Big Daddy Firemen (Big Cedar Daddies Book 2)

The following morning, Daisy awoke early and got ready in the firehouse’s bathroom before showing her face to the guys.

They’d seen her last night without makeup. She couldn’t do anything about that. But she sure wasn’t going to add insult to injury by letting them see her after a night of sleep, with her brown hair tangled and messy and bags under her eyes.

So she fixed her hair, put on her face, and then sauntered out to find the men already working out in the garage. Cane was finishing a particularly intense set on the bench press with Walker standing behind, spotting him.

“Twelve!” Cane yelled with a grunt, as the barbell clanked loudly in the metal grooves. He sat up, grabbed his tumbler of water that rested beside the bench, and took a long swallow.

Sweat was ringing his dark t-shirt. His muscles were bulging so much that it seemed as if they might tear the fabric right in two.

Daisy was disappointed when that didn’t happen.

“Good morning,” she sing-songed.

“Good morning, cute stuff,” Cane said.

“You sleep okay?” Walker asked.

“Yeah. But I feel ridiculous. I can’t believe I let those Littles scare me!”

The guys chuckled. Over at the rack of dumbbells, Austin finished a set of curls. He put his weights back in their spot, grabbed the short towel that was draped over his shoulder and dried the sweat from his brow as he walked toward Daisy. “No need to feel ridiculous, darlin’. Just remember Bigfoot isn’t real.”

“Don’t tell her that!” Cane interjected. “Then she won’t stay with us. We need her good and scared so she’s here every night.”

The four laughed.

“You know it’s Saturday, right?” Walker said. “You’re not on duty today. Jean’s here.” He jerked his head toward the door that led to the dispatcher’s room.

As if on cue, the older, silver-haired lady popped her head out and glared in Daisy’s direction. She didn’t look too happy to see her.

“Can I talk to you?” she called out gruffly.

“Oh boy. You’re in trouble now,” Cane said quietly.

Austin snorted. “Come get us if she gives you too hard a time.”

“I can hold my own,” Daisy said.

But she wasn’t sure if she could. She didn’t really know Jean, but she’d heard stories of how surly she could be. She tried to walk with confidence, silently reminding herself that she didn’t answer to the older woman. If anything, it was the other way around. Daisy was the lead dispatcher. That was her room. Her setup.

“Hi,” she said, reaching the door.

The old lady didn’t say anything, instead just retreating further into the room. Daisy followed.

“You’re not here to home in on my shift are you? Wanting overtime?” Her voice was curt. Her grayish-blue eyes were icy, making her that white, short-cropped hair atop her head seem a little like snow.

“No. I’m not here to work.”

Jean looked her up and down and finally said, “You stay over for a gang-bang last night or something?”

“What?” Daisy gasped, rearing her head back in shock.

“Trust me, sweetheart. I’ve been there. I know how it goes.”

“Oh my,” Daisy whispered.

Jean seemed unaware of the younger woman’s reaction as she continued, saying, “Gang-bangs, blow-bangs, Chimpanzee-style Milwaukee Bangs. I’ve done ‘em all.”

It took Daisy a moment to recover from her shock. “That last one seemed like a bunch of words that shouldn’t go together. Is it real?”

Jean chortled. “Oh, they’re real, alright. And if you don’t know what they are, I’m not going to tell you.” She shifted on her feet and put her hands on her hips. “Look, what you’re doing with these young studs isn’t any of my business. Just know it’s a crazy road once you get started down it. It seems like innocent fun, your first gang-bang, and the next thing you know you’re filming a crazy porn scene on a subway car in the middle of New York City while a guy in a gorilla suit shoves a bunch of bananas up your ass.” She paused, a reflective look shading her eyes a moment before she continued. “Don’t get me wrong, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m just letting you know, though. This road can take you some crazy places.” She looked more serious as she added, “And I’m warning you: don’t take my shift! The weekends are mine, little missy. You want to have a fuck-fest? Fine by me. Just make sure the doors are closed so you don’t interrupt my reading!”

With that, Jean sat down, picked up her mystery novel, and stuck her nose in it, signaling the conversation was over. Daisy backed out of the room slowly, closed the door behind her, and stopped long enough to cross herself.

“Saints preserve us,” she whispered.

“What’s wrong?” Austin asked.

“You probably don’t want to know.” Daisy shook her head and shuddered.

“You going to hang out with us all day or get ready for your date?” Austin wondered.

“That’s not until tonight,” she said. “It doesn’t take me that long to get ready. As frumpy and gross as I am, no amount of time in the world could fix that! So, I won’t waste too much effort on it.”

She finished the statement by offering a little laugh, but it was clear from the scowl Austin wore that he didn’t find anything funny about her comments.

“You might not be a Little, but if you ask me, talk like that should earn you a spanking.”

Daisy gulped. She thought of offering some other little comment, but held her tongue. Instead, she directed the conversation in a different direction. “You y’all need any help around here today? I’m free until tonight.”

“You’re always welcome to hang out,” he said, “but you don’t need to work on your day off. Enjoy your weekend.” He shrugged. “You know we take it easy on Saturday and Sunday, unless needed. We’re really only on call, we just happen to live where we work.”

“I won’t work,” she said. “Just hang out and⁠—’

Before she could finish that statement, a bell rang. Jean poked her head out of the dispatch office and said, “That old building on the west end of town!”

The announcement and the bell weren’t necessary now. The smell of smoke was already drifting down Main Street and streaming into the open doors of the firehouse’s garage.

Daisy watched as the men sprang into action. Their swiftness and efficiency were a sight to behold. They were dressed, in the fire truck, and pulling out in just a little over a minute.

Leaving a very scared Daisy behind to pray and wonder if her guys would return safely.