ROMY: Every fall, I take my Kindergarten class to the fire station for a tour. I love seeing their excited little faces. But this year, Captain Aidan Cook’s giving the tour. And he is, pardon the expression, hot. It’s hard to remain cool. Especially when I know he could hurt me by just walking away. AIDAN: I love showing little kids the fire engines. The kids are so great. And their teacher? I’ve never met a sweeter woman, or a sexier one. When I pursue Romy Grant, it’s instant love. I see my future in her eyes. But when I drop by the school after that one wonderful night, I’m told I’m not welcome. Did I make a mistake?

ALYSSA: One party + one crush on an older guy + one lapse of judgement = one teenage mom. That was seven years ago. With my mom’s help, I graduated. I have a good job. I have a great kid. What I don’t have is a love life. Most guys my age take one look at Charlie and run the other way. The gorgeous firefighter who checks on us after somebody rear-ends my car seems different . . . but can I trust him? DRAKE: I’ve always liked helping people. I guess it’s in my blood: the dad I don't remember was an EMT. Now I’m a fully qualified firefighter/EMT at Rivertown’s Station 9. When I’m working a fender bender, I take one look at the curvy woman behind the wheel and fall head over heels. Immediately. Completely. The kid in the booster seat is a bonus. I can love him, easy. Will Alyssa let me love her?

JENNA I’m fresh out of the shower one evening when somebody starts pounding on my door. A handsome firefighter tells me my apartment building is on fire, and I must evacuate—now. When the fire’s out and I’m finally allowed to go back inside, I sprain my ankle on the stairs. I can’t walk, so the guy who pounded on my door offers to carry me back to my place. I accept. And his hands on me are hot enough to start another blaze… this time, in my heart. COLE Just another apartment building, just another fire. But the curvy beauty in 3B heats my blood like nobody ever has before. When she gets a minor injury, I carry her upstairs. And then I don’t want to let go of her. Ever. I’ve been fooled before. Can I trust my heart to do the right thing?

CHANTAL: At my best friend's engagement party, I get stuck in a conversation with a guy who will not stop telling me terrible jokes. I have no idea why I’m laughing. Or why I’m enjoying myself. Blond, cute, and muscular, the guy is my personal dream man. But based on my experience, I’m better off on my own. REESE: I meet her at a party. Prettiest girl in the room, radiating serenity like a stone in the middle of a stream. I do my best to try to engage her in conversation, just to be close to her. But every time I start asking her about herself, she makes an excuse and walks away. Where’s the line between “persistent” and “annoying”? I’m worried I might have crossed it. Do I still have a chance with Chantal?

GALEN: As a foster kid who was lucky enough to be adopted, I know what it's like to be wary of people—and I know what it's like to find your forever family, too. I've been waiting all my life to meet the right girl, so I can start a family of my own. It begins with a family of two, right? When I finally meet her, I know her right away, because she's beautiful inside and out. How can I convince her to trust me? MAGNOLIA: My next-door neighbor, Nadine, has become my honorary grandmother. If it weren't for her, I'd be completely alone. When I find her collapsed on the floor, my world goes to pieces. The gorgeous EMT who comes to rescue her is so sweet to me that against my judgment, I want to trust him. ...but can I really? GALEN is a short instalove romance between a firefighter-EMT and a curvy girl. True HEA guaranteed. No cheating, no cliffhanger. Part of the Rivertown Fire & Rescue series, but can be read as a standalone.

Like the other firefighters and EMTs of Rivertown's Station 9, Blaze has been waiting all his life for the right woman to come along. Now that she's here, what will he do?