Page 3 of Nanny for the Firefighter

“Jai, I promise Mason just wanted to?—”

In a quick turn, Jai glares at me over his shoulder. He jabs a finger in my face and shoves me backward into the car with a step toward me.

“I knowexactlywhat he wants. Now, shut it.”

When Jai looks back at Mason, I can see my brother’s bestie about ready to swing at my boyfriend. I am not built for drama like this, and my legs tremble.

“Leave Bridget alone. She’s mine.”

Mason glares, but after a moment, he backs up, raising his hands in defeat. “Of course, Jai.”

Over Jai’s shoulder, Mason makes eye contact with me.

“Like I said, Bridget.”

And then he turns and leaves, his heavy steps crunching over the loose gravel drive. I watch as Mason walks around the hood of his truck and hops in.

The door slams loudly, and then I’m left alone with Jai, who’s continuing to watch the truck drive off.

My shoulders slump, and it’s like the air has gone out of my lungs. I try to fill them back up, but my body is sluggish, my heart struggling to slow back down to a normal rhythm.

Shit.Isthis what I should be doing?

Before I can say another word, Jai spins to face me, boxing me in between his arms as he leans on the car at my back.

“Don’t worry about that asshole, B. We’ll be in LA by tomorrow and ready to start our new lives.”

His lips crash against mine, and I give into it after a moment of shock. My muscles are still tense, but after all that, I’m not surprised.

Jai pulls back with a grin. I smile back, and then he circles around to the driver’s side. “Go check the house one more time and fucking pee, would you? I’m not stopping every five minutes for your tiny ass bladder.”

My brows raise as I back up toward the house. “Oh, sure.”

I run up to the porch, jogging up the stairs to take one final look at the place. There’s no point in making a big deal out of everything that happened, so I swallow hard and make sure to lock up before I go back to the car.

I think Jai’s parents will still be using the house for something, so I tuck the key under the floor mat as instructed.

Hurrying back to the car, I try not to let my brain spiral any more than it already has. A new life is starting, and who knows, maybe LA will hold all the opportunities I’m looking for.

I could sing at a club somewhere or something. I’m not sure how it works.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I buckle up and crack the window a little to let in some fresh air.

The world starts to move around me as Jai reverses out of the driveway. My mind circles back to one particular word Mason said.

“Songbird.”

“What’s that?” Jai asks, and I shake my head.

“Nothing.” I smile before looking back out the window. “Absolutely nothing.”

ONE

Bridget

Chateau Rogue looks about as busy as it always does as I drive down Broadway Avenue into the center of Red Lodge, which is, of course, not busy. And it’s a weekend.

It’s not the most popular of the lodges in the area, though, and with summer in full swing, I know that tourists will be looking for places closer to the trails to set up shop.

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