The Firefighter's Family Secret

“That’s good.” Bobby shifted his weight. “Uh, you’re staying in town?”

“For a few days, yeah.”

He waited for his father to invite him over, to ask him to join them for dinner. Instead, Bobby glanced over at his friends then back at his son. “Uh, Colton, we need to...” Bobby waved toward the table across the room with that pinched look in his face again.

One of the cousins, that’s what his father had agreed Colton was. If anything told Colton where he ranked in his father’s life, that did it. Why was he still here? Why was he still hoping for a miracle that wasn’t going to come?

“Well, good to see you. Enjoy your dinner.” Colton turned away then fished a twenty-dollar bill out of his pocket, tossed it on the bar and walked out of the Sea Shanty. He’d been a fool for coming to this town and thinking he could manufacture a father-son relationship out of thin air. And an even bigger fool for thinking if he stayed any longer he might find all the things he’d been looking for.

* * *

Rachel watched Colton exit the restaurant and told herself she was relieved. She didn’t have time, after all, for a relationship. And especially not one with a man who wasn’t going to be here for more than a few days.

“That was one delicious hunk of man,” Melissa said. “Tell me again how you met him?”

“He came into my father’s store. Bought a fishing pole.” She shrugged.

“Well, I think that’s an auspicious start already.”

Rachel laughed. “Auspicious start? I wasn’t aware anything was started.”

“Then you didn’t see the look the two of you exchanged.” Melissa arched a brow. “Definitely something started. And he’s interested in fishing—”

“He bought one pole. A couple of things for tackle. Said he hadn’t fished in a long time.”

“Close enough to interested.” Melissa leaned forward. “Did you give him all the ins and outs of pole handling?”

Rachel laughed. “Did you really just say that? ‘The ins and outs of pole handling’?”

Melissa grinned. “What? I’m stuck at home with kids all day. When I do get out, it’s like I got a free pass from the warden. I get in all kinds of trouble.”

Rachel laughed. “Is that what we’re doing tonight? Getting into all kinds of trouble?”

“Well, my trouble can only last till nine o’clock. Then this pumpkin has to haul her butt home because the baby will be up at the crack of too early.” Melissa let out a long sigh. “Anyway, enough about my pre-ball Cinderella life. How are you doing?”

“I’m good.”

Melissa arched a brow. “This is me you’re talking to, remember? You’ve had a lot on your shoulders lately, and I worry about you putting everyone else first and yourself at the bottom of a very long list.”

“Spoken like an expert.” Rachel grinned.

“True.” Melissa laughed. Her friend was always running her kids here there and everywhere, rarely finding enough time to go shopping or get her hair done. “I’m just as bad. The way I see it, all us kettles and pots need to stick together, since we’re all in the same boat.”

That made Rachel burst out laughing. “That is the worst mash-up of trite phrases I’ve ever heard.”

“Hey, everyone has to have a special skill.” Their food arrived, and while they ate, they exchanged small talk about Melissa’s kids, several friends they had in common and the hardware store.

A little while later, Melissa glanced at her watch and let out a sigh. “Sadly, it’s time for this pumpkin to hit the road. Maybe we can grab coffee later in the week? Two of the kids are in a summer camp, which means I actually have freedom. Or at least as much freedom as a mom with a baby strapped to her hip can get.”

“You love those kids and you know it.”

A sweet smile stole across Melissa’s face. It was the smile of someone in a secret club, one where only those who had children knew the password and the handshake. For a second envy rolled through Rachel. How she wanted the same for herself, for her own life. Considering she wasn’t even dating, never mind married, that kind of thing was going to have to wait. Besides, she had enough on her plate, as Melissa had said, with her father and trying to run his business, while also stealing a minute here and there to keep her own afloat.

They paid the bill and walked outside together. The fireman was nowhere to be seen, and Rachel told herself she wasn’t disappointed. But she was.

Melissa gave her a tight hug. “Promise me you’ll take time for yourself this week,” she said.

“I don’t have—”

“You do,” Melissa said. “If I have five minutes for a little girl time and an extra-long shower, then you can find a couple hours to go out to dinner with a hot fireman.”

“How do you know I want to go out to dinner with Colton?”

“I may be a tired, worn-out mommy and a wife who hasn’t had a conversation with my husband in months that hasn’t been interrupted by someone puking or yelling, but even I can still recognize interest when I see it.” Melissa gave her a hug. “Life is a train, Rachel. You gotta reach out and grab on for the ride before you miss it entirely.”

Chapter Three (#u48e73f52-1c42-556e-a55a-e074036c3a32)

Scrambled eggs.

Who would have thought all three of the Barlow boys sitting in a booth at the Good Eatin’ Café would have the exact same taste in breakfast? Two eggs, scrambled, wheat toast, bacon, extra crispy. Luke, Mac and Colton had recited their orders then laughed when they parroted each other. Even Viv, the owner of the diner, couldn’t resist a chuckle. “Do you boys know that is the exact same breakfast your father orders when he’s here on Sunday mornin’? Y’all are a bunch of peas in a pod.”

Luke chuckled as Viv walked away. “Guess we have a lot in common,” he said to Colton. “Let me guess. Your favorite pizza is—” he put a finger to his lips and feigned thought “—pepperoni.”

Mac gave Luke a gentle slug. “Everyone loves pepperoni.”

“Well, everyone in our family does.” Luke arched a brow in Colton’s direction. Outside, rain began to fall in a curtain. In seconds the sunny day turned gray, and the pavement was speckled with fast-forming puddles. “Am I right?”

Colton grinned. “Yup. Though the real question, and the one that determines if we’re brothers is...” He glanced at Luke and Mac. “Red Sox or Yankees?”

“Oooh, them’s fightin’ words,” Luke said. “Everybody with a brain knows the Yankees are the only team worth cheering for.”

Mac scoffed. “And that’s why I’m the smart one. The Red Sox are the best ball team. Hands down.”

Luke and Mac turned to Colton. “Fess up. Which one do you root for?”

Colton started to answer when the door to the diner opened and Rachel walked in. She was wearing a pale yellow sundress and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She shook off the rain, brushing the drops off her bare arms. Even damp from getting caught in the storm, she looked...fun. Like something he’d been looking for and didn’t know he wanted to find until he saw it. “I’ll be back in a second.”

He heard his brothers’ laughter as he left the table and went over to Rachel. She was just slipping onto one of the counter stools when he reached her and dropped into the empty seat beside her. “Good morning.”

She turned to him with a slight lilt of surprise in her brows and a smile toying with the edge of her lips. “Good morning. You seem to be everywhere I go lately.”

He put up his hands. “I swear, I’m not stalking you.”

She laughed. He liked her laugh. It was light, airy, sweet. “It’s okay. Sometimes living here feels like living in a circle. I run into the same people, at the same time, in the same places.”

“That’s the complete opposite of Atlanta. Outside of work, I rarely run into people I know. It’s kind of like being invisible.”

“And do you like that?”