Page 15 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

But no.

Nate had to pick this exact moment to speak up.

“So, Jax,” he started, his tone casual but his expression loaded, “you settling into the new place okay? The apartment above the Grady brothers’ shop?”

“Yeah,” I said quickly, grateful for the change of subject. “It’s not bad. Close to work. Quiet.”

“Too quiet for you, I’d bet,” Ryan chimed in, grinning like the devil. “Bet he’s already bored out of his mind.”

“Better bored than dealing with your kitchen disasters,” I shot back, smirking.

The table erupted into more laughter, and the weight of Lila’s gaze lifted.

But even as I tried to sink into the rhythm of the conversation, to let myself enjoy the chaos of family and friends, I could feel her beside me. Her laugh, her scent, the way she was watching me like she was cataloging every move I made.

I was in trouble. Big trouble.

And the worst part? I wasn’t sure I wanted to get out of it.

CHAPTERFIVE

Lila

The house smelled like home.

That warm, slightly sweet scent of cornbread and roasted chicken filled the air, almost allowing me to forget the mess of emotions bubbling under my skin.

Almost.

But from the second Jaxon had walked in, his presence had hit me like a jolt of electricity.

Even now, he was trying to act cool, trying to pretend that he didn’t want to flirt with me, and that he hadn’t seen me half naked on a plane earlier today.

Every time he looked my way, my heart did this ridiculous little flip, and I bit down on my lip so hard I swore I’d draw blood.

“So, Lila,” Colt boomed, breaking the tension I was desperately trying to hide, leaning back in his chair with that easy, self-assured grin of his. “How does it feel to be back in town after all this time? Feeling the culture shock yet?”

I smiled, but my grip on my fork tightened. “It’s… different. Smaller than I remember.”

“Smaller?” Ryan cut in, mock offended. “We’ve got three whole stoplights now. That’s big-city living.”

The table erupted into laughter, and I couldn’t help but join in, the tension in my chest easing slightly.

Colt raised an eyebrow at me, his grin widening as he reached for his beer. “You’ll get used to it again. Just don’t forget… small towns come with small town gossip.”

“Don’t scare her off,” Nate muttered, shaking his head. “She’s only been back for a day.”

“Oh, she’s tough,” Colt said, giving me a wink. “I can tell.”

I felt my cheeks heat up and quickly focused on my plate, stabbing a piece of chicken like it had personally wronged me.

Dad cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the teasing with its usual steadiness. “Speaking of small-town problems, I heard about that fire over at the old grain mill last month. That must’ve been quite the ordeal.”

The shift in tone was immediate. Ryan leaned forward, the boyishness in his expression replaced by something more serious.

Colt’s easygoing posture straightened, and even Jaxon glanced up from his plate.

“Yeah,” Nate said, his voice quieter now. “That one was rough. The whole building was a tinderbox.”

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