Page 38 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

JANNA

C haos. It was not a drill. It was the real thing.

I felt like I swallowed a live wire. The fire that we all thought was handled practically exploded. The airfield has been transformed into home base for the fire operations. A bus arrived about twenty minutes ago carrying hotshots ready to get to work.

Everyone was on high alert. Everyone was walking a little faster than normal and voices were louder. It was contagious. The mood was serious. I didn’t understand everything that was happening but it wasn’t hard to figure out this wasn’t just an average fire.

The roar of engines filled the air. I watched one of the tankers taxi down the runway with one of the marshallers using bright orange sticks to guide the pilot.

Smoke filled the sky in a dark smear over the horizon. Somewhere out there, the gorge was burning. I knew a single spark could legitimately start a forest fire, but the speed with which it happened shocked me.

I spotted Chief and rushed over to talk to him. He was in the main hangar that was now empty. It was strange to see it empty. There was a group in front of him. I hated feeling useless. And right now, I felt completely useless. Everyone knew what to do but I was still feeling lost.

Chief was speaking into the headset he was wearing, barking orders into the radio like a man possessed.

People were asking him questions and I swore he had to be holding six different conversations.

He looked ten feet tall in that moment. I couldn’t help but admire the hell out of him. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

“Where do you need me?” I asked, my voice loud over the buzz of conversation and engines.

Chief barely glanced at me. “Laser’s already up in the spotter plane.

She’s reporting that road access into and out of town is shot.

Fire jumped the main artery and the side roads are too dangerous.

We’re sending choppers in to evacuate anyone left.

We got two tankers in the air. Herc will be headed up as soon as he gets here. ”

There was a moment of fear. I shoved the thought down before it could take root. I was not thinking about Dalton right now. He sure as hell wasn’t thinking about me. He was an experienced pilot. He flew these missions all the time. He would be just fine.

There would be plenty of time to fight about our feelings tomorrow.

Chief pointed toward the hangar across the tarmac. “Pickle’s warming up Chopper Two. You’re with him. Get into town and help with evac—prioritize the hospital and the assisted living center. If anyone’s stuck, you get them out.”

“Yes, sir.”

No time to think, no time to feel. Just move.

I hated helicopters. They were so much less predictable than planes. I would have preferred to be up with Laser, but that was not my call. I was hired to help and that’s what I was going to do.

I jogged across the tarmac. Pickle had a checklist and was quickly going through it.

“I’m with you,” I said. “What do you need me to do?”

“Suit up,” Pickle said. “All of it.”

I nodded and went into the hangar to put on a flight suit. It was way too big, but that worked out for the best. I didn’t want to waste time taking off my boots.

I stuffed a pair of gloves in my pocket and reached for a helmet.

I was pulling on the helmet when another pilot jogged over. I searched my mental database and remembered his name—Rodriguez. He was one of the regular chopper guys I’d seen around but never really talked to.

“You been briefed?” he asked. I could hear the urgency in his tone.

“Just the basics. Hospital and assisted living center first.”

He nodded grimly. “Fire moved faster than anyone expected. Wind shifted around three this morning and turned what should have been a controlled burn into a fucking monster. Half the town is already evacuated, but there’s still folks who didn’t get out in time.

Last I heard there was something like a hundred structures threatened. ”

I adjusted the helmet strap, my hands surprisingly steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough that we’re pulling people off rooftops.” He grabbed his own gear from a nearby locker. “Roads are blocked by fallen trees and power lines. Some areas are completely cut off. It’s a nightmare scenario.”

My stomach dropped as I thought about all the people I’d met in town over the past few weeks. “What about the outlying areas? Martha’s farm?”

Rodriguez paused. The expression on his face had my heart skipping a beat. “I don’t know about specific properties, but anything on the north side of town?” He shook his head. “It’s not looking good. The fire’s moving that direction fast.”

I felt sick. Martha had been so kind to me. The thought of her trapped out there was devastating.

“Are you on rescue operations?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yep. We’ll see you up there.”

He walked out of the hangar. I watched him go to the other helo on the pad next to where Pickle’s was parked. It seemed like Pickle had finished his checklist.

He gave me a wave from the cockpit, already strapping in. He looked grim. That was the most disturbing sight I had ever seen. Pickle without a grin was weird. That told me everything I needed to know. This one was bad.

I grabbed two bottles of water from the food service table. And then I felt him. That invisible tether lit up like a Christmas tree.

I turned around in time to see Dalton coming in. He walked to the wall with all the flight suits. He started tugging one on. His eyes locked on me, and that damn magnetic pull twisted my insides like it always did.

“Janna, I need to talk to you before you go.”

I laughed. “Now you want to talk? While the whole town is burning? Impeccable timing as always.”

I snapped my helmet on and yanked the strap tight. “You don’t get to do this. You were real clear yesterday, Dalton. You’re the one who said getting close was a liability. So congratulations—no liability here. I’m focused. I’m ready.”

His jaw clenched. “It’s not that simple.”

“No,” I spat. “It never is with you. But you made your choice. You’ve got your ghosts, and you’ve chosen to live as one of them. I’m not going to let you blame me for whatever happens up there. You said I made things messy. And you know what? You’re probably right. I can’t worry about you either.”

“You’re misconstruing what I said.”

“Oh no, Dalton. You’ve made yourself crystal clear. Repeatedly.”

“Janna—”

“I’m not misconstruing anything,” I said, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. “You told me you regretted everything. You said letting it go as far as it did was a mistake. Those were your exact words.”

“I was angry.”

“So was I! But I didn’t say things I didn’t mean just to hurt you.” I could feel tears threatening and blinked them back furiously. “You want to know what’s not simple? Caring about someone who treats you like you’re disposable.”

He stepped closer, his voice dropping. “You’re not disposable. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, Dalton? Because I’m having a hard time figuring out how ‘I regret everything’ translates to anything other than you wishing you’d never touched me.”

His hands flexed at his sides like he wanted to reach for me. “I was trying to protect you.”

“From what? A toothbrush?” I laughed bitterly. “You weren’t protecting me. You were protecting yourself. And you know what? Fine. Mission accomplished. You’re safe from the terrible burden of someone giving a damn about you.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair, Dalton. You taught me that.” I adjusted my helmet again, needing something to do with my hands. “You want to know what’s really not simple? Flying into a fire zone while worried about someone who’s made it clear they don’t want you interfering with their life.”

“And you know why I said that.”

I stepped close enough to see the guilt flash in his eyes. “You might as well bury yourself right next to your friend. You’re already halfway in the ground.”

He flinched. So did I.

I didn’t mean to go that far. But the words were already out. Just like a dropped match in a puddle of gasoline. It was too late to stop it from happening.

I turned on my heel and stormed out before he could say another word. I walked straight to the chopper and completely ignored the feeling of him watching me. And my own apprehension about riding in a helicopter.

I really hated helicopters.

I climbed into my seat and strapped in. Pickle started the motor, the gentle whir turning into a loud noise. I wasn’t nervous.

Not really.

Lie.

I’m fucking terrified.

I did my best not to look as afraid as I felt. Pickle was too focused on flying to notice my terror. The higher we got, the better my view of the damage.

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

I couldn’t believe the fire’s power. It looked alive. It was moving in almost every direction. But it seemed to be intent on burning down the town that had managed to survive so many other close calls.

“Evac point is the high school parking lot,” Pickle said into the headset. “We’ll start there. If the winds shift, we’ll have to move fast.”

I nodded. “Let’s do it.”

I focused on the job, but the memory of what I’d said to Dalton kept running through my mind. It was the worst kind of loop. I was not that kind of a person. My words had been cruel. Personal. Cutting.

Was I trying to hurt him because he’d hurt me first? Probably. Did it matter? Yes. Damn it, it mattered.

But there was no room for regret now. We landed hard on the pavement near the school, where fire crews were already helping people board buses and choppers. The air stung with smoke. Sirens wailed. Children cried.

I hopped out and started helping an elderly woman into one of the waiting buses. Pickle was still in the helicopter.

I wasn’t sure if we were going to be evacuating anyone, but I couldn’t just sit in the helicopter and wait. My comm buzzed.

“Town perimeter’s starting to go. Flames at the edge of the eastern residential area. We’ve got maybe thirty minutes.”

“Copy that,” I told Pickle.

He cut the engine and hopped out, jogging over to where I was helping the elderly woman. Her hands were shaking as she gripped my arm, and I could see the fear in her cloudy blue eyes.

“Thank you, dear,” she whispered. “I’ve lived in this town for seventy years. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“You’re going to be fine,” I told her, guiding her up the bus steps. “They’re taking you somewhere safe.”

Pickle appeared at my elbow with a young mother carrying a crying toddler. “Bus is almost full,” he said. “We need to get the next load ready.”

The scene around us was chaos. Fire department personnel were directing traffic while volunteers helped load personal belongings and pets into vehicles. The smoke was getting thicker, and I could taste ash on my tongue even through the helmet.

“Where’s the hospital crew?” I asked, scanning the crowd.

“They’re using the ambulances for the critical patients,” Pickle said, helping an older man with a walker. “We’re supposed to handle the assisted living center next.”

I nodded and moved to help a family with two small children. The kids were wide eyed and quiet, clinging to their mother’s legs. The father was trying to stay calm, but I could see how scared he was.

I felt terrible for all of them. They were going to lose everything unless my team was able to stop the fire.

And I wasn’t sure we could.