You look nice,” I said to Tyler. “But you also look nervous.”

“What do you think?” he asked, holding up a small, dark red box.

“May I?” I asked. He nodded. I tipped back the lid, revealing a small white gold band with a single, round solitaire diamond.

He shrugged one shoulder, wrinkling his nose. “Her dad’s a billionaire, you know. But she likes simple things, so I thought…”

“She’ll love it,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah?” he asked, still unsure.

“Absolutely.”

He closed the box and looked away, pain in his eyes. “Ellie’s been through a lot. She’s been gone awhile and we didn’t part on good terms, so I’m not sure.”

“Do what feels right,” I said.

Tyler smiled. “Thanks, Darby.”

I nodded, then pushed his shoulder. “Now, go. Go before you’re late. You wanna make sure you’re standing there when she gets off the plane.”

He jogged off, waving once before leaving through the entry doors.

I made my way back to the check-in desk, situating papers and entering the wake-up calls in the system. Trex would be home in four hours. This was the longest part of the day, and I’d be glad when I could wake up, run errands, and see Trex for a few hours before my shift. He was pretty much my life outside of work, even though Maya had asked me to go out with her a few times, but our schedules never seemed to work out.

The phone rang, and I answered. “Colorado Springs Hotel, how can I help you?”

The other side of the line was quiet, but not dead, as if the other person was waiting. “Hello? This is the Colorado Springs Hotel. Can I help you?”

Still nothing, but I could hear movement. A chill went down my back, and the dread I felt in Texas, hearing Shawn’s truck pull into the driveway, came over me. I hung up, staring at the receiver. It felt like a lifetime had passed since I’d felt that fear, but it didn’t take me long to remember and appreciate that it was gone.

“Hi,” a high-pitched voice said from the other side of the desk.

I jumped. “Oh, God!” I touched my chest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you come in. How can I help you?”

The woman in front of me was four shades darker than her natural shade should have been, her hair bleach blond, and her lips an almost glowing bright pink. “My name is Jojo. I’m the new girl for MountainEar Magazine. I’ll be replacing Ellie.”

“Replacing?” I said, surprised. “Are they letting you go up?”

“Oh no.” She looked around the lobby, pleased. “I’ll be hanging out here, interviewing the hotshots, getting a few photos of them between shifts. There’s a story there, too.”

“I see,” I said, clicking on the mouse. She had a reservation. She must have made it in the few hours a day I wasn’t at the front desk. Part of me felt defensive of Ellie’s place here, and it was hard not to hold that against Jojo. “I’ll need an ID and a credit card, please.”

Jojo was on her way upstairs, as far away from any hotshots as I could place her, when Stavros made a quick dash to my desk from the bar. “I just wanted to tell you while you’ve got a spare minute. I’ve got great news. I have an interview with a girl this afternoon, and I’m pretty sure she’ll be the new hire.”

“Yeah?”

“So, prepare to train her for a week, and then you’ll be back to your regular shift.”

“Thank you,” I said, relieved.

“And…this…” He handed me an envelope.

“What’s this?”

“A bonus in addition to the overtime, for working your ass off without complaint.”

I opened it, seeing a stack of bills. “What?”

Stavros walked off without another word, and I thumbed through the twenties. Five hundred dollars!

“Thank you!” I called after him, attempting and failing to will back the tears in my eyes. I folded the envelope and shoved it as deep into my pocket as it would go, already making a mental list of things to use the money on. Prenatal appointment, groceries, diapers, savings. There were so many things I could spend it on, it was hard to choose. Life was looking up.

I touched my stomach. “We’re doing good, Bean.”

After tending the bar and checking out two dozen hotshots headed home for two days of R&R, Stavros came back with a tall brunette. “Darby, this is Lane. She’ll be working the three to eleven.”

“Congratulations,” I said with a smile. In that moment, Lane, with her long, shiny chestnut hair, her tiny waist, her round backside, full lips, and perfectly proportioned double D’s, was my best friend. She would give me more time with Trex, more time to rest and take care of Bean. Even though my best friend was beautiful and one big nervous ball of energy, I couldn’t ignore the strange expression on Stavros’s face. “What is it?”

“Just…don’t look at the television,” he said.

I glanced to my right through the fake bamboo plant to see a group of hotshots and Forestry and Agriculture officials gathered in front of the flat-screen. Most were frowning or holding their chins in their hands.

“Is it our guys?” I asked.

Stavros nodded twice. “They’re trying to reroute the fire from the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.”

“The what?”

“It’s a government facility. They’re saying it’s a risk. The wind isn’t in their favor.”

I used the desk to steady myself. Zeke, Sugar, Maddox, Dalton…too many to name.

“Can I get you a water?” Lane asked.

“That’s a good idea, Lane, thank you,” Stavros said.

She jogged across the lobby to the bar, and Stavros came around the desk to grab my arm. “You’re not going to go all Southern on me and get the vapors, are you?”

“I’m fine,” I said.

“You’re white as a sheet, kiddo.”

“Do you…do you know if Trex is out there with them?”

“I’m not sure. Does he work with them? He’s never said.”

I shrugged one shoulder, not sure what else to say.

“He’s never told you?” he asked. When I shook my head, he frowned. “That’s weird, Darby.”

“It’s policy.”

“Oh,” he said, recognition lighting his eyes. “I knew it. He totally fooled me. I bet he really does work for the mountain.”

“Which one?”

“The Cheyenne Mountain Complex. It’s a top-secret government facility. You can’t even drive down that road without getting arrested at gunpoint. It explains why he can’t tell you what he does. Maybe he is out there.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Trex? No. He’s private security.”

“Oh, c’mon. Maybe he’s their security. Or he could totally be part of a secret program. Maybe NORAD. They’re housed in there. Maybe he’s being experimented on. Does he glow at night?”

I nudged him with my elbow and rolled my eyes. “Quit it.” Then I paled, pushing my way around him and through the officials to get a good look at the flat-screen. There was only a reporter in the studio with an old picture in a square hovering over her right shoulder.

“Have they shown the hotshots?”

Lloyd, one of the officials, shook his head. “NORAD is in the mountain. It’s a no-fly zone.”

“Even for helitack?”

“They’re waiting on clearance.”

“What?” I said, looking around for someone else to weigh in. They were all staring intently at the screen. “Is anyone from the…mountain thing helping?”

Lloyd seemed to just notice I was standing there. “They haven’t said.”

Lane brought me a plastic cup of water. I took a sip and thanked her, watching Stavros smile at her like she’d just won the Nobel Peace Prize.

“Feeling better?” Lane asked.

“Yes. The water is helping,” I said, returning to the check-in desk. Stavros and Lane followed, witnessing me drink my water like they were in charge of my intake.

“When is your baby due?” Lane asked.

My mouth fell open, my eyes dancing between her and Stavros. Having no idea she was right, he was offended for me.

“She’s tiny, Lane. What would make you say…?” He noticed my expression. “Darby. Are you?” His voice went up an octave.

I sucked in a breath while I thought of what to say. “I was going to tell you,” I blurted out.

His nose wrinkled. “All the puking, the exhaustion…you’re pregnant?”

I grabbed his arm. “Stavros, I need this job.”

The hurt look on his face intensified, and he glared at Lane. “Could you excuse us, please?”

“Of course,” Lane said, turning on her heels and making a beeline for the bar.

Stavros turned to me. “Do you honestly believe I’m the sort of person who would fire a pregnant woman? Especially knowing your situation…or what I know of it?”

My shoulders sagged. “You’re not. I know that, but I didn’t know at first, and I wanted to prove to you that I was worth keeping through a maternity leave. I was going to tell you. It’s just been so busy and there wasn’t really a good time.”

His expression softened. “I think I’m more pissed that I didn’t already know.” He stood up tall, upset all over again, narrowing his eyes. “And you let me work a pregnant woman half to death with sixteen-hour shifts for weeks. Shame on you.”

I sunk back. “It’s really okay. I needed the money.”

“I’m training Lane. You’re off at eleven.”

“No! I can do it. Please? I really do need the hours.”

Stavros looked down at my stomach, then left me alone for the bar. He bent down, popped up, carried a stool over, and set it down behind my desk. “Use it when you’re not with a guest. No cleaning. No lifting anything. Or I will fire you.”

My mouth fell open for the second time, but I snapped it shut and sat on the stool. “Yessir.”

Stavros returned to the bar, sending Lane over to me. She didn’t look particularly sorry, standing next to me, waiting for me to train her on something.

“You’re starting now?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said with confidence.

“How…how did you know?”

She blinked her long, thick lashes, hiding her warm russet eyes. “My sister is pregnant. She gets dizzy and touches her stomach just like that. But she is super fat, so it’s more noticeable. She’s built like my dad’s mom. I’m built like my mom, and she never gained more than eight pounds. You’re not there yet. Think you’ll get huge? You’re Southern, right? I bet you will.”

Lane was not my best friend.

“I have no idea. I’ve lost weight so far.” I looked over at the crowd around the television, trying to gauge the situation by their expressions.

“You’re not wearing a ring. Who’s the baby daddy?” she asked.

I stared at her for a moment. “To check a customer in,” I said, looking down at the screen, “you make sure you’re on the main screen, then hover the mouse over the check-in button. Click on it, and you’ll see a detailed list of reservations that haven’t arrived yet. Get their ID. If they have a reservation, you just click on their name like so. See the checked boxes? Everything is non-smoking, but make sure things like pets and the bed preference is correct. We have no suites, so that’s not an option. Make sure to put all feeble elderly on the first floor…and…yeah, then click on the box where you input the card, then swipe it. If the card reader isn’t working, it’s probably because you haven’t clicked on the credit card box.”

“Got it,” she said.

Lane watched me, catching on more slowly than I would’ve liked. I helped her check in the next four guests, all hotshots returning from R&R. They all went straight over to the flat-screen TV.

“Excuse me,” I said to Lane after we finished with the last guest. I squeezed through the crowd and bent down to get the remote, pointing it at the screen and turning up the volume.

A female reporter stood next to a wooded area, haze in the background, a RESTRICTED sign behind her with a United States emblem under the fine print. “The Forestry Department has reported that the Alpine crew just narrowly escaped once they diverted the flames from the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, with the help of the Cheyenne Mountain Fire Department and Complex security.”

I exhaled and touched the closest person to me. “Oh, thank God. They’re okay.”

The entrance doors swept open, and a strong stench of smoke preceded the entire Alpine team. They were all covered in soot, and smiling. The hotshots in the lobby burst into applause and cheering, high-fiving the Alpines as they walked to the bar.

“Okay, okay,” Stavros yelled. “Everyone gets a round of drafts on me!”

The entire lobby ignited in cheers, and dozens of hotshots and officials crowded that side of the room, leaving me alone. I stared at the television screen, waiting for any more news. Something didn’t feel right, keeping me from returning to my desk even though I knew Lane was waiting.

The smell of campfire intensified. “Hey,” a deep, hoarse voice said just behind me.

I turned around, looking up at Trex. His face was red and sweaty, all but his eyes dusted with soot.

“Thank God,” I said, hugging him. I gripped his dirty T-shirt in my fists, pulling him as close as I could.

He chuckled. “Did you miss me?”

“You were at that fire, weren’t you?”

Trex hugged me, touching his cheek to the top of my head. “I’m sorry. But I can’t give you an answer and you guessing is dangerous. Oh, shit,” he said, stepping back. His clothes had streaked my white button-down. He took his thumb and wiped my cheek. Then he held out his hand, letting it fall to his side. “I just made it worse.”

“It’s okay,” I said, looking down at the proof he’d been against me. “You’re back early.”

“I happened to be close. I helped out. They, uh…we…we had a…thing.”

I hated to watch him struggle to tell me what he could without lying. It was admirable, and I appreciated it. “A thing, huh? I’m jealous.”

Trex’s mouth pulled to the side in a sweet grin.

“Glad everyone’s okay,” I said.

“I have to hand it to the Aussies. They know their shit. Knew down to the minute how long we had before the fire tur—” Trex looked past me with an expression I’d never seen on his face before.

“Darby,” Lane said, leaning forward. She suddenly had the body language of a little girl, a timidity that wasn’t present earlier. “I’m sorry to interrupt”—she glanced at Trex for less than a second, then licked her lip—“but there’s still a lot I’m not sure on.”

“Sure, I’ll be there in a sec.”

Lane walked away, a bounce in her step. Trex and I watched her turn to give us one last smile over her shoulder.

Trex returned his attention to me, immediately noticing my expression. He swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable. “What?”

I blinked and shook my head. “Nothing.”

“Don’t tell me she’s the new hire,” he said, the color leaving his face.

I arched an eyebrow. Jealousy was not an emotion I was familiar with. I’d always been attention’s sweet center, and for once, I wanted to be. When the man I’d dreamed about finally arrived, I happened to have someone else’s baby growing inside of me, and that put me at a disadvantage when up against someone like Lane—a woman who was above average in beauty, and already had every hotshot in the room scrambling for a reason to talk to her. But if I was honest, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to be jealous of her before I was pregnant, just a few short months before.

“What’s the problem?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Will she be a distraction?”

“Hell no,” he said, his nose wrinkling. He started to reach out for me but looked at his dirty hands and then crossed his arms. “I want Stavros to get someone hired to help you. I’m just surprised Stavros hired her. She used to sit at the bar before you started here. She’s not here for the job. She wants to land a hotshot. Trust me, she’s not a distraction.” The scowl on his face softened. “I get to see you after I get off work, take you out to dinner, and hold you while we watch a movie until your shift starts. The only thing I’m interested in is that you’ll be getting some free time soon.”

“Ugh,” I said, my cheeks feeling hot. “I’m sorry. Jealousy is not something I’m used to feeling.”

“No, I like it,” he said, unable to stop smiling. “I’ve never seen you jealous before. It’s pretty damn cute. And now I know you like me more than you let on.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile, and he kissed me quick, making my efforts useless.

“I love you,” he said, checking over his shoulder before tilting his head down toward my belly, “and you.”

“Stavros knows,” I said.

“What?” he said, surprised. “Since when?”

I shrugged. “Half an hour ago. The new hire spilled the beans.” I narrowed my eyes at her for the two seconds she wasn’t staring at Trex. “Pretty sure she’s some kind of clairvoyant demon.”

“How in the hell did she know?” he asked. “What did Stavros say? You must still have a job.”

“He was pretty mad at me for not telling him. He put a stool behind the desk. I’m supposed to sit when I’m not helping a guest.” I looked at Stavros, and he pointed at the floor, signaling for me to sit.

“Good,” Trex said, following me to the desk.

“Hi.” My new coworker smiled wide and held out her hand. “Lane.”

“Trex,” he said with a coolness I didn’t experience when we first met. He had always been attracted to me. He’d asked me out in the first five minutes. He couldn’t be less interested in Lane, and it was nearly impossible to hide my satisfaction. I managed until he grabbed her hand and tried to pull away. Just for a millisecond, she held on.

When Trex got his hand back, he understood my earlier suspicion. Realization twinkled in his eyes just before he winked at me and smiled. “Love you, baby. See you at dinner.”

I grabbed his wrist and glanced at his watch. “Just a few hours.”

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles before releasing me to walk to the elevators.

Both Lane and I watched him walk away with the same expression.

Lane finally sighed and shook her head, looking down at the computer. “He is something.”

“Yes, he is.”

“Does he know about the baby?”

“Of course he does,” I snapped.

She held up her hands. “Just asking. Stavros didn’t know, so I wasn’t sure. Is he happy about it?”

“Must be,” I said, sitting on the stool. “He didn’t run when I told him.”

“That’s going to be one hell of a good-looking baby,” Lane said, gazing toward the empty elevator bay. She returned her attention to me. “Where did you meet him?”

It took everything I had not to claw out her wandering eyeballs, so I changed the subject. “Ready to go over checkout?”

Lane smirked. “Sure.”