It’s a festive time, a day to be grateful for family in all its forms—the one I was born into and the one I joined when I became a member of the Bliss River Fire Department.
I get that my choice to leave my Atlanta department and return to Bliss River seemed like a step backward to most of my city friends, but the BRFD is home.
I grew up in this firehouse and kissed my first girlfriend before a brunch very similar to the one I’m helping cook today. I’m looking forward to growing older in a place with so many memories, where I’ve helped celebrate more birthdays and engagements and anniversaries than I can count on two hands. Sure, the physical walls will change when we move into the new firehouse later this summer, but we’ll carry our traditions and memories with us.
Most Saturdays, whether I’m on duty or not, there’s no place I’d rather be than here with my people.
But today, I can’t wait to make my escape.
Maddie slept over at my place the past two nights and lingered over coffee and the paper with me both mornings after—her two days off from opening the bakery—and now the day feels strange without her in it.
It doesn’t help that Naomi’s here at the firehouse, snuggled up next to Jake, sipping coffee and glowing with happiness, alternating between beaming up at her soon-to-be husband and down at the sleeping bundle in his arms. Noelle is so tiny that she makes Jake look even more massive in comparison.
And a massive man holding a tiny baby is bona-fide female-heroin.
Every woman in the room has stopped by to coo and ooze estrogen all over the new family, ensuring I have to fight my way through a crowd when Jake motions me over.
“What’s up?” I ask, meeting Naomi’s gaze with a polite smile before giving Jake my full attention.
My relationship with Naomi has been strained since I nearly screwed things up for her and Jake by dragging up dumb shit from the past that should have stayed in the past. Before the retreat, it felt like we were rounding a corner and headed in a better direction. But now my secret with Maddie has brought the awkwardness back with a vengeance.
My gut says Naomi isn’t going to be a fan of our relationship—deserved or not, I have a reputation as a womanizer, and Naomi is fiercely protective of her siblings—which is making me reconsider how swiftly Maddie and I should make things public.
So far, sneaking around with her has been nothing but a pleasure.
Maybe we should just…keep sneaking.
After all, why mess with a good thing?
“Some guy called for you this morning,” Jake says. “I told him you weren’t here, so he said he’d call back later. I tried to tell him you weren’t on duty until tomorrow and take a message, but he hung up before I could.”
I frown. “Weird. Any idea who it was?”
“No. And he didn’t leave his name,” he says. “But he sounded pretty intense. You don’t have debt collectors on your case again, do you?”
I roll my eyes. “No, Dad, not since I was twenty-two. I’m managing my funds responsibly.”
“Well, we can help if you need it,” Naomi offers. “Please don’t hesitate to ask if you get in a bind.”
I nod, ignoring the spark of irritation her words ignite in my pride-center. She isn’t being judgmental, simply generous. She’s been making an obvious effort to mend our relationship since the confrontation at the Fireman’s Ball.
I should try harder, too.
And I would if I weren’t so certain she’s going to lose it when she finds out about Maddie and me.
All the more reason to try harder, genius. She’ll be more inclined to trust you to be good to Maddie if you play nice with her now.
“Thank you,” I say. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m doing fine.” I meet Naomi’s gaze and smile, a real one this time. Almost instantly her expression softens, and a hopeful light enters her eyes.
“Can I get you two anything?” I ask, finding it easier to let down my guard than I expected. “More coffee or a waffle or something? I think Kiki’s getting ready to open the serving line.”
Jake shakes his head. “Nah, I’m good. I’ll wait until everyone else is through. I already had first breakfast with Faith earlier. She couldn’t wait.”
Naomi laughs. “That girl must have a hollow leg. She eats like a horse.”
“I heard that,” Faith says from the next table over, where the tall, athletic blonde is entwined with her own Whitehouse sibling, Mick. They’ve been joined at the hip since New Year’s Eve and living together for almost as long.
So far, however, there doesn’t seem to be any trouble in paradise, and Faith is happier than I’ve ever seen her.
“Does that mean I’m uninvited to dinner tonight?” Faith asks. “Or should I just eat a snack first to fill up my hollow leg before I come over?”
Naomi laughs again and leans over to assure Faith she’s still more than welcome to dinner. I take advantage of her distraction to ease away from the table and through the crowd. The clock on the wall says it’s nearly ten, and I have somewhere important to be.
After snagging a large mug of coffee with extra cream, a waffle drizzled with syrup and covered in crushed walnuts, and two forks, I duck into the hall and make my way through the weight room and out the back door.
Outside on the grass, abandoned balls lie where kids left them when they were called in to eat and a row of bikes glint in the sun. It’s the kind of warm, sunny morning that practically begs you to come have your meal outdoors. But thankfully, so far I’m the only one to answer the call.
Balancing the plate on top of the mug, I climb the fire-escape ladder and continue up two rows of stairs to the roof. As soon as I step onto the cracked asphalt I smile—now the morning feels complete.
Maddie’s sitting in one of the chairs I spirited up here earlier this morning, dressed in a red sundress that barely brushes her knees, with a ring of white daisies in her hair.
“I see you got my note,” I say, grinning as she turns to glance over her shoulder, her eyes lighting up when she sees me coming.
“I did. But it’s a good thing Lucy’s back at work, or I wouldn’t have been able to come.”
“You think I’m an amateur?” I settle into the chair next to hers. “I knew she’d be at work, and what time she was coming in.”
Her brows lift as she accepts the coffee I extend her way. “Impressive.” She takes a sip, sighing in pleasure. “Mmm…extra creamy, just the way I like it.”
“I knew that, too,” I say. “I’ve done all my detective work.”
She grins. “You’re clearly wasting your potential fighting fires. You should have been an international man of mystery.”
“Or a mob boss,” I say.
“Or a high-class male escort,” she says, giggling when I shoot her a hard look. “What? You’re discreet, romantic, and your love-rod is absolutely worthy of a thousand dollars a night.”
“It’s not a love-rod, it’s a cock,” I say, though I secretly love that she’s nicknamed my dick. “And it’s not the cock that’s worth a thousand dollars a night, it’s the man who knows how to use it.”
“And to think I get it all for free,” she says with a naughty wink. “I’m a lucky girl.”