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“You know better,” I tell him as I turn to the other three. “Suit up, guys. We’re going on a nature hike today.”
They all groan. Hiking in full gear is their least favorite form of exercise, but with the fire season rapidly coming upon us, it’s critical for them to be able to climb quickly with their protective layers on and still have enough gas in their tanks to cut fire lines.
“Meet you in front in ten,” I say before heading to my own locker to get dressed.
I never require anything of my guys that I don’t do myself. If they climb, I climb with them.
After gearing up, I join the group in front of the firehouse. It’s a clear day here in the valley. The cloud cover is minimal, and the high temperature should reach seventy-eight degrees, which is mild for mid-July. It’s the perfect day for this particular training.
We’ll trek up the back side of Misty Mountain. It’s a grueling hike, straight up to the highest peak in Balsam Ridge. My brother Langford owns the land and has given us permission to use it for training purposes.
“Check your equipment. Make sure you have all the essentials. Your personal gear bag should have water, rations, a first aid kit, and a sleeping bag. Your fire-line bags should have your fire gloves, goggles, Pulaski ax, and saw. These two packs should not exceed a weight of sixty-five pounds.”
Before I can finish the instructions and we get loaded in the utility truck, a familiar white convertible BMW pulls into the parking lot.
“Just a minute, guys,” I call over my shoulder as I approach Susanna’s car.
Susanna is my girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancée. We have been together since we were teenagers. She moved into the chalet I had built on Buck Mountain six years ago. It’s approximately five miles from the firehouse, and I can reach it in under ten minutes in case of emergency.
“Hey, babe,” she bellows as I approach her window.
“Hey,” I greet as I lean in to give her a quick kiss.
“You want to take your super-hot girlfriend to lunch?” she asks.
I sigh. “The guys and I are heading out for PT.”
She sticks her bottom lip out and whines, “But it’s lunchtime. Can’t you do that later?”
I look down at my watch. “It’s nearly two, Sus. I had lunch hours ago. You should have called or come down here earlier if you wanted to eat together.”
Her pout turns into a scowl. “You know I’m not a morning person. Jeez, Corbin. You’ve been here for three days. I’m hungry and lonely. Excuse me for thinking my man could take a few minutes out of his day to feed me.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I know that she is not a fan of the long shifts and the nights she has to sleep alone. I work seventy-two hours on and forty-eight hours off. Every other month, I get a week with ninety-six hours off. It’s not your normal nine-to-five, but firefighting is not a normal job.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be home tomorrow night, and I’ll make it up to you. I’ll make us surf and turf, and we’ll open a bottle of your favorite wine.”
She cuts her eyes to me. “Whatever.”
I reach for the handle and open her car door and bend down on a knee, so we are face-to-face. “I promise we’ll do something fun next weekend.”
Her expression softens, and she turns her face, so we are nose to nose. “Fine. I’ll just go into Knoxville and do some shopping today.”
That is her answer for everything. Retail therapy makes her happy.
“You going to buy something sexy?” I ask.
She shifts in her seat and pulls her sunglasses from the top of her head and places them on her nose. “If you’re lucky,” she teases.
I lean in to whisper in her ear. “I love you in lace.”
She grins.
I stand and shut the door. “Be safe. I’ll call you this evening.”
She nods and puts the car in reverse. I watch as she drives off toward the interstate, and then I turn to face the boys, who are all piled into the red pickup.
“Ready, gentlemen?” I call.
