“She’s right, though,” says Colt.
“Unbelievable,” Mason mutters. “So who would you choose then, bun thief?”
I tilt my head, considering them. “Sporty. Obviously.”
Colt nods, reaching for his take-out coffee. “Correct.”
“Ginger’s the best,” Mason fires back. “End of discussion.”
Colt snorts. “You're only saying that because Frankie’s a redhead.”
“I support my girlfriend’s interests.”
“Ginger also left,” I point out, taking another sip of my coffee.
That stalls Mason for half a second, a small crease forming between his brows.
“…I don’t like that you’ve made sense.”
“She’s got you there,” Colt cuts in, amused. “You can’t build a hiring process around someone who bailed mid-career.”
“I hate this,” Mason says, shaking his head. “I really hate this.”
I glance past them, my eyes landing back on the grumpy one. Evan.
“You’re staying out of it?” I ask him.
“I’m here for coffee.”
“But this is all for you, Ev!” Mason’s palms land playfully on Evan’s shoulders, massaging them. “You need all the help you can get with this questionnaire.”
I frown slightly. “Questionnaire for what?”
“His daughter,” Colt says, jerking his thumb toward Evan. “He needs a new nanny.”
“Oh,” I say, glancing back at him. “Well, that’s actually really important, then.”
Evan shifts slightly, like he’s about to shut this absurd conversation down, but I beat him to it.
“For what it’s worth,” I add, “Sporty still makes the most sense. She’s reliable and consistent, and probably doesn’t panic when things go sideways. That feels like a solid trait for someone you’re trusting with a small human.”
Evan’s honey gaze flicks back to me, sharper than before.
“You work with kids?” he asks.
“Not officially, just the odd babysitting gig when I was younger,” I admit. “But I like them and they like me, which feels like a decent starting point.”
“That’s a low bar.”
“Wow. Charming.”
“He’s impossible,” Colt mutters into his coffee. “Don’t take it personally.”
“Is this a firefighter thing?” I ask, glancing back at Evan. “Or just a you thing?”
“Just me.”
“Good,” I say with a firm nod. “I’d hate to think this is standard issue.”
