Page 30 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

I hesitated, unsure if I wanted the help or if I just wanted to disappear entirely. But Biscuit wagged his tail at Ryan, clearly a fan, so I nodded.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

As we unpacked Biscuit’s bed and food bowls, the pressure of the situation pressed down on me.

Ryan was a sweetheart. Ireallyliked him.

But something about being this close to him made me nervous.

Then of course, I had Jaxon and Colt to deal with.

This was going to be a disaster.

* * *

After dinner, the tension in the cabin remained thick enough to cut with a knife, and I wasn’t sure if the heat in my cheeks was from the roaring fire or the awkwardness of the situation.

But it seemed like I was the only one struggling.

“Hey, Lila,” Ryan called softly from the kitchen. “You like peppermint in your hot chocolate, right?”

I blinked at him, surprised he even knew that detail. “Um, yeah, I do.”

Colt appeared next to him, stirring a pot on the stove. “And marshmallows. Lots of marshmallows.”

My brow furrowed. “How do you?—”

“Nate,” Ryan interrupted with a small, almost shy smile. “He told us.”

Jaxon appeared next, dragging a blanket from the hall closet. He tossed it onto the armchair by the fire.

“This place gets cold at night,” he muttered. “Figured you’d want it, you know, while drinking your cocoa.”

I stared at them, my confusion mounting.

These were the same men who bickered constantly and seemed to thrive on chaos, but here they were, acting like… like they cared.

“Also,” Colt added, bending down to reveal a bundle of fabric in his hands, “Biscuit deserves better than the floor. Even if it is in the nicest room of the house.”

He unfolded what looked like a makeshift dog bed… a thick quilted mat stuffed with pillows, clearly thrown together with whatever they’d found in the cabin.

Biscuit, sensing something exciting was happening, trotted over and sniffed it eagerly before giving an approving bark.

“And these,” Ryan added, holding out a small paper bag, “are for him. We grabbed them from the bakery.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “You guys got him bakery treats?”

Jaxon shrugged. “I mean, sure. He’s one of us.”

“He is,” Colt said with mock seriousness, kneeling next to Biscuit and scratching behind his ears. “Best boy here, no contest.”

Biscuit, oblivious to the compliment, snatched a sock off the floor—probably Colt’s, given the neon green color—and bolted under the coffee table.

“Hey!” Colt shouted, lunging after him. “That’s mine!”

Biscuit darted away, his stubby legs working overtime as he zoomed around the room with Colt in hot pursuit.

He seemed tolovecausing distractions like this.

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