But I only had eyes for the woman on stage.
She was still looking at me. A flush had spread across her cheeks, and her chest was rising and falling like she’d just run a marathon. She looked surprised. Maybe at the reaction. Maybe at me, sitting here like a damn fool with my mouth probably hanging open.
My phone buzzed again. And again.
I pressed the button to silence it and pushed back my chair. As I stood, I shoved my phone into my back pocket with plans to ignore any buzzing that happened in the next few minutes.
She watched me cross the room. I could feel her eyes on me with every step, and it made something hot and reckless surge through my blood. I didn’t know what I was going to say. Didn’t have a plan. I just knew I had to get to her.
I stopped at the edge of the stage, looking up at her. Up close, she was even more beautiful—big brown eyes, a dusting of freckles across her nose, lips that curved into a hesitant smile.
“That was incredible,” I said.
Smooth, Knox. Real smooth.
But her smile widened, and she ducked her head a little, like she wasn’t used to compliments. “Thanks. It’s been a while since I sang for anyone other than my shower head.”
“Your shower head is a lucky bastard.”
She laughed—a real laugh, warm and surprised—and my chest tightened like I’d taken a hit.
“I’m Knox,” I said.
“Teddie.” She set the microphone back in its stand and stepped down from the stage. Standing in front of me, she barely came up to my shoulder. “You’re one of the new firefighters, right? I’ve seen you around.”
“Yeah.” I wanted to say more—wanted to keep her talking so I could keep listening to her voice—but my brain had apparently decided to take a vacation. “You live here? In Wildwood Valley?”
“Born and raised.” She glanced around the room, where people were settling back into their conversations, the mood noticeably lighter than before. “My roommate works here too. She was house-sitting up the mountain when the storm hit, so I’ve had the cabin to myself for a couple of days.”
“Wolfe’s up there with her,” I said, putting it together. “Meghan, right?”
“You know about that?”
“Hard not to. He took off in the middle of the storm to get to her. The guys have been giving him shit over the radio all night.”
Teddie’s expression softened. “That sounds like Meghan. She has that effect on people.”
“Must be contagious in your circle.”
The words were out before I could stop them. Teddie’s eyes widened slightly, and I watched the flush on her cheeks deepen. Nice work, Knox. Way to play it cool.
But I wasn’t sorry. Something about this woman made me want to be honest. Made me want to cut through all the bullshit and just say what I meant.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket. I didn’t have to look to know what it was. More messages. More drama. More problems I couldn’t solve.
Something in my expression must have shifted, because Teddie tilted her head, studying me with those big brown eyes.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” The word came out too fast. I softened it with a shrug. “Family stuff. It can wait.”
She looked like she wanted to push, but she didn’t. Instead, she gestured toward the back of the room.
“I should probably get back to helping Elsa. We’re slammed, and she’s been running this place solo for hours.”
“Let me help.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You want to bus tables?”
