Read Dakota Heat (Book 3 - Dakota Hearts) Online

Authors: Lisa Mondello

Tags: #fiction, #western romance, #romance, #romantic suspense, #contemporary romance, #books by Lisa Mondello, #Harlequin Romance Author, #Montlake author, #hotshots, #fire fighters, #Smokejumpers, #South Dakota, #Dakota Hearts

Dakota Heat (Book 3 - Dakota Hearts) (10 page)

A nervous chuckled bubbled up his throat. “It’s a deal.”

“The tankers just radioed in. They are almost in place. Once they make the drop, Barry will give you the all clear if they’re able to create an escape route. Hang on, Sam. We have the helicopters on their way to pick up the crew.”

Relief enveloped him.

“And Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going be right here when you get back. Just make sure you come home to me.”

He heard the roar of flames above him mixed in with the sound of the air tankers flying overhead. The noise was so loud that he could barely hear the radio. He only hoped the tankers were able to drop enough retardant to snuff out the fire before the blazing heat of the fire got to the crew.

# # #

Chapter 12

The sky was still an inky black when the helicopters landed in the parking lot of basecamp. The entire crew had made it out of the canyon alive and now Sam was more exhausted than he’d ever been in his life.

He’d gotten no sleep in three days as he’d fought one of the fiercest fires he’d ever faced. The team had been stretched to every limit and beyond and yet, they’d returned alive. Each member of the team was covered in soot and dirt, tired enough to fall asleep on their feet as the adrenaline that had kept them going began to wear off. Sam would have been too. But he needed to see Summer first.

He had waited every minute of every hour of those three days to hear her voice over the radio. When he heard her voice, he knew that she was safe, that the madman who was trying to reach her hadn’t been successful.

Now, he was finally back and could hold her in his arms without fear of losing her.

One by one the crew jumped from the helicopter and walked with all their gear to the Quonset hut where the medic office was set up. They’d all be given a quick once over by a medic and then sent to the shower for a good cleaning.

But he had barely taken a couple of steps when the door to the Quonset hut was thrown open. Summer stepped out into the path of men filing in toward the Quonset hut, her eyes frantically searching until she saw him.

Sam saw her eyes light up for a brief second before she flew into his arms. He draped his arms around her waist and held her against him, cherishing the fact that he could hold her in his arms at all. Summer held on to him like she’d never let go. And that was just fine by Sam. He could take a million years of just holding her close like this.

But then she pulled back and stepped out of his arms. Her eyes were shining with tears of relief as she held his gaze. That’s when he saw his father standing behind, Summer.

“Good to have you back home, son,” Donald said, pulling Sam into his arms for a tight embrace. “I’ve already called your mother and she knows you’re safe. Your brothers are at the house waiting for you to come home. All except for Hawk. He’s helping out in the medic room here. You’ll see him in a few minutes.”

Sam looked at the two of them silently for a moment. He had been filled with fear that he might never see any of them again.

“If you want, I’ll wait and drive you both home. I’m sure you’re both exhausted.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

An hour later they were pulling into the driveway. Darkness was making way to a glorious sunrise, but all Sam wanted to do was close his eyes, even as he saw his family pouring out the front door into the driveway. He got out of SUV and for five minutes was enveloped in hugs from his mother.

“Thank God for Skylar,” Kate said. “She’s opening the diner and taking care of everything there. I haven’t had a bit of sleep in days.”

“I don’t think any of us have,” Donald said.

“Before you all head to bed while the rest of the population goes to work, I have some news,” Ethan said. He was dressed in his police uniform and had been heading to the cruiser when they arrived.

“What’s that?” Sam asked.

“I didn’t want to tell you this while there was so much tension surrounding Sam, Summer. But I got a call from the police chief in Montgomery. They caught the man who’d murdered the woman there. He was a local business owner and had no connection at all to the Providence killings. You can rest knowing the serial killer in Providence wasn’t following you.”

A wave of relief consumed Sam. “That’s good news.”

Ethan’s face grew serious. “Unfortunately, they still haven’t found the man they’re looking for in Providence. He may have moved on. They’re still checking similar crimes in the neighboring states to see if there are any similarities. But at least for now, you’re safe.”

“Thank you so much, Ethan. For everything,” Summer said.

“I don’t know about you two, but I’m getting some sleep,” Donald said. “And I’m taking my wife with me.”

A few minutes later, Sam followed Summer up the stairs to her room over the garage. Once inside, he said, “I was so worried about you.”

“Me?” Summer asked. “You were the one in danger. Not me.”

“Any time you’re not with me I worry.”

“Hmm, you’re forgetting a promise you made to me, Sam.” She said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I am? What’s that?”

Her mouth dropped open and he saw the hurt in her eyes. “Sam McKinnon! How quickly you forget!”

He laughed. “I didn’t forget anything about you. I love you and everything about you, Summer Bigelow.”

She purred against his lips as she kissed him. “I like it when you say that. I love you too, Sam.”

Then she sighed, as if she were carrying the weight of something on her mind.

“What?”

“I don’t know what I’m to do without you when it’s time for me to leave here.”

“Why do you have to leave?”

She shrugged. “Fire season only goes until the fall. Once I’m not needed here…well, I can’t go back to Providence.”

“Exactly,” he said.

Sam didn’t know exactly when it had happened, or even how, but he had fallen in love with Summer. And at this point, the idea of not being with her every single day for the rest of his life just wasn’t an option. All he knew was that he loved her and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

“You said you wanted me to come home to you and I did,” he said.

“Yes, you did,” she said smiling.

“Home is where we are together. Whether it’s here or somewhere else, I want you to be my home, Summer. I don’t want to live my life without you.”

“What are you saying?”

“I don’t care if they never find that killer in Providence. Well, that’s not exactly true. I want them to find him. It just won’t make a difference between you and me. Because I never want you to be anywhere but with me.”

“But…you’re not staying in Rudolph. Are you? Where would we go? What would I do?”

“Exactly what you’re doing now. Maybe eventually I’ll stop going out in the field and try for a superintendent’s position with an Interagency Fire Crew.”

“That’ll keep you safe,” she said, the smile on her face growing bigger.

“Until then, it’ll be you and me together. Where I go you go. Where you go, I go. All I know is that I don’t want to be without you. I want you in my arms and in my bed every night.”

“Or every morning. Starting now.”

“I like the sound of that,” he said, his body already getting hard and wanting her.

“I love you, Sam,” Summer said, smiling as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I always have, and I always will.”

“I love you, too,” Sam replied, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. “I’ve loved you from the moment you came into my life. And I will love you for as long as I live!”

They made love as the morning filled the room with sunshine. With every kiss, and every caress, they made a promise to always face the uncertainty of life and love together. And when they fell asleep, safe in each other’s arms, they knew it was just the beginning of a beautiful lifetime together filled with love.

The End

Dear Reader

You don’t want to miss a single Dakota Hearts story! Make sure you sign up for my newsletter at
http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com
for news on upcoming releases. Next up for the McKinnon family is Ethan’s story in Wild Dakota Heart, to be released in February 2014!
You’ve met former Navy Seal turned cop, Ethan McKinnon, Logan’s twin, in
HER DAKOTA MAN
and BADLAND BRIDE. Last, readers will be getting a surprise in
HIS DAKOTA BRIDE
, when a long lost McKinnon surprises everyone and comes home. Look for
HIS DAKOTA BRIDE
in March 2014.

All my best,

Lisa Mondello

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