Page 42 of Theirs to Treasure

“We have a booth that is a major attraction. One of the big things we do is sell baked goods. Normally, Jace sets us up, but he said to come to you. All the proceeds from our booth go to the Fireman’s Fund. We do a dunking tank, fire truck rides, and bake sale.”

“Why not skip the bake sale part, and just donate that part of the money straight to the charity this year?”

One of the four, with wicked gray eyes, smiled at her and answered, “Because you’re single.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not married, you’re cute as hell, and we now get to spend countless hours as your kitchen minions. How is this not a good thing?” Josie watched as the smooth-talking man who’d been placing the order hit him hard in the arm. Meanwhile, the Nordic giant flushed a bright red.

The fourth man burst out laughing. “Leave it to Joshua to tell it like it is. We promise to look but not touch. Josie, have a heart. There’s nothing wrong with flirting, and what’s more, it’s fun to give Chance and Sam a hard time.”

“Whoa, just hold your horses. I can’t keep any of you straight. I caught on that you two blonds are brothers and you’re all firefighters, and apparently there are currently no fires. I also caught on that you need me to pull your collective asses out of the fire, pun intended. But how do you know about Chance, Sam, and me? And why the hell does it matter that I’m single, and what the hell do you mean about kitchen minions?”

Elise let out a belly laugh behind her.

The last man who talked stepped forward with his hand out. Except for the difference in height, he could have been the twin of the Nordic Giant. “I’m Dane Johansen, and you can probably guess which one is my brother, Eric. You met our parents the other night when you went out to dinner with Chance and Sam.”

That certainly put things together for Josie. Eric and Dane were the spitting image of their fathers.

Dane continued. “The smooth-talking redhead is Ian Ransom, and the straight talker with the gray eyes is Joshua Parker. My brother and I are second-generation residents of Fate Harbor, and we heard about you the second you moved into town. Unfortunately, the forest fire over on the Olympic Peninsula kept us from coming over to introduce ourselves sooner.”

“So, how did you find out about me dating Sam and Chance?” she asked Ian and Joshua.

“Betty,” they said at once.

Josie had to laugh. “And what has Betty been saying?”

“That you are off the market, but that it never hurts for a girl to know she’s attractive.” Joshua said.

“Hear, hear,” said Elise.

Joshua went over to the older, happily married woman, and looked her dead in the eye. “And how has Ed been treating you lately, sweetheart?”

Oh, my God, there must be something in the water around this place.

Josie looked at the three men in front of her and couldn’t believe the level of mouth-watering testosterone. It made her want to call Sam and Chance to put out her own private fire. She cut her eyes over to Elise who just gave her a huge grin and a thumbs-up.

“And it’s not what Dane said,” Eric piped up. “We’re not over here trying to build up your self-esteem. Trust me, kitten, if Sam and Chance hadn’t already staked a claim, I’d be over here as often as I could because you are all kinds of fine.” Josie just looked up at the giant with her mouth open, not knowing how to respond.

Dane jumped back in. “Yeah, my brother’s right. But Sam’s a good friend of ours, so we promise to be on our best behavior.” He ended with a breathtaking smile.

“Josie, we know we’re putting you in a jam,” Eric said. “We really want to help you out, that’s why we’re offering you our services as kitchen minions. We’re a block away from the firehouse, so if something happens, we can respond immediately. But barring an emergency, we’re yours. We also promise to help you out during the next big event, too!”

“Okay, boys! If you really mean to clean out my stock but want to help me out, then sit your butts down over there and we’ll get started.”

Three out of the four sat down, while Joshua continued to flirt with Elise. Josie went to the back and found her cake book with the pictures of the old fire truck she’d made back in Florida. When she showed it to the guys, they seemed really impressed.

“This is better than the one the bakery in Snoqualt ever provided,” Ian said.

“What do you need us to do?” Joshua asked.

“I’m going to need one of you to make a run to Snoqualt for foodstuff and craft supplies. One of you will need to man the front, since Elise is going to be in the back doing decorating with me, and two of you will be mixing and baking. Who’s good for what jobs?” she asked.

* * *

Chance hadn’t realized how disappointed he’d get when he couldn’t see Josie. He’d worked hard to get her to purchase Sweet Dreams Desserts, but now that she was here, he resented all the time she spent working. He had to figure out a way for her to get more free time. What’s more, all this work couldn’t be good for her back.

The number of cars in the parking lot surprised him when he pulled in. But then he remembered Betty mentioning something about the school carnival and Josie explaining the need for all the extra hours. When he went into the shop, it pleased him to see that someone besides Elise and Josie was manning the front, so that meant she’d finally hired on extra help. At least he was happy, until he realized it was Joshua Parker. Granted, Joshua was a good friend of Sam’s, but he still was one of the most eligible bachelors in Fate Harbor, so what was he doing working for Josie? What’s more, he had a job. Chance stood in line behind five others, and as he waited his turn, Dane Johansen came out carrying a tray of cupcakes to add to the display case.