Page 73 of Heat Advisory

I should be upset, or at the very least worried, but I found that I wasn’t.

In fact, as I stood there in the bathroom and redid my hair and makeup, I found there was a little part of me that actually hoped we had made a baby.

The Firefighters’ Ball was not what I’d expected. It was filled with glittering lights, loud music, a large supply of food, and tons of people—easily a few hundred.

Jay looked unfairly handsome in his black suit, made even worse every time he grinned at me throughout the evening.

He’d been introducing me as his fiancée to everyone we met, like I was a rare artifact that he had just unearthed.

“This is Cora, my fiancée. Yes, she’s real. No, you can’t have her,” he joked with everyone, as I usually shook my head or laughed.

We had just finished meeting all of Jay’s bosses—the full BLTS sandwich, if you will—when Jay offered to go brave the long line at the bar to get us some drinks.

I started to make my way over to our table when he showed up.

Trent. The same man I had seen at the burn scar assessment a few weeks ago.

“Cora, fancy seeing you here.” His demeanor was friendly, but it carried full creepy vibes.

“Hello.” I kept it simple and tried forcing a polite smile.

He leaned in, not too close, but close enough to make me uncomfortable. “So, I have a question for you. Jay never brought you around to anything before, which is odd because usually everyone brings their spouse or partner over to work events.”

He paused, clearly hoping I would take the bait.

“I’m sorry… Was there a question?” Two can play at that game, jerk.

“How long did you two date before you got engaged?” he asked, his voice still friendly, but the smile was slipping. “Just seems like perfect timing for him to get engaged once he realized I’ve jumped ahead for the fire inspector position.”

My stomach dropped, not because he was wrong, but because he was right in the worst way. I was also a terrible liar and didn’t want to be put in this situation.

I stuck with the simplest answer and the truth to get me through. “We’ve known each other since high school, Trent. I think our first kiss all those years ago and the feelings that went with it lingered, and we just couldn’t shake it anymore and decided to date, and now we’re engaged.”

He looked at me as though he knew I was lying, but then his gaze moved from me to something behind me. He reached out to put his hand on my shoulder in what would appear to be a kind manner, but I knew it wasn’t.

I didn’t have to look behind me to know what it was he was looking at. I felt his presence before he ever said a word.

Jay didn’t need to. His presence alone was a warning that I could sense, and I imagined Trent did too.

“I would suggest,” Jay said, his voice low and dangerous, “that you remove your hand from my fiancée. Right. Now.”

Trent didn’t move or even blink.

The air between us crackled, not with electricity, but with a distinct threat.

“Touch her again,” Jay said, quieter now, but somehow more terrifying, “and you’re going to need a new hand.”

Trent finally pulled back—slow and deliberate, like he was testing how far he could push.

“Oh, for the love of God, Trent, let someone else meet her.”

The voice was loud, brash, and unmistakably female.

“I’m Nicole Spicer,” she said, extending her hand to me and ignoring Trent like he was an annoying piece of lint. “I’m in charge of the EMS crew at the station. You must be the woman who finally tamed this son of a bitch.”

She nodded toward Jay in a joking manner, and I smiled.

“That’s one way to put it,” I said, shaking her hand.