Chapter 3

3

Rhett

We pull into the station after a call we just got done with. It was chest pains and we got there before the ambulance. I had oxygen on him when the bus pulled up. Giving the paramedics, Jim and Dave, report, we got the patient on the gurney and loaded up on the ambulance.

For a Saturday, today has been a pretty slow day, but once night hits it'll be the complete opposite. The boys and I have cleaned the station and washed the truck. Hawk, full name Grayson Hawk, and Fed, full name Silas Feddeler, are giving Oscar a bath in the blue baby pool we bought specifically for this reason.

Only a few of us went out on this call. We try to keep enough men back at the house in case another call comes in.

Hopping out of the rig, I shut my door behind me. Once my gear is put away, I double-check that the oxygen tank is shut off and replace the nasal canula we'd put on the gentleman. It went with him and the paramedics.

Oscar gives a bark and I turn toward him. I see a car park across the street in front of our neighbor, Granny Rose. She's the sweetest, tiniest woman we've ever seen. She has always taken care of us and, in turn, we've done the same for her.

Hell, she likes to lecture us about meeting that special someone and settling down. I roll my eyes thinking about her, but to be honest a lot of my brothers have started falling in love. Marchy and Haley are already engaged and he's "dad" to that kick ass little dude, Roman. Of course, that's all my best friend has ever wanted. Hawk was the first to fall and that was with his girl Skye.

I couldn't think of a better woman for him. They're the perfect match for each other. A car door closes and pulls my focus back to the car. A woman grabs something out of the back seat and then shuts the door with her hip.

The moment she turns toward the firehouse, my heart starts to race. She is average height and curvaceous. Fuck, she works it too. Her hair is red maybe, or is it blond? I can't see her eyes because sunglasses are obscuring my view.

All the men stop what they're doing as she walks up the drive. She's in cutoff jean shorts that show off long shapely legs. Her T-shirt is baby blue and hugs her tits. Cap walks out to her, she gives him a smile and starts talking to him.

He nods and then turns. "Hollywood." He motions me to come to him. "Marchy?" We both make our way toward them. Stopping next to him, I smell peanut butter, and my mouth salivates. Guys, this is Sofia Morgan. You guys rescued her from the apartment fire two weeks ago." He motions to us. "This is Rhett and Cooper."

"I-I um… I wanted to thank you for saving me. I brought you these cookies, they're homemade." She's nervous, and it is fucking cute.

I step closer. "It's nice meeting you, Sofia. How are you doing?"

She pushes her sunglasses up on her head. The moment I see her eyes I'm immediately sucked in by their sapphire depths. Sapphire depths? What the fuck is the matter with me? I focus back on her words.

"I'm doing okay. They kept me in the hospital overnight for observation. Right now, I'm staying with my mom." She holds out the box to me. "Here. These are for you."

I take the box from her and open the lid. Inside are cookies that are huge. I pull one out and take a bite. "Holy shit, these are good." Moaning as I chew, Coop grabs one and does the same.

Suddenly we're surrounded as everyone comes and grabs a cookie. The box is taken from me so I grab her hand and pull her away from the others. "You want me to show you around?"

Her smile is blinding and the urge to kiss her hits me. Sofia nods. "I'd love it."

With her hand still in mine, I lead her farther into the garage. "This is obviously where we park the rigs." I point to the storage lockers. "That's where we keep all our extra supplies. I'm usually the one who orders the medical supplies."

"Oh my goodness, look at you," she coos and then squats down to give Oscar scratches and kisses. "Are you a good boy? I bet you are." She smiles up at me. "What's his name?"

I squat down next to her. "His name's Oscar. He's the house dog."

Sofia stands and I follow. "Let's continue the tour." We walk side by side with the dog following us. "So what do you do for a living?" I ask.

"I teach preschool, it's three- and four-year-olds." She reaches down and scratches Oscar's head and then smiles at me. "When people ask what it's like, I tell them it's like herding cats. I mean that in the best way possible."

"I like that. If you ever take them on field trips, you should bring them here. We do this whole thing for the kids. They even get their own fire helmets." Kids always eat that shit up.

"That would be awesome." Sofia's excitement makes me smile.

We finish the tour at the fire pole. "Do you want to try it?"

Sofia looks at it and then me, and then back at the pole. "I really want to, but I'm scared." She looks up at me. "Is it easy?"

"Totally, just watch me do it." I grab on to the pole and she watches me close. "Watch my legs."

I let myself go and slide down the pole. At the bottom, I look up through the opening. "You can do it," I tell her.

"Will you catch me if I fall?" she shouts.

I nod. "Of course."

Marchy steps up next to me. "You've got this, Sofia."

Sofia grabs the pole and wraps her legs around it. She comes sliding down and when her feet hit the ground, she starts jumping up and down. "Oh my gosh, that was such a rush." Her excitement is contagious and makes the rest of the guys who are standing nearby smile. She looks around. "I should probably let you get back to it. Thank you for the tour."

"I'll walk you out." Everyone stares at me, and I know I am going to get shit for this, but I don't give a fuck.

We step across the street and when she bleeps the locks, I open her door for her. "Thank you for the cookies."

She bites her lip, and it really makes me want to bite it myself. "Thank you again for saving my life."

I stand in the road, watching her pull away, and then disappear out of sight. Once that happens, I turn and head back into the station. Cooper is standing in the open garage door, giving me a look I want to ignore. Instead, against my better judgement, I ask, "What?"

His smile is huge, and I just shake my head. "Nothing, she seems nice. Haley really likes her. Those cookies are so fucking good, bro."

I move past him to the kitchen and lift the lid to the box. Half of the cookies are gone. I need to hide them, or these fuckers will eat them all.

I lie in my bed, the TV on low as I watch Better Call Saul . I'm fucking exhausted, but I gave up trying to sleep an hour ago. I'm off tomorrow, and I don't really want to sleep my day away. So I climb out of bed, and in my bathroom, I grab the bottle of sleeping pills out of the cabinet.

After popping one into my mouth, I swallow it down and climb back into bed. Turning the volume down, I settle under the covers, and a little while later I thankfully feel my eyes get heavy.

I end up getting four hours of sleep. Luckily the pills don't make me feel groggy. Our shifts are twenty-four hours on, and forty-eight off. Everything I needed to get done, I did yesterday. Today is all for me and whatever I want to do.

A certain redhead pops into my mind and my cock immediately gets hard. Her ass looked spectacular as she slid down the pole at the station. I close my eyes and imagine that ass thrusting back at me, as I fuck her from behind.

What I wouldn't give to see my red handprint on her bare ass. Fuck, I reach under the covers and wrap my hand around my cock. Stroking it as I imagine fucking her. I wonder if she's noisy. I also wonder how tight she gets when she has an orgasm?

It takes no time before I am moaning, shooting my cum all over my stomach. I scrub my hands up and down my face before reaching down and grabbing my shorts to use them to clean up my mess. I get out of bed and head into the bathroom.

After my shower, I throw on red basketball shorts and a black sleeveless T-shirt. I pad out to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. My phone pings, and I grab it off the counter.

Cooper: Hey, brother, if you're not busy tonight we're doing burgers on the grill.

I quickly type out my response.

Rhett: Burgers sound good. Can I bring anything? What time?

Cooper: Six and if you want to bring a dessert, that would be perfect.

Rhett: Sounds good. See you later.

It's not unusual for them to feed me. I love spending time with them though. Coop is my best friend, and Haley has become someone I've grown to care about. I love the way she loves my brother. Let us not forget their son, Roman. He's hilarious and a good boy. His giggles when I toss him in the air could warm the coldest of bastards.

Grabbing a mug, I pour myself a cup of joe, and then once I'm juiced up I'll head to the grocery store.