Mountain Fire Read Free

of the trapdoor set in the ceiling.
    On her feet again, it wasn’t much of a stretch for her to grasp the metal handle. It opened easily, dropping down on its hinges, and a small ladder slid toward her from its resting-place on the door.
    Carrying her mug, she stepped up and onto the top floor.

Chapter Two
    The sky was a blanket pricked with stars, cuddling the curve of the watery moon, like a mother with her baby in the crook of an arm. It was easy to pick out the constellation all Canadian children learn first, the edge of its ladle pointing the way to the North Star.
    The door below shut with a muffled thud, then she heard steady footsteps mounting the ladder. A voice at her ear said, “Amazing, isn’t it.”
    Without turning her head, she smiled. “Easy to forget how many stars there are, when you spend too much time in the city.” He stood at her side, his shoulder brushing hers, silently gazing at the cosmos. “Makes me wonder about those people who won’t even discuss the possibility of intelligent life out there.”
    He rested on his palms against the window sill, and glanced sideways at her. “You must admit, it’s a very uncomfortable concept. Especially if they find us first.”
    “I guess that’s one way to think of it. Me, I wonder what they might be like.”
    He turned to her. For a moment the romance of the scene filled her senses: a man, a woman, as alone as Adam and Eve. The scent of pine trees and wildflowers. No sound but the wind. It was not a smart way to feel about a man she’d met scant hours before, even if he did seem safe and sexy and sane. She broke the look and moved away, resting a shoulder against one of the corner posts. A small oblong of light from the lantern in the room below escaped out the window and lay on the ground. Serrated tops of trees were a lighter darkness against the obsidian of the sky. The helicopter cast a metallic gleam as it slept under the moonshine.
    She heard a rustle, and turned to see Alex with one foot on the top step of the ladder. “Any more coffee?” he asked.
    She nodded. “I don’t have a mug for you, though.”
    “Brought my own.” He disappeared gracefully through the opening.
    She stayed where she was a little longer, absently tracing the grain in the wood of the window frame with a fingertip. Then she, too, returned to the room below.
    He stood with his hips against the counter, cupping a mug in his hands. She lifted the chair she’d put near the stove, carried it across the room, and slid it back underneath the table, then rubbed its chipped, painted shoulders.
    He drained his cup, and placed it on the counter. “I figured I’d spread my bag upstairs.”
    “You’re more than welcome to the floor down here if you like.”
    “I’ll be fine. It’s all set to be a beautiful night.”
    “It’s up to you.”
    An awkward silence drooped over them, as if, like her, Alex wasn’t sure how to say goodnight. He grabbed his pack-sack. “Guess I’ll head up then. See you in the morning.”
    “Sleep well.”
    He climbed the treads, reached down, and lifted the door until it clicked into place. His footsteps shuffled quietly for a few minutes, and then all was still.
    She snapped off the lantern, leaving the room bathed in pale moonlight. She slipped off her socks, boots and shorts, then slid into her sleeping bag. Crossing her arms behind her head, she relaxed into the snug flannel. The lunar glow flowed through the window near her bed, and she lay awake, enjoying the deep peace. Then, softly, gently, the breathing of the night wind lulled her imperceptibly to sleep.
    ****
    Alex woke early the next morning. His nose was frosty and the air was damp, but the dawn sunlight fell on his cheek with a hint of the heat to come. Last winter, they’d had below average snowfall, and spring had been warmer than normal. Buzz in the office was the forest fire season was going to be frantic.
    He certainly hadn’t expected to see anyone else on top of the