Levi hammered nails into the platform that would be the floor of the wood-frame tent, listening to the police scanner.

Wes frowned as he prepped wood to be sawed. “Why do you still listen to that thing?”

“It calms me.” Levi wasn’t the least bit calm, but he had to do something to get his mind off Emily. He’d messed up and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. Listening to calls go out sometimes helped him relax.

He’d measured out, dug, and poured the concrete for the foundation piers yesterday, based on the exact measurements of the canvas that had arrived. The plain old pop-up tent had been fine up until now. Suddenly, he wanted something better for being out under the stars. Someplace where he could bring someone special.

He’d told himself so many times since Emily started working at Club Tahoe that he couldn’t go there. That she was off-limits. He’d closed off the relationship part of himself a long time ago, but now he wondered if he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. The more days she stayed away, the more restless he became.

Wes worked off in a corner with the saw, a brooding look on his face, presumably over the woman from the pro shop, while Adam hammered in boards across from Levi.

Adam rested the hammer on his thigh. “I spoke to our new CEO about Miller. He’s going to the board with the information you gave me. Not much we can do—there’s no law against buying stock in our company—but Blue Casino won’t consult with Miller regarding potential clients anymore. After what I told them, they don’t appreciate his ethics.”

Levi grunted. Blue Casino had taken advantage of an opportunity. What company wouldn’t? But he got what his brother was saying. The casino had a history of shady business practices. It sounded like the new management was keeping things legit.

Just then, Jaeg strode up the road carrying a twelve-pack. “Heard you needed some help.” He nodded at Adam, one of his best friends from high school.

Levi was a big guy, but Jaeg was huge. A bit of a gentle giant. Jaeg had been a professional skier before a knee injury knocked him out of the game. Despite the failed sports career, he’d always had a trail of beautiful women after him. Until he met Cali. Now the guy was as hooked on Cali as Adam was on Hayden. No more late nights with the guys—these two stayed in with their women, and it sucked for the rest of them.

But Levi was beginning to appreciate the appeal. With the right woman, he wouldn’t mind staying in either. In fact, all he wanted right now was to see Emily.

He accepted the beer Jaeg handed him, but set it aside. His chest felt tight, his hands restless, which was why he’d started building.

Jaeg was an artist and had made the letters that hung from the wall at the engagement party for Adam and Hayden, not to mention having built Levi’s favorite tables in his house. Jaeg was a master wood craftsman. This shit they were making today was child’s play compared to the intricate stuff he did, which made his support all the more meaningful. “Thanks for coming.”

“No worries. Cali was having a girls’ night with Hayden, Mira, and Gen before I hightailed it out of there. Had to. They were starting to add items to Cali’s honey-do list.”

Adam sat back on his heels and scratched his head. “Cali has a honey-do list? Damn. I thought Hayden was the only one. That list grows exponentially the more items I knock off it.”

Jaeg’s deep chuckle rumbled throughout the space. He picked up a hammer and went to work on the other end of the platform.

The guys were bitching about a honey-do list, and all Levi could think about was how nice it would be to have a woman to take care of, but not just any woman. He wasn’t interested anymore in someone who needed saving. Suddenly, he wanted a woman who appreciated him. Someone he wanted to do things for just because he could.

Bran quickly polished off the beer Jaeg had handed him and crushed the can, tossing it with the rest of the trash they’d piled in a corner. He moved to lift a stack of two-by-six lumber from a squatted position. But as soon as he stood, the wood tipped and knocked over a sawhorse with expensive equipment on it.

“Would you watch it?” Levi said. “Since when did you acquire two left feet?”

Bran dropped the lumber. “You asshole! We’re here for you. Did you ever consider thanking us instead of expecting us to show up every time you need something?”

Adam, Wes, and Jaeg stopped what they were doing. Hunt hadn’t been invited. Levi wasn’t sure he’d ever invite Hunt over again after he’d dared touch Emily. Just the thought made Levi’s blood boil. “I’ve helped you out plenty over the years.”

“And I’ve thanked you!” Bran said, his face bright red. He’d only had the one beer, so he wasn’t drunk. “You’ve been an uptight asshole these last two weeks. What gives?”

Adam stood and threw down his hammer, glaring at Levi. “Bran’s right. The only reason I didn’t kick your ass after you attacked Hunt at my engagement party is because Hayden loved what Emily had done for us. She had a good time regardless of your stupid shit.”

Levi’s jaw tightened. Adam knew Levi could kick his ass. Levi was taller, weighed more, and truthfully, he was simply stronger. But his designer-suit-loving little brother was scrappy. Levi wouldn’t escape without a few bruises.

“Fucking go after her already!” Adam shouted. Jaeg looked at Adam with confusion. “Wes and Bran want to strangle you. Hunt does too, but that’s nothing new. And now I can’t stand to be near you for more than a few minutes. This is worse than after you left the fire department. Who cares if Emily is Lisa’s little sister? You love her or you wouldn’t be acting like a complete dick. This moping has got to stop.”

“Moping?” Levi’s face heated. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” Levi jerked off his flannel and tossed it on the ground. A few bruises it would be, then. “You and me. Right now. Wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t bailed on us in order to work at Blue Casino.”

Jaeg stepped between them, a hand on each of their chests. “Whoa. You two haven’t fought since we were kids. Pull it together.” He stared at Levi. “If this is about a woman, get her out of your system.”

Adam glared at the others. “And I’m sick of you assholes blaming me for the shit you’re in at Club Tahoe. If you don’t want to work there, hire someone else!”

“Unlike you four,” Levi growled, “I feel a sense of responsibility to fulfill our father’s wishes.”

“Since when? You’ve never done what Dad wanted.”

“Since he died.”

“And you’re still alive,” Adam shot back. “So live your damn life. Even Dad wouldn’t have wanted you to run Club Tahoe if he thought it would make you this miserable. Maybe, just maybe, he thought it would give you a sense of purpose after the accident. And maybe he also saw something in you he thought would be good for the club.”

Levi didn’t say anything. Because he wasn’t this miserable working at Club Tahoe. It wasn’t his dream job, but it had grown on him. He was motherfucking pissed that Emily was pulling away.

An announcement came over the scanner. A fire in an apartment building.

Levi swiveled his head, listening intently. “That’s Emily’s address,” he said to himself.

A second later, he was running full tilt downhill toward his house, his brothers yelling after him.

The key to Adam’s truck was in the ignition. He hopped in and cranked the old beast, throwing it into drive and tearing down the road. Good thing he’d followed Emily home that one night; he knew exactly where to go. He might have also memorized her address when she first started working at Club Tahoe.

Levi had checked out Emily’s HR paperwork to make sure his dipshit lawyers were correct and she was actually of legal age. Now he couldn’t remember why he’d thought her young. She was youthful looking, but even then he’d been trying to find reasons to keep his distance—a way to convince himself she wasn’t right for him. Because he’d felt the spark. 

He’d been denying his feelings all this time, and now she was caught in his worst nightmare. In danger, possibly at risk of losing her life.

The reason he’d become a firefighter all those years ago wasn’t because he wanted to protect the mountains he loved, though he did. And it wasn’t because a firefighter had been a perfect fit for his need for physicality and order, though it was. It was because he’d never wanted to lose another person he cared about the way he’d lost his mother, and, figuratively, his father.

The best way to prevent losing those he loved was to become someone able to protect them. To protect Emily. Because he loved her.

Emily filled a hole he hadn’t even known existed. A place in his heart that had never been opened. And now that it was, it hemorrhaged without her. He’d been bleeding, taking out his pain on all those around him.

Emily was his. He might not be a fireman anymore, but he’d be damned before he sat back and let her come to harm.

He pulled so hard on the steering wheel he nearly ripped it off. 

Calm down, asshole. You’ll get to her.