Jobe Tucker is the hottest fireman in Templeton by Lake Erie. Hot, single, and a fireman, he’s caught the eye of Stuart Talbot, owner of a local convenience store. But if Talbot doesn’t stop prying in the fireman’s life, there might be hell to pay. He just can’t control his crush, though.<br><br>Enter Talbot’s best friend, the straight Adam Lark, who balances Talbot when needed. Plus he owns a cabin away from the city where the two men occasionally spend weekends for downtime, relaxing. Unfortunately, Adam can’t stop Talbot from stalking Jobe.<br><br>When Jobe flirts with him, Talbot’s obsession and liking for the fireman heightens. But he has a heated history of being burned in a long-term relationship. Can Talbot put his tragic past behind him and begin a new love affair with the fireman? Or will his heart go down in flames?

Play with Fire

As smoke and flames rise in the pit, and Adam continues to chat with his wife, the booze kicks in and my mind creates a scene that will most likely never occur. I imagine Jobe stepping out of the nearby woods, beyond the distant smoke. Silver-white moonlight dances over his frame. He’s dressed in his fireman uniform: yellow hat, NOMEX trousers, fireproof boots, but no shirt. He has dark lines of soot over his rippled and sweaty chest. Ash covers his left cheek. In his right hand he holds a Pulaski axe. The grin on his handsome face tells me that he’s happy to see me. From the opposite side of the fire he speaks in my mind, I came for your emergency, Talbot.


He winks at me and grins. Your episode of boredom.


And what do you plan on doing about my boredom?


Chapter 3