Page 1 of Keeping Happily Ever After

ChapterOne

It was cold.Really cold. The type of cold that froze your eyelashes to your face the moment you set foot outside. February in the mountains was no joke. Which was exactly why a rookie should have been the one heading to the grocery store in the deep freeze, instead of Jeremy Davis. But when the fire chief gave you an order, you didn’t pass it off. Even to a rookie. Even when it was absolutely ridiculous that Jeremy had to be the one to go to the grocery store that afternoon to pick up fresh rosemary, of all things.

The saving grace in the entire situation was that Ed Walker, the fire chief, was an amazing cook and if he wanted fresh rosemary, it meant there was going to be pot roast on the menu that night. Jeremy’s mouth watered at the thought. Most of the firefighters had become good cooks over the years out of necessity, but Ed was by far the best. Likely because he’d been at it the longest, which was also why the rumors were only heating up that Ed was getting ready to retire and appoint a new chief. A role that Jeremy had been working toward since he’d joined the Glacier Falls fire department seven years ago as a rookie himself.

In a small mountain town like Glacier Falls, the department hadn’t been very big even when Jeremy had joined. But over the last few years, they’d grown, along with the town, and even though at only twenty-seven, Jeremy might still be considered a rookie, he was ready for the challenge of a growing fire department.

“But first,” he muttered to himself as he steered the department pickup truck down the icy street, “rosemary.”

He was just about to take the turn in to the grocery store lot when his radio crackled to life.

“Davis, possible sparks detected over at Burton’s place,” the voice said.

Shit.

He was only half a block away. Even without the rig, he was the logical dispatch. “10-4,” he said quickly into the radio. “On my way.”

Jeremy flicked his light on, shoulder checked and quickly changed course.

He’d been hoping there wouldn’t be another call out to Roy Burton’s place before they managed to move the elderly man into the retirement home he’d finally agreed to. Especially because Jeremy knew he was in the house alone. Before Christmas, the fire department had responded regularly to calls at Roy’s house. Thankfully, that had changed after Bella, Roy’s granddaughter, came to town for the holidays and convinced him it was time to move.

But Bella, Jeremy knew, wasn’t with her grandfather at the moment. She’d returned to the city in the middle of January, and now, two weeks later she still wasn’t due back for two days, ten hours, and four more minutes.

Not that he was counting.

And although it would be safer for Roy to have Bella back in town, Jeremy also was selfishly concerned with himself and how great it would be to have her back in his arms once again.

And his bed.

He shook his head to clear it as he pulled up in front of Roy’s house. He would allow himself to think about Bella later. First things first: making sure Roy was okay and hadn’t set his kitchen on fire. Again.

He moved quickly, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the backseat before running up the steps and banging on the door. “Roy?” He knocked again. “Roy, you in there?”

Without waiting for an answer, Jeremy tried the door handle. And just as it always did, the door opened freely. He stepped across the threshold and called out again. “Roy?”

Jeremy sniffed the air for smoke. Nothing.

He scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of place.

And then a flicker of movement caught his eye. He turned and subsequently froze as his brain registered what he was seeing.

“Bella?”

The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen leaned against the doorframe that led to the kitchen. Her long, dark, wavy hair cascaded over her bare shoulder. Jeremy let out a low whistle as he took in the sight of the woman he was very rapidly falling in love with, wearing nothing more than a red silky negligee and a wicked smile on her face.

But he needed to focus.

“Roy? Is he—”

“Fine.” Bella stepped toward him. “Safely next door with Lydia.”

Jeremy’s brain was having trouble keeping up. “So there are no sparks?” As he said it out loud, he realized it was a ridiculous call. Never in his career had he ever been called out forpossible sparks.

Now, only inches away, Bella reached out for the collar of his jacket and pulled him toward her as she shook her head. “Not yet,” she whispered against his mouth. “But hopefully soon there’ll be a few.”

It wasn’t until she pressed her sensuous lips to his and kissed him fully that Jeremy allowed himself to believe what he was seeing was real.Bella. In his arms.Earlier than two days, ten hours, and four more minutes.

He broke the kiss long enough to set the fire extinguisher down, and scoop Bella up so he could carry her down the hall into her bedroom.

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