Page 64 of Single Mom for the Firemen

As Callie finishes up, Mason turns to me with a grin on his face. “And you have some news to share too, right, Vanessa?”

“Oh, yeah,” I reply, biting my lip. “I guess I do. I finished the first draft of the book today…”

Jake claps his hands together, and Killian lets out a delighted exclamation. He squeezes my hand beneath the breakfast bar, a proud grin spreading across his face.

“And does that mean that we’re…?”

“Mason already tried that,” I tell him, cutting him off before he can go any further. “I want to run it past Lara first before any of you read it. You know, make sure it’s up to scratch…”

Killian groans theatrically. “We’re going to be the last people on the planet to read this book, I swear,” he mutters, though he’s still smiling.

“Well, at least I know I have a guaranteed three copies sold right here,” I shoot back, and they all laugh. Rising to my feet, I scoop Callie up and plant her on the stool next to mine.

“So, your first summer vacation, huh?” I remark to her, smoothing down her hair—she always manages to come back from school with it looking like a total birds’ nest, no matter how much I try to wrangle it in the morning.

“What do you want to spend it doing?”

She glances between the four of us. Her eyes are shining with excitement—there are so many options, it seems, she has no idea where to start.

“I’m going to need some help getting the second office set up here,” Killian remarks, nodding to the room next door which has served as their makeshift emergency center while they’re staying over here—they were spending so many nights with us, it just seemed to make more sense to route the alarms right through here, so they wouldn’t have to go back to their place before they could respond. I wasn’t sure how Lara would feel about it, but as far as she’s concerned, these guys can do no wrong, and if they want to make use of her cabin for the good of the forest, they’re welcome to.

“And I’ll need someone to help me keep track of when the flowers are blooming along the track. And to make notes about the frog spawn,” Mason adds. “You think you’ll be able to give us a hand with that, Callie?”

She nods excitedly—there’s nothing she likes more than the feeling of being useful, and the guys go out of their way to give her tasks and little jobs that give her the sense that she’s part of the team. Of course, we do our best to protect her from the heavier parts of their job, but when she gets older, I’m sure she’s going to be fighting to come out on calls with them too. Who knows, maybe my little girl could be a firefighter one day. It might not have been what I expected for her, but if the last year has taught me anything, it’s that things don’t always go how you expect.

“Careful,” I warn her, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’ll have you editing my book soon, if you’re so keen to help out. Or on dish-washing duty all summer!”

She lets out a groan and we all laugh. Truth be told, I’ll have a hard time getting her nose out of all the books Lara has been getting for her—ever since she started school, she’s somehow found even more time for reading, and Lara has come to every visit with a new book for her, no matter how many times I tell her she’s spoiling her.

“No way am I going to condemn you to dish-washing duty,” Killian replies firmly as he straightens up. “How about a walk, now it’s warm outside? Jake, Mason?”

The other two nod, and Callie beams. She loves exploring the woods. She has her favorite places, of course, but occasionally Mason will take her off the trail to discover some new spot for her to tell me all about.

“I actually need to get the draft sent off to Lara,” I remark, getting to my feet. “Maybe I could make some dinner for when you get back…?”

“Sounds perfect,” Jake replies, dropping a kiss on my cheek and holding his hand out for Callie. “How about it, huh? You ready to get out of here?”

Once she has a pair of sneakers on—and is carrying the adorable little backpack Killian got her for hikes, with enough space for her to carry her own water and snacks—the four of them head to the door, where I wave them off. I know they’ll be a few hours, they always are. No matter how quick they say it’s going to be, Callie always has a way of getting them distracted with her questions, the same as she does with me. You’d think that starting school would have given her a few more answers, but if anything, she’s just got more demands to lay on us whenever she gets the chance.

I head upstairs and boot up my laptop again, pulling up Lara’s email so I can send her the draft. I am a little nervous about it, of course—it’s probably the most vulnerable thing I have ever put to paper, and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t worry me. I haven’t been explicit about the relationship that I’ve developed with the guys, but I feel as though anyone will be able to read between the lines and figure out just how much I care for them…

But screw it. If they do, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. No, if anything, I should be proud. Proud that I’ve landed three such amazing guys. Proud that they have stepped up to take care of my daughter the way they have. Proud that we have made a family of our own, no matter how unconventional, out here in the woods, under the dappled shadows that shade through the trees.

I fire off the email before I can give it any more thought, and then lift my gaze to look out the window—in the distance, I can see Callie holding Jake’s hand as the guys step onto the path that leads into the woods. A smile spreads across my face. I’d love to join them, of course, but for tonight, I can’t think of anything better than getting to stay home and make a delicious dinner to celebrate the start of the summer. To turn this place into a cozy little home, worthy of all of us.

And I know this summer might not be easy. I know the guys have so much to take care of, with the forest, the fires, the tourists, the lost hikers. But, even in the midst of all of that, they have shown how much they care for us, how they will carve out time for us no matter what.

Before they vanish into the trees, Callie pauses for a moment and turns around—it’s as though she can sense me watching her, even from here. She sees me in the window, and lifts her hand, waving, and I wave back.

All three guys look back toward me, and for a moment, I just pause—soaking in this feeling, this sensation of being bathed in the attention and affection of all the people I care about most in the world. As they head onward, I make my way downstairs. I’ve got dinner to cook, and I want to make a damn feast for when they arrive back. After all that walking, they’re going to need it.

Humming, I step into the kitchen and pull open the cupboards. I don’t know what I’ll make tonight. But the possibilities are endless—not just for tonight, but for always. For dinner, for my life, for everything.

As long as I have my family at my side, I know there’s nothing I can’t do.

The End