by Kim Fox
Hadley put the truck in drive and pulled onto the road as Jax and Zane shook their heads. Axel knew he would definitely get in shit for this, but he was only going a few blocks away and would be gone for less than ten minutes. The firehouse had a smaller backup fire truck that they hardly ever used. Zane and Jax could use that in case there was a fire while they were out, and anyway, if that happened Axel would hear the sirens blaring, run out of the grocery store, and meet them en route.
“Why is Zane shaking his head like that?” Hadley asked when she glanced into the side mirror and saw the Kodiak bear shifter with a sullen look on his face. “What does that mean?”
“It means I have to get him the biggest steak I can find,” Axel muttered under his breath. They both looked pissed off, but Axel knew that the bigger their steaks, the more likely they would forget their anger.
He turned his attention back to the hot blonde beside him and watched her closely. She was a natural at driving the big truck and Axel couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wondered if there was anything she wasn’t good at.
“Having fun?” he asked with a grin.
She was gripping the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles were white, and Axel was sure she hadn’t blinked once since the red beast started moving, but her smile was stretched from ear to ear.
“This is incredible,” she said, giggling as everyone moved out of the truck’s way. “I can’t believe I’m driving a fire truck!”
“I can’t believe you haven’t run over the sidewalk yet,” Axel said with a laugh. “Want to turn the siren on?”
She whipped her head toward him and her wide eyes opened even wider. “Can we?”
Axel grinned as he pointed at the switch over their heads. “Right here.”
Hadley giggled as she reached up and flicked on the siren, letting it blare through the town. People were looking at them funny. They had the siren on but were crawling down the street at about five miles per hour.
Zane would be even angrier that he let her put the siren on, but right now he didn’t care. That look on Hadley’s face was worth any price.
And it was going to cost him.
It was going to cost him the biggest steak in the store.
Chapter 8
Hadley
In a weird way, Hadley was actually glad that her flight had been canceled. She was having a lot of fun.
The steaks were cooking on the barbecue, smelling so fantastic that they were making her mouth water and the guys were at each other’s throats in such a funny way that her cheeks were hurting from smiling so much.
“You’re burning them,” Jax said, sounding panicked as he looked over Zane’s shoulder at the steaks.
Zane smacked him on the forehead with the spatula. “How dare you question my barbecuing skills,” he hissed.
“Are they always like this?” Hadley asked Gwen, their nice neighbor who was sitting beside her.
“Only when they’re cooking,” Gwen replied, shaking her head as she smiled at them. “And when they’re working… and hanging out… yeah, they’re pretty much always like this.”
Axel walked out of the firehouse holding a tray with five tall glasses of lemonade on it. When he caught her eye and smiled, she was surprised to feel her heart flutter.
Don’t start, she warned herself. Just because he was hot and made her laugh and was walking over with an ice cold lemonade, didn’t make him husband material.
Hadley could try and control her thoughts but she couldn’t control her body, and right now her body was definitely reacting to the hot fireman who was walking toward her. A smile crept across her lips, blood rushed to her cheeks, and her heart began to race a little harder as he knelt down in front of her.
“Ladies first,” he said, flashing her a sexy grin.
Both Hadley and Gwen leaned forward and took a cold lemonade off the tray. Axel never broke eye contact with her until he stood back up and turned away.
Even then, Hadley couldn’t look away. Her heated eyes were fixated on his muscular back as he walked over to the guys by the barbecue.
“So,” Gwen whispered to her with a conspiratorial grin on her face. “You and Axel.”
It was painful, but Hadley pulled her eyes off of the sexy firefighter to turn to Gwen. “So. You and Zane.”
She smiled shyly as she stirred her drink with the colorful straw. “Yup. Me and Zane. I still can’t believe it. I lived beside him for two years and we fought every day, and then one day we just clicked.”
Hadley glanced back at Axel. Would the day come when they just clicked? Maybe that day had been their first date, but Hadley was too busy holding up a wall between them to notice.
“So, it’s been going well between you two?” Hadley asked.
“Well is an understatement,” Gwen said with hearts in her eyes as she looked at her man. “It’s been incredible.”
Hadley smiled tightly as she took a sip of lemonade, feeling happy for her new friend, but also a tad jealous.
“I heard the news,” Gwen whispered as she glanced down at Hadley’s stomach. “Congratulations. Axel is going to make a wonderful father.”
“You think so?” Hadley asked even though she already knew the answer. They had only been on two dates, but she could already tell that Axel had been the most thoughtful and attentive guy she had ever been with. He was a real sweetheart.
“Definitely,” Gwen said, nodding. “I can’t wait to see him with his little bear cub.”
Bear cub? Hadley smiled. She had never heard of a child being referred to as a bear cub, but for some reason, it just felt right. They definitely do things differently in Montana.
Gwen went on talking about babies and the firehouse, but Hadley was having a hard time focusing on what she was saying. She was too busy watching Axel, wanting to know more about him.
She had to stifle a giggle when she saw Jax’s face after he took a sip of the lemonade. “There’s no alcohol in this,” he said, glaring at Axel as if he just committed the most unthinkable act imaginable.
“Hadley is pregnant,” Axel said, staring back at him. “I thought we could go non-alcoholic tonight.”
“You thought wrong,” Jax said with a frown.
“Please,” Axel pleaded in a whisper that Hadley wasn’t supposed to hear. “I really want her to feel comfortable and enjoy herself.”
“And me enjoying a cold cocktail on this fine summer night is going to make her feel uncomfortable?” Jax asked with a sarcastic laugh.
“I don’t know,” Axel said, huffing out a breath as he ran his hand through his hair. “I just… I just want this to work so badly. I don’t know what to do.”
Hadley’s chest tightened as she eavesdropped on them. He was trying so hard, and here she was actively trying to shut him down without even giving him a chance. Maybe she would end up in a loveless marriage like her mother, but then again, maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe she was throwing away her chance at true happiness, which would be even worse.
She had been so worried about repeating the mistakes of her mother that she hadn’t realized that the mistake she could be making may be far worse.
“You’re doing great,” Zane whispered to Axel. “Just be yourself. She’s bound to fall in love with you when she sees the true you.”
“Why are you lying to the poor guy?” Jax said with a mischievous grin on his face. “Axel you should act in the opposite way of how you normally act.”
“Shut up,” Axel said with a chuckle.
Jax was teasing him in the way that only close male friends could. “You should act like Gunner. Chicks love sullen and broody.”
“No, they don’t,” Axel answered with a scoff. “Do they?”
Zane laughed. “Axel, there’s nothing sullen and broody about you at all. You’re like an energetic puppy.”
“Cute and cuddly?” Axel asked, perking up.
“No. Energetic and annoying,” Jax corrected with a laugh.
“Lovable and full of life,�
� Zane said as he frowned at Jax. “Just be yourself. It will work out.”
Axel let out a sigh. “I hope so.”
His eyes darted to Hadley and she quickly turned away, trying to focus on whatever Gwen was saying.
“So, then I mix the sugar in before I add the blueberries,” she was saying, rambling on about muffin recipes. Hadley just stared at her face, not listening to a word she was saying.
Her mind was racing, going over what she had just overheard. Axel wants me to fall in love with him? He wants a relationship?
She had been certain that he was a player. Hadley wasn’t the type to have a one-night stand, but he had made it happen so easily. She had been convinced that it was because he was a pro. A natural. A player who had done it a million times and that was why it happened so fast.
It never even occurred to her that it was because there was some deep underlying connection between them.
She had thought that he wouldn’t want anything to do with her or their child. She had expected him to be happy that she was planning on living in Philadelphia and raising the child by herself. She thought he would be excited to get her back on the plane and out of his life, so this was all a surprise.
It wasn’t something she was prepared for. It hadn’t even occurred to her that he might want to be involved. And not just involved… He seemed to want to be with her, for her. Not just out of some misguided sense of moral duty.
She had a lot to think about, and she had to do it quickly because she would probably be on an airplane on the way back home sometime tomorrow.
“A pinch of salt, two eggs…” Gwen said, rambling on about her bran muffin recipe. Hadley nodded every five seconds and added the occasional ‘ah’ to keep her going. She had a lot to think about.
“Steaks are ready!” Zane called out from behind the barbecue.
“They were ready an hour ago,” Jax complained. “You burnt them.”
“Just yours,” Zane answered with a grin. “All of the other ones are perfect.”
Axel was busy setting up a folding table and placing the chairs around it.
“I should go help,” Hadley said, excusing herself to Gwen. “I can’t wait to try those blueberry muffins.”
Gwen’s face was beaming. “Tomorrow morning,” she said with a huge smile on her face. “They’re best when they first come out of the oven.”
“Can’t wait!” Hadley took a deep breath and walked over to the table where Axel was smoothing out a tablecloth with his hand.
“Fancy,” she said, smiling at him.
“Well, you’re here, which means it’s a special night,” he answered with a softness to his voice. “Where would you like to sit? You get first pick.”
“Anywhere is fine,” she said, even though there was only one place she wanted to sit. She took a deep breath, deciding to be open to any possibility. “As long as it’s beside you.”
Axel’s eyes widened and his face lit up as he looked up at her. He was radiating happiness (just like a new puppy) and Hadley couldn’t help but smile.
Hadley still didn’t know if it was fate that covered her airplane with ice, but with every look that Axel gave her, it was starting to feel more and more like it was.
The dinner was perfect. The steaks were delicious and the conversation had gone great. Even Jax had lightened up after Hadley insisted they bring out some wine. The five of them were laughing and joking around like they were old friends.
She thought it was strange how she could just start a meal with a bunch of strangers and have them turn into friends by the time they had dessert. She just fit in. Even back home with her best friends, she had never felt so easy and relaxed. Sara was fun but always so judgmental, and Josee always seemed more interested in the contents of someone’s wallet rather than the content of their character.
They were a different breed here in Montana. Axel, Zane, Gwen, and Jax were just themselves. Good and bad, they were who they were and Hadley felt like she could be who she was too.
She had caught herself looking at Axel a lot throughout the dinner, sneaking glances, sharing little moments between just the two of them—a quick smile, a touch under the table. He filled her plate with the delicious potatoes without asking after she had quickly plowed through them, which she thought was sweet. He was definitely attentive to her needs.
The sun was gone and the magnificent stars were out by the time they all got up, stretching their stiff limbs. Jax volunteered to clean up, and Gwen and Zane disappeared into the bakery to prepare some things for the morning rush (at least that’s what they claimed).
“Are you tired?” Axel asked her as he slid his hand over her lower back. It was a simple touch but it felt so natural. It felt like it was where his hand belonged.
She looked into his soft eyes and shook her head. “No,” she said. “I’d like to stay up.”
“We can do anything you like,” he said, looking thrilled that he had more time to spend with her.
Hadley took a deep breath of the cool mountain air as she looked up at the dark sky. The stars were incredible. She knew in theory that there were gazillions of stars in the sky, but she never thought she would be able to see them all at one time.
“Let’s go sit somewhere and talk,” she said, turning away from the magnificent view to the even better one in front of her. Axel really was a gorgeous man. She remembered not wanting to spend any money at the auction, but when she saw him in his firefighting gear, she just had to have him.
“I never get to see the stars like this back home,” she said. “I can see maybe ten if I’m lucky.”
He took her hand in his and turned. “Come,” he said, looking at her with a grin over his round shoulder. “I know just the place.”
Hadley’s fingers were tingling in his hand as she followed him behind the building. She felt so relaxed with a hint of excitement swirling through her body. He smelled so good, like the sweet sun and all she could think about was getting closer to him to breathe it in a little more.
“Are we driving again?” she asked when they turned the corner and the fire truck was there. It had been a blast driving that thing through the town and having everyone look at them.
“Not tonight,” he said, stopping at the side of the truck. “You said you wanted to see the stars. We’ll get a better view from up there.”
Hadley bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him. She had a strong urge to run her hand down his chest but she grabbed the handle on the truck and pulled herself up instead.
Axel helped boost her up to the top, careful not to put his hand on her ass. The back of her thighs burned with a hypersensitivity to his touch, and she suddenly remembered why she was so quick to have sex with him in the first place.
“Careful,” he said as she climbed onto the roof. “You’re holding some precious cargo.”
She laughed as she settled cross-legged on the roof and turned to help him up, but he didn’t need any help. Axel climbed up easily, swinging his legs up with a graceful agility that surprised her.
He sat down beside her, their legs touching, and breathed in deep as he looked up at the stars. “I’ve lived here so long. Sometimes I forget to stop and admire the stars.”
“They’re beautiful,” she said, trying to spot a familiar constellation but they all just looked like a garbled mess of bright lights. “Have you lived here your whole life?”
“For most of it,” he said. “I was a farm boy growing up until I turned twenty and started driving my parent’s crazy. My dad was a friend of our fire chief, Draven, and he got me an interview here. I hit it off with Draven, got the job and have been living here for the past five years.”
She smiled as she listened to his soft soothing voice. He seemed like a down-to-earth guy who enjoyed the simple things in life. That sounds pretty good right about now.
“What was it like growing up on a farm?” she asked, watching his face. She wanted to know everything about him. Not just because he was the father of he
r child, but because she was genuinely interested. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him.
He told her all about his parents and his younger siblings. He was the oldest of six. Four boys. Two girls. He had her laughing as he told her a story about the time he tried to start a band with his brothers and sisters. “We thought we were going to be rich and famous,” he said with a laugh. “Until we realized that none of us had any musical talent.”
“What instrument did you play?” Hadley asked, picturing him as a young teenager surrounded by his family.
“Oh, we didn’t have any instruments,” he said with a chuckle. “Mostly pots and pans. My sister Caroline had an old recorder and my brother James had a broken harmonica. It squeaked with every second note.”
“I wish I could have seen you guys play,” she said with a smile.
“No, you don’t,” he said, laughing as he shook his head. “You really don’t. One day, my mother came in screaming at the top of her lungs that if she heard one more sound out of us she was going to move to Madagascar and we would never see her again. It was a long winter for her.”
Hadley smiled as she inched a little closer to his muscular body. It dawned on her that Caroline and James and his other siblings would be her child’s aunts and uncles. The screaming mother would be his or her grandmother. It should have been a scary thought, but it wasn’t. It sounded nice. It sounded homey. It sounded perfect and she couldn’t wait to meet them one day.
“Can I tell you something?” she asked, inhaling his masculine scent.
“Anything.”
“I thought you’d be mad at me.”
“For what?”
“That I was pregnant.”
His eyes softened as he looked at her. “It was as much my fault as it was yours,” he said with a soothing laugh.
“But that I’m keeping it. I thought you’d be upset.”
“I’d be upset if you didn’t,” he said, holding her a little tighter. “This is a good thing, Hadley. I’m so happy that you’re having my baby.”
Hadley’s eyes burned as her eyes watered. “Really?”