7. Carter

Iwalk out of the fire station in a daze. When I went into the bathroom, my only goal was to make sure Sam was okay. He was laughing throughout the entire cake fight, but we could all see how hard Rodney got him with his frosting-covered hand. I was worried he might’ve been hurt more than he showed the crowd.

Then I saw him standing there, a disheveled mess of cake, and something came over me. I have no idea where the confidence to lick the frosting off him came from, but I’m not going to complain about it. It got me the best kiss of my life.

I run my fingers across my now-clean lips. I’ll be thinking about that kiss for a long time to come. Even if nothing more happens between us, I will always remember the way he kissed me. He not only made me feel wanted and sexy, but he also gave me the sense that he treasured the moment as much as I did.

“Hey, where were you? The competition is about to begin.” Nolan’s question pulls me out of my head.

“Just needed to go to the bathroom. Are they set up?”

Nolan scans me over. His narrowed, assessing eyes tell me he knows something’s up, but thankfully he doesn’t ask. “Yeah, they’re doing team relays first and then the individual competitions.”

I nod and walk along with him to the gathering crowd. Half of the firefighters are wearing their full gear, indicating they’re the ones who will be participating. The rest of the group is wearing their blue pants and a Sonoma Fire Department shirt.

Sam comes out of the garage doors wearing his full gear, and I take the moment to check him out in all his glory. His protective gear shouldn’t be sexy, but damn, he looks good in it. His light brown hair is shining under the bright sunshine, and his smug grin is full of cocky assuredness.

A small part of me wonders if our kiss is the source of that grin. It’s probably selfish to hope it is, but I don’t particularly care.

Sam’s gaze scans the crowd until it lands on me. His grin widens, and then he winks. I can feel my cheeks growing pink as Nolan turns to look at me with his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Shut up,” I growl at him.

“I didn’t even say anything!” He throws his hands up in surrender.

“You didn’t need to. Your face said it all.”

“Fuck. Why can’t I have gotten the stoic gene like you and Adam?”

“Because then you wouldn’t be you.” I grin at Nolan, and he rolls his eyes. The small smile he’s fighting tells me he’s pleased, though.

Chief Jack James, Tucker’s uncle, steps up front and center with a microphone to introduce the firefighters participating in the challenges. I only know some of the competitors because of Sam and Tucker. The rest of them must be on different shifts since I’ve never met them before.

They explain some of the activities they’re doing and why it helps them do their job. At the end of the competition, they’ll let some of the people who stuck around to watch try their hand at some of the easier challenges. I usually don’t participate, but maybe I will this time. I feel a little like showing off today.

Although, I’d probably end up making a fool of myself instead of looking cool. So… maybe not.

The first round starts with incredible athleticism. My gaze is riveted on Sam. The play of muscles in his chest through his open coat as he hauls equipment around is drool-worthy. I wish I’d have taken advantage of being so close to him while we kissed. I’d love to know what those muscles feel like under my hands.

“You’ve got a little drool on your chin.” Nolan swipes his fingers across my jaw, and I flinch away.

“I do not.” I strike out at him with a playful thunk against his stomach. “Don’t forget who is capable of taking the other down, little brother. You might be learning some jujitsu moves, but I’m still bigger than you.” Not by much, but we’re not going to acknowledge that.

Nolan scoffs. “In your dreams, Prince Charming. You don’t hold a candle to me anymore.”

I roll my eyes at the old nickname. Our high school classmates started that—born from the resemblance I seemed to have to the character and the sense of respect I always showed the girls—and for whatever reason, it stuck. Nolan likes to pull it out whenever he wants to annoy me the most.

Instead of responding to his claim, I turn back to watch Sam win his challenge. His carefree attitude is infectious. Even his competition is laughing right alongside him. He’s playful in a way I’ve never been able to emulate, and for a short, self-conscious moment, I can’t help but wonder how he could ever be happy dating someone like me. I’m stoic, logical, and anxious about most things. I’d just be a drag on Sam’s happiness. It’s what happened with Chase. He tried to get me to go out and do things that I was never comfortable doing, and in the end, he left because I wasn’t enough for him.

Before I can dwell on those thoughts for too long, the competition is over, and Nolan is stepping in to try his hand at the challenges. Tucker and Natalie come over to stand with me while we watch Nolan fail spectacularly. If he tried a little harder, he could probably do it without any trouble, but he can’t do anything without making it silly.

And when the kids begin to giggle at his silly moves, it only encourages him more.

I see Katie, my brother Adam’s fiancé’s best friend, cover her face in embarrassment while her son belly laughs at Nolan. When Nolan ends his dramatic attempt at carrying the water hose, he walks over to Katie’s son and places a red plastic fire hat on top of his head. He looks at Nolan with hero worship in his eyes, and I can’t deny it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Is there something going on between those two?” Sam’s question has me turning toward him in surprise. I didn’t hear him come up beside me.

I look back over to see Nolan talking to Katie, his smile flirty while she seems immune. “Not that I’m aware of, but with Nolan, you never know.” I make a mental note to ask Nolan about it. I wouldn’t have ever guessed he’d be interested in a woman like Katie. We’ve gotten to know her well since Ellie and Adam got together. She’s an amazing mother and not one I could picture having random one-night stands. Then again, I can’t imagine dating is easy with a kid either, so maybe one-night stands are the best way to go.

“Well, I was hoping you might be interested in hanging out with a bunch of firefighters tonight. We’re going to Donna’s once we get everything cleaned up here, and I’d love it if you came with us,” Sam says, an easy smile on his face.

“Sure. Sounds like fun.”