A meet-cute to remember . . . for all the wrong reasons. Chuck: My whole life has been building to this moment. I've studied. I've trained. I've paid my dues. And as of this morning, I'm Engine 17's newest recruit. I've been on the clock for two hours…and I'm ready to throw in the towel. What could bring a fully trained firefighter and EMT to the breaking point? Was it a five-alarm blaze? Or a thirty-car pileup on the interstate? Nope. It's a silver maple tree, a black-and-white cat with eerie yellow eyes, and a platinum blonde with more curves than a rolled-up firehose. Alli O'Malley. Don't let her angel face fool you. I wouldn't be surprised if she has tiny devil horns hidden beneath her hair. *An earlier version of this story was published in the Spring into Love charity collection. Fall in love with the men of Engine 17 one novella at a time! Each standalone rom-com features a different fireman and his quest to find the one woman who will set his soul on fire.