Aspen's Blaise Read online

  Aspen’s Blaise

  By

  Sarah Markel

  Dedications and Special Thanks:

  This book is dedicated to the men and women who serve as firefighters around the world. Whether based locally or working as part of national or international team, your sacrifices do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. From one firefighter to another, thank you for your service.

  I would like to thank the men and women of the Dallas Fire Department in Dallas, Oregon, for letting me tag along during drills, even though I am not a member of their department. Seeing how things work on another team was quite enlightening, and I can’t thank you enough for the experience.

  Thank you to my dear friend, Kevin Anderson, who also lent his expertise to this story. You’re the best, buddy, and I am honored to call you my friend. We’ve been friends since I was a kid and it was Kevin who sparked my interest in firefighting when I was old enough to join up.

  To my wonderful musketeers, Stephanie Hooley and Wendy Kopas. I can’t either of you enough for your friendship. Words will never express how grateful I am that you two were there when I needed you the most. You will always be the Athos and Porthos to my Aramis, and no one will ever be able to take your places.

  A very, very special thank you to my wonderful friends, Sherryl and Tirzah Hancock, who gave me permission to use them as characters in this story. Your inclusion in this book makes it so much more than it would have been.

  Lastly, to my younger sister, Andrea, who served as a very active volunteer firefighter during her senior year of high school. Watching you graduate was what sparked part of the storyline, and you truly are the inspiration for Aspen’s character. Thank you so much, little sister.

  Author’s note:

  This is a work of fiction and names and places represented herein are used solely for fictional purposes. This book is not intended as a procedural and true techniques and protocols have been tailored to suit the story.

  “The Thin Red Line of Courage” represents the last ounce of courage firefighters find deep within themselves to conquer their darkest fears in order to save and protect the lives and property of others. It is a symbol used by Fire Departments to honor those who lost their lives in service to their communities.

  Chapter 1

  “Incoming!” Lorelei called over the fence before launching a lidded container into the neighbor’s yard.

  “Caught it!” Cordelia Weston shouted, triumphantly holding the container aloft, “Nuts and chocolate?”

  Lorelei chuckled and reached over the fence to unlatch the gate that separated their yards. “Yep, just like you asked,” she replied with a satisfied grin.

  Cordy lowered the container and popped off the lid. She removed the foil-wrapped loaf and pressed her nose to the top, inhaling deeply. “It smells like happiness,” she said, her voice thick with excitement at the thought of devouring her favorite treat.

  “Ihu Karaiti, Cordy,” Jenica Weston said with a shake of her head, “It’s just banana bread!”

  Cordy hugged the loaf to her chest and narrowed her eyes at her wife. “Just banana bread?” she asked incredulously, “Jenica, this is not just banana bread. This is a decadent dessert sent down from the Gods via their heavenly messenger disguised as our neighbor!”

  Lorelei glanced from Cordy’s look of indignation to Jenica’s look of annoyance and burst out laughing. “It’s really not that special, LT,” she said to Cordy, “but if you really like it that much, I’ll gladly give Jenica the recipe.”

  Cordy’s eyes lit up and she hopped out of the Adirondack chair she’d just taken a seat in. “I’ll pay you,” she said to Lorelei, “Name your price.”

  Lorelei climbed the few steps up to the porch and stroked her chin in mock contemplation. “Name my price, eh? You might regret those words, LT. Someone has to take Aspen back-to-school shopping here in a bit, and you know how expensive teenage girls are.”

  Cordy’s eyebrow shot into her hairline and the color drained from her face. She and Jenica had accompanied another couple on a back-to-school shopping trip for a teenage girl a few days earlier, and it had been sheer torture for the seasoned Lieutenant. Not to mention the near heart attack she’d almost suffered each time she’d seen the total at the register.

  Lorelei leaned back against the railing and rested on her elbows. She enjoyed watching the older redhead squirm, and mentioning teenagers seemed to be the easiest way to do that. Cordy Weston was her best friend out here in Falls City, and what else were best friends for?

  “Doesn’t it bother you to talk about your wife like that?” Cordy asked, tilting her head as she considered the much younger redhead.

  Lorelei Blaise didn’t look like your typical twenty-seven-year-old. Tall and well-muscled with thick, bright red hair that was cut into a faux-hawk, Lorelei’s rugged good looks and casual confidence gave her the air of a much older woman. She didn’t flaunt her body like many of the women in her generation were prone to do, even though she worked tirelessly to maintain her enviable physique.

  Not that there was much in the way of femininity for her to flaunt. Lorelei preferred to do her clothes and shoe shopping in the men’s department. Aside from a few sports and exercise bras, the woman didn’t own a single piece of clothing that wasn’t masculine.

  Cordy and Jenica had discussed their neighbor’s strict exercise routine many times, and both found Lorelei’s dedication admirable. They’d witnessed Lorelei and Aspen going out for a run as early as five in the morning and had seen the couple encouraging each other through rigorous exercise routines in the backyard until nearly sunset.

  Instead of partying loudly with their friends until all hours of the night, Lorelei and her wife seemed to prefer spending their downtime at home in the company of each other; something that Cordy was eternally grateful for.

  Although Lorelei had owned the house next door for several years now, she’d previously been renting it out to a group of young adults who liked to party every night until the early hours of the morning. Cordy couldn’t even begin to count the number of times she’d gone over and warned them to tone it down before they finally got tired of having the cops at their door every night.

  “Talk about her like what?” Lorelei asked with a shrug, “She’s eighteen. By definition, she is still a teenager. And, she’s a senior this year, so whether we like it or not, she still needs school supplies. Besides,” she added with an affectionate smile, “It gives her a legitimate reason to buy new clothes.”

  Cordy’s eyes widened dramatically, and she pointed a finger at Lorelei as she turned to Jenica. “See? Lorelei’s wife has a reason to buy new clothes today. Why don’t you have to give a reason? I think I should get to stay home if you don’t give me reasons for the shopping trip. Don’t you think that’s fair, Lorelei?”

  Lorelei smirked and shrugged her shoulders. “Fair? Yes. Wise? No,” she replied, scratching her palms against the sides of her denim shorts. “You could totally get away with staying home, but then you would miss out on having any say on what your wife buys.”

  “Like she takes my advice on clothing!” Cordy snorted, gesturing to herself, “I don’t understand why, though. I think I’ve got a nice, eclectic aesthetic going on.”

  Lorelei made a show of considering Cordy’s outfit. “While I support your rebel style,” she concluded after a long, dramatic moment, “I’m going to have to say that you should probably stop picking out your own clothes. I mean, I dig the red and black stripes on your shorts, I really do. But, the bright orange triangles and neon yellow lightning bolts on your tank top are so last season.”

  It was Jenica’s turn to snort. “Don’t bother, Lorelei. I gave up on trying to teach my Aroha about cohesive fashion ages ago. I’ve settled
for simply hoping she remembers to wear trousers when she leaves the house.”

  Lorelei barked out a laugh. Cordy crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at her wife and friend as they held their sides laughing.

  “You’re both assholes,” she grumbled, spinning on her heel to turn her back on the pair.

  “Wow, Cordy, was it ‘Dress a cop’ day at the daycare?”

  Cordy whipped around to glare at the striking young blonde making her way toward the porch. “Oh, very funny,” she replied, her tone firm even as her eyes danced with humor, “A kindergartener is making fun of me now. Hey, Aspen, do you know what shape this is?” Cordy pointed to one of the orange triangles on her dark blue tank top.

  Aspen grinned as she made her way over to stand in front of Lorelei. Lorelei’s hands immediately went around the blonde’s waist, holding her snugly as she kissed her cheek in greeting.

  “Gosh, I don’t know, Mrs. Weston,” Aspen replied, widening her eyes and speaking in her most innocent voice, “What shape is this?”

  Lorelei and Jenica broke out in a renewed fit of laughter when Aspen held up her middle finger at Cordy.

  “Someone ought to turn you over their knee,” Cordy feigned outrage at Aspen’s gesture, but the laughter in her eyes gave away her amusement.

  “Oh, don’t worry, LT,” Lorelei chimed in with a wink at Cordy, “I do. Frequently.”

  “Wow,” Jenica said when Aspen’s face flamed, “You two are terrible. You,” she said, pointing a manicured finger at Cordy, “go change into something you wouldn’t normally pick for yourself. You’re on one today, so you’re coming with me to shop for a baby gift for Lita and Amy.”

  “And you,” she said, pointing the same finger at Lorelei, “go on and take your wife shopping.” A thought crossed Jenica’s mind and she grinned. “Unless you’d like to trade? You go with Cordy and buy a suitable baby shower gift, and I will take Aspen clothes shopping.”

  Lorelei raised her eyebrow. “Gosh, Jenica, that’s a tough one! Spend the day with my best friend, picking out something for a baby no one knows the gender of? Or, spend the day watching my sexy wife try on every piece of clothing that would be considered age-inappropriate for literally every friend she has outside of our group?”

  Lorelei released Aspen’s waist to make a show of balancing her hands like weighted scales. After a moment, she shot Cordy an apologetic look. “Sorry, buddy, but I’m gonna have to go with sexy wife. There are just so many more benefits to choosing her.”

  Cordy fixed a look of indignation on her face. “Oh, come on! What can she offer you that I can’t? It’ll only take an hour or so to pick out the shower gift, so you won’t have to spend all day at the mall.”

  Cordy crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip. “Besides, I can legally be in a bar, so we can go grab a beer afterward. Can you do that with Aspen?”

  Lorelei’s eyes crinkled with mischief. Jenica and Aspen shared a groan. They both knew what that crinkling meant; Lorelei was going to say something crude to embarrass the Lieutenant.

  “Can you cross your ankles behind your head and hold them there through body-wracking muscle spasms?” the younger redhead challenged.

  Cordy’s face blanched and she rubbed absently at her hips. “Jesus Christ, can you really do that?” she asked Aspen, thoroughly impressed.

  Aspen simply shrugged. “I’m a cheerleader,” she replied nonchalantly, “I’m very flexible. Besides, practice makes perfect.”

  Color bloomed across Cordy’s face when Aspen winked. “Gross,” she said, rolling her eyes, “You win, Aspen. I guess I’ll suffer through baby shopping with my own stunningly attractive wife, while you subject my closest friend to the mind-numbing torture of the teenaged crowd.”

  Despite her best effort, Lorelei failed to suppress her amusement at Cordy’s feigned dejection. Cordy’s eyes twinkled and she joined her friend in laughter. Jenica simply shook her head and met Aspen’s gaze with a fond wink.

  “Who says I want to go shopping with my wife?” Aspen asked.

  The sound of laughter died abruptly, leaving an awkward silence while the two redheads stared at the blonde in confusion.

  Aspen stepped out of Lorelei’s embrace and moved over to stand beside Jenica. Lorelei felt a small twinge of sadness at the separation, not an uncommon feeling for her over the past seven months.

  Ever since Aspen walked into the fire department after her eighteenth birthday, Lorelei always felt a cold loneliness whenever Aspen wasn’t near.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, “You’ve been begging me all week to take you shopping today.”

  Aspen looked up at Jenica, who smiled and nodded in silent reply. “I know, honey,” Aspen said, “but I was thinking about it, and I think I’d rather go shopping with Jenica. I love you, but you’re not exactly a fashionista. Jenica is more likely to give me an honest opinion about my choices, and let’s face it; if I try on something you find sexy, we both know this trip will end up taking several days to complete.”

  Lorelei’s mouth dropped open. She wanted to disagree, but Aspen was right. That was the only enticing thing about clothes shopping; getting to see Aspen play model.

  “Check it out, buddy!” Cordy said, dropping her arm around Lorelei’s shoulder, “You get to be a grown-up today, after all. Come on, let’s go before she changes her mind.”

  Lorelei rolled her eyes and pushed Cordy’s arm off her shoulder. “Are you sure, babe?” she asked, reaching out to pull Aspen close.

  Aspen nodded and leaned up on her toes to press a kiss to Lorelei’s lips. “I’m sure. Besides,” she added, her voice taking on a husky timbre, “Jenica is the one who told me how to do that thing you liked so much last night. Who knows what I might want to try tonight?”

  Lorelei’s breath lodged in her chest and her face flamed, causing riotous laughter to erupt from behind her.

  “Wow, can you rewind that conversation and start it over? We missed everything before Jenica teaching Aspen how to make Lorelei blush.”

  Still blushing, Lorelei turned to glare over her shoulder at FBI Agent Max Prescott. Schooling her features into a hard look of disapproval, she slowly shook her head.

  Max offered her friend a wide, toothy grin and slung her arm around her wife’s shoulder. “Good morning, ladies,” she greeted, “Are Lorelei and Aspen baby shopping with us today?”

  Jenica’s eyes widened and she slapped a hand to her forehead. “Pupuhi,” she groaned, “Shit, I forgot that we were going as a group. There’s been a slight change of plans.”

  “Is it because of Cordy’s outfit?” Max’s wife, Dani, asked, “I feel like the change might be because of the outfit.”

  Snickers rounded the group, garnering an impressive scowl from the Lieutenant. “No!” she said defensively, “It’s because Lorelei can’t keep it in her pants long enough for Aspen to buy clothes!”

  Lorelei scoffed, offended. “What! You’re the one that tried to convince me to ditch my wife!”

  “Just to clarify,” Aspen chimed, raising one finger as she made her point, “I did the ditching.”

  Max and Dani shared a look and burst into laughter. “It’s like trying to figure out who started the fight in the hallway!” Dani laughed.

  Jenica tossed her hands into the air and pulled Aspen over to stand next to the newcomers, leaving Cordy and Lorelei to mean-mug one another. She quickly explained the situation, hoping her friends wouldn’t be hurt by the change.

  “Can I tag along with you two,” Dani asked, “I need to get some things, too.”

  Jenica shrugged. “Of course!”

  Aspen beamed, “It’ll be fun. I’ve never gone on a group mall trip with friends before.”

  “Really?” Dani asked, surprised by the revelation, “Never?”

  Aspen shook her head sadly. “I was never really invited out with my so-called friends from my old school. And the friends my mother always brought around were always too stuck up to want to go somewhere
as casual as the mall.”

  “I think I’m gonna join the gingers,” Max said, waggling her thumb at Cordy and Lorelei, “I hate clothes shopping, but I’m all about buying baby gifts.”

  Dani crossed her arms over her chest and arched a slender eyebrow at her much taller wife. “You know I’m a ginger, too, right?”

  Max offered her wife a wide, toothy grin as she stepped next to Cordy. “Yes, my love. You’re the only one I can say for certain is, in fact, a natural redhead. However,” she added with a squeak when Lorelei and Cordy both punched her in the shoulder, “I’m in the mood for a dude-day, and let’s face it; the three of you are way too femme to be dudes.”

  “Fine,” Cordy said, interrupting the slew of objections she could see brewing in the wives, “Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”

  “As soon as you’ve changed, Aroha,” Jenica said, moving to place a kiss on Cordy’s lips, “You are not leaving this house in those clothes.”

  Cordy rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath as she turned to go inside the house. The others chuckled and followed her inside.

  “Fifty bucks says it takes her two tries before Jenica lets her leave the house,” Max whispered to Lorelei as the group gathered in the living room.

  Lorelei grinned but shook her head. “No way. Three tries, at least.”

  “You’re on,” Max said, sealing the wager with a friendly handshake.

  Chapter 2

  “How much longer do you think they’ll be?” Max asked as the waitress set a fresh basket of crispy, golden tater tots in the center of their table.

  Cordy grabbed a tot and dunked it in fry sauce. “Let’s see,” she said in mock-contemplation, “Two full-grown femmes are helping a baby-femme shop for clothes inside a mall. I’d say we might as well go home. It could be days before any of us see our wives again.”