FACING THE FIRE was nominated for the 2006 CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice
Award.
“Readers will find adventure and excitement as well as a wonderful romance
in FACING THE FIRE and learn about the dangerous job of smokejumping. It is a
story well worth reading.”
--Romance Reviews Today
“Gail Barrett has crafted a captivating, suspenseful tale, not only of the
physical struggles involved in trying to escape the clutches of a forest fire,
but has balanced it with the struggle in the minds of these two strong characters
as they battle old and new ideas about each other and themselves. So, toss another
log on the fireplace and curl up to enjoy this satisfying read!”
--Fresh Fiction
"FACING THE FIRE is an emotional, fast-paced and action-filled Silhouette
Intimate Moments that will grab the reader and not let go... Well-written and
sensual, FACING THE FIRE sizzles with a sexual tension hotter than the forest
fire Cade and Jordan attempt to outrun! Highly recommended!"
--The Romance Readers Connection, Rating: 4 1/2 Hearts
“A very tense drama full of adventure and bravery. The research that went
into this story was fantastic. You felt like you were on the line with the firefighters.
Very dramatic.”
--Munchkin Books
“Facing the Fire takes you on a thrilling ride full of danger, passion,
and adventure. This story grabs your attention from the first page and doesn’t
let go until the last. Jordan and Cade’s relationship is full of unresolved
feelings and struggles that most readers will be able to sympathize with. The
passion and pain between them is so heart wrenching and realistic that I found
myself crying for them while at the same time, cheering them on. Facing the Fire
is an inspiring story that is sure to touch readers with its fast-paced story
line that flows along so naturally and unforgettable characters. If you have never
read a story by Gail Barrett, I encourage you to read Facing the Fire and I am
sure that once you have read this beautiful and emotionally gripping story, like
me, you will be a fan for life.”
--Fallen Angel Reviews
“With its moments where your heart is racing from the danger encircling
the hero and heroine to the poignant scenes of mental anguish between this bewildered
couple, Gail Barrett has created a suspenseful yet often touching love story.
FACING THE FIRE is powerful in its emotional impact fueled by the soaring peril…With
emotions pouring from almost every page and the mounting suspense, FACING THE
FIRE sets a blazing pace in this memorable story.” 4 ½ stars
--CataRomance
“An exciting contemporary romance.”
- Harriet Klausner
“I truly enjoyed FACING THE FIRE - a delightful introduction to a new-to-me
author whom I will not hesitate to recommend to my readers. Her characters were
likable and very human, indeed, a pleasure to meet!”
--Annie’s Book Stop
“Ms. Barrett grabbed my interest from page one and held it to the very end.
I literally couldn’t put this book down.”
--A Romance Review. 4½ roses!
In 2004, FACING THE FIRE won both the Marlene and Heart of the
Rockies contests, and finaled in the Laurie, Merritt and Spring into Romance contests.
Jordan Wells lifted the old metal bucket out of the icy stream and set it beside
her on the bank. Shivering, she rubbed her wet, chilled hands on her jeans to
warm them. She’d forgotten how cold these Montana streams were. They were
little more than glacial melt rushing down the mountains.
But the place was beautiful, she had to admit. Smiling, she glanced around
the tiny clearing. Early afternoon-sunlight sifted through the Douglas fir trees,
making the water sparkle. The clear stream raced over rocks and overturned pebbles
while the pine boughs moaned above.
She inhaled the deep-forest air, that complex mix of ancient pines and earth,
so unlike the cornfields and woods of Virginia. She’d loved this place once.
Being here had filled her with peace, serenity. She’d felt protected from
the world, sheltered in the tiny cabin with Cade.
She closed her eyes and just for a moment, let the images swamp her. Cade’s
hard face. His low, rough voice. That devastating grin.
The shocking thrills, the wild excitement she’d felt in his strong arms.
But that was before the fire season had started and the loneliness set in.
The weeks apart. The endless waiting. Never knowing when he’d come back
or how long he would stay.
Then the pleading. The desperation. That stark white hospital bed.
The shattering realization that he loved leaping out of airplanes more than
he loved her. And always would.
She opened her eyes with a sigh. But that had happened years ago. That life
was gone forever, like the innocent, trusting girl she’d once been.
And that was exactly why she’d come back here. To put that painful past
to rest forever and prove she was over Cade. To sell the cabin she’d ignored
for years and finally move on with her life. To marry Phil, a stable, steady man
with a normal job who’d never rush off on wild adventures and leave her
to suffer alone. Who’d waited far too patiently for too many months for
her to accept his proposal.
And she would finally say yes to him. She’d be crazy not to. That man
was everything she wanted.
She’d accept, all right. As soon as she cleaned out the cabin, she’d
stop at the real estate agency in Missoula, sign the contract to sell this place,
and catch the next flight back east.
She rose and lifted the dented bucket. The thick bed of pine needles muffled
her footsteps as she trudged up the narrow trail toward the house.
The wind gusted in the pine trees again and they creaked and wailed overhead.
The tinge of wood smoke wafted past and Jordan paused. Had someone built a cabin
nearby? She hadn’t noticed any new side roads or even tire tracks on the
long drive in. Maybe a passing hiker had started a campfire despite the burning
ban.
Then she caught the distant buzz of an airplane and her breath stalled. A DC3
jump ship. She’d recognize that sound anywhere. She’d heard that sad,
wrenching drone every time Cade flew away.
Her heart pumping hard against her ribs, she set the bucket on the ground and
looked up. A patch of blazing blue sky peeked through the thrashing pines.
Could there be a fire nearby? Fear crawled down her spine. How would she know?
Her cell phone didn’t work out here so she couldn’t call to find out,
and no one knew where she was. She listened intently, but the lonely sound drifted
away.
She inhaled deeply, but only smelled fresh air and pine. She eased her breath
back out. It was just her imagination. Old ghosts. The very memories she’d
come here to banish.
She picked up the bucket and carted it into the cabin. Old ghosts or not, she’d
better finish quickly and leave.
***
Cade McKenzie stood in the open doorway of the DC3 and sucked in the smell
of burning pine. Below him, black, roiling smoke pierced by huge orange flames
rose from the Montana forest and covered the earth with a threatening shadow.
Undaunted, he snapped down his face guard and narrowed his eyes. No matter
how formidable the fire, he’d stop it. The steep hills and volatile winds
only challenged him more. And he knew the eleven smokejumpers poised behind him
felt the same.
The spotter, hanging partway out the door beside him, pulled in his head from
the slipstream. “Hold into the wind,” he shouted over the roar of
the rushing air. “And stay wide of the fire. It’s gusting bad down
low.”
Cade nodded and returned his attention to the fire. They would jump near the
heel and contain it first, then split up and secure the flanks. Despite the dry
conditions, they could pinch off the head by late tomorrow -- unless the wind
changed direction and whipped the flames toward Granite Canyon.
His gaze shifted west toward the canyon bordered by a silver ridge. From the
air, the dense pines hid the log cabin he knew was nestled beside the boulders.
His old cabin, where he’d spent the most intoxicating months of his life
-- until Jordan decided she couldn’t handle living with a smokejumper and
cleared out. A sharp stab of bitterness tightened his gut. Hell of a time to think
of his ex-wife.
He forced the old anger aside. She’d raked him over good, all right,
but he’d never see her again. She wouldn’t have kept the cabin after
all these years. Still, he needed to make sure no one was in there in case the
wind switched and the fire jumped the only road out.
“We’re on final.” The spotter scooted back and struck the
side of the open door. His adrenaline rising, Cade moved forward into jump position.
His jump partner, a rookie from a booster crew out of Boise, pressed in close
behind him.
His muscles bunched, his gaze focused on the horizon, he waited for the spotter’s
signal. An intense calm settled over him and his mind stilled.
And in that moment, he felt perfectly right. He was doing what he was born
for, what he loved.
The spotter slapped his calf hard. His pulse jerked. He thrust himself out
of the plane and into the roaring slipstream. And hurtled ninety miles an hour
toward the fiery earth.
