Page 1 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

CHAPTERONE

Lila

“Careful,sweetheart. If you keep gripping that armrest like that, it might take it personally.”

I blinked, startled, and turned to the man sitting next to me.

He was grinning, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief, and for the first time in what felt like days, I let out a laugh. It wasn’t loud or carefree… it was the kind of laugh that sneaks up on you when you’re caught off guard.

“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t realize I was strangling the poor thing.”

He smirked, leaning back in his seat with a casual confidence that seemed completely unearned and yet somehow irresistible. “You seemed deep in thought. Not the good kind, though. You okay?”

I hesitated.

How was I supposed to sum up the flaming disaster that had become my life?

The fact that I’d trusted Rick Vaughn enough to let him sweet-talk me out of my entire life savings—money I’d worked for years to build up, gone in the blink of an eye.

And for what?

The dream of a life he’d promised me. A beautiful house in a city where we could start fresh together. Maybe even kids someday, he’d said, with that charming smile of his.

But when I finally boarded a flight to meet him and start our so-called perfect life, I should’ve known something was off. The last-minute texts that seemed rushed. The lack of excitement in his voice when we talked on the phone. I’d chalked it up to nerves, mine and his.

The truth was far uglier.

When I landed at the airport, bags in hand, butterflies in my stomach, he wasn’t there. No “welcome to our new life” hug. No reassuring smile.

Just… nothing.

I tried calling him, but my calls went straight to voicemail. Texts went unanswered. My excitement shifted to confusion, and then to full-blown panic.

I’d still clung to hope as I made my way to the address he’d given me, convincing myself there was some reasonable explanation. But when I finally arrived, I had found an empty, rundown building with no sign of Rick—or anyone else, for that matter.

It was like he’d vanished into thin air.

No, it was worse than that.

He hadn’t just disappeared. He’d robbed me blind and left me stranded. Every dollar I had was gone.

My heart dropped when I’d realized I didn’t even have enough money to rent a hotel room, let alone buy groceries or figure out what to do next.

The worst part wasn’t even the money. It was the shame. The gut-wrenching humiliation that came with realizing I’d let myself believe his lies. That I’d ignored the red flags because I’d wanted so badly for it all to be true.

So, yeah, this was only my second time on a plane. The first was flying out to meet the man who’d conned me into ruining my life. And now, here I was, on my way back to Medford, the small town I’d worked so hard to escape. Flying back with nothing but the clothes in my suitcase and a corgi who deserved a better owner than me.

Yeah, that wasn’t exactly small-talk material.

“Just a long week,” I said, brushing it off. “You know how it is.”

He nodded like he actually did.

“Fair enough.” He extended a hand, his smile warm but not too pushy. “Jaxon Reed.”

“Lila,” I said, taking his hand.

His grip was firm, his skin warm against mine, and for some reason, that little connection made the ache in my chest ease ever so slightly.

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