Page 35 of My Grumpy Fire Chief Next Door
Something inside me shifts. The sight of them, Noah’s strong hands steady around my son, Parker’s little head thrown back in pure, unfiltered joy, knocks the air right out of me.
I press a hand to my stomach, as if that might settle my emotions, but it doesn’t. Because at that moment, all I can see is the man who makes my son feel safe. The man who makes me feel...
I tear my gaze away before the thought can finish, but the damage is already done.
“Kate!”
My name, light and warm, shakes me from the moment. I blink and turn toward the sound, finding Emily waving from the sidelines, one arm lifted high, the other balancing a tray of juice boxes. Her smile is easy, like we’ve known each other longer than the few short words we’d shared this morning.
Grateful for the distraction, anything to anchor me back to solid ground, I make my way toward her, the crunch of dry grass underfoot a steady metronome to my scrambling thoughts.
“Hey,” I greet, breath still unsteady but managing a smile. “Need an extra pair of hands?”
Emily doesn’t wait for me to finish before pressing a pack of napkins into my palm. “You read my mind,” she says, then leans in conspiratorially. “We’re always short on snack moms.”
I glance at the folding table where a few women are already unpacking bags of pretzels, fruit slices, and water bottles. I feel the heat of self-consciousness creep into my cheeks.
“I didn’t know,” I murmur in a low voice, “I didn’t bring anything. I should’ve. Next time, I will, I promise.”
Emily waves a hand like she’s brushing the guilt right off my shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t expected on your first day; besides, there’s more than enough.”
Before I can respond, another voice chimes in — soft but welcoming. “You’re Kate, right?”
I turn to find a woman with warm brown eyes and an easy smile standing beside Emily, her hands full of snack packs.
“I’m Rachel,” she introduces, extending a hand that’s dusted with crumbs from an open bag of chips. “Tyler’s wife. I handled the lease on your cottage for Noah — he’s hopeless with computers.”
“Tyler is my brother,” Emily chips in when she notices my confusion.
A small laugh escapes me before I can stop it. Of course, Noah. Of course, that checks out.
“Thank you, it’s nice to finally put a face to the name,” I say, meaning it more than I expected. “It’s a beautiful place.”
Rachel waves me off like it was nothing. “It’s even better once you settle in. This town has a way of growing on you.”
I know, right? The people in town, too.I add silently to myself.
As we fall into the rhythm of arranging juice boxes and snack bags, the conversation flows around me; light, unhurried, and easy. They tell me about a knitting circle that meets every other Tuesday at the local bookstore, a book club that runs on morewine than literature, and the way the whole town shuts down for the annual Harbor Festival.
It’s the first time since moving here that I’ve felt... included. Like maybe, hopefully, this place could feel like home.
And then, as if the universe knows I’ve grown a little too comfortable, Rachel’s voice shifts.
“So,” she starts, her tone casual but laced with curiosity, “Noah.”
The name alone sends a flicker of heat crawling up the back of my neck. I busy myself with aligning the snack packs, pretending not to notice the weight of both women’s attention.
“What about him?” I ask, keeping my voice light and neutral.
“How has it been living next door to him?” Rachel asks.
“He helped us out with the storm last night.” I somehow have a feeling Emily would have mentioned that to Rachel anyway.
“He likes to help out around town,” Rachel replies, but I don’t miss the twinkle in her eyes.
Emily’s smile quirks the smallest bit, “He seems... different today.”
I shrug, too practiced at feigning innocence. “I wouldn’t know.”
