Page 41 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“Oh, so you’ll concede to him, but not to me?” I teased, leaning back on the couch, my fingers absentmindedly scratching Biscuit’s head.

“Ryan didn’t cheat,” Colt shot back with a wink.

As the laughter settled, the guys took their seats again, the playful tension easing between them. The lightheartedness of the moment was infectious, and despite the awkwardness I’d been feeling earlier, I found myself smiling, a weight lifting off my shoulders.

“Next year, Lila’s voting on the poses,” Colt declared, his grin wide and mischievous.

“Oh, absolutely,” I replied, my voice light and teasing. “But only if Biscuit gets a feature.”

The guys groaned in unison, but I could see the amusement in their eyes.

For the first time in a long while, I felt like I belonged—right here, in the middle of their ridiculous antics, laughing until my face ached.

But somewhere beneath the joy, a tightness was building.

Something I couldn’t quite name.

CHAPTERTWELVE

Lila

The laughterfrom the cabin seemed to carry on without me, a distant hum that barely reached my ears.

My heart was racing, my mind clouded with everything that had happened today. Colt’s relentless flirting, Jaxon’s quiet intensity, and Ryan’s steady presence… it was too much, too many feelings crashing into each other.

I needed a break.

I needed air.

Space to breathe.

I stood up abruptly from my seat by the fire, excusing myself without a word, but bringing my whiskey-spiked hot chocolate with me.

I slipped out onto the porch, the night air hitting my skin like a splash of cold water. The snow had slowed to a gentle fall, the flakes dancing in the glow of the porch light.

It was beautiful, peaceful, and exactly what I needed. I wrapped my arms around myself, taking in a deep, shaky breath.

For a moment, it felt like the world had paused. Like I was the only person alive in this frozen landscape.

But then the door creaked open behind me, and my name floated on the wind.

“Thought I’d find you out here,” Ryan’s voice said softly.

I jumped, startled, but when I turned, I wasn’t surprised to see him there. Ryan stepped onto the porch, snowflakes dusting his dark hair, his shoulders broad against the night.

He looked like a man who belonged in the winter, like the cold didn’t bother him. His calm presence was exactly what I needed right now.

“You good?” he asked.

I nodded my head, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me.

“I just needed a minute,” I muttered, my eyes drifting back to the falling snow. “It’s been… a lot.”

Ryan didn’t move, didn’t speak at first. He just stood there, leaning against the railing, his quiet energy wrapping around me like a blanket.

I could feel the weight of his silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the opposite… peaceful, grounding.

“I get it,” he said after a beat, his gaze steady as he watched the snow. “Being cooped up with this group can be… intense.”

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