Page 17 of Rescued Heart

Zack climbed out of his car and threw a baseball hat over hair that had already been lightened by the sun during their outdoor fire training.

Eddie whirled back toward some whispers on the field amongst the running foot stomps. “No more unkind words about our teammates or anyone else. And if I hear one more word about how hot someone is?—”

“Then it’s a good thing you weren’t at the fire station earlier.” Zack opened the gate and murmured to Eddie.

As the kids began their second lap, Zack put his keys and wallet on the bench and frowned at Eli. “What happened to you?”

Eli rubbed his shin. “Scarlette’s a good pitching coach.” His tired gaze found Eddie’s. “How did you get the kids to listen to you? It was chaos before you arrived.”

This wasn’t still chaos?

Eddie shoved his hands into his uniform pockets. He needed to change into his shorts. “I’m not really sure. I think they just know that I’ve been where they have.”

Eli hung his head. “Since Zack’s here now, I think I’m going to head home and ice my leg.”

Please don’t quit. “I’ll check up on you later.”

Zack grimaced. “Maybe elevate your leg too? Do you need help out of here?”

Eli waved him off. “Nah, I’ll get there.”

Eddie patted Eli on his back. “Thanks for covering for me.”

“I would say anytime, but I might think twice beforehand.”

Eli hobbled to his vehicle, and Eddie whispered to Zack, “You sure you can’t help out more?”

He was going to need all hands on deck with this team.

Zack tossed a ball in the air. “Wish I could, but volunteering with the foster kids and time with Naya?—”

“I get it.” He now had a girlfriend. The forever kind of girl. “Thanks for when you can come.”

Eddie checked on the kids’ progress doing their warm-ups. Then on Eli, who had opened his driver’s-side door.

“Sorry, Eli,” Scout yelled from first base.

Eli waved and crawled into his vehicle.

At least one of the boys seemed to have had an attitude adjustment since he’d joined the team. Now for the rest of them not to base a girl’s worth on their “hotness.”

Speaking of…

Eddie grabbed a mitt. “Do I want to know why the squad called someone hot? Especially since most of the men are either married or in a relationship. Did someone actually catch fire?”

Zack pulled his hand back and rotated his arm over his shoulder. “Move your arm straight over your shoulder, Will.” Then to Eddie, he said, “No flames. It was mainly Izan and Ridge. Well, Ridge was mostly making fun of Izan, who dropped a sponge when a certain woman showed up in heels and a dress to the firehouse.”

Another car pulled into the parking lot. A small white one. Had Scarlette and Scout’s grandmother gotten a new one? She was one of the only family members who picked up their kids from practice. And she happened to have been friends with his grand-ma’am, a.k.a., his old foster mother.

How he missed that woman. Without her, he may never have been introduced to the Lord.

A ball went right underneath Tank’s mitt and between his legs.

“Get your mitt in the dirt, Tank.” Eddie leaned into the dugout fence that separated him and Zack from the fielders. “Who in the world came and spooked Izan? Please don’t tell me it was that girl he dated last month.”

Zack chuckled. “I guess her gum smacking and loud talking about how she needed Izan to take her out for lobster didn’t only bother me.”

A ball zipped under Will’s legs.

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