Page 25 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

As I hung up, a mixture of dread and excitement bubbled in my chest. The trip was happening.

Now all I had to do was survive a weekend with two men I couldn’t stop thinking about.

No big deal.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Ryan

Lila climbedinto the passenger seat of my car.

Colt was already passed out in the back, his mouth half open.

Typical.

Nate had roped half the station into this trip, so his SUV was crammed with other firemen and their gear, leaving me stuck with Colt and, to my surprise, the late addition to our vacation. Lila.

The car felt small.

Too small.

I gripped the wheel, keeping my eyes forward.

Don’t stare.

“Thanks for letting me ride with you,” Lila said, her voice soft, a little unsure.

I shrugged. “No problem.”

The silence stretched.

She cleared her throat. “It’s nice of Nate to invite me. I haven’t been skiing in years.”

“Yeah?”

I glanced at her.

Mistake.

I’d noticed Lila’s beauty before… how could I not?

But up close, it hit harder. The soft curve of her smile, the way her hair caught the light when she brushed it behind her ear—she wasn’t just pretty. She was stunning.

I nodded too fast. “It’s always a good trip. Fun.”

Real smooth, Ryan.

The road curved, snow piling up on the shoulders. The windshield wipers squeaked, scraping away the slush.

“So, you ski a lot?” she asked.

“Sometimes. Not as much as Jaxon and Colt,” I said, my voice coming out rough, like I was clearing gravel.

She laughed. “I can’t imagine Colt skiing. He doesn’t seem… patient.”

I snorted. “He’s not. He spends more time crashing than skiing.”

That earned a real laugh from her, bright and easy. It did something to my chest.

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