Page 13 of Falling for the Bad Boy Firefighter
I nod, making a final notation on my checklist. When I finally look up, Wyatt is still there, watching me with an expression that's shifted from teasing to something more serious.
"You know it's gonna be rough, right?" he says quietly. "The town's going to have a field day with this."
"With what, exactly?" I challenge, even though we both know.
"You and Penny Clark. Fox Ridge's golden girl and the town's favorite bad boy." He shakes his head. "It's like you're writing their gossip columns for them."
I straighten to my full height, which puts me a good three inches above Wyatt. "You got something to say, Reynolds, just say it."
Wyatt holds up his hands. "Hey, I'm just the messenger. You want to make your life harder, that's your business."
"Thanks for the permission," I snap, brushing past him.
"For what it's worth," he calls after me, "I think she's good for you."
I pause, looking back over my shoulder. Wyatt's smirking again, but there's something genuine behind it.
"She got you to smile yesterday. Actual teeth and everything. Scared the hell out of me."
I flip him off, but there's no heat behind it. As I head toward the conference room, my phone buzzes again.
"Thank you. For saying yes."
Five simple words from Penny, but they loosen something in my chest. I've spent most of my life being told no—by the town, by opportunities that closed before I could reach them, by people who judged me before they knew me.
Saying yes to Penny feels like saying yes to something more—something I've been denying myself without even realizing it.
The conference room is already crowded when I arrive, firefighters jostling for seats around the long table. Chief Mason stands at the front, deep in conversation with the fire marshal from the neighboring town. I take a spot against the back wall, arms crossed, maintaining the aloof distance I've perfected over the years.
As Mason launches into his presentation about evacuation protocols, I find my mind drifting back to Penny. To the way her face lit up when she talked about making things right. To the softness of her curves against me. To the determination in hereyes when she said she was tired of living in the box people built for her.
I've been living in my own box for so long, I've forgotten what it might feel like to step outside of it.
Maybe it's time I found out.
My phone vibrates one more time—a simple text from an unknown number:
"Saw your girlfriend sneaking out of the Historical Society last night. Wonder what everyone in town will think?"
I stare at the screen, a familiar anger rising like bile in my throat. This is exactly what I was afraid of—the town turning on Penny because of me.
But as I start to type a response—something threatening, something protective—I stop myself.
Penny Clark doesn't need my protection. She knew exactly what she was doing last night. She knew the risks of being seen with me, of getting close to me. And she did it anyway.
I delete the angry response and pocket my phone without answering. Let them talk. Let them try to fit us into the boxes they've built.
For once in my life, I'm done fighting it.
Chapter 6 – Penny
The sharp knock at the door startles me despite expecting it. I freeze for a moment, then smooth my hands down my simple blue sundress once more before crossing to the door.
When I open it, the sight of him steals my breath. Jax fills the doorframe, all six-foot-plus of him radiating a quiet intensity that makes my knees weak. His dark hair is slightly tousled, like he's been running his fingers through it. The black t-shirt he wears clings to the muscles of his chest and arms, revealing the edges of tattoos that disappear beneath the fabric.
"You wanted to talk?" His voice is low, rougher than I remember, but there's something softer in it today.
I swallow hard, suddenly unsure. "Yes, but I'm not sure I should have called you."
