Page 92 of Single Mom's Firemen

I’d almost forgotten about those damned things. “I won’t?”

“Nope. Charlie was with the team that raided her office building. They seized everything. Files, hard drives, CDs, USB sticks, recordings, memos. You name it, they got it, and brought it all down to the precinct. Eric was there and helped the fellas sift through all of it until he found the photos. Printed copies and the original image files. Charlie spoke to the cops about it, then the DA, and they agreed that the photos did not need to appear anywhere in their case against Harriet because they already had her on so many other counts. She’s gonna spend what’s left of her life in prison. So we’re in the clear.”

“You three have been hard at work, I see. I can’t thank you enough.”

“No reason to thank us,” Wyatt says. “Those were our asses caught on camera, too, not just your gorgeous booty.”

I haven’t laughed this hard in a while. My ribs hurt. Then again, my whole body still feels sore after the events that transpired. “Wait, I thought you said you promised her a deal if she helped you track me down,” I say after a while.

“That deal went straight into the bin after she ordered a hit on us not twenty minutes after we left her office. She’ll die in prison. All of her assets were seized, so it’s likely she can’t afford those hotshot lawyers of hers anymore.”

“It really is over then,” I mumble. “The Nash empire has finally burned down.”

“To the ground, darlin’. There’s nothing left. Which means the rest of us can go on with our lives and make the most of each day.”

“That sounds… wonderful.”

“Almost surreal, huh?”

I nod slowly. “Yeah.”

But it is real. It’s the payoff of years of fighting, hiding, and suffering while still trying to find the silver lining through it all. I had to be a mom and a dad to my kids. I had to hide my own pain so that they wouldn’t feel like the world was an awful place to be. And while my road was rocky as hell, I muddled through.

Eric, Chase, and Wyatt found me during the most difficult time, and they showed me a different, better way.

And now, Luna and Sammy will get to grow up with not one, but three dads who love them and put them before themselves.

And a baby brother or sister.

“I should’ve told you about the pregnancy,” I say after a long pause, finally ready to address the elephant between us.

“Oh, no, darlin’. We’re not having that conversation yet. We’re getting you home, first.”

I give him a worried glance but he doesn’t seem angry. He’s still smiling and flaunting his sunny disposition. Whatever happens next, I know it will be alright. I have them, and they have me.

I can finally step out of survival mode.

We arrive home laughing. Wyatt spent the whole ride telling me stories from their early firefighting days. It’s amazing how much they learned from the weirdest and craziest accidents they’ve ever responded to.

“Trust me, when Chase pulled the chainsaw out of the truck, we knew he meant business. There was no stopping him. Chief Holt just backed off and let him deal with it.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Chase,” I giggle as we go inside the house.

It’s such a relief to not be looking over my shoulder anymore. I’m no longer checking to see if anybody followed us home. No more black-and-white cruiser parked outside the house, but that’s a good thing. We don’t need a police unit watching us anymore. The minute I heard Colby give his last breath, it was as if all the trauma I had stored in my body was finally gone.

The house is quiet. Sunshine smiles through the wide, east-facing windows.

“Where are the twins?” I ask as Wyatt closes and locks the door behind us.

“They should be in the kitchen,” he says.

As soon as the words leave his mouth, I hear the coffee machine brewing its magic potion, teaspoons clinking in the sink, cups taking their rightful place on the counter. I smell freshly baked croissants, too.

My heart swells as I follow Wyatt through the hallway and into the giant kitchen. A familiar space that I had missed.

We find Eric pouring the coffee while Chase lays the pastries out on a large plate. Outside, I can see summer unfolding across the garden, the hydrangea and lavender bushes quivering in the gentle breeze. Later, I plan to float in the pool for a couple of hours with a glass of lemonade and a good book. I need to shut down for a while. Until then, however, I will gladly enjoy every second of what’s left of this morning with my three, strapping, ridiculously handsome firemen. I will not dwell on the past anymore. I’ve had enough of the bad stuff.

“Mother and baby are in the clear!” Wyatt announces as he strolls into the kitchen and takes his seat at the counter island.

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