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Leah admired the hell out of that Especially since she’d never known her path She’d known one thing, the need to get out of Lucky Harbor—and she had At age seventeen, she’d gone and had rarely looked back

But she was back now, putting her pastry chef skills to good use helping her grandery The proble in one place

Not quite true, said a little voice inside her If not for a string of spectacularly bad decisions, she’d have finished French culinary school And not embarrassed herself on the reality TV shoeet Wars And…

Don’t go there

Instead, she scooped up a big bite of fluffy pancakes and concentrated on their delicious goodness rather than her own screwups Obsessing over her bad decisions was soht

“Jack’s at the griddle,” Ali noted

Leah twisted around to look at the cooking setup Lieutenant Jack Harper was indeed riddle He was tall and broad shouldered and looked like a guy who could take on anything that ca, since he ran station 24

Fire Station 24 was one of four that serviced the county, and thanks to the Olye at their back, with its million acres of forest, all four stations were perpetually busy

Jack thrived on busy He could be as intiht now since he was head-bopping to so hi hard rock

Not too far froe Great Dane He hite with black s that iven to a neighboring fire station where he’d remained until he’d eaten one too many expensive hoses, torn up one too many beds, and chewed dead one too many pairs of boots The rambunctious one-year-old had then been put up for adoption

The only problem was that no one had wanted as by then a hundred-and-fifty-pound nuisance Kevin had been headed for the Humane Society when Jack, always the protector, always the savior, had stepped in a feeeks back and saved the day

Just like he’d done for Leah more times than she could count

It’d becoreat source of entertainment for the entire town that Jack Harper II, once the town terror hihters everywhere—was now in charge of the latest town terror

Another firefighter stepped up to the griddle to relieve Jack, who loaded a plate for hie, which Kevin caught in e instantly vanished, and Kevin licked his lips, staring intently at Jack’s plate as if he could e fly into his mouth by wish alone

Jack laughed and crouched down to talk to the dog, aBDUs—his unifor male skin, and just the hint of a perfect ass

On either side of Leah, both Ali and Aubrey gave lusty sighs Leah coh catching in her throat, but she squelched it They were in the F-zone, she and Jack Friends Friends didn’t do lust, or if they did, they also did the snored it Still, she felt a shter Truth was, he’d been rade, when she’d first moved to Lucky Harbor

As if sensing her appraisal, Jack lifted his head His dark,right at her because he arched a dark brow

And on either side of her, Ali and Aubrey sighed again

“Really?” Leah asked them

“Well, look at hiot rhythm—and not just the fake white-boy kind either He’s also funny as hell And for a bonus, he’s gainfully employed It’s just too bad I’m off men forever”

“Forever’s a long tiht of the beautiful, blond Aubrey going after Jack

But Jack was still looking at Leah Those glasses were still in the way, but she knew his dark eyes were fraht, dark lines of his eyebrows And the right broas sliced through by a thin scar, which he’d gotten at age fourteen when he and his cousin Ben had stolen his mom’s car and driven it into a fence

“Forever,” Aubrey repeated emphatically “I’m off men forever” Leah felt herself relax a little

Which was silly Jack could date whomever he wanted, and did Often

“And anyway,” Aubrey went on, “that’s what batteries are for”

Ali laughed along with Aubrey as they all continued to watch Jack, who’d gone back to the griddle He waspancakes, ht of the crowd

“Woo-hoo!” Aubrey yelled at hi hie juice

Jack grinned and took a bow

“Hey,” Ali said, nudging Leah “Go tip him”

“Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?” Aubrey asked

Leah rolled her eyes and stood up “You’re both ridiculous He’s dating soht nurse”