Heidi McCahan - The Firefighter's Twins

“Oh, the kids love it.” Missy bobbed her head. “My students are already asking if they can squirt the hose and wear those plastic fire hats.”

“Missy’s a preschool teacher,” Natalie said.

Shay smiled. “Little boys love fire engines.”

“That sounds like the voice of experience.” Erin opened the box to reveal an assortment of her legendary cookies. “Do you have kids, Shay?”

Natalie stilled, pretending to stare at her screen. But her racing pulse was a dead giveaway. She was more curious than she cared to admit. Hadn’t he mentioned something about his kids at the birthday party?

“Twin two-year-old boys,” Shay said.

Oh, my. Natalie’s gaze darted to his ring finger. Nothing. Warmth heated her cheeks. She only needed his help with the festival, right? Shay’s family life—particularly his potential single-dad status—was none of her business. The heartache over losing Spencer was enough to last a lifetime. She gave herself a mental shake. Avoiding firefighters, remember?

“How about the other trucks we’ve had in the past?” Pastor Adams chose a chocolate chip cookie from the box. “Kids enjoy climbing all over that stuff.”

Bless him for steering the meeting back on track. “We always have a tractor, riding mower and Dad’s old pickup truck available.” Natalie glanced down and double-checked her notes. “I’ve left a message with a heavy equipment company in Raleigh to see if they’d bring a loader or a dump truck out. They haven’t returned my call.”

“Do you want my husband to follow up on that?” Missy whipped out her phone. “He has quite a few contacts through the department of transportation.”

“That would be fabulous. Thank you.”

“Of course. Let me send him a quick text.” Missy’s fingers flew over her screen.

Shay declined the cookie Erin offered. “Is there any sort of performance or live entertainment?”

“Yes, that’s the best part.” Natalie grinned. “Jayce Philips, the hottest new thing in country music, grew up here, and he promised to be our headlining act. Isn’t that great?”

Missy gasped. “No way.”

“He’s a great kid.” Pastor Adams nodded his approval.

“I still can’t believe it,” Natalie said. “His mom indicated he might give away two tickets and backstage passes to his Raleigh concert, too. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

Shay’s countenance dimmed.

Natalie studied him. What was wrong? Maybe he didn’t like country music. Or he’d never heard of Jayce Philips. If that was even possible.

“Could we auction those tickets off or hold a raffle?” Missy’s smile widened, and she snapped her fingers. “Oh, how about this. All proceeds benefit the family moving into the new house.”

“Perfect. I’ll follow up with Jayce’s mom.” Natalie typed in a quick note on her to-do list. “Our biggest issue is finishing the house. We’ve had great support from local volunteer groups, including several men from the church, but it looks like we need even more people to step up. I’m a little concerned that we’re running out of time. These next six weeks are crucial.”

“I can’t officially commit until I talk to some of the guys at the station, but this sounds like the kind of thing we could get involved in,” Shay said. “When we aren’t on shift, we’d help with the landscaping or the plumbing, hanging drywall—anything we’re skilled at doing.”

Natalie felt her mouth drop open. “You’d do that? For us?”

“Of course. Like I said, I’d need to ask around. I’m a little new to be volunteering the whole station, but the chief’s made it very clear that you will have our full support.”

“I—I don’t know what to say.”

He grinned, warmth returning to his eyes. “Say ‘thank you.’ Maybe a few cheeseburgers from The Grille would help, too.”

“Done.” Natalie held his gaze, noting the way a crescent-shaped scar on his cheek accompanied that incredible smile of his.

“I’ll schedule some youth group work parties, as well.” Pastor Adams dusted crumbs from his fingers. “Our congregation always pulls together when there’s a need.”

“See? We’ve got you covered,” Missy said. “It’s all going to work out.”

“I hope you’re right.” Natalie typed more detailed notes into the app. She still couldn’t envision this all coming together in the next month. But she’d never forgive herself if the festival and the service project fell through on her watch. Now that Forever Love’s incredible offer had arrived, wooing her with a fantastic opportunity, she’d have to work extra hard to guard against distraction. There was too much on her plate already.

Shay linked his arms across that muscular chest she couldn’t seem to get out of her line of sight.

It was time to add “stop staring at handsome service project volunteer” to the top of the to-do list.

* * *

Shay corralled Aiden in the bathroom and swept him up in his favorite bath towel—the one with a puppy face and floppy ears on the hood and his name embroidered on the front. “What does a puppy say, Aiden?”

“Woof, woof.” Aiden grinned, beads of water from the bath still clinging to his pale eyelashes. That adorable, innocent smile offered a ray of hope—a tender reminder that even in Shay’s exhausted state, he could keep going. In moments like these, weary from the marathon of the evening routine, he found himself wishing for a partner—someone to laugh at the boys’ antics with, as well as share the load. Natalie’s head cocked to one side, her gaze holding his, flitted through his mind.

No.

He gritted his teeth. Who was he kidding? He pushed the mental image aside and shifted his focus back to the boys—where it belonged.

“That’s right.” He quickly dried Aiden and settled him on the bath mat. “Let’s put your jammies on.”

“Books?”

“After we brush your teeth, okay?”

“’Kay.”

He’d already lifted Liam from the tub, dressed him and sent him across the hall to play in the bedroom. Once he had Aiden’s diaper in place, Shay leaned back on his heels and listened.

Silence answered back.

“Liam?” he called over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“He play.” Aiden stared up at him, fingering the hem of the bath towel lying nearby.

“It doesn’t sound like he’s playing.” He scooped Aiden up, grabbing the clean pajamas off the counter on his way to the door. “Let’s go check.”

“Yee-um?” Aiden called in a soft voice as they crossed the hallway to the boys’ bedroom.

A line of cars and trucks sat abandoned in the middle of the floor, and puzzle pieces were spilled underneath one of the cribs, but there was no sign of Liam.

“Nope, not here.” Shifting Aiden to his other hip, Shay hurried down the hall of their modest rambler and stopped at the back door. The dead bolt was secure, so he moved on, checking both the washer and dryer in the laundry room. Don’t panic. He’s got to be here somewhere.

“Where go?” Aiden opened his palm heavenward.

“I don’t know. We’ll find him.” He jogged to the front door and double-checked the childproof knob and the lock. A two-year-old couldn’t get past that, right?

He pivoted, raking his hand through his hair as he surveyed the den and breakfast nook. “Liam?” His voice echoed off the empty walls. “Come out, buddy. No more hiding. It’s time to read books.”

Aiden giggled. “Yee-um hide.”

“I’m glad you think it’s funny,” Shay muttered. His heart rate rising, he retraced his steps back down the hall toward the master bedroom. Once or twice since they’d moved in, he’d allowed the boys to snuggle in bed with him and watch a cartoon on TV. It was the only way he could keep them still while he caught a few more precious minutes of sleep.