Page 18 of The One Who Risked it All

“Earth to Carla,” Eli’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You okay? You look like you’re solving world hunger in that head of yours.”

I forced a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as strained as it felt. “Just thinking about the week ahead. Three boys, ten days... what could possibly go wrong?”

“Nine days,” he corrected.

Nothing boosted a girl’s ego more than knowing that he was counting down the minutes until we didn’t have to share space anymore.

“Hey, we’ve got this,” Eli said, bumping my shoulder playfully. “Between your organizational skills and my... uh, rugged charm, we’re practically Mary Poppins.”

I snorted. “Right, because nothing says ‘magical nanny’ like a small-town girl and a firefighter with a reputation.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Eli’s eyes darkened slightly, and I saw a flicker of hurt before his usual cocky grin slid back into place.

“Ouch, Puddles. Still got that sharp tongue, I see.”

I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. This was exactly why I needed to keep things platonic. Every interaction with Eli felt like walking through an emotional minefield.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “I didn’t mean—“

“Forget it.” Eli waved it off, but I could tell he hadn’t. “Let’s focus on making sure the rugrats don’t start aLord of the Fliessituation over there.”

As we settled onto the bench, I tried to shake off the memories flooding back—stolen kisses behind the bleachers, whispered promises, and the heartbreak that followed when our families found out. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet sitting there with Eli, it might as well have been yesterday.

I watched the boys play, their shrieks of joy filling the air, and reminded myself why I was there. This week wasn’t about me and Eli. It was about being there for his family, for these kids who needed us. But as Eli’s arm brushed against mine, sendingshivers down my spine, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was in way over my head.

I forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, at least they’re burning off some energy. Maybe they’ll actually sleep tonight.”

Eli chuckled, his shoulders relaxing. “Dream on, Carla. I’m pretty sure these kids run on some kind of supernatural battery pack.”

“Oh, come on,” I teased, falling into our old rhythm despite myself. “The big, tough firefighter can’t handle a few kids?”

He clutched his chest in mock offense. “Hey now, I’ll have you know I can carry a full-grown man out of a burning building. But keeping up with three boys under ten? That’s a whole different kind of endurance test.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound mingling with his in a way that felt both familiar and dangerous. Why did everything with Eli have to feel so... easy?

“I don’t know how you do it every day,” he said, gesturing toward the playground. “Teaching a whole classroom of these little tornadoes.”

I shrugged, a smile tugging at my lips. “It’s not so bad. And middle schoolers are a different kind of challenge. More hormones. Less screaming, more attitude. At least I get to send them home at the end of the day.”

“Unlike us this week,” Eli added with a grin that made a tingle dance across my skin.

I was about to respond when Linc came barreling toward us, his face scrunched up in distress. “Aunt Carla! Uncle Eli!” he wailed. “I can’t find my Spiderman!”

Eli was on his feet in an instant, his expression softening as he knelt to Linc’s level. “Hey, buddy, don’t worry. We’ll find him. Where did you last see him?”

As Linc pointed toward the jungle gym, sniffling, I found myself rising to join the search party. Eli was already heading that way, his hand on Linc’s shoulder, and I followed, trying to ignore the warmth blooming in my chest at his immediate willingness to help.

Why did he have to be so good with kids? It would have been so much easier to keep my distance if he was still the carefree, irresponsible boy I remembered. But this Eli, the one who dropped everything to find a lost toy? He was far more dangerous to my resolve.

I trailed behind them, watching as Eli began to scour the playground, his eyes darting from the slide to the sandbox. He was talking to Linc in a gentle voice, and I couldn’t help but strain to hear their conversation.

“So,” Eli said, peering under a bench, “who’s your favorite superhero? Besides Spiderman, of course.”

Linc’s face scrunched up in thought. “Um... I like Iron Man too! He’s super smart and builds cool stuff.”

Eli chuckled, and the sound sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine. “Good choice. You know, when I was your age, I was all about Batman. I even made myself a cape out of one of my mom’s old tablecloths.”

I snorted at the mental image of a tiny Eli running around in a makeshift cape. He caught my eye and winked, causing my cheeks to heat up. I quickly looked away, focusing on searching the bottom of the slide.

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