Page 1 of Sequoia Flames (Black Timber Peak Hotshots #6)

ONE

VERITY

The wind winds up, whipping the trees around me. My head jerks and I suck in a startled breath.

The mountain is quiet all the time. But something about it feels especially still today. The wind is the first thing that’s moved this morning and it’s come up out of the blue. I swear I smell something on the breeze but I don’t know what. It’s so faint. Maybe it’s just my imagination.

I throw my braid back over my shoulder and sigh. Today’s been a long day and I’m ready to go back home. But I’ve got two more samples to look for.

My botany degree depends on my proving that this particular plant, Jaxon’s Fireweed, grows up on this mountain.

All I have to do is prove that and my degree with honors is a shoo-in.

But so far no matter where I’ve looked I haven’t found the dang plant I’m looking for and I’m really starting to lose hope in my own damn research.

Wiping the sweat off my brow, I reach down to my backpack at my feet and grab my water bottle off the side pouch.

Taking a few quick gulps I recap it and pack it back up.

Lifting my sunglasses up, I stare at the darkened area of trees ahead of me.

This clearing is open and the sun is sizzling down on me but another few hours and it’s going to go down.

I sit down on the ground and pull out my phone, not really surprised when I see that we’re not going to get a break from this heat today. My phone loads so slow it’s not funny and I’ve got about one bar which is just pathetic.

It’s stifling and I’m exhausted since I’ve been out here on the mountain since first thing this morning. I’ve only got a few more days before I’m due to leave to head back to school and I can’t waste any more time out here if this isn’t going to happen. I need to find a backup plan soon.

I can’t screw this up. Because if I do, I have to go back home with my tail tucked between my legs and that is something that I have no intention of doing. I’d sooner die.

Something catches my eye and I lift my hand to shield my eyes even though my sunglasses catch most of the glare.

Smoke trails from between some of the trees well below me and my eyes narrow, straining to see.

But after that first glimpse, I don’t see it again and my tense shoulders relax. Maybe I was seeing things. I blow out a deep breath and lean down to rest my head on my upturned knees.

It’s probably just another camper up here. Of course, they should know that it’s fire season and you have to be careful with campfires but some people just don’t pay attention to what’s going on around them.

Kinda like me. No matter how many times my friends told me that there was something going on with my best friend and my husband, I just didn’t believe it.

I told them more times than I could count that there was nothing going on.

I trusted my husband and Becky would never hurt me like that. We were like sisters growing up.

Sometimes you can’t even trust your family though. The image that pops into my head makes me shudder, my eyes closing and a single tear trickling down my cheek even as I swipe it away and lift my head high, growling like an animal.

I’m not crying one more tear over that son of a bitch and my former bestie.

Good luck to them now that they’re married instead of screwing around on the side. Once a cheater always a cheater!

My nose twitches, acrid air tickling it even as the wind blows up again.

I sure as hell hope those idiots are keeping an eye on that fire down there. But I don’t really have time to worry about it.

Standing up, I shove my tired arms through my backpack straps and groan when it hits me mid-back.

Why is it when you do this stuff when you’re twenty-something it’s just all kinds of fun but when you’re in your thirties it turns into something else altogether?

With another groan and a hip check to knock the bag higher on my back, I cautiously move up the trails and keep my eyes peeled for the elusive plant.

My whole body aches like it’s on fire and I’m about three seconds from declaring that I’m done with this and it’s time to pack it in when another puff of smoke catches my eye. I move into the tree line and push my sunglasses up my nose then growl under my breath.

That surely looks like it’s a bit more than just a small campfire, doesn’t it?

“Okay,” I mutter under my breath. “Maybe you should head down and see if there’s a problem. Maybe give the idiots a heads-up on the fire season so that they keep a better eye on their campfire.”

Shifting direction, I find the trail that leads down the mountain and step out, not hurrying. If you hurry on a mountain, there’s every reason to believe that you’ll get hurt. And there’s nobody at all up here to help you if you do.

You’re on your own. Caution is the name of the game.

With another quick glance at my phone to see how much time I have until it’s full-on dark, I swear under my breath.

I have about one percent battery. Why the hell didn’t I remember to put it on the charger last night? I always do that before I go to bed!

What am I going to do now?

That’s my only lifeline on the mountain. I guess it really is time to head back in. I’ll just swing by this campsite and make sure that these fools know that they need to be a little more careful.

They call it fire season for a reason, after all. I just hope they’re not too much trouble. Some people just don’t know what’s good for them and you can’t fix it no matter how hard you try.

I should know that better than anybody.