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shit, I didn’t expect that.”
    “Neither did we. I can’t believe I breached
professional ethics like that.”
    Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “You can look at it
that way. Or you can see it as two desperate people finding solace
with each other when they thought they were gonna buy it. My guess
is anybody would pick the latter.”
    “Maybe. But I went against my values, my
beliefs.”
    “You’re only human, Gabe. Like you said, give
yourself a break.”
    He nodded.
    Bracing his arms on the table, Mitch leaned
forward. “The question is what are you gonna do now?”
    “Forget about it. I told her as much when we
got a minute alone after we were rescued.”
    “How’d she take it?”
    The image of Rachel’s distraught expression
and the trembling of her lips when he reacted badly assaulted him.
He might as well admit everything. “I think she was hurt. Probably
more with my delivery than the actual meaning. Hell, Mitch, she’s
one of the top female firefighters in our department. Other women
like Sands look up to her. She can’t be glad we were
so…indiscreet.”
    “Again, circumstances. Are you gonna be able
to go back to what it was before between you?”
    “I hope to God we can. I don’t know what I’ll
do otherwise.”
    oOo
    Rachel let herself into her condo on Hidden
Lake, a twenty-minute drive from the firehouse. The first time
she’d invited the guys out here, Gabe included, they’d teased her
mercilessly about her trust fund digs on the water. Her place was
expensive because she had part of the beach, too. The interior was
huge, and the back of the house sported a screened-in porch with
furniture groupings and a wall of windows opening to a patio and
deck.
    From back there, a light shone, and her
sister called out, “I’m here. Don’t get scared.”
    Sighing, Rachel trudged to the rear of the
house; she found Alexis on one of the couches. Her eyes welled at
seeing the person she loved more than anyone in the world. “Thanks
for letting me know. I’d say I’ve been scared enough today.”
    A pediatric surgeon, Alexis still wore her
hospital-blue scrubs. She rose from the sofa, set down her
BlackBerry and crossed to Rachel. Her hug was strong and safe, and
for a moment, Rachel clung to her. “Thank God you’re all right. I
don’t know…” Strong and competent Dr. Wellington had a soft spot
for her younger sister, too. All their lives, they’d only had each
other to deal with their self-centered parents.
    “Sit. I’ll make you tea.”
    “I’d rather have whiskey.”
    “I can do that.”
    After Alexis fetched both of them drinks,
they sat on the wide-cushioned couch, face-to-face, mirroring each
other’s cross-legged position. “Was it awful?” her sister
asked.
    “Some of it. Did you know what was going on
while you were at the hospital?”
    “Yeah, they brought in hurt firefighters all
day from the explosion. There were six vagrants in the building,
but only a few needed treatment. The rescue personnel got
whacked.”
    “Oh, Lexie, I’m so sorry. That must have been
terrible for you.”
    “Bad enough. Plus our parents called a
million times to tell me I had to talk some sense into you when you
were rescued.” Alexis had the same hazel eyes and steel-blond hair
as Rachel, only her sister was more feminine, with a slighter
build. “Tell me all of it, sis.”
    Tears welled in Rachel’s eyes again, but this
time they spilled over. She swiped at them impatiently. The
adrenaline rush had subsided, and she was shaky, uncertain, even
cold, making her shiver despite the warm air that filtered in
through the open screens.
    Grabbing a throw, Alexis put it around
Rachel’s shoulders. It was as soft as a kitten’s fur. “Jesus, I
don’t think I’ve seen you cry in years. I’m sorry, honey.”
    “We’re trained in confined-space maneuvers,
and besides the space wasn’t that small. Still, being trapped was
awful.”
    “How big was the area?”
    Rachel looked directly at her sister.