance.

"Are you sure?" he asked Rayne, not needing to clarify.

"I am one-hundred percent positive about not signing a new contract, even if it's for the Blitz." Rayne paused for effect, standing taller. "I'm joining the fire service full-time so I can keep an eye on you."