Texas Wildfire (Texas Heroes Book 1) Read Free

please join me in welcoming Mr. Kyle Chancellor, the esteemed Governor of the great state of Texas.”
    To a rousing round of applause, the young dignitary made his way to the podium, acknowledging the introduction made by the Master of Ceremonies. He held up his hands, quieting the crowd. “Thank you very much. I appreciate you coming out tonight. The communities in Hays County have come through a trying time in the last few months. They have risen on the wings of hope from the pits of sorrow and devastation. We mourn those we have lost and rejoice over those who were saved. Many people stepped forward to come to the aid of their fellow man. If it were not for those who placed their lives on the line, who went beyond the call of duty, we wouldn’t have as much to be thankful for today as we do. The Memorial Day floods will not be soon forgotten, nor will the heroes who went the extra mile to help those in need.
    “Today we honor one of those heroes. Yes, saving people is his job. But this man worked tirelessly. He placed the welfare of others above his own, time and time again. It is my pleasure to present this award to an individual who lives in such a manner as to be an example to us all. The words engraved on this plaque epitomize an attitude of servitude.” Governor Chancellor bade the man of the hour to step forward. “It is with great pleasure that I present this humanitarian award to Firefighter Titan Sloan.” As one, the audience began to cheer and clap. Once more Kyle Chancellor asked for attention. “I’d like to read you the inscription.” He cleared his throat. “I Am My Brother’s Keeper. To real-life hero, Titan Sloan, who chooses every day to stand in the gap between danger and those who need to be saved.”
    With a deep breath, Titan rose from his seat and ascended the steps to the stage like he was heading to the guillotine. Accepting the plaque, he smiled and shook the governor’s hand. “Thank you, sir.” He could feel himself blushing. Putting himself in harm’s way was a picnic over facing a room full of strangers and a gaggle of reporters. It was a wonder his family wasn’t here. If they hadn’t been on a trip to Europe with his sister, the whole Sloan entourage would’ve been in the front row.
    The guys smirked at him while his Captain shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. He didn’t act pleased, for some reason. Well, Titan wasn’t really pleased himself. Someone else should be receiving this award, like Damien. The Captain was as much of a hero as Titan, probably more. And he knew many of the community thought he should be standing up here on this podium in Titan’s place. And Titan would’ve been fine with that. He didn’t like the attention, and he wasn’t much for giving a speech. Titan did the best he could with the three sentences he’d memorized. “I’m privileged to be able to help people and I don’t do it alone. We’re a team and we train for this every day. I only wish we had been able to do more.” Whew! He hurriedly stepped back from the microphone and held the wooden and brass plaque over his head. As always, he searched the crowd.
    Looking for her.
    For just a heartbeat, their eyes met before she glanced away quickly. Titan couldn’t breathe. His heart hammered in his chest.
    Down in the audience…Makenna watched Titan Sloan with pride. He was one very special man. During the time she’d known him, he worked tirelessly, giving a hundred and ten percent. His ‘save’ ratio was one of the highest in Texas. That was why she’d nominated him for this award. As secretary of the VFD, it was her prerogative. He deserved it. She just hoped Damien never found out what she’d done or that would be another sin she’d have to pay for.
    When the audience rose to give him a standing ovation, she joined them, clapping for a man whose very nature defined the term hero. Makenna couldn’t help but notice the admiring glances he received from many women. Even