“That sucks. And it looks like it wore you out in more ways than one. How about you set the GPS? That way you can shut your eyes, try to rest while I drive. I promise to take good care of your baby.”
“It’s just a car,” Tucker said with the weary wisdom of a guy who had actual kids and a perspective on his priorities. Pushing away from the SUV, he let Luis go ahead and take the keys. “Yeah, that sounds good. Wake me up if calls start coming in that need my response.”
“Probably not a ton we can do until we’re on site.” Luis opened the driver’s side door. He liked that Tucker was willing to let him drive, wasn’t such a control freak that he couldn’t turn it off when needed, unlike some guys Luis had known. And taking care of Tucker simply felt good. Right.
The fire was on federal lands east of Prineville, a small ranching town enough distance from the fire to not need evacuation, unlike the popular national forest campgrounds closer in. Traffic going away from the fire was heavy, lots of RVs and campers leaving the forest area. The quick spread of this fire situation was why the code red and extreme warning level they’d escalated to yesterday was so important. The plentiful dry brush surrounding the scenic vistas coupled with many unpaved roads at risk of sparks from passing vehicles could be a recipe for disaster, which was why the interagency fire management had made the decision to respond aggressively, setting up a fire camp for the many crews en route.
Smoke was visible over the mountains even when they were still more than twenty miles out. The steep terrain, some of which had dead timber from prior fires, would be an extra challenge. Aircraft had already been sent in with water and retardant, but last Luis had heard they were holding ground crews at the staging area due to concerns about snags, those dead trees that could cause sudden, deadly flare-ups. That was where he could make a difference—predicting fire movement including the effect of the snags.
Somehow Tucker managed to doze even through the changing terrain. Luis hoped he hadn’t worn him out too much the night before. It had been late when they’d parted, and while Luis had slept in, it sounded like Tucker hadn’t been so lucky. Unexpected tenderness swept over him each time he glanced over at his sleeping face.
“We’re getting close,” he murmured as he turned off the main road.
“’M Awake,” Tucker lied adorably, blinking and stretching like he’d been deeply dreaming.
“You’re cute when you nap.”
“I wasn’t really asleep,” Tucker protested, stretching again.
“Ha. You snored. You sure last night isn’t to blame?”
“Not a chance.” Tucker gave him a surprisingly heated look. “I enjoyed every minute. I hope you know that.”
“I do.”
“I’ve got no idea how long we’ll be on site here, but after we’re done, I’ll show you how not exhausted I am.” Tucker winked as the sound of aircraft overhead increased, traffic picking up too, trucks from the various agencies heading to the makeshift fire camp base.
“Ha. More like you’ll be ready to sleep for a week.” Luis had to stop glancing at Tucker and focus on navigating the tightly curving road.
“Not ruling that out either, but I do have that big master shower...”
“Tempting.” Luis liked that Tucker had been thinking about them showering together. He was trying to be careful and not let Tucker think he expected sex in a given situation. He wanted to make sure that Tucker had the emotional connection he needed, but there was also no denying that Tucker was sexy as fuck and Luis enjoyed the hell out of spending time with him in that way. Making Tucker feel good was a rush whether feeding him or giving him an orgasm. Maybe if the stars aligned, in a few days he’d have a chance to do both.
But first there was work to do. Within minutes of their arrival, they were pulled into a trailer for an administrative meeting dealing with logistics. There was a push for moving ground crews in, but concerns about safety persisted as leadership worked together to come up with a plan. Luis had more than enough to occupy him, but every so often he was struck by how damn good Tucker was at his job, juggling multiple variables to make insightful recommendations in a way that commanded respect. His competence increased his appeal and made Luis quietly proud. There had been glimpses of Tucker’s potential when he was younger—on the football field, in group projects, settling friend disputes—but seeing him as the capable man he was now was satisfying in a way Luis wasn’t prepared for.
He also was pleasantly surprised by how people he’d known less than two weeks listened to him too, the leadership team coming together in a way that made the job that much easier and smooth. Luis ended up on a team headed close to the fire to collect better data, and as he left, his eyes met Tucker’s.