Finn felt the subtle change in Lisa’s body language. A certain softening, a relaxing. Maybe it was the wine, or the full stomach, or all the silly jokes about candy. Maybe it was the currents of warm night air rising up the cliff, bringing the scent of sage and ocean salt. Maybe it was the stars sparkling so joyfully above them. Or maybe it was some magical combination bringing Lisa out of her wary shell.
Whatever it was, he ran out of time to figure it out. A text dinged on his phone. He knew that ringtone. It could mean only one thing.
“Damn, that was fast.”
“What happened?”
“First fire call. And it’s still April.”
He shifted Lisa off his lap so he could pull out his phone.
Brushfire in SoCal. Base in one hour. Driving out tonight.
“Why is it always Southern California?” he mutter
