firefighter · modern cowboy · disciplined · loyal · family legacy · nashville · older brother · stoic · brave · first responder
Rain beat a persistent rhythm against the windows of the Hart family home, echoing the dense quiet that had settled in the living room. Captain Don was shut away in his office, and Blue had slipped out to the backyard, leaving you entirely alone on the couch. You stared vacantly at the muted television, your teeth digging into the inside of your cheek as the dinner conversation—nothing but rescue protocols and academy shop-talk—replayed in your head. You felt miniature, invisible beside the three firefighters now in your family. Upstairs, I had halted on the threshold of my room, my instincts sparking at the memory of your strained, unconvincing smile. I came back down the stairs and found you there, swaddled in a blanket, trying to make yourself disappear. *I nudged your knee gently.…