Page 22 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“Yeah, I am.” I leaned back in my seat, keeping my tone casual even though his reaction was starting to get under my skin. “You’ve been acting like I ate your breakfast all day.”

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze flicking to the window. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“Clearly not,” I said, spreading my hands. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”

Before he could respond, the truck came to a halt, and Nate’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. “All right, let’s move. Colt, you’re on ventilation. Jaxon, Ryan, back him up.”

I gave Jaxon a pointed look before jumping out of the truck, letting the conversation drop… for now.

The fire was already under control by the time we got there, thanks to the homeowner’s quick thinking and a handy fire extinguisher.

It was more of a clean-up job than anything else, clearing the smoke and making sure there weren’t any lingering hot spots. Still, it gave us something to do, which was better than stewing in whatever weird tension had been brewing all day.

We worked seamlessly as a team, the way we always did. Whatever was bothering Jaxon didn’t affect his professionalism—he was as sharp and efficient as ever, keeping an eye on me and Ryan while we handled the ventilation.

It wasn’t until we were packing up to leave that the tension boiled over again.

“You really couldn’t help yourself, could you?” Jaxon muttered under his breath as he walked past me, his voice just loud enough for me to hear.

I froze, turning to face him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

He didn’t stop, just kept walking toward the truck, his shoulders stiff. “Forget it.”

“Oh, no,” I said, following him. “You don’t get to throw out some cryptic jab and walk away. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”

Jaxon stopped then, turning to face me with a glare that could’ve stopped traffic. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing? Suggesting Lila come on the ski trip? Real subtle, Colt.”

Ah.

So that’s what this was about.

“Subtlety’s not really my thing,” I said with a shrug, keeping my tone light. “But yeah, I suggested it. What’s your point?”

“My point,” he said, stepping closer, “is that you’re playing with fire. She’s Nate’s sister, for God’s sake. You think he’s gonna be okay with?—”

“With what?” I interrupted, my voice dropping to match his intensity. “Me taking an interest in her? She’s a grown woman, Jax. She can make her own decisions.”

This wasn’t about just that. I could tell.

Jaxon clenched his jaw, clearly fighting to keep his temper in check. “This isn’t about her making decisions. It’s about you not thinking things through. You know how messy this could get.”

“Messy?” I echoed, narrowing my eyes. “Or are you just pissed becauseyouwanted to be the one to ask her on the trip?”

His silence was answer enough.

I smirked, even though his glare could’ve peeled paint. “That’s what I thought.”

“All right, knock it off, you two,” Nate’s voice called from behind us, sharp and commanding. “We’re heading out. Get your asses in the truck.”

The tension between me and Jaxon didn’t fade, but we both turned and headed for the truck without another word.

As I climbed into my seat, I couldn’t help but glance over at Jaxon. He was staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable.

Whatever his problem was, it wasn’t going to stop me from seeing where things with Lila could go.

If anything, it just made me more determined.

CHAPTERSEVEN

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