Page 38 of Single Mom for the Firemen

“You want a hand clearing up?” Killian asks, glancing around the laden table.

“I don’t care whether you say yes or not,” I cut in. “We’re helping.”

“Hey, I can handle?—”

“You did the cooking,” Mason replies, standing up as he starts to gather a few pieces from around the table. “Only fair that we do the cleaning.”

“Agreed,” Killian replies. “And you did the table decoration, Callie. So you get a pass too.”

Callie beams at him, and Vanessa leans over to put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders, squeezing her in tight. I can tell at a glance how much she adores her; it’s clear that the two of them share a deep bond, especially after the loss of Callie’s father. For a moment, I feel a connection to Callie—losing my own dad the way I did was hellish, and she’s had to grow up without one at all. Is it harder to lose one you knew, or to never have one in the first place…?

I push that to the back of my mind as I go to give my brothers a hand with the dishes. We bicker over who does the washing and drying, just like we did when we were teenagers.

“No, I know how this ends,” I protest. “Mason and I wind up doing all the hard work while Killian stands and watches.”

“Supervises!” Killian corrects me, rolling his eyes—though there’s no malice behind it. “Come on, get to work. The sooner we start, the sooner we’re done…”

“You sure you guys don’t need a hand?” she calls over to us, and I shake my head.

“No, we’ve got it,” I promise her, and I raise my eyebrows at my brothers, indicating for them to get into it. And we do. It doesn’t take long when we’re all working together, and by the time the plates are stacked neatly in the cupboard, the sun has just begun to dip behind the trees outside.

“We should be getting back,” I remark, a little regretful. I’d like to stay longer, but I know we have to keep on top of everything at the cabin. Now that we’re getting into the hottest part of the year, the chances of wildfires or accidents is even larger than normal, and we can’t let our guard down for a second.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Mason replies, and Callie gets to her feet.

“Can we walk back with you?”

I glance over to Vanessa—I’m not going to go agreeing on her behalf. But with a shrug, she flashes me a grin.

“I guess so,” she replies, rising to her feet. “Make sure they get back in one piece, huh?”

“You’re the one who got turned around from the trail the other day,” I remind her, and she waves her hand.

“Or maybe I was just testing you,” she fires back. “I think I can manage the walk to your place and back. Let me just get Callie dressed and find my shoes…”

They gather their stuff, and Mason, Killian, and I wait by the door. I peer out to check on the cameras—I can see the red lights blinking as the darkness begins to settle in, and that’s good enough for me. I know it’s going to be tough not to find myself hanging over them every damn second when we’re back at the cabin, but at least we have some kind of coverage on this place if something does happen.

They join us, and Callie grips her mom’s hand. She looks between the three of us, a smile stretching so wide over her little face that it seems as though it could break in two.

“I think we’re ready,” Vanessa remarks, and she lets her hand brush against mine for the barest moment. I know we can’t exactly hold hands in front of her daughter, not without raising some serious questions, but even that touch is enough to draw a smile to my lips. I wrap my fingers around hers briefly and squeeze tight, letting her know that I feel it—letting her know that I’m glad she’s here, beside us.

“Then let’s get out of here,” Killian replies. “Callie, lead the way…”

And as the little girl drags her mom out of the house and onto the trail, I can’t help but smile. Tonight has been…good. The kind of good I’m not sure I’ve felt in a long time. The kind of good I’d like a whole lot more of in my life.

And the kind of good I could get used to, if I didn’t know that Vanessa and Callie are heading back to the city just as soon as they get the chance.

19

VANESSA

As Callie skipson ahead of me, and the cabin comes into view at the end of the path, I feel a warm rush of comfort settle over me. It might not have been the easiest few days, what with the constant feeling of being watched, but this evening with the guys has gone a long way to lifting some of the tension from my system.

The balmy air warms my skin as I listen to Killian and Callie chatting. Honestly, it surprises me how good he is with her, how comfortable he seems holding a conversation with her, given that I know he doesn’t have kids of his own. Sometimes, guys with no children can be awkward when it comes to little ones, especially little girls—no idea what to say to them, how to communicate.

But not these guys. I wonder if it’s something to do with the foster mom Jake told me about. It sounds like she was really sweet, incredibly kind, and it’s clear she had a big impact on the guys and how they move through the world. I feel a pang in my chest as I imagine how hard it must have been losing her. I wish I’d had a chance to meet her. She sounds like one hell of a lady.

“I had a really good time tonight,” Mason tells me, leaning up against the railing that surrounds the stairs. I can’t help but notice that we’re almost standing in the exact same spot where Jake kissed me, though I push that thought urgently to the back of my mind. No need for me to linger on that—tonight is all about the wholesome stuff, not about what I’ve gotten up to with these guys.

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