Hot Under the Helmet: Inside Lucas and Hannah’s Waterball Challenge

Hannah Gilders has a plan to convince her childhood friend, Lucas Osborne, to become Mister October in the firefighter calendar—and she isn't above making a bet to get her way.

The catch?

It involves waterball, a firefighter team sport that requires a charged hose, plenty of teamwork, and a whole lot of water. Lucas might know everything there is to know about handling a hose, but keeping his mind on the game when Hannah is around? That's another story.

Dive into this sneak peek from October Fire for a little friendly competition, plenty of banter, and sparks that can’t be doused by the water!

Lucas jumped down from the pumper truck, landing with a solid thud on the pavement. The afternoon sun glinted off the chrome fittings and painted the concrete in jagged edges of light.

Hannah waddled toward him in a pair of bunker pants and a jacket that were twice her size. The sleeves swallowed her hands, and the oversized boots scuffed with every step. A borrowed helmet dangled from one hand.

She looked adorable.

And nervous as hell.

“Show Hannah how the hose works.” Maizy shoved a hose coupler into his hands. “I’ve got to finish setting up the line.”

Lucas caught the coupler, then looked at Hannah. “You don’t have to do this.”

She squared her shoulders, though the oversized coat made the gesture almost comical. “It didn’t look that hard on YouTube.”

A laugh escaped before he could stop it. “You Googled waterball?” he said. “Was that before or after you agreed to it?”

She shrugged, but her eyes darted toward Maizy’s retreating figure as if she might still have time to escape.

Then she turned back to him and flashed that megawatt smile.

He forgot to breathe.

Damn, she was beautiful.

“There are typically three firefighters on each side, right?” she said.

He reminded his lungs that breathing was generally a good idea, and pulled his attention back to the task at hand. “For our purposes, yes. Everything we do is a team effort, and this is no different. Waterball is fun and games to firefighters, but it’s also valuable practice for handling and aiming a charged hose.”

He shifted the coupler from his right hand to his left and gestured toward the equipment Maizy was laying out.

“The front man—MAN 1—does the aiming,” he continued. “MAN 2 is the navigator. He has to tell MAN 1 where to aim.”

“Yeah, because MAN 1’s got a face full of water,” a voice behind him said.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder. Alex had just finished dragging the hoses to the starting poles, his blond hair already damp with sweat. He flashed Hannah a grin.

“The trick is to listen,” Lucas said, turning his attention back to her. “For the sound of the water hitting the barrel. To your partner’s instructions. Or, in an actual fire, the hiss of water hitting flame.”

“Yeah, because usually all you can see is a shit-ton of smoke,” Alex added.

Hannah grinned. “Such technical terms you firefighters use.”

Lucas ground his teeth at the way she smiled at Alex—which was ridiculous. She was here for a stupid game involving water, hoses, and a calendar. There was no reason whatsoever for the possessive little spark that had just flared in his gut.

Still, he stepped closer to her and held out a pair of gloves. “Put these on.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Bossy.”

“You’re about to handle a hose that can knock you flat on your ass,” he said.

The teasing disappeared from her expression.

He fought back a smile as he nodded toward her hands. “Then I’ll show you how the hose works.”

She pulled the oversized gloves over her fingers, her gaze fixed on his as she did.

For a moment, he forgot all about waterball.

Then the hose behind them coughed as the line pressurized, and Hannah jumped.

He chuckled. “Still want to do this?”

She squared her shoulders again. “Absolutely.”

 

***

 

Hannah studied the wire stretched across the fire station’s yard, anchored by a pole at either end. A bright red barrel hung from the wire between them, swaying in the afternoon breeze.

It looked deceptively simple.

Then again, so had the waterball videos she’d watched online.

“The hose line isn’t charged now,” Lucas said beside her. “But once it is—when water’s being pushed through the hose under high pressure—it’ll be stiff and heavy.”

Hmm. That was one detail her research had failed to mention. Every firefighter she’d watched on YouTube had made handling a hose look about as difficult as carrying a bowling ball.

Lucas crouched beside the nozzle. “See this lever?”

She nodded.

“It opens and closes the flow of water.” He pointed underneath. “And this is the grip. Most firefighters tuck the hose up under their dominant arm—right for most people—like this.”

He demonstrated, the movement easy and practiced.

“You want your dominant hand on the bottom grip because that’s how you aim,” he said.

“Aim?”

“Here.” He handed her the nozzle. “You try.”

She fumbled with it, turning it the wrong way.

“Not quite.” He stepped closer. His hands brushed her side as he guided the hose upward and tucked it beneath her arm. The solid warmth of his body seemed startlingly at odds with the cool metal in her hands.

“Wrap your right hand around the grip.” His voice was lower now, close enough that she felt the vibration of it.

She did.

His hand settled over hers. “That’s it.”

Her pulse skipped.

He pressed the lever on top of the nozzle. “Open.” He pushed it away from them. “Closed.”

“Ready for charge?” Alex called from beside the truck.

Lucas didn’t move away. Instead, his arms came around her, one bracing her upper body, the other settling near her hands.

“Ready!” he called.

Hannah barely had time to register the feel of his torso against her back before the hose jerked violently.

“Oh!”

The nozzle bucked in her hands, straining toward the open yard.

His arms tightened around her. “Steady,” he said.

Holy cow. The hose wasn’t just heavy. It was alive.

The thick rubber trembled beneath her hands, vibrating with the force of the water surging through it. She could feel the pressure pulsing all the way up her arms. Every instinct told her to fight it, but Lucas’s body behind hers kept her anchored.

“Try opening and closing the spigot so you can get used to it,” he said.

She didn’t answer. She was having a little trouble concentrating. Partly because she was fascinated by the incredible power surging through the hose… and partly because she was far too aware of Lucas.

The muscles beneath his skin flexed as he helped support the nozzle. Fine cords stood out along the inside of his arm. She’d never thought of forearms as particularly sexy, but apparently, she had a thing for muscular forearms.

Who knew?

“Hannah?”

Right. Water.

She pushed the lever. The nozzle surged forward, and a powerful stream of water blasted into the yard.

Power.

She held power in her hands.

The realization sent a burst of exhilaration through her. “I’ve got it!”

Lucas’s arms retreated from around her middle, leaving an oddly noticeable absence of warmth.

“You’ve got two minutes to practice,” he said.

She turned to look at him.

His expression held a hint of amusement. “Pick a rock or a stump and see if you can hit it. Once the real games begin, you’ll have to hit that barrel.”

She glanced toward the red target dangling in the distance.

Then back at the hose.

“Piece of cake.”

Lucas’s eyebrow lifted. “You sure about that?”

She raised the nozzle. “Absolutely.”

And promptly sent the stream of water several feet wide of the nearest tree.

 

***

 

Lucas plunked the helmet on Hannah’s head and reached for the chin strap.

The thing practically engulfed her, but it was all they had, and she’d already declared she wasn’t going to let a little oversized gear stand between her and a challenge.

He secured the strap beneath her chin, then pulled the face shield down.

“Always protect your face,” he said.

She gave him a crisp little salute. “Yes, sir.”

He tried not to stare. Those enormous blue eyes looked back at him through the clear plexiglass, bright with anticipation. A loose strand of blond hair had escaped the helmet and curled against her cheek.

“You ready for this?” he said.

She grinned. “Always.”

He couldn’t have stopped the answering grin if he’d had an actual five-alarm fire burning at his back. “You'll be MAN 3 this round,” he said.

“What does MAN 3 do?”

“MAN 3 is the manipulator.” He gestured toward the hose. “Your job is to push the hose forward or pull it back as needed. In a real fire, MAN 3 also makes sure the hose doesn’t get caught on anything—stairs, debris, whatever—and makes sure his teammates don’t trip over it.”

Their teammate, Alex, grabbed the nozzle and pointed it toward the opposite side of the yard.

“We’re gonna crush you!” he yelled at Maizy, Spencer, and Dez, who were taking their positions beside the opposite pole.

“Dream on!” Maizy shouted back.

Spencer laughed. Dez gave them an exaggerated thumbs-down.

The good-natured trash talk rolled across the yard as Lucas pulled on his own helmet and fastened the chin strap. He loved waterball. He’d never turned down an opportunity to play, and Maizy knew it.

But this time was different.

Because Hannah was here.

And judging by the determination shining through her face shield, he had a feeling he was going to end up posing for her calendar after all.

Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Especially if it meant more time with her.

Kade stepped into the middle of the yard, acting as their unofficial referee. “Ready?”

Everyone shouted their confirmation.

“Three! Two! One! GO!”

The hose came alive. Water roared through the line, the rubber bucking and twisting as the teams fought for control.

Lucas followed Alex’s directions.

“LEFT!”

“UP!”

“RIGHT!”

“DOWN!”

Water hammered against the red barrel, spraying a glittering mist into the air. The pavement grew slick beneath their boots, and within seconds everyone was soaked.

Six minutes later, Kade’s voice rose above the chaos. “Winner! Team Alex takes the first round!”

Alex pumped his fist in the air. “Whoo-hoo!”

Lucas turned to Hannah, ready to celebrate.

She was sprawled on the wet ground.

His heart slammed into his throat.

“Hannah!” He yanked off his helmet and dropped beside her. “Are you hurt?”

She blinked up at him, laughing. “I’m fine! I have so much padding on, I just sort of rolled to the ground.”

Relief hit him hard enough to make his knees weak.

“Thank goodness.”

He offered a hand, and she let him pull her upright.

“You weren’t kidding about how heavy the hose is.” She brushed water from her face. “I don’t think I actually moved it. I think you guys did everything. When you stepped back toward me, I tripped over my own feet!”

Her helmet sat crookedly on her head, and Lucas reached out to straighten it. God, did she have any idea how irresistible she was right now? Her cheeks were flushed from exertion, droplets of water clinging to her eyelashes. Her smile was huge, her eyes bright with adrenaline.

“You sure you want to keep at this?” he said.

“Are you kidding?” She stopped giggling long enough to plant her hands on her hips. “I don’t quit that easily, Lucas Osborne. I’m ready to man up!”

Alex barked out a laugh.

Something warm unfurled in Lucas’s chest. “Well, okay,” he drawled. “Which position would you like to man?”

“MAN 1.”

Alex let out a low whistle. “Girl likes it on top.”

The words hit Lucas like a hose blast. For one treacherous second, his mind supplied a vivid image of Hannah on top that had absolutely nothing to do with waterball.

Heat shot through him.

Focus.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll back you up at MAN 2,” he said.

Alex’s grin widened as he handed Hannah the nozzle. “Prepare to be drowned,” he said.

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