AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you hungry baby?” she coos at the dog, reaching over to grab him some assorted pup treats and hustling to his side to let him choose his munchies. Of course, in typical Blue fashion, he chooses them all. The dog’s appetite is unrivaled, and he has almost as big a stomach as I do. With him being loved on, I turn toward the counter. My mouth waters at the scent of pastries and fresh bread swirling around me, and my stomach rumbles loudly enough to wake the dead, causing Tilly to head my way.
“Sounds like you’re hungry too,” she says, sliding behind the counter and reaching over to grab some apple pie scones she put aside just for me. A goddess amongst women—Drew is a lucky man, although she honestly feels more like a sister to me.
Unbidden, the face of my crabby neighbor floats through my mind. Now that one ….
“Hey, Angel,” I greet Tilly with a charming smile. “Are you ready to cut the big guy loose and run away with me?”
An angry growl rumbles from behind me as I grab my treats and blow her a kiss. Tilly’s cheeks pink at my harmless flirting and I hightail it quickly to the table before Drew loses his shit.
“How come you never flirt with me?” the stunning redhead already seated at the table asks snippily. Her boyfriend, Cole, who’s sitting next to her, chokes on his coffee as he tries to suppress his laugh and she gives him a hearty smack on the back.
“Because I want to keep my dog, Sloane,” I reply easily. Her mouth drops open, ready to blast me with something scathing, I’m sure, but the former model is quickly distracted by Cole cackling next to her. “And also, you’re a little scary.”
“Scary? Scary?” she asks in mock outrage as her Bernese Mountain Dog, Winnie, lumbers over to snuggle with her Mama. But Sloane kind of is. Her personality absolutely matches her hair, and while she and Cole are amazing additions to our SAR team and I love being around them; I’m pretty sure flirting with that particular fire would turn me to ash. Not to mention when Cole pissed her off this past winter, she stole Winnie. So yeah, nope. You couldn’t pay me enough to poke that hornet’s nest.
Sliding down next to Tucker, a local police officer and my closest friend on the search and rescue team, I offer him an eye roll, which he promptly returns.
“Where’s Kenna?” I ask, realizing Tucker’s twin, and the last member of our merry band, is missing, along with her happy-go-lucky Labrador Abigail. All the dogs are lounging around the bakery, licking at pup cups Tilly brought them before perching on Drew’s lap.
“Couldn’t make it,” he replies around a mouthful of crumb cake. He shrugs, and I wonder if everything is okay.
Warmth spreads through me; damn I’ve been missing chill time with this group. They’re a piece of my soul, family that’s not blood. It’s the fucking best.
We settle in, teasing each other and just shooting the shit. It’s the best damn afternoon I’ve had in a long time. I fill them in on all the extra work I have on the ranch and even reluctantly admit that it’s a bit of a struggle and I miss having more shifts at the firehouse.
“Are you going to talk to your brothers and tell them all the horse training is a bit more than you want to be doing?” Sloane asks, leaning forward and making her hair sway in its high ponytail. If anyone understands tricky family situations, it’s her.
“Nah, Mom and Dad would just feel guilty and come back to work. Or the Beast would lose his mind. Running the ranch has him worse than usual,” I try to explain, glad to at least have somewhere to unburden myself. She frowns at me, but I don’t want to argue the point. The whole thing is a done deal. I’m stuck, and there’s no point in trying to figure it out. “I have a new neighbor, though.”
“An alpaca? I want one but Drew said no,” Tilly asks, looking pointedly at her fiancé.
“Nope, not a new animal this time. A woman and her son. And let me tell you, she is not a fan of mine,” I share before jumping into the story about Blue sneaking into Theo’s room. They all sip their coffees and listen with rapt attention. Hell, it’s a small town; we love gossip.
The girls are giggling about Annoyed refusing to give me her name, and the guys are smirking at me like they know something I don’t. Finally finishing the story, Tucker clasps my shoulder.
“Looks like I’m going to be the last single guy left standing,” he says with a shake of his head. And maybe he’s right. She intrigues me. Her hesitation is an itch under my skin. Not to mention, she appeals to everything in my nature.
Her long blond hair, her biteable ass, the cleavage that makes me want to dive in and never come up for air… And even more than that, the way she lovingly protects her son—even if it’s from my dog. Yeah, I want to get to know her. My cock twitches at the thought and I bite back my groan.
“I need to get her to tell me her name first,” I grumble, frustration seeping from my words.
“Maybe you should show her some of your infamous rope tricks,” he whispers too loudly, and all the eyes at the table bore into me and I cough to cover his words. Dick, last time I teach him anything. Now is not the time to chat rope tricks.
“What rope tricks?” Tilly asks innocently and I can’t stop the wicked smile I toss her way as Tucker leans in.
“Well, Jeremy does this thing with a rope…” he begins before Drew cuffs him. The smack forces him to bite his tongue, and I jump in to move the topic off of my sexual proclivities.
“Maybe a peace offering of some pastries?” I ask Tilly and she hums in agreement, still giving me a bit of a curious appraisal as she hops from Drew’s lap to gather a box of her finest for me to bring my new neighbor.
“I tossed in some cookies for her little boy too,” Tilly chirps happily as she brings it over to the table and slides it to me before bending down to pick up Hot Dog, who is now pawing at her leg looking for attention. She lifts the little red dachshund, cuddling him close, and it seems to be the cue for all the dogs to become restless. They move in, butting their heads into their respective owners’ legs, except for Mayhem, who leaps straight into Tucker’s lap.
Tucker wheezes at the impact but still wraps his arms around the big German Shepherd, who believes he’s a lap dog. Better him than me. Mayhem barks loudly, then licks his face, giving him a sloppy, wet kiss.
Tinkling laughter fills the warm bakery.
Standing up in unison, we all say quick see you laters, knowing it won’t be long before the next mission.
Armed with my box of baked goods, I head down the street. All the shops are bustling with tourists, but somehow the town still feels peaceful and welcoming. My chest fills with love and a sense of true belonging. Waving at familiar, friendly faces, I make my way to my truck with Blue following at my heels.
