Saint knew it was just a matter of time before I had to respond to a fire serious enough to scare the fuck out of me. I could only hope when it came I was up to the task.
When we got to the ranch, sure enough, Chief Paige’s red HFD vehicle was parked out front. The dogs came racing out of the sprawling farmhouse hell for leather, jumping up and causing a general nuisance in the front yard. All except Grump who just stayed back on the porch rolling his hound-dog eyes at the little ones.
Grandpa and Doc appeared behind him and waved us in. “Get out of the cold. It’s supposed to rain any minute,” Doc warned.
Saint and I grabbed our sister’s overnight bags as well as our own and made our way into the house. After hugs and kisses and pets all around, we finally walked into the kitchen for a drink. Hudson was out of town for work, but West and his partner, Nico, were there with their daughter Pippa, and Felix was back from Monaco. Unfortunately, he seemed to be off in his glass studio feeling sorry for himself over the loss of whatever dude he’d hooked up with over the holidays.
I approached Pippa and tickled under her jaw in a spot that made her smile and giggle. She was only nine months old, but her tiny little teeth and her ability to giggle at the drop of a hat brought a smile to my face. West was over the top in the number of photos of her he texted to the whole family, but I didn’t mind a bit. There had been many times over the past several weeks when I’d needed to see that little innocent face covered in bananas or half asleep in her peas.
“Just the man I wanted to see,” Chief Paige said from across the room. He’d been talking to my little sister Sassy, who was looking older and older every time I saw her these days.
“Good to see you, sir,” I said, holding out a hand. Chief Paige had known me since he was a rookie firefighter and coached my middle school soccer team. We’d all looked up to him like a god at the time, and I still had to admit the man was hot as fuck. He’d seemed so much older than we were back then, but now that I was twenty-nine, the ten-year age difference didn’t seem so important.
“Don’t ‘sir’ me, Wilde. It’s Evan,” he said with a big smile and firm handshake. “And I assume you already know why I’m here.”
“No, sir,” I lied. “I mean, Evan.”
“I need you at the firehouse, Otto. We’re getting ready to be a man short, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about your training in the navy. We could really use an experienced firefighter who knows Hobie.”
“I’m already employed, Evan. I’m working with the Dallas FD,” I told him, accepting a bottle of beer from Doc.
“I understand that, but we need you more than Dallas does, and I’m willing to make you a strong offer,” he said with a big, friendly smile. “Hobie has something your current situation does not. A soccer team needing a coach.”
I closed my eyes and let out a laugh. Someone had found my weakness and given it to this guy to exploit. “And what makes you think I give a shit about that?”
Sassy, sidled up to me. “Come on, Otto. You know this is exactly what you’ve always wanted. What’s your hesitation? Firefighting and coaching soccer in Hobie? Being able to ride Gulliver whenever you want? I’m sure Doc and Grandpa could set you up with a corner of the ranch to build a cabin like Felix did. Or maybe you can even stay in Mom and Dad’s old house. Come on. We Hobie Wildes want you here. Screw the Dallas crew.”
Evan studied me with a grin. “Yeah, Otto. We want you here. At least give it some serious thought, okay? I’ll email you some more details. The job at the station doesn’t have to be filled until late May, but the soccer coach is needed here before then. I hope you’ll consider it. You and Sheriff Walker sure were a force to be reckoned with on the field back in the old days.”
I glanced at him, trying not to choke on the sip I’d taken of my beer. “Walker isn’t coaching, too, is he?”
“No. Unfortunately, his job is too unpredictable for him to be able to do it. That’s why we need you. Let me know when you’re ready to say yes, Otto. Can’t wait to get you in the firehouse and show you what we’ve got,” he said with a wink before turning to say goodbye to the rest of my family.
Was that a flirt wink? Was there any chance Chief Paige was gay or bi? God, that would be a dream come true for any number of my brothers and cousins, not to mention myself. I wouldn’t mind a roll in the hay with that gorgeous man if it would get my mind off a certain law enforcement officer.