His Greatest Treasure (Greatest Love #4)

Chapter 21

21

OLIVER

I’ve never invited anyone to the firehouse. Not my parents, my friends, or cousins. I’m positive there’s a rule written somewhere that once you bring someone here, there’s no going back from it.

My squad is my second family. The trust and friendship we’ve built over the past seven years together is as strong as steel. They trust me to have their backs, and I trust them to do the same. We’re bound in blood, sweat, and tears.

The moment I introduce my squad to Avery and Nova, they’re as good as mine. The two of them will be welcomed into our family with open arms with no take backs allowed.

I know all of that, and I’ve made peace with it.

Today will be a test of sorts since my squad is on days off like I am, and my girls will be meeting the second unit instead. Better to dip their toe in and test the water before I throw them in headfirst without life jackets.

While I may not be the warm and fuzzy guy, I know my emotions well enough to tell when I’m interested in someone. And fuck, what I’m feeling toward Avery isn’t simply interest. It’s something gentle hidden beneath rough words and quiet in volume but loud in action. If there’s a word to describe all that somewhere, it isn’t in my vocabulary just yet.

I’m borderline obsessed with the idea of taking care of her. Of both of them . They don’t need me, but I want to prove to them that they can. There’s something fulfilling about making sure Avery eats a real meal and gets a full night’s sleep, even if I’m not offered the spot beside her that I hope could one day be mine. The toothy grins that Nova flashes every time I do something to make her happy—whether it’s buying a pool floatie shaped like a frog or sneaking her extra sprinkles for her pancakes after her mom’s turned away—make my heart soar so fiercely I’m surprised it hasn’t flown away.

I feel stupid to have thought that I could ignore the familiar feelings that rose to the surface at my first glance at Avery the day she moved in. Convincing myself that she was nothing more than a nuisance was the second worst mistake I’ve ever made. The only one above it is having ignored her all of these years when I could have been here, caring for her and her daughter.

“Can I ride in the fire truck?” Nova asks from the back seat of the SUV.

She’s swinging her legs in the air, her seat belt wrapped around her front and buckled in over the booster seat I snagged from Avery’s car. The bright yellow shirt with the cartoon frog sticking his tongue out and saying “peace” stands out like a sore thumb amongst the cream leather seats. I like it.

“If the truck’s there, I’ll make sure you get at least a tour of the inside. That work for you?”

“Yes!”

Avery’s eyes dart across the console, a small smile brimming beneath them. “You’re sure we’re allowed to come? I don’t want to pop up and be a distraction.”

“Family comes all the time. It’s good for morale,” I say.

I’d kill to be distracted by her during a long shift.

“Alright then. Good. I’ve never been inside a fire station before.”

“With any luck, we’ll be interrupting lunch. St. Clair is on shift today, and he’s always tossed in the kitchen for meals. Best cook in all of Vancouver.”

“Really? Can he make PB&J shaped like horses?” Nova asks.

I look at her in the rear-view mirror and nod. “If I tell him to, he will.”

“Which is something you’re not going to do,” Avery chides.

“Then I’ll do it myself.”

“Yay!” Nova cheers, and I wink at Avery, taking in every inch of her playful eye roll.

“You’re a suck-up,” she says softly so her daughter doesn’t hear.

“I am.”

“She has plenty of people who spoil her already.”

“Doesn’t matter. None of them are me.”

“Will you still say that once she’s grown attached to you?”

I look at her, keeping my expression as serious as I can without coming off as abrasive. “I’ve grown attached to her already.”

Her cheeks pinken, her eyes bouncing around the SUV. “Oh.”

“If you’re surprised by that, I’ve done a shit job of showing it,” I grunt.

“You haven’t. I just didn’t want to assume anything. You haven’t known her very long. Me either, really.”

“Is there anything else you’re trying not to assume? ’Cause I thought I knew you pretty well.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“You sure?” Releasing the steering wheel from my right hand, I reach low and grip her thigh, right above her knee. “I’m attached to you too, princess. Real attached.”

“Same,” she says on a breath, peering across the console at me.

The single syllable is enough to send my pulse raging. Heat fills my chest as I pull the SUV into the fire station parking lot and refuse to remove my hand from her leg just yet.

Now isn’t the right moment to pull her over onto my lap and kiss her senseless, but fuck, I’m contemplating it.

“We’re here!” Nova squeals, the click of her unbuckling her seat belt following soon after.

Avery appears as reluctant to move as I feel, but she’s gone in a blink, leaving my palm searing hot and hovering over where her thigh just was.

Nova pokes the back of my neck through the space beneath the headrest. “Let’s go, Ollie!”

For the first time in my entire life, I don’t mind the nickname.

My hand hovers over Avery’s back as I hold open the door for her and Nova to step inside the fire station. The little girl dives beneath my arm first, eyes wide and frantically looking around.

“So cool!” she gasps, staring through the windows behind the front desk that look into the engine bay.

The truck is there, doors shut and paint glistening. With the bay seemingly void of the squad on call, I contemplate risking taking them for a ride before I’m shutting the idea down. If I were on call, I’d find a way to make it happen, but asking the captain on shift for permission would be a huge use of time today.

“Lieutenant Bateman? What are you doing here?”

The rookie on desk duty stares up at me from his seat, his Vancouver FD shirt at least one size too small and gripping at the base of his throat in a way that makes me cringe. I’ve met him once or twice, I’m sure, but he’s not one of mine. If he were, I’d have made sure he weren’t suffocating every day in his own clothes.

“Giving a tour. Pretend I’m not here,” I mutter, forcing his eyes back to me when they wander to Avery with awed interest. “Pretend none of us are here.”

He gulps, dropping his attention to the phone on the desk. “ Captain’s out, but I’ll let him know you’re here once he gets back.”

“Sure.” It doesn’t matter to me if he knows.

Nova sets her hands on the lifted edge of the desk and peers over it at the rookie, expression open and curious. Sweet too.

“Is your name really Proby? That’s a weird name.”

I choke on an unexpected laugh and wait for him to answer her, feeling Avery’s stare hot on my cheek.

“Uh, no. My name’s Jake,” the rookie answers.

Nova spins toward me and tugs at my hand. “His name tag is wrong, Ollie.”

The name tag is a patch stitched into his shirt, no doubt done by one of the old guys on the squad. The name is given to all the rookies, but I’ve never thought about stitching it onto any shirts before. Maybe I should.

“Jake’s nickname is Proby. It’s a joke his friends have played on him,” I explain.

She cocks her head. “Like how you call me peanut?”

“Like peanut, peanut. He likes the nickname. Don’t you, Proby?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on him in a silent warning to agree with me.

“Yup! I love it,” he rambles.

Nova accepts the answer but doesn’t let it go. “It’s kind of weird.”

“Nova, don’t call people weird,” Avery chastises.

“I didn’t! His nickname is weird.”

Avery sighs. “Apologize, please.”

“Really?” Nova pouts, arms folding over her chest.

“Yes, really. We don’t call people or their nicknames weird. It isn’t nice.”

I keep my mouth shut and watch Avery speak with such dominance and warning. Fuck me, she makes my cock stiffen in my jeans at the worst possible times. She’s being a stern momma bear, and I’m learning quickly that I’m very, very into that side of her .

“I’m sorry for calling your nickname weird,” Nova says quietly.

The rookie looks confused as to what to say, so I glare at him again, hoping he gets it.

He gulps again. “It’s okay. All good, kid.”

“Great. We’ll be going. I want to show them the engine bay,” I say before gesturing to the door behind him. “Ready, peanut?”

“Yes! My friends are going to be so jealous.”

Pride fills me. “Come on. I’ll take a picture of you in front of the engine.”

Fifteen minutes later, Nova’s still gushing over the truck when I lead them toward the pole I’ve caught Avery staring at every so often.

I crouch in front of Nova while sneaking a glance at her mom where she watches beside the truck. “Do you want to slide down the pole?”

She gasps, hands coming up to her mouth as she spins to ask Avery, “Can I, Mom?”

“As long as Oliver’s there to catch you.”

“I’ve got her,” I promise, something sharp but comforting spiking in my chest at her trust in me. “And then you’re next, princess.”

“I’m not going down that thing,” she argues, shaking her head too quickly.

I smirk. “Yeah, you are.”

“Not happening.”

“We’ll see.”

Nova’s bouncing in place when I meet her beside the pole and lead her out of the engine bay to the stairs leading to the second floor of the station.

“Do you want to go down on your own?” I ask, keeping my tone soft.

She hums, rubbing her chin. “Can you go down with me the first time?”

“Sure can.”

Her smile is beaming and innocent. Free in the way a child’s should be. “You promise not to drop me?”

“I promise. I’ve got you.”

“Can you go down with my mom too? She looked scared to try.”

“You think she’d feel safer with me?”

“Yes,” she says with an easy shrug.

One word said so simply, but that slams into me at full force. I trip over my feet and catch myself with a whispered curse before my face hits the carpet.

“I’ll go down with you both,” I promise before clearing my throat and stopping in front of the pole. “Just wrap your body around me like a monkey, and don’t let go until we’re on the ground.”

“Okay.”

The fall is only one storey high, but the thought of dropping her makes me want to cling tighter.

Avery’s already waiting beneath us, her hands on her hips, fingers tapping. I’ve never gone down the pole with a second person before, but with Nova, it’ll be easy enough. She’s tiny, and as I pick her up, I’m pretty sure she weighs less than my turnouts do.

“Ready?” I ask once she’s clinging to me tight.

Readjusting my arms when she doesn’t reply, I slide her onto my hip more than my chest and grip the pole with a single hand. Wrapping one leg around the pole, I ask again, “Ready, Nova?”

She nods, chin bouncing against my shoulder. “Yep!”

I tighten my hold on her even more before hooking my second leg around the pole and sliding down. The drop is slower than normal, and my bicep strains with use as I control how fast we go. Nova giggles and cheers the entire way down, and I can’t help but smile at her excitement.

“Mom! Mom! Look at me!” she shouts before my feet hit the ground. “Did you see? ”

Avery grins, eyes soft and warm. “I did, ?lskling . You looked like a real firefighter.”

“It’s your turn now!” Nova says as I lower her to her feet. She shoots toward her mom and grabs her hands, tugging her toward me. “Oliver said he’ll keep you safe.”

“Did he now?”

Our eyes meet, and my smile is natural. “I did.”

“Then I guess I have no choice but to listen.”

“Best plan I’ve heard in a while.”

“Hurry, hurry!” Nova says, giving Avery a push from behind.

Avery tugs at one of Nova’s braids and watches me expectantly. “Lead the way, Lieutenant.”

“Stay close to the pole, Nova, okay?” I reach for Avery’s hand but, at the last second, drop mine back to my side.

I’m not about to do anything in front of Nova that I don’t know if Avery wants her to see. As much as I’d love to take her hand and hold her close, we’re not dating. To Nova, I’m just her mom’s friend and their neighbour.

I shove my hand into my pocket and lead Avery down the same path I took Nova. She trails behind me, and once the door to the engine bay closes and we’re alone in the stairway, I’m fighting every instinct that tells me to keep her in here with me for as long as possible.

“Thank you for doing this for her, Oliver,” she murmurs, her voice caressing my back.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You’ve made her day. Helped bring some light back in her eyes after what happened this morning. It means a lot to me.”

“When I said I was here for both of you, I meant it. I’m not the guy to give out false promises. It’s not worth the effort.”

She snags my hand the moment I pull it from my pocket. “I know.”

Frozen in my tracks, I glance back at her, mouth going dry. Alone in the stairway, it takes everything in me not to pull her into my arms. This intense need to be as close to her as possible is alarming, but I don’t focus on that right now.

“I . . .” She bites down on her lip, hesitating. “Everything is so much more complicated with a child. I have things I want to say to you, but I don’t know how to get them out properly yet.”

“You don’t have to say anything right now,” I reassure her.

“I want to, though. I’m frustrated because in a different life, I’d have taken this opportunity to tell you to kiss me.”

A shiver climbs up my spine, pressure building in my groin as I lean against the wall, fingers twitching. We’re only three steps apart, but it feels like miles.

“Avery,” I warn. “I’m hanging on by a thread here. Don’t tell me that.”

She inhales, holding it in for a long moment before letting it out. “Things need to move slow. For Nova’s sake.”

“For Nova,” I agree, dropping a step closer.

Another step disappears between us when she moves. “I don’t know what you want in the future. What you see your life like in ten years.”

“I haven’t spent a lot of time planning that far ahead.”

“Why not?”

“There’s been no reason to. Nobody who wanted to know.”

“Before now,” she whispers, eyes falling to the last step separating us.

It’s a game of wills. Who will be the one to close the distance?—

A knock on the door at the bottom of the stairs has me jumping back up the steps.

“Hello? Did you fall, Mom?”

Avery frowns, flicking her eyes to the door. “No, sweetie. We’ll be coming down the pole in a second!”

“Okay!”

“I’m sorry?—”

“My ability to be patient is one of my best assets. Don’t apologize. Let’s go and make your daughter smile,” I say before she can give in to the guilt so obviously written on her face.

Reluctantly, she lets it go, and we reach the pole without another word spoken. I wait until she’s checked on Nova before crouching and lifting her into my arms.

“Oh!” she gasps, pawing at my shoulders.

“Wrap your legs around my waist and hold on tight, or I’m going to drop us both on our asses,” I instruct, holding the pole.

“This feels incredibly dangerous. I don’t think you’re supposed to carry a full-sized person in your arms while doing this. Let me go, and I’ll slide down on my own.”

I tighten my arm around her back and keep her held against me. “No. I like you here.”

A lot. It feels right to hold her like this. She fits against me like she’s supposed to be in my arms.

“I’ve got you,” I add, splaying my fingers out over her back until the ends of her hair brush over them. “Don’t get down yet.”

She keeps her arms looped around my neck and rests her chin against my shoulder. “Okay.”

“Come down, come down,” Nova chants, clapping enthusiastically.

“Ready?” I whisper.

The ghost of warm lips along the side of my throat has me seeing stars. “Ready.”

With one step, we’re falling.