“It will all be okay,” Ruby said, and I looked at her trying not to roll my eyes. How the hell did I got roped into this?

“You don’t know that,” I breathlessly whispered, trying not to hyperventilate.

“Dais, you rock. Your boss wouldn’t have dropped this on your lap last minute if she didn’t think you weren’t capable.”

“How do you know? Maybe she’s a sadist?” I muttered, knowing very well my boss believed in me.

I loved Karen. She was awesome. She was also stuck on the East Coast after visiting her family for Christmas, thanks to an unexpected blizzard that had stopped all flights. She wouldn’t be able to get back till after the New Year, and she had dropped this event on my lap as the one to carry it out to fruition.

Not just any event like a health fair or the tree lighting at city hall. Those things I could have handled with my eyes closed. Nope. This was the annual Firemen’s New Year’s Eve Ball. The place to be and be seen, the event of the year where the movers and shakers of the city rubbed elbows and networked.

An event I was only supposed to work as a lowly volunteer the night before and have the actual night of the event to myself to soak in my bathtub and not share a cheesecake at midnight as I watched the ball drop from the comfort of my couch. It might have sounded depressing to some, my two besties included, but to me it was the day I looked forward to the most.

“It’s here!” The small woman burst into the ballroom, and I looked at her. “Mav and a couple of his work buddies went and helped the truck! They took the shipment, so the delivery man could go on his merry way!” Sofia shared the good news as she approached.

“I can’t even begin to thank you.” I almost wanted to cry. Almost.

An hour ago, the company delivering champagne had called to say they wouldn’t be able to make it in till the second of January because their delivery truck had broken down in the LA area. When I’d shared with Ruby, she quickly had talked to her co-worker and friend, Sofia Bridges. Somehow, magically she had been able to get some of her husband and his friends to drive out and pick up the bottles.

“Okay, what else do we have to do?” she asked, ready to pitch in, and that did it. That was what brought water to my eyes. Damn it! I was not the kind to cry!

“You guys,” I sniffled and wiped furiously at my eyes, “I don’t know what I would do without your help.” I breathed in. I couldn’t be a complete and utter marshmallow.

“Please, this event is one of my favorites of the entire year,” Sofi said, rubbing my shoulder. “When Ruby said I could come help, I was not going to turn her down.”

“Exactly! See! You have a great crew. We can get this done in time for tomorrow for you to get your hair and makeup done! Just wait and see.” Ruby grinned.

“I don’t know. The auction block is still pretty scarce. Karen is the one who knows everyone. I just started working for the city. I hate to say it, but I think I’m going to have to cancel it.”

“Wait, auction?” Ruby asked.

“The bachelor auction,” Sofia clarified for me, way too excitedly. “If Mav were single, I would totally offer him up, so I could bid on him,” she added, and we all giggled.

“Thanks,” I breathed. Looking down at the handful of names, I worried. “I need at least two more. Three would be great, but two I think would make it enough.”

“Count me in,” a deep voice said, and I turned to see officer Rocco Fields walking in with a crate of champagne bottles. “Where should I put this?”

“Are you serious?” I asked, cautiously glancing at my best friend Ruby, who was glaring at the off-duty police man.

“You know this isn’t for your boys in blue, right?” Ruby asked with attitude, and I pressed my lips together. Despite what she might say, there was definitely something going on between them.

“We’re all first responders, Ruby girl. Count me in, Daisy! Put this in the kitchen?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Yes, please.” I smiled. “And, umm, thank you.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fun. Let me text a couple of my buddies and see what I can do,” he said before walking away. My chest filled with hope.

“Are you serious?”

“No promises, but I’m sure I can get you at least another victim.” He chuckled over his shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Ugh. So smug,” Ruby muttered under her breath.

“Oh!” Sofia exclaimed, ignoring Ruby, “I have someone!” I watched as she dug into her bag and took out her phone, then her fingers furiously worked the keypad. “Not just anyone!”

“Who?”

“Yeah, who? Should I stop at the ATM on my way here tomorrow?” Ruby asked playfully.

“Just wait! This one you have to save as the big finale!”

“Sof, you can’t volunteer Maverick,” Ruby said good naturally, and it really was a shame. With the most respect for her man, he would have brought in a great chunk of change!

“Shut up,” she laughed. “My brother!”

“Oh my god! Why didn’t I think about that?” Ruby said. The wheels were obviously turning in her head, and I turned to Sofia.

“You have a brother?” I asked.

“Umm, yeah.” Her hands stopped working on her phone as she looked up at me. “To me, he is a royal pain in the ass, but big brothers are supposed to be.”

“Big is right,” muttered Ruby, and Sofia pretended to puke.

“Eww, gross!” She grinned. “So, like I was saying, he’s not someone I would think about wanting to bid on, but…”

“He would be perfect as a grand finale!” Ruby cheered. “Gabe Blanco. Add him to the list!” Ruby tapped my list, and I looked at her with wide eyes. “What? He will make a killing!”

“I don’t know.” I hesitated. “Shouldn’t you call and check with him?”

“He’s a fireman. You need to auction firemen off at the Firemen’s Ball!” Sofia teased, and I worried my lip.

“I don’t know.”

“Trust me,” she said shaking her head, her hair swaying side to side.

“Gabe would be a huge draw!” Ruby moved in close. “It’s rumored he’s going to be Beech Grove’s new fire chief this year,” she shared, and Sofi nodded her head.

“That’s if Grady finally hangs up his hat.”

“You know her brother?” I asked Ruby, suddenly curious about this Gabe Blanco.

“Oh yeah.” She nodded. “He’s a regular at the bar. You should totally add him!”

“But you’ll ask him?”

“Count it as said and done,” Sofia said as she responded to whoever had just texted her phone, and I assumed she was confirming with her brother.

You know what they say about those who assume, right? Well, at that moment, I was just thinking about checking the next thing off my to-do list. Oops.

“Okay. Bachelor auction is set and done. What’s next?” Sofia asked, and Ruby’s hip bumped me with a smile. I was finally able to breathe.

“Okay. With you guys, I think I will actually pull this off!” I looked at my list. “The confetti drop is going to have a test run, but we want to be able to use that confetti as part of the decoration on the tables, so how about we get some of the guys to start putting up tables while we start setting the table clothes and seat covers up?”

“See! You got this!” My best friend winked at me, and I hoped she was right.

“Okay, test run time, kid.” My boss and fire chief, Grady, slapped my shoulder before handing me the trigger, and I stood off to the side of the stage, my hand on the cool little metal box with the big bright red button.

I was tired but felt good.

My knee was finally on the mend, and there was something about volunteering time to a worthy cause that gave you a burst of energy, even if part of me just wanted to be at home watching a hockey game.

“Ready!” I shouted back leaning on the ladder, the timer in my hand. “Setting up timer!” I called. Thirty seconds set, I pressed the button and waited a few beats.

“Twenty-five!” I yelled and stood back, looking over the ballroom the New Year’s Eve Firemen’s Ball would be taking place this year. It was bigger than the one it was normally held in, but even so, the night was sold out.

The volunteers were counting down, and as my eyes roamed the room, they set on a woman’s back. Something about the way she wore a pair of seriously faded blue jeans and a white tank top made my heart feel like it lodged in my chest.

Dark long hair, wavy and slightly messy, fell over her shoulders past the middle of her back. In sneakers she looked tall for a woman, which suited me just fine since I was six three. She turned, and I caught a peek of her profile.

Jesus. The woman had the face of an angel. A natural beauty, not wearing a drop of makeup, the easy smile on her face brightened everything around her as she took in the room. She leaned her head back toward the ceiling and the net holding the confetti that would soon drop. My mouth watered. I wanted to lick the line of her neck. Drag my teeth and listen to whatever sound she made. What the hell was wrong with me?

With a small shake of my head, I roamed my eyes downward as she turned to talk to a familiar-looking woman, and all I could think was she had the body of a temptress. Curves I’d love to memorize and a softness I’d love to wrap my hard body around.

The volunteers counted. Three. Two. One.

Gold and black confetti rained down, and she seemed to relax slightly. My body seemed to do the opposite, all the blood rushing south. She smiled, enjoying the way the confetti fell and shimmered around her, and I was fucking mesmerized as I captured a better angle of her face.

Arched dark brows, naturally tanned skin, and full lips on her oval shaped face. I couldn’t tell what color her eyes were from the distance, but I was dying to figure it out.

“Gabe!” Mav, my best friend and new brother-in-law, called out, and I hated losing sight of the beautiful enchantress.

“What’s up?” I mumbled over my shoulder, my eyes on the woman who had captivated my attention. No one ever caught my attention. Not like this. Not in a way where I was dying to rush toward her, grab her in my arms, demand she tell me her name, so I could chuck her over my shoulder and take her home with me to have my way with her. Cool your jets, man.

Where the hell were these caveman thoughts coming from?

“We need to head to your mom’s, Gabe. We can’t be late,” he reminded me, and I tore my eyes from the enchanting beauty to look at my best friend.

“Hey, man, do you know who that girl is?” I asked, turning around and trying to find my mystery girl as I felt my buddy approach.

“Who?” he asked, and I looked all over. Everyone was back to work, now sweeping the confetti off the floor.

“Fuck, she was right there,” I huffed. “She was standing next to the girl in the green top.”

“Ruby?”

“Ruby?” Ruby. Why did that name sound familiar?”

“The bartender from Hanks.” I silently nodded, finally putting one and one together. “She’s not your usual type. Though, do you really have a type,” he teased, and I frowned.

“No, not her, the girl I was talking about was right next to her. In a white top.”

“I don’t know, man. I don’t see anyone in a white tee other than Grady.” Mav patted my shoulder. “We seriously have to go. You ready?”

“Yeah, sure.” I couldn’t hide the disappointment in my voice.

“If she’s volunteering, it probably means she’ll be here tomorrow night, right?” Maverick said, and I shrugged.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that with every step I took, I was walking away from something important.

“You’re right,” I mumbled, grabbing my hoodie from where I’d set it.

“Plus, you’re Gabe Blanco, man. Women line up to gag on it,” Mav teased, and I rolled my eyes.

“Shut up,” I muttered.

He wasn’t wrong, but suddenly my past was painfully obvious. Meaningless sex that had been all about getting both my partner and me off but nothing more. The idea of any other woman didn’t sit well in my stomach, and that thought and what it could mean made my gut do an extra twist.

I wasn’t the kind of guy who was looking for domesticity. I couldn’t.

“Let’s go before we’re late, and you know my mom; she doesn’t like when we’re late,” I muttered, walking with the dark-haired angel imprinted in my mind’s eye.