“Are you going to eat your cake?” Maddie whispers as the lights dim and Mitzy Chambers, the city councilwoman sponsoring the fundraiser, walks down the catwalk, a microphone in one tiny hand.
“No, you take it. I’m too nervous to eat.” I push the cake toward my sister.
I can hear my mom’s voice in my head fretting about our family history of diabetes, but I’m not about to get between Maddie and a second dessert. After being left for a lifeguard named Craig, she has the right to eat her feelings for at least a year. We can both start making healthier choices once we have the bakery up and running.
I want to start my new life here off on the right foot in every way.
Hopefully I can get started on that tonight…
“Welcome, ladies,” Mitzy says, lifting a hand in the air as she’s greeted with a cheer that’s definitely more nightclub than church basement. “First of all, let me tell y’all how glad I am to see you here tonight. Our hardworking firefighters have been in desperate need of a new firehouse for so long it’s shameful. And since the last ballot initiative failed to pass, we’ve decided to take things into our own hands. With your help, we’re hoping to make Hunk-for-a-Month the biggest fundraiser Bliss River has ever seen and break ground on the new firehouse this spring!”
Her words are met with a hearty round of applause.
I slap my hands together, too, but my nerve endings have gone numb with anxiety. I can hear my palms connecting, but I swear I can’t feel a thing.
“I’m sure y’all are ready for the main event,” Mitzy says, laughing as the room echoes with more cheers and a few squeals of excitement. “But before we get started, I want to make sure everyone understands how this works.”
She motions toward an image projected onto the wall to her left. The “Welcome” slide is exchanged for a list of the month’s upcoming events—a holiday fair, a dinner and silent auction, a hayride, and last, but certainly not least, a holiday ball. Balls aren’t a regular occurrence in Bliss River—line dancing at the local bar is about as fancy as we usually get—and every woman I know is dying to get dressed up and play princess for a night.
“This evening you’ll be bidding on a date to all four of our fundraising events,” Mitzy explains. “Each Friday, you and your escort will enjoy the fun, family-friendly festivities we have planned, culminating in the Fireman’s Ball, where you’ll be guests of honor. We hope the entire town will turn out to support these events, and we know seeing our brave men—”
“And woman!” a feminine voice calls out from behind the curtains separating the backstage from the catwalk, eliciting a wave of laughter from the audience.
Mitzy bares her teeth in a “whoops, I forgot” smile. “Oh, yes, and woman! I hope you ladies brought some money to bid on behalf of your sons and grandsons because we also have one lovely lady firefighter up for auction tonight.”
“She’s a girl, anyway—not sure about the lady part,” a male voice from behind the curtain calls out, getting an even bigger response from the crowd.
Mitzy giggles. “Well, it seems the natives are getting restless. Without further ado, I invite you all to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Let our brave firefighters entertain you and get ready to start bidding!”
As Mitzy descends the steps to the catwalk, pulsing club music begins to throb from the speakers and disco lights spin across the stage. A moment later, the curtain at the back of the catwalk parts and an olive-skinned hunk struts out. He’s wearing skin-tight jeans and a fireman’s jacket open at the front to reveal his washboard abs.
He pauses to do a slow turn at the center of the catwalk and my stomach threatens to toss up every bite of the fancy grilled cheese I made for dinner.
Because I know this hunk. I know him far too well.
Nearly as well as I know his brother…
Chapter Three
Naomi
No. No, no, no!
Not Jamison.
What the hell is he doing here?
I swallow hard, ignoring the way my pulse beats frantically in my throat as Jamison Hansen, Jake’s little brother, works the catwalk like an extra from Magic Mike. His cocky grin remains firmly in place as he slides his coat off his shoulders, revealing the to-die-for body beneath.
My stomach takes another swooping dive and my head reels.
What. Is. Happening.
Jamison Hansen doesn’t live in Bliss River anymore. I have it on good authority—a friend of a friend who’s working her way through the police force after dating half the firemen in town—that Jamison left two years ago to work for a fire department in Atlanta.
He isn’t supposed to be here. This could ruin everything!
I lean over to whisper in Maddie’s ear. “I thought Jamison moved.”