“Firefighter,” the man gently corrects Ben. “We don’t have any women on our team yet, but when we do, we want her to feel included.”
Ben bounces in his seat. “He said he could show me his truck.”
The firefighter must be reading my growing suspicion to fish his wallet out of his pocket, flip it, and lean toward me, giving me a waft of potent alpha pheromones. Black cherry and wood smoke. He shows me his ID and another card with Rios Fire Department in large red letters at the top. Both pictures match the man sitting in front of me.
Joel Jane Shaw.
Jane?
“I really am a firefighter,” he says, tucking his wallet away and running a hand through short dark-blond hair. “I told Ben that if it’s okay with you, I’m happy to show him around the firehouse.”
Ben’s grin is megawatt, and the puppy-dog eyes he shoots me would melt the hardest of hearts. This is a lifelong dream for him, and I can’t deprive him of it.
“We’re only in town for a little while,” I say.
“Just let me know when, and I’ll speak to the fire chief about it.”
“I asked Joel to keep an eye on Ben for you,” Lina says, approaching our table with a fresh glass of water with ice and a straw, which she places in front of me. “Sorry to worry you. I planned to tell you, but you ran out before I could mention Ben was hanging around outside the restroom.”
I raise an eyebrow at Ben. So much for his promise to stay put.
He looks away, cheeks pink. “Sorry, Mommy. I was bored.”
Of course he was bored. I should’ve known he wouldn’t last five minutes before he went looking for entertainment. If Ihadn’t been so sick, I would never have left him alone for as long as I did. Guilt tunnels into me. Someone could have taken his hand and led him right out the door, and I wouldn’t have known until it was too late.
Knowing it’s my fault, I turn to Lina. “It’s okay. Thanks for stepping in.”
Ben bounces in his seat, turning his attention back to Joel as Lina walks away, called by another customer. “Are you really a firefighter?”
Joel nods. “I am. My older brother, Noah, is a firefighter, too. He’s actually the fire chief. We both wanted to be firemen when we were little.” He glances down at himself. “Obviously, I’m not so little anymore.”
Naturally, my eyes are drawn to those heavy, muscled shoulders and large, tanned hands. My face might be green and my stomach queasy, but I am neither blind nor indifferent to this handsome alpha’s good looks.
I’m torn between the need to protect my son from a man I’m not sure I can trust and my curiosity about why he became a firefighter. When he catches me looking, a smile tugs at one corner of his mouth.
“Rose Hayes,” I blurt out, embarrassed to have been caught staring.
His grin is all kinds of gorgeous. “Nice to meet you, Rose. I’m from Rios, born and raised just like Lina.” He points his chin at Lina, busy with a customer as a bell rings at the hatch behind the front counter. “We went to school together, and I’m her son’s godfather.” He shifts his gaze to Ben. “Harry’s about your age. If you’re sticking around town for a bit, he’s always looking to make more friends.”
My God, this man is dangerous. Every word out of his mouth is winning my son over. If Ben were a puppy, his little tail wouldbe wagging so hard he’d be in danger of taking flight. The only thing worse would be?—
“His sixth birthday is coming up in a few days. Lina always has a party for him and his friends from school, and there will be an ice cream cake.”
Yep. That’ll do it.I briefly shut my eyes as Ben sucks in a breath and immediately chokes on his spit. I clap his back until he’s recovered from his coughing fit. He is literally dying of excitement.
Fire truck.
Firefighter.
New friend.
Cake.
It’s going to require a crowbar, brute force, and promises I don’t intend to keep to get Ben to leave before that birthday party. This is his best day ever, and I’m swallowing repeatedly to avoid vomiting over this gorgeous firefighter.
“Are you okay?” Joel asks me.
“Mommy threw up over her shoes,” my son feels compelled to tell the handsome firefighter.
