Epilogue
Eva
I lean against the doorway of Aiden’s cabin, my breath catching as I take in his soot-streaked face and the way his gray eyes catch in the light. Smoke still clings to him, threaded through his shirt and hair, and somehow, he’s never looked more devastatingly handsome.
“Eva. I could have lost you back there.” His voice cracks, rough and unguarded. “What were you doing out in the woods without me?” The raw fear in his eyes breaks my heart wide open.
“Being stubborn,” I choke out in hiccuping gasps, tears spilling hot and fast at the guilt consuming me. “I—didn’t—want—to—bother—you.”
My rugged mountain man growls and gathers me in his arms. “You are never a bother, Eva. Not one fucking moment.” The solid warmth of his chest is comforting and safe, like he’s the only solid thing in a world that just tried to swallow me whole.
“I was so wrong, Aiden.” My words tumble out desperate and unfiltered. “You are amazing and strong and trustworthy. That’s what I want in a partner, in the father of my child. It doesn’t matter where we live because wherever that is, I know you’ll take care of us.”
He cups my face, his rough palms warm against my skin, his thumbs grazing my cheekbones with hunger and devotion and something fierce that I can’t name.
He whispers softly against my ear, his words tender and reverent.
“You just said we.” Then he pulls back, swiping tears off my cheeks with his palms, his own eyes red.
“And don’t discount your feelings, Trouble.
You were fucking right. I have been hiding out here on the mountain.
I love my cabin and a piece of me will always want to be out here, but not if it costs me everything that matters. ”
I shake my head vigorously. “It won’t. You don’t have to choose.”
His hand slides to the nape of my neck, firm and possessive, his fingers threading through my hair. “I’m choosing what’s best for me and my son and what I hope will be my family.”
At this I cry even harder. I think the pregnancy hormones are in full effect.
“Sweetheart, I’m officially a firefighter for Cobalt County. Station 8.”
The air is still, my heart beating out of my chest. “I… what?” My throat closes up with too many feelings all at once.
“You don’t have to say anything.” His mouth quirks up, thumb tracing my cheek like he’s memorizing me. “I want our son to be proud of his pop and not afraid of the unknown, to see that when life throws curveball after curveball, the best thing to do is get up and keep swinging.”
“How can you be so sure it’s a boy?”
“A dad knows these things.”
Aiden
Eva laughs, the sound breaking something open inside me, her face flushed with excitement despite the tears.
I pull her in for a heated kiss. “And I want you to know that I’ve signed a six-month lease on a house near the fire station. Thought it would do me some good to be close my team as we learn each other.”
Eva blinks at me, as if it’s taking her a moment to process. “A house in town?” Her words lilt as if the very idea is a foreign concept.
“Yep.” My smile is soft, my heart hammering against my ribs. “And I want you to help me pick out the ugly curtains and the stupid mugs and fill the house with your books and help me decide on where we want to settle down eventually, if that’s what you want.”
My hands frame either side of her face, my eyes searching hers. “Most importantly, I want us to actually date. The real thing, where I cook for you, and where you sit by me at all those syrupy small-town events. And I want to hold your hand, even when people are watching. No hiding, no excuses.”
For a second, she just stands there, and I can see all the thoughts flickering across her face: the old fears, the stubborn caution, the instinct to run. And then she shakes her head, just once, sharp, and breaks into a watery smile that makes me feel like I can breathe for the first time in years.
“You’re really serious, aren’t you?” She sniffles and laughs at once.
“Serious enough to pretend to like decaf and sit through a baby shower.”
She presses my hand to her belly, her eyes steady on mine. “Only if you keep your cabin for weekends and holidays. I’d like our little one to know that part of you.”
I pull her close, my mouth taking hers. “It’s a deal.”
We head inside to the laundry room and peel off our clothes, leaving them to soak in a mix of detergent and baking soda. Then, we move through the house, clothesless. Shadows play across her skin as if hinting at what’s about to happen.
“Your floors are cold, Aiden.” She tiptoes, face scrunched.
I chuckle, scooping her over my shoulder and playfully smacking her ass. “Better now, Trouble?”
She nips my shoulder, breath hot against my neck.
That’s all it takes. I toss her onto the bed, her laugh shattering what’s left of my restraint.
Her dark hair is splayed across the pillows, cheeks pink, and her chest rises and falls in a way that makes her gorgeous breasts almost bounce—like she’s showing off on purpose.
She fends me off with her feet until I grabs her ankles and kisses my way up the inside of Eva’s calves and thighs.
Her thick curves drive me wild as I reach the apex of her thighs.
Kissing her sweet pussy is like coming home to something I didn’t know I’d been missing.
I lick her sweetness, swirling my tongue until I find the exact rhthym she needs.
She fists her hands in the sheets, then sinks them into my hair, fingers trembling when I suck on her clit.
I work her until the first tell-tale shudder moves through her thighs, and then I back off and nuzzle her skin.
“Aiden, I nee—”
I silence her with my mouth, and she bucks so hard I have to wrap my arms around her hips to keep her still. She orgasms, sharp and sudden, legs clamping around my head as she gives in to the release. Then I reach for the condom, a wry grin.
“A little late for that, don’t you think?”
“I’m clean, Eva.”
“Me too.”
After the best damn shower of my life, we fall into bed again, the rain as our soundtrack. As the drops drum softly against the windows, she falls asleep on my chest, her breath steady, her hair smelling faintly of my soap. I trace lazy circles on her back, the weight of it all sinking in.
I’m going to be a dad. And I’ve got the woman I never thought I’d get another chance with. Ten years between us used to feel like a canyon, but now it’s just a number.
She’s my home. My heart. My forever.
And I won’t waste one more fucking second.
Is Aiden right about the sex of the baby?
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Aubrey
Curious about Ryder Bannon? Find out what happens when the firefighter returns to town with a secret torch that he's still carrying for his best friend's curvy sister. Click here for Trusting the Firefighter, Book 2 of the Indigo Hills series, or keep reading for a Chapter 1 preview!
Trusting the Firefighter, Chapter 1
911. What is your emergency?
I’d like to report a small fire at The Gilded Trunk Antiques & Collectibles. 1221 Elm! Please hurry.
Where is the exact location within the structure?
The snack bar at the rear of the store.
Is anyone still inside the building?
Yes. My granddaughters are trying to put it out with the fire extinguishers, but it’s taking too long.
Mrs. Kaufman? Is that you?
Yes, Elijah. And if that truck doesn’t get here in the next two minutes, I will tell your mama about that time you and Ryder Bannon put those yellow sticky notes all over Coach Mendoza’s brand new truck to impress my granddaughters. Do you hear me?!
Yes, ma’am. Engine 4 is gearing up now. Captain Bannon is already on his way.
Ryder
I jump in my gear then race toward the command truck, roaring off before the seat belt’s even buckled. All I can think about is getting to Vanessa on time, fear gripping me as I imagine my best friend’s sister trapped inside the antique store with her safety hanging in the balance.
Although The Gilded Trunk sits within a mile of Station 8, electrical fires will overtake a building in a matter of minutes. I press the mic strapped to my shoulder. “C2 headed to fireground.”
“Copy that, Heartthrob.”
Damn Elijah. I have no regrets about posing for the Texas Hill Country First Responders calendar since proceeds help injured children in our community, but the nickname has got to go.
Once my dad, Cobalt County’s current fire chief, got wind of it, I haven’t been able to live the name down even with all of my medals and awards.
The man pushes me harder than anyone and views the calendar as showcasing “an ego-tripping cadre of indolent slackers.”
He’s always been a workaholic and doesn’t really understand employees who don’t do things his way. It doesn’t matter that I worked in San Antonio when I posed for it. My level-headed mom says Dad’s just jealous because he was never asked to do it.
Sirens blaring, I pull behind the antique store ahead of engine company as curious onlookers stop to watch the commotion outside.
Both the blessing and the curse of living in a small town are that everybody knows everyone’s business.
News about this fire will spread almost as quickly as the flames themselves, and with it being springtime, people will linger.
Within seconds, Deb Kaufman emerges from an open loading bay, tiny wisps of smoke already curling from the roof vent above her. Not a good sign.
“Oh, thank goodness, Will. Wait… Ryder?! Hurry!” Deb’s panicked shouts pierce through the truck window as I maneuver my vehicle into a secure location away from the building. It makes sense she thought I was my dad.
The first and only responder on site, my heart practically drums out of my chest as I snatch my equipment and jump out of the command truck. “Is anyone inside?”
“Yes. Vanessa and Sydney.” The woman’s voice breaks at the mention of her granddaughters. “They’re using fire extinguishers, but it’s not working.” My gut tightens at this news.
Only two years apart, Vanessa and Sydney Kaufman went to high school with me.
I played varsity football with their older brother Bodhi, who is still one of my best friends.
Syd cheered back then while Nessa was a bohemian art kid who gave zero fucks about anything sports-related except watching her siblings at games.
It rattles me to my core that my buddy’s sisters are trying to fight a fire inside The Guilded Trunk. That and the fact that Vanessa and I secretly dated during our senior year when Bodhi was away at college.
“Anyone else inside besides the three of you? Other employees? Customers?” A faint siren peals through the air, signaling that my team’s getting close.
“All our customers were escorted out front by floor staff. It’s just us three.”
Worry snakes through my veins, cinching my gut like a tightening noose.
Fuck. My sole reason for moving back to Indigo Hills is to win Vanessa back.
I’ve been in my hometown all of two days, and my ex doesn’t even know I’m here.
A cold unease settles in my chest at the thought of her being hurt, but I force myself to focus on what I was trained to do.
I jog toward the open bay with my best friend’s grandmother clinging to my arm.
Aware of the precious seconds ticking away, I stop and take the woman’s hands in mine.
“I need you to stay outside, Deb.” I was never allowed to call her Mrs. Kaufman.
She hesitates, indecision marring her features, so I reach out to give the woman I’ve known my whole life an arm squeeze.
“I’ve got it from here.” The air heavy with tension, the Kaufman matriarch nods and steps aside, a slight tremor in her movements.
The siren wails loudly, sounding about a minute out.
I race into the open warehouse bay, the faint tinge of smoke filling my nostrils, and radio a quick assessment to my team.
Just as I reach the door that leads to the main retail floor, the younger granddaughter rushes through it, knocking right into my shoulder.
“R-Ryder?” Her voice tinged with confusion, Sydney bends over — elbows on her knees — and fights to catch her breath. Since my move back to Indigo Hills happened quickly, her bewilderment at my being here makes sense.
Before I can respond, my shoulder radio crackles to life. “Engine 4 on site.”
I answer my Operations Chief then scan the doorway for Vanessa. She doesn’t walk through it.
“Where’s your sister?” My words are gruff, my chest tight.
A stricken look crosses Sydney’s features as she whips around. “She was right behind me.”
Dammit.
“I need you to go stand by my truck.” My tongue trips over itself as I take off through the door at a dead run, my professionalism plummeting as I picture Vanessa trapped somewhere.
My dad would be so pissed at me for letting emotions get in the way — and he’d be right.
There’s no room for fuckups on the job. Assessing all visible entry points, I convey them to the lieutenant over the mic.
“Vanessa!”
There’s no response.
I make a beeline for the snack bar at the opposite end of the building, where curls of smoke now beckon out the open serving window like ghostly fingers. A sharp, acrid scent is growing stronger by the second, so I press the speaker button on my mic. “Vanessa!”
A muffled reply comes from somewhere inside the kitchen.
About damn time.
Pure adrenaline propels me around the restaurant tables toward the swinging café doors just as a siren blasts from the rear lot.
I give the doors a push, but they catch on something, so I have no choice but to hoist myself over the snack counter.
I see Vanessa on her hands and knees next to a toppled popcorn machine, shattered glass and popped kernels strewn everywhere.
“What the fuck are you doing?” My words, guided solely by fear, come out harsher than I intend.
“What does it look like I’m doing, smart guy?” Vanessa’s long linen skirt is hiked up several inches as she attempts to shove the snack machine out of the doorway, blood dripping down the side of her calf.
I kneel next to her. “Are you hurt? ”
She looks at me, shock encasing her features as we look at each other for the first time in ten years. Surprise, pretty girl.
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