Page 111 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

She turned to him, then to Jaxon, then finally to me.

“This… this is for me?” she whispered.

“Forus,” Jaxon said, stepping closer, his voice soft but sure. “But yeah, for you. We know whathetook from you, Lila. And we can’t give you back all the time or the trust he stole, but we can give you this.”

Her hand flew to her mouth, and tears filled her eyes. “You… you bought me a house?”

Colt grinned. “Technically, it’s all of ours, but yeah. We’re calling it yours because you’ve always wanted this. A home. A place to call your own.”

Her tears spilled over, but her smile was radiant. She turned in a slow circle, taking it all in, before looking back at us. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I said, stepping forward and pulling her into my arms.

Her small frame fit perfectly against me, and I felt the wetness of her tears soak into my shirt. “Just know you’re not alone anymore. This is your home. With us.”

She pulled back, her hands trembling as she wiped at her face. “I love you. All of you. I don’t even know how I got this lucky, but… thank you. For everything.”

Jaxon stepped closer, his hand finding her cheek. “We’re the lucky ones, sweetheart.”

Colt slid an arm around her waist, his lips brushing her temple. “Get used to it, Trouble. You’re stuck with us now.”

She laughed, the sound watery but full of joy, and we all relaxed, the tension of wondering if this was the right move finally melting away.

“Now,” Colt said, grinning, “how about we go inside? I may have stocked the fridge with champagne. Just saying.”

Jaxon groaned. “You didn’t.”

“Of course I did. It’s a celebration.”

I shook my head, but when Lila looked up at me, her smile brighter than the sun, I knew he wasn’t wrong.

It was a celebration.

Of her.

Of us.

Of the life we were building together.

Epilogue

LILA

Six months later…

The Medford Bowling Alley was alive with noise and energy, the way it always seemed to be on league nights.

It was one of those places that hadn't changed much over the years. The retro carpet with neon bowling pins printed on it and the slightly sticky plastic chairs had a kind of charm that only small-town patrons could appreciate.

But tonight, there was a buzz in the air that felt different.

The firemen’s team—Blazing Pins, because of course they couldn’t resist a pun—had been league champions for three years running. This season, though, the Grady brothers had decided to form their own team, setting up a rivalry that had already sparked plenty of trash talk around town.

“Lila, over here!” Samantha called, waving me over to a table near the snack counter.

She was already halfway through a root beer float, her cheeks pink with excitement.

I made my way over, passing by Jaxon, Ryan, and Colt, who were standing near their lane, glaring at the scoreboard.

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