21. Mason

TWENTY-ONE

Mason

Catching up after being nearly an hour late to the office has been hell, and I'm already thoroughly exhausted and ready to get back home to Bridget when my phone rings.

As I type up the last few words of the email to my crew at the job site, I send the email and snag my cell off the desk.

Looking down, I notice that it's Fire Chief Reynolds. My eyes shoot to the little clock on the screen of my computer.

It's only noon. Why is Adam calling?

I volunteer for him on weekends, and this is the first time he's ever called me during a workday. That alone makes my stomach clench, but then I remember how hot and dry it is today.

Swiping open the call, I push back from my desk slightly, staring down at the floor.

"Hey, Adam. What's up?"

The exertion in his voice hits me first, and then the sounds of several raised voices in the background.

"Mason, you need to get your ass down here. I know you don't volunteer during the week, but it's all hands on deck, and I'm calling you in."

Adrenaline surges in my blood, and I'm already standing out of my chair and looking for my car keys.

"Jesus, all right. What's going on?"

He coughs, which means he's onsite, and my stomach drops all the further.

The guy is usually coordinating. Being there means…it means this shit is bad.

"A Class A wildfire sparked at the base of Custer Gallatin National Forest. It's threatening to reach houses that border on the edge. Offensive and defensive actions are struggling. We need all the manpower we can get. Hurry up and get down here."

"Ten minutes, Chief."

I hang up, rushing forward with my keys in hand. I have a set of protective clothes in the back, and I know the apparatus will have more available if necessary.

When my feet hit the lobby, I stop at my assistant's desk.

"Get everyone home, okay? There's a wildfire on the forest side. Get people out of here, and anyone who lives on that side of town needs to steer clear of the area. Understood?"

Cassie's brows shoot up, and she stumbles out of her chair.

"Oh, my God. Okay, umm, yes. Of course."

"Thank you, Cassie. Get yourself home, too. Just lock the doors behind you."

She nods. "I will. Are you…are you going down there?"

"Yeah, I need to help. I've got my gear. It'll be fine."

Cassie frowns at me, and I know she's thinking about what I'm trying to get myself not to think.

"Mason, are you sure you?—"

"I got it, Cassie. Thank you. Please take care of yourself and get the staff home. Okay? That's the biggest thing right now."

She nods quickly, her eyes glassy. "Okay, Mason. Can do."

Hurrying off after that, I start for my car and call Bridget as I'm walking up to it. After two or three rings, she answers.

"Well, hi. I wasn't expecting?—"

"Bridget, you need to gather up Mia and get out of the house, okay? There's a wildfire and it's coming from the side of town near the house."

There's silence for a moment, but then I hear her clear her throat.

"Wait, I'm sorry. A fire? Jesus, umm, right. Okay, yeah. I'll get Mia. I can go to my mom's?"

I know Bev's house is clear across town, and it's as safe a place to take Mia as we're going to get right now.

"Perfect. Yes. Go there. It's probably going to be smoky when you get outside, so try to get to the car quickly. Carry Mia."

My heart pounds against my ribcage. I need them to be safe. I need my little girl and the woman that I'm falling for to be safe.

"Mason, I'm sorry. I…we've been inside doing the fingerpainting thing. I didn't even notice. I feel?—"

"Hey," I interrupt, getting into my car and waiting to turn it on so that it doesn't cut off the call when the Bluetooth connects, "you're okay. Just get going, all right? You need to get somewhere safe."

"Okay. Okay."

I can hear the tremble in Bridget's voice, and it makes my chest ache. She's clearly scared, and I fucking hate it.

I never want her to feel that way, and I want to be with her, helping, but I can't. I have a job to do.

"I need you to call if something happens or if you need anything, okay?" I grip my phone so tightly that I worry it might crack. "I'll get to you."

"I will. I promise. I'll, umm, I'll get Mia to my mom's. Mason, are you going down there?"

Bridget knows as well as I do what happened the last time there was a fire like this, and I can hear the fear behind her words thicken.

Because the last one? It killed my father.

"Yes, I'm not alone. Every firefighter in town will be there. We need to contain this."

Through the shuffling in the background, I can hear everything go silent.

"You need to call or text me when you can. I need to know that you're okay."

I nod even though she can't see it. "I will. I will not let this fire hurt you or Mia. Okay? You can trust me."

"Mason…" There are clear tears behind her words now, and I can just picture the look on Bridget's face. "Be careful."

It's an order as much as it is a plea, and my chest cracks open just that little bit further.

I know the expression Bridget is wearing right now.

I know it because I saw it on my mother's face that day.

The day Dad went out and never came back home.

"I will. I need to go. I'll talk to you soon."

"You better."

With that, I hang up and fire up my truck. I pull over the belt as I throw the truck into reverse. Whipping the car around, I zoom off toward the forest's edge, eyeing the billowing smoke that clouds up the horizon as I drive.

The only thing I can feel at that moment is the pounding of my heart, furious and demanding inside my chest.

You won't leave her. You're going to fight this and get home to her. History is not going to repeat itself. It just…can't .