3. Ethan

3

ETHAN

B efore I became a firefighter, the thought of getting called for a cat up a tree was just a silly story, but in a small town like Harborview, it's more common than I like. I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoy being the handsome hero, winking at the ladies with a cute furball in my arms. What woman wouldn't swoon at the sight?

But it's not the heroics I imagined when I put on my gear.

Twelve rungs up, I reach for the cute, gray, hissing fluff. It digs its claws into the branch as I whisper, "Come now. I know you could have gotten down yourself, but you see that fine young thing with the low-cut blouse? She's watching, and you're going to give me the edge in, so let's go, come to your irresistible Uncle Ethan."

After a few more tries, the cat claws itself onto my jacket and clings to me for dear life.

My mind turns to the nanny search as I descend the ladder. Marcus told me has already gone through the local lot provided by reference from the local agency. I'll look up some more agencies online to find new names, and we'll hopefully have a list of interviews by tomorrow morning.

It just doesn't seem like enough.

A niggling feeling settles deep in my chest like we're missing an important piece to the puzzle. Like someone's slipping through our fingers, and I can't figure out where it's coming from.

Pivoting on the cement sidewalk that encapsulates the large but lonely tree, I smile at the small crowd gathered around and wink at a few of the ladies. Cradling the cat that doesn't seem to want to release its hold on me, I give them all my all-in-a-day's-work charm.

It might not be the high-stakes daring rescue I live for, but it offers some nice community outreach PR. Not like me or my brothers need it, but it's good for the ego.

"Who's the beautiful cat mom waiting for this little troublemaker?" The woman in the low-cut blouse gives me the full-body scan with a bite to her lip. I haven't seen her around town, so she must be visiting for the scenic beauty.

I smirk internally. Lucky her, she gets an eyeful of me.

Tottering old Mrs. Malone steps forward with her arms out to take the rescued cat from my arms. After a few tries and a lot of coaxing, the feline releases its hold on me, and I turn back to flirt.

The lovely lady has multiplied, with another sweet thang beside her, shoulder to shoulder. They both smile at me as I unzip my jacket to show them the hard body I'm hiding underneath. No reason I couldn't take my lunch right now for these two.

Give me a blonde and a brunette duo anytime.

"Ladies." I give them my panty-dropping grin and plant my hands on my hips. "My friends call me Blaze. What should I call you?"

They sway on the spot. No worries, I take a little fainting as foreplay. It's all a part of my charm.

Tittering and playing with their hair, the brunette with the low-cut blouse answers for them both. "I'm Jessica, and this is Shannon."

"Jessica. Shannon. How would you ladies like to see a demonstration up close and personal? I can teach you all about how to start and put out fires."

A soft pink tongue pokes out at the corner of Shannon's mouth as her gaze wanders below my belt. Jessica's warm brown eyes flash dark as her pupils dilate.

"If you take to it, I'll even let you handle the hose."

"How about you tell Jessica and Shannon to get to their lunch? We have to get back to the station."

I scowl as Will's remark floats from over my shoulder. I love the man, but this isn't his finest moment— not when I'm this close to scoring my first duo.

Will punches me in the shoulder. "Let's go, brother."

"I've got a lunch break coming." I don't even turn as I answer, unwilling to let my catch off the hook.

"No. You really don't."

I finally turn to meet Will's pouty, and frankly judgmental, stare. He points to the truck in the silent order to get back onboard.

I sigh and turn back to the ladies. "What do you say, want to take a selfie before we depart?"

Both of them giggle and saddle up on either side of me. I take Jessica's phone and hold it up for a quick pic and slide my number into her contacts as Blaze, the Hot Fireman , and hand it back.

"Call me later." I lay one more wink on them before I climb back onto the truck with Will. Theo's already in there, looking impatient as hell's fire. He begins pulling away before I'm completely settled. "What's your damage? Didn't you see the hotties drooling over me?"

"Like you need another notch on your bedpost." His grumbling frown amplifies his brooding nature.

"I would have shared if you asked nicely."

"You're sick, Blaze ," he teases without even a hint of a smile.

"Damn straight. I've got the fever, and it can only be broken by some hot, sweet puss?—"

Will's fist slams into my shoulder, and I laugh.

"You need to get laid. Seriously." I don't have long to mess with him as we pull back into the station and unload the gear from the truck to be checked, double-checked, cleaned, and put away.

Lily's giggles echo through the open space, wafting from the tiny daycare we created in our upstairs break room. I take the stairs two at a time and see her sitting up in her nest of blankets and pillows as Marcus attacks her with her stuffed elephant. She grabs for it as he rubs it against her chest and belly before pulling it away. Her laughter slices its way to my heart, the only girl who has a hold on it.

I bend down beside Marcus as he peeks over at me.

"How'd it go?"

I shrug. "Got to drop my phone number to two sweet out-of-town pieces, but otherwise, the usual cat in the tree call. Mrs. Malone got her gray furball back. You need a break?"

Marcus attacks his daughter again, and her giggles have us both under her spell for the next few minutes before he stands and stretches. I tickle her baby belly with my fingers, and she grabs onto my pinkies.

"I'm going to stretch, hit the head, and gather the guys for dinner before storytime and bed."

I nod and rock Lily. "Who wants a horsey ride?"

Those big eyes light up, and she makes grabby hands at me. Swooping her onto my shoulders, I bounce her around the room, whinnying and snorting until Theo walks in. Her squeals spread a grin across his face as he reaches out to boop her nose.

He scoops her off my shoulders and flies her around the room like an airplane, zooming and spinning until the entire firehouse is filled with her joy.

Will and Marcus file in shortly after with plates of food, and I settle Lily in her highchair. Theo has her bib, and Marcus settles in front of her with small portions of chicken, pasta, and banana. She reaches for it the moment he slides it in front of her.

Will hands me the chicken carbonara, and I devour it like I haven't eaten in days.

Before I know it, we've got Lily tucked in her little crib, falling asleep to her father reading Goodnight Moon , that little fist of hers wrapped tightly in his shirt like she's afraid to let go. Once she's out, we take the baby monitor and move downstairs to the small stack of applications for the interviews tomorrow.

We've each compiled a list of questions, but the lot doesn't seem as promising as we hoped.

Then, I remember the girl from the diner. The one with the beautiful dark eyes with long lashes, soft caramel skin, and sweet mouth. Man, her rejection stung— she was one of the few out there who made something soft stir inside me. Can't say I liked it, but I'm not opposed to the idea of love. She, on the other hand… I shrug on reflex. Maybe she'd make a better nanny than a girlfriend. She'd mentioned being one, at any rate.

"Hey, I met a girl at the diner the other day—Ella."

" Ella ," Theo teases. "Someone sounds smitten."

I give a mock guffaw, although he's not too far off from the truth. "Nah, just listen. Something about her stuck out."

"Not enough to keep you from giving Jessica and Shannon your number."

I wave my hand at him. "I'm just saying. She was unusual."

"As in, she turned you down?" Marcus asks, tapping the end of his pen against the file in front of him. One I should be filling out from the call earlier.

"Not exactly. But you know I don't kiss and tell. What the ladies and I do is personal and not for public consumption."

"Unless it is," interjects Theo.

"Unless it is," I say, grinning. Some girls are freaky and like a little voyeurism. Who am I to deny them what they like?

"Does she have a name?" Marcus asks.

"She does, indeed. But you all haven't earned it yet." I cross my arms and lean back in my seat.

"Unless you think she'd make a good nanny, now's not the time." Will stares at his copies of the possible nannies in question. "Who knew this would look like such a mess?"

Marcus wipes a hand down his face. "Not just a good one, but one who will stick around."

"We'll find someone," I offer.

But the next morning, the interviews are a disaster.

One is an overbearing, grandmotherly type who pinches my cheeks so hard, I swear they're bruised. And the rose pink lipstick marks on Marcus's scruffy face make me feel like I got off easy.

Another is an overly-enthusiastic college grad who has taken a lot of theory but doesn't have any practical experience. When it was time to change Lily, she nearly dropped from the smell.

The third is unnervingly quiet, and her purse rattles with what looks like small animal skull figurines.

I shake my head in defeat. Was this really all Harborview has to offer? "We need to do better. Expand our reach to neighboring towns, maybe even one of the big cities. We might have to offer room and board."

A buzz sounds around the table, and each of our phones lights up with a news alert.

The Verity Vixen has struck again. A masked vigilante has made themselves known in the small town of Harborview by protecting its most vulnerable citizens. Multiple reports have come in about two-timing husbands, homewreckers, small-time con artists, and controlling and abusive partners.

Apparently, this Verity Vixen has freed more than a dozen people from terrible situations and they don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. I can appreciate that kind of work, that kind of justice.

Several social media posts and comments support the Vixen's work and provide examples of how effective they are at their quest. Plenty of others offer the Vixen suggestions for their next target.

An idea dawns on me.

"Hey, guys. You know what we need? Someone like this Vixen to protect Lily. You know, keep her—and us—safe from Vanessa."

They stare at me for a moment before Marcus says, "Think there's any way to find out how she operates?"

I shake my head. "Not really. Our options are looking pretty bleak right now. But we still have one lead, if you're interested."