Page 27 of My Grumpy Fire Chief Next Door
The word knocks the wind out of me.
Parker.
My spine snaps straight.Holy….Parker is starting school today, and somehow, that has totally escaped my mind.
“Do you live here?” Emily asks, brows lifting a touch.
“Sort of.” I wince at my own answer. “I live with my son at the cottage. Noah invited us over because of the storm.”
“He did?” Knox says his first word since arrival.
However, Emily’s smile brightens. “Rachel mentioned you would be moving in. I’ve been hoping we’d meet.”
"Rachel?"
“Oh, you’ll meet her. She handled the leasing for Noah.”
I blink, confused, but before I can ask why that is or why anyone’s been talking about me—
The door swings open behind me.
Noah steps out barefoot, with tousled hair and a sleep-wrinkled shirt that fits him entirely too well for this hour of the morning. His gaze lands on me first, blue eyes lingering, something unreadable flickering in them—something that makes my breath catch.
Then, as quickly as it comes, it vanishes.
“Hey,” he says, voice low and easy, like this whole thing isn’t completely derailing my ability to function. “Didn’t know you guys were dropping by.”
Emily lifts the baby carrier with a grin. “Didn’t want to intrude or interrupt. Just checking in before school drop-off.”
Knox gives him a silent, solid nod, and they exchange one of those looks men do, all weighted subtext and unspoken shorthand. Whatever it means, Noah reads it. Then steps forward, brushing close as he passes me, his arm nearly grazing mine.
“You didn’t interrupt,” he says simply.
Emily arches a brow and gives him a look that says she’s not buying it. “Didn’t we?”
Noah only chuckles, low and warm, and leans down to unbuckle the baby. “C’mere, buddy.”
He lifts Maddox like it’s second nature, like he’s done this a hundred times before. The baby squeals again, grabbing a fistfulof Noah’s shirt. Noah smiles-really smiles-and presses a kiss to his forehead, his entire posture shifting as he cradles the baby close. Like he’s anchoring himself that tiny heartbeat.
And for a moment, just a fleeting second, I see it.
The way his eyes soften. The way his mouth tips like something in him is cherishing the moment. He seemsalmostlike a father. It twists something deep in my ribs and makes my throat tight in a way I can’t explain. But the expression is gone before I can even name it. Folded away and buried like it never existed.
“We’re glad you’re okay,” Emily says, watching him closely. “Our power went out for a while, but came back on. We figured it might’ve been worse out here.”
Noah shifts Maddox higher in his arms, but his eyes cut toward me again. “We’re good. I’ll check for damages later.”
The “we” lodges somewhere between surprise and longing, small but undeniable.
Emily’s lips twitch. “I bet.”
Oh, for the love of-
I want the earth to crack open and swallow me whole.
“I should, um-” I blurt, too loud, too fast. “Parker. He starts school today. I’m probably late already.”
Emily smiles knowingly. Knox nods once in quiet goodbye as I move to go inside, but—
