Chapter 5
Five-Alarm Flirtation
Ryan
My brother Blake corners me at the station the next morning before I can escape to my office.
“So,” he drawls, “heard you had an interesting date last night.”
I look up from the incident report I’m reviewing. “You were off last night. How did you—”
“Small town, smaller fire station, big brother. Plus, Mario posted about his ‘heroic rescuers’ on the pizzeria’s Facebook page. Nice action shots. Also, the Azalea Inn had a main water line break? Where is Ember staying there stud?”
“Guest room at my place. Inn flooded—she needed somewhere until the pipes are fixed.”
Blake’s eyebrows shoot up. “Your place? Moving fast, aren’t we?”
“It’s temporary housing, Blake. I left her a note about the coffee and was here by six.”
“A note,” Blake grins. “How romantic.”
Before I can respond, Uncle Jimmy—Chief McCallister to everyone else—steps out of his office. “Speaking of last night, that woman of yours did a hell of a job with crowd control. Nic tells me she’s quite the event coordinator and is helping with our fire station fundraiser while in town.”
“She’s not my—wait, you talked to Nic already?” The ‘while she’s in town’ bottoms out my stomach.
“Small town,” Blake and Uncle Jimmy say in unison. Uncle Jimmy goes back into his office and shuts the door, with his coffee refill. The perks of my office being next to the coffee machine.
Romeo saunters in with two cups of coffee, passing one to Blake. “I heard our captain’s getting soft. Taking dates to emergency calls now?”
“That’s not—” I start, but Jiffy cuts me off as she walks past with an armload of medical supplies.
“Oh please, she handled the crowd better than half our probies would’ve.” She shoots a pointed look at Holden, who’s been with us less than a year.
Holden raises his hands in defense. “Hey, I do fine with crowds.”
“Sure you do, rookie.” Romeo claps him on the shoulder. “That’s why you needed backup at the Fourth of July parade when those kids started throwing water balloons.”
“They were coordinated! It was an ambush!” Holden’s face flushes red.
Blake leans against my desk. “So, when’s the next date? Please tell me you’re not planning another emergency response ride-along.”
“Actually—” My phone buzzes. Ember’s name lights up the screen, and I can’t help the smile spreading across my face.
“Oh man, he’s got it bad,” Romeo murmurs audibly to Jiffy, who nods sagely.
Uncle Jimmy’s office door opens. “McCallister,” he calls out, then clarifies when both of us turn. “Ryan. Chief Anderson’s on the line about the mutual aid agreement.”
“Saved by the Chief,” Blake mutters as I head toward the office.
“Don’t think this conversation’s over,” Romeo calls after me. “We need details. For the incident report, of course.” He smiles like a sly cat.
“Of course,” I echo, rolling my eyes but still grinning as I duck into Uncle Jimmy’s office.
I close Uncle Jimmy’s office door, which bears a big placard announcing him as ‘Chief,’ behind me. I note the tension in his shoulders as he ends the call with Chief Anderson.
“Sit down, Ryan.” He rubs his temples. “We need to talk about investigations.”
My stomach tightens. “What about them?”
“With Tom’s retirement official, we’re short-handed. I’m bringing in another investigator.”
“Blake’s exam results are due any day,” I lean forward. “We’ve managed fine with county support—”
“These warehouse fires aren’t slowing down.” Jimmy cuts me off, his voice sharp. “Police are working their angles, insurance companies too, but we should be leading this. Not playing catch-up.”
“Is Blake’s current investigation compromised working with Tom?”
“No.” Jimmy shakes his head. “His work is solid.”
“Then give him more time. The exam results—wait you’ve already started looking?” The betrayal stings, not only for me but for Blake.
“I have to think about what’s best for the station.” Jimmy’s face softens. “You know that.”
I grip the arms of the chair, trying to keep my voice steady. “He’s been working toward this for two years.”
“And he’ll still have his shot. But we need someone now.”
The weight of my brother’s potential disappointment settles heavy in my chest. “Does Blake know?”
“No, not yet” Jimmy meets my eyes. “And this stays between us. I have to meet the budget, but here’s the deal; he’ll have his journey. Do I want to keep Blake in our family’s house? Yes, but you know as well as I do, I can’t show favoritism to my nephew.”
I sink back into the chair, the familiar weight of responsibility pressing down.
Months into this captain position, and some days it still feels like I’m still proving myself.
Every decision scrutinized, every call questioned—not only by the crew but by the county brass who weren’t thrilled about promoting someone my age.
“I get it,” I tell Jimmy, running a hand through my hair. “The job comes first.”
The last three years flash through my mind—the endless shifts, studying for promotional exams, attending every county meeting possible.
Dating wasn’t on my radar. Hell, I barely saw anyone outside of work.
The station became my entire world. Someone had to step up and maintain the McCallister legacy while ensuring we grew with the times.
“You’ve done good work, Ryan,” Jimmy says, his voice softening. “The crew respects you. You earned your spot.”
I think of the nights spent poring over procedure manuals, the extra training courses I took on my own time, the way I learned every aspect of station operations inside and out. The promotion wasn’t handed to me—I fought for it, proved myself through every challenge they threw my way.
“Sometimes I wonder if Dad would’ve done things differently,” I admit, surprising myself with the confession.
Jimmy leans forward, his eyes intent. “Your father would be proud. You’ve modernized our protocols, improved response times, and most importantly, kept this crew together through tough calls. Son, I’m proud of you.”
He’s right. Despite the pressure and the constant need to prove myself, this crew has become more than my colleagues. They’re family, which makes the situation with Blake more complicated.
The thought of Ember flashes through my mind—the first person in years who’s made me want something beyond these station walls.
Jimmy’s quiet for a moment, then opens his laptop. “This is the new arson investigator. Ashley Torres—three years with Atlanta FD, originally from Texas. She solved the drug house fire ring last year that had APD stumped for months.”
My stomach drops. “You’ve already hired her?”
“Yes, I did. We need someone now who can cover three counties. Tom’s retirement has sped up to one week after the fundraiser.” Jimmy’s expression is firm. “Torres has detection skills we don’t have. I’m introducing her to the crew at the fundraiser.”
My jaw clenches. Blake’s worked toward this for two years. “When are you telling him?”
“I’m telling him tomorrow morning.” Jimmy meets my eyes. “But I wanted you to hear it from me first. This doesn’t mean Blake won’t get his shot. But right now, we need her expertise. I’m sure we can place him when he gets the exam results.”
I nod slowly, thinking about how my brother’s going to take this news.
“She doesn’t pull punches, from what I hear,” Jimmy adds. “If Blake wants the certification and position, working with her might be what pushes him to be the best.”
Great. Another complication while I’m trying to figure out what’s happening with Ember.
Nic and Ember walk into the station bay a few hours later, and my breath catches. She’s dressed casually in jeans and a flowing yellow top, but she moves like she belongs here, tablet in hand and determination in her step.
“So, you’re the famous Ember,” Uncle Jimmy says, extending his hand. “I’m Chief McCallister, Ryan’s uncle. Welcome to the family business.”
I watch her reaction; she takes the family interrogation in stride. “Famous?” She shoots me a smirk and a wink that makes me chuckle before I surrender my hands to the air—because who knows what any of them will say.
“Any woman who can make my nephew miss a Braves game to have late-night coffee must be pretty special—”
Blake chimes in, grinning. “I’m Blake, the better-looking brother.”
I spy more interlopers, Romeo, my right hand in command, and Holden, the newest and youngest member of the house, coming around the rig to introduce themselves. It will be a full-court press from the crew.
“Debatable,” I say, pushing off the truck I’ve been leaning against. “Don’t you have something to clean?”
I’m so impressed watching Ember command the room, her fingers flying across her iPad while she outlines the vision for the fundraiser. She’s transformed from the woman I pulled from the wreck into a powerhouse of organization and creativity. Damn, she’s gorgeous.
“If we set up the carnival games here,” she gestures to a digital layout of the station’s front lot and park area, “we can keep the bay doors clear for emergency response. The food trucks can line the side street, and we’ll have clear paths for the trucks if needed.”
Uncle Jimmy nods, studying the layout. “What about the demonstrations?”
“That’s where it gets interesting,” Ember’s eyes light up.
“Instead of confining everything to the community center, we can showcase the equipment here on the south side of the park. Kids can see one truck up close, try on gear—safely supervised, of course—and we’ll have scheduled demos throughout the day. ”
Romeo leans forward. “The kids would go crazy for that. Last year, they were disappointed they couldn’t climb on the trucks.”
“Exactly,” Ember says, pulling up another screen. “And Nic’s already sketched some amazing photo op spots where families can take pictures with firefighters and fun cutouts.”
I watch her work, amazed at how she’s considered every angle—safety, logistics, entertainment. She’s factored in our need to maintain full operations.
“We’ll have two crews on rotation,” I add, catching her eye. “That way we can handle both the event and any calls. I’ve also coordinated with the other nearby county stations to provide backup coverage during peak hours.”
“Perfect.” She beams at me. “I can also support any other coordination you might think of.”
Uncle Jimmy whistles low. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“That’s what she does,” Nic chimes in proudly.
I sit back, watching Ember detail more of her plans. This isn’t simple event planning—it’s strategic. She’s balancing community engagement with operational necessities and making it look effortless.
As Ember and Nic gather their things to leave, Uncle Jimmy starts walking with them and asks about her event planning business she left in Atlanta, but she smoothly changes the subject. Something protective stirs in my chest.
“Well,” Uncle Jimmy says kindly, “their loss is our gain. These boys could use someone with your eye for detail for this fundraiser. I was so happy Nic said she’d help us out this year. Lord knows they can’t match their own socks without help.”
“I heard that,” I call out. “And I’ll have you know, uniform socks are hard to screw up; I matched my socks perfectly today.”
“Did you, though?” Ember asks. “Because I couldn’t help but notice earlier...”
I look down, and her laughter fills the station. Uncle Jimmy joins in, clapping.
Romeo grabs my arm and pulls me behind Engine One while Uncle Jimmy escorts them out.
“Man, where’d you find her?” Romeo’s grin stretches wide. “She’s got the whole fundraiser mapped out better than we ever could. Even got contingencies for weather and emergency responses. Also, she is beautiful and Blake said she’s staying at your house? Bro. Where did you find her?”
I can’t help but smile, watching through the bay window as Ember animatedly discusses something with Uncle Jimmy. “Found her, in a wrecked car against a tree. Don’t act like Jiffy didn’t tell the whole house.”
“Only you would turn a rescue into a date.” Romeo shakes his head. “Better lock her down quick. A woman like that? Organized, smart, gorgeous? She won’t stay single long in this town. If you don’t step up, Mrs. Havers will be all over her with a matchmaking opportunity for someone else.”
“It’s been one date,” I protest, but my eyes track Ember as she walks to Nic’s car. The morning sun catches her hair, turning it golden red, resembling the color of her name.
“Yeah, one date, you fought a kitchen fire together, and she jumped right in to help. Blake told me about the Azalea Inn. Then she shows up here with plans that could double our fundraising from last year.” Romeo crosses his arms. “Face it, Cap. She’s perfect for you. Don’t fuck this up.”
My mind’s already working out ways to rearrange the firehouse rotations to free up more time with her. Though I hesitate, not wanting to add into Romeo’s hours—especially with little Leo at home.
“Do you care if I switch our schedule up some?” I ask.
“No sweat—I could use the extra shifts. Got a growing boy who burns through diapers, if you know what I mean. Pretty sure the Chief’s already juggling the calendar.”
“I owe you one, Romeo,” I say, heading toward my office.
His response follows me down the hall. “Yeah, you do.”