Page 63 of Nanny for the Firefighter

Bridget chuckles, finishing her sip of wine. “Just wait until she learns how to spell.”

The laughter continues, and damn, it feels so good to just talk with Bridget and relax. She’s easy company, and we both wind up trading tales from when we were teens.

“Mason Hayes, don’t you dare lie like that. You were a huge troublemaker.”

I scoff, putting my hand to my chest like I’m offended. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

With a laugh and cheeky eye roll, Bridget leans over the table, making a face at me with her nose all crinkled up.

“You bum. You and Hudson got me in trouble so much. ‘Oh no, Mrs. Monroe. It wasn’t us. Bridget must have done it.’ You were both terrible!”

I can’t help but laugh.

“Okay, okay. It’s true. But come on, it’s got to be in the older brother's job description to throw his siblings under the bus.”

“Mom was that bus, and she had on snow tires.”

Hearty laughter erupts from both of us after that, and I feel warmed through. It’s been ages since I’ve had this kind of dinner with anyone.

And I’ve missed it more than I realized.

I missed her.

Our conversation continues, and after a while, Mia gets antsy at the table, and I let her down to watch a bit more Tru before bed.

When we’ve finished up the food, I take the plates to the kitchen, and Bridget goes into the living room to check on Mia.

“Well, that was delicious. I?—”

“Shh. Look.”

Bridget has her hand to her mouth, and I look down over the couch to see Mia curled up on the floor, sawing logs.

“Oh, baby. Okay. I’ll be right back.”

As carefully as I can, I scoop Mia up into my arms and carry her up the stairs to bed.

She stirs a bit when I set her down, but all it takes is to click on the music she usually listens to and get her twinkling nightlight going.

The quiet sets in around me, and I stare down at her as she lays in her crib, rubbing my hand gently across her back.

I can leave any second now. Mia’s down and happy as a clam.

Still, I just watch her for a moment, remembering when she first slept in that crib.

It was a while before I could take her home from the hospital because they knew I needed help feeding her and caring for her alone.

Jess had been all about the breastfeeding thing, and we hadn’t even bought bottles. I had to go on a mad shopping spree for them—and formula—and then the work of teaching Mia to eat from them began.

She didn’t seem to like it at first, but we got there.

We figured it out, didn’t we, baby?

There are a lot of downsides to being a single dad, especially with a newborn and no family to rely on. Jess and I had both lost our parents by the time she got pregnant, and we were both only children.

And I never knew what kind of father I was going to be. Mine was taken by a massive wildfire that hit town when I was a kid.

He’d volunteered too, and not having him to turn to was…rough.

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