Page 13 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

Ryan groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Oh, come on, man. Are we really doing this?”

“Yes,” Colt said with zero hesitation. “We are.”

Lila perked up at that, her hazel eyes lighting with curiosity.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice soft but carrying enough warmth to draw the attention of everyone at the table.

Ryan, of course, groaned even louder. “Nothing happened. I just… maybe left the toaster on too long. That’s it.”

“Left the toaster on?” Colt’s grin widened as he leaned forward. “You stuck a bagel in there, walked away, and forgot about it until the smoke detector went off. We’re the fire department. Not the best look for us to have a blaze right in our own kitchen.”

“Twice,” Nate added, raising an eyebrow as he grabbed another beer. “Don’t forget he did it twice.”

Ryan threw his hands up in mock exasperation. “You guys are unbelievable. I save lives for a living, and you’re gonna drag me through the mud for a burned bagel?”

“Twice,” Colt repeated, holding up two fingers for emphasis.

The table erupted in laughter, and even Lila couldn’t hold back. Her laugh was soft and musical, the kind that made you want to hear it again.

She shook her head, looking at Ryan with a mix of amusement and pity. “I thought firefighters were supposed to be good under pressure.”

Ryan pointed a finger at her, his grin turning sheepish. “See? I don’t need this from you, too, Lila. You’ve been here for what, a day? And you’re already siding with these guys?”

“Well,” Lila said, a teasing lilt in her voice as she glanced between Ryan and Colt, “you’re not exactly making it hard.”

“Ouch,” Ryan said, clutching his chest like she’d wounded him. “You’re supposed to be the nice one.”

“I am,” Lila said innocently, though the sparkle in her eye suggested otherwise.

“Nice my ass,” Colt muttered, taking a long sip of his beer. “She’s been out of town for what, ten years? And she’s already sharper than you.”

Lila blushed at the comment but didn’t deny it. Instead, she turned to Nate, clearly eager to steer the conversation away from herself.

“So,” she said, her voice tinged with curiosity, “what’s this about a charity calendar? Dad told me about it earlier.”

That got the reaction she was clearly hoping for.

Ryan immediately perked up, while Colt groaned and muttered something under his breath.

“You want the deets?” Ryan asked, leaning forward like he was about to tell the world’s juiciest secret. “We’re doing a fireman calendar this year. All for the kids’ burn unit at the hospital.”

Lila raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “A calendar?”

“Damn right,” Colt cut in, smirking as he sat up straighter. “Twelve months of pure, unfiltered Medford fireman charm.”

“More like twelve months of us all making fools of ourselves,” Nate muttered, though there was a hint of pride in his voice.

Ryan waved him off. “Ignore the grumpy old man over there. He’s just mad because he’s Mr. March and has to pose with a bunch of tulips.”

Nate scowled. “It’s not tulips. It’s a garden hose. And it’s for charity.”

“Oh, a garden hose,” Ryan teased, waggling his eyebrows. “That’s so much better.”

Lila laughed again, covering her mouth with her hand as she turned to Colt. “And what about you? What month are you?”

“December,” Colt said with a smug grin, leaning back in his chair like he’d just won the lottery. “Gotta end the year on a high note.”

“More like end it with hypothermia,” Ryan cut in. “The idiot insists he’ll be doing his shoot shirtless. In the snow.”

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