Willowbrook Ridge Fire Rescue Series by Julia Stone

Violet:I don’t have time for distractions. As a paramedic, my job is about staying focused, staying sharp, and keeping people alive. So when I’m asked to train rookies alongside the fire department, I’m ready to keep things professional.Then I find out who’s running the drills.Lieutenant Walker Hale.Grumpy, brooding, all sharp edges, and few words. I’ve seen him in action—commanding, steady, impossible to ignore—but up close? He’s even more intense.I tell myself it’s just the training... moreViolet:I don’t have time for distractions. As a paramedic, my job is about staying focused, staying sharp, and keeping people alive. So when I’m asked to train rookies alongside the fire department, I’m ready to keep things professional.Then I find out who’s running the drills.Lieutenant Walker Hale.Grumpy, brooding, all sharp edges, and few words. I’ve seen him in action—commanding, steady, impossible to ignore—but up close? He’s even more intense.I tell myself it’s just the training. The way he watches me with those furrowed brows...Tired of watching him from afar, I shoot my shot by giving him my number.One offer is all it takes to realize that I might’ve just started a fire neither of us knows how to put out.Walker:I don’t do small talk.I fight fires, I train my team, and I don’t waste time on things that don’t matter. But Violet Carter? She matters.I’ve watched her work—sharp, fearless, too damn serious for a woman who should have men falling at her feet. I want to talk to her, but I don’t know how. So when she’s assigned to run drills with my team, I take my shot.Funny enough, she doesn’t mind my awkward attempts at conversation.Even better, she meets me halfway.When I finally get her alone, I won’t need words to show her exactly what I want. less

Olivia:I built a life in the city—selling high-rise condos, and wearing designer heels, all while making deals closed over cocktails. None of that matters when Dad gets sick. Suddenly, I’m back in Willowbrook Ridge, drowning in responsibility, trading power suits for exhaustion and small-town stares.Then there’s Wyatt Price.My high school best friend. The boy I once promised to marry if we were both single at thirty. Well, I’m twenty-nine, and he’s no boy anymore... moreOlivia:I built a life in the city—selling high-rise condos, and wearing designer heels, all while making deals closed over cocktails. None of that matters when Dad gets sick. Suddenly, I’m back in Willowbrook Ridge, drowning in responsibility, trading power suits for exhaustion and small-town stares.Then there’s Wyatt Price.My high school best friend. The boy I once promised to marry if we were both single at thirty. Well, I’m twenty-nine, and he’s no boy anymore.He’s a firefighter now—bigger, broader, rougher in all the ways that make my breath hitch. When I start to crack under the pressure, it’s his hands catching me, his voice steadying me, being the support I need.I tell myself he’s just helping. Just being the Wyatt I used to know.But when he looks at me like he wants to devour me whole?It makes me wonder if that promise we made is still on the table.Wyatt:I’ve battled flames that burn less than the way I want her.Olivia Harper was my best friend, my almost, my never-had-the-guts-to-take. After all those years, now she’s back—stressed, exhausted, and needing someone to take care of her.That’s where I come in.She needs help with her father? Fine. An escape from the weight on her shoulders? I’ll be that, too. But the way she looks at me now—like she wants me as much as I want her—it’s only a matter of time before she stops running and lets herself accept the flame that crackles between us.She still thinks she’s leaving once she’s no longer needed.But I know better.She’s not just my past—she’s my future. And this time, I’m not letting her slip away. less

Max:I’ve never been the guy people take seriously. The rookie. The goofball. The one who’s always laughing, never looking to settle down. But the second I pull Daisy from the flames, everything changes.She’s shaken, heartbroken—her flower shop reduced to ash. And I’ll be damned if I let her go through this alone.She thinks she’s lost everything. I’m about to show her she’s wrong.Daisy:My flower shop was my dream, my future—until an electrical fire turned it all to smoke and rubble... moreMax:I’ve never been the guy people take seriously. The rookie. The goofball. The one who’s always laughing, never looking to settle down. But the second I pull Daisy from the flames, everything changes.She’s shaken, heartbroken—her flower shop reduced to ash. And I’ll be damned if I let her go through this alone.She thinks she’s lost everything. I’m about to show her she’s wrong.Daisy:My flower shop was my dream, my future—until an electrical fire turned it all to smoke and rubble. Trapped inside, I thought it was the end. Then Max was there. Carrying me out. Holding me close.Now, he won’t leave my side. He’s reckless, playful, nothing like the man I ever imagined falling for. But when I look at him, I don’t see the rookie firefighter everyone underestimates.I see the man who might just save me in more ways than one. less

Michelle:I’ve always dreamed of a love story—the kind where the hero sweeps the girl off her feet, where love is soft, sweet, and filled with grand gestures. But Barrett? He’s nothing like the men in my daydreams.Older. Gruff. A firefighter who rushes into danger without a second thought. When he stops by Willow Perk, he barely speaks, barely lingers. But sometimes, I catch him watching me—like he wants to devour me in one bite.He looks untouchable, out of my league... moreMichelle:I’ve always dreamed of a love story—the kind where the hero sweeps the girl off her feet, where love is soft, sweet, and filled with grand gestures. But Barrett? He’s nothing like the men in my daydreams.Older. Gruff. A firefighter who rushes into danger without a second thought. When he stops by Willow Perk, he barely speaks, barely lingers. But sometimes, I catch him watching me—like he wants to devour me in one bite.He looks untouchable, out of my league. Every time our eyes meet, I can’t help but wonder—what if I’m wrong?Barrett:I live for the rush—flipping on the sirens, weaving through traffic, getting my crew to a fire in record time. Being an engineer is about control, precision, and speed. There’s no room for distractions. But the girl at Willow Perk? She’s becoming one.Michelle is too young, too sweet, too damn tempting. She slips a pastry with my coffee, like she thinks sugar is the way to win me over. But I don’t want her kindness. I don’t want her sweets.I just want her. And once I get a taste? There’s no turning back. less

The dispatch says a broken door knob.I’m expecting some guy with a screwdriver, maybe a jammed hinge.What do I get? Alina Reyes—wrapped in nothing but a towel, cheeks flushed, eyes wide.One look and I’m done.I remember her, sure. But not like this. Now she’s all grown up and built like temptation. She’s younger, yeah. But I don’t care.I’m the one who is here. Call it fate.And now that I’ve seen what’s mine?I’ll fix whatever breaks.But I’m not walking away without making her mine... moreThe dispatch says a broken door knob.I’m expecting some guy with a screwdriver, maybe a jammed hinge.What do I get? Alina Reyes—wrapped in nothing but a towel, cheeks flushed, eyes wide.One look and I’m done.I remember her, sure. But not like this. Now she’s all grown up and built like temptation. She’s younger, yeah. But I don’t care.I’m the one who is here. Call it fate.And now that I’ve seen what’s mine?I’ll fix whatever breaks.But I’m not walking away without making her mine.I just wanted a hot shower.Instead, the door knob snaps off, trapping me in the bathroom. Towel-only, soaking wet, no clothes.By the time help arrives, I’m mortified—because it’s him. Knox Payne. Tall, built, lively as can be.He busts the door open and stares at me like he’s never seen a woman before. He offers to help with anything I need.I know I should be focusing on my independence.But with the way he looks at me, the way his voice drops when he says my name…I start wishing everything in this apartment would fall apart—Just so he’ll keep coming back. less

She’s running scared for her daughter’s sake. He’s the safe place they both need.Charlie:I like my space. My quiet. My routine.Then she moved in next door.Lucy’s got curves for days, eyes that never meet mine, and a daughter who clings to her like she’s the only safe place in the world.She’s scared. Hiding. But I see her. And the second I figure out what she’s running from—I’ll make damn sure it never touches her again.She thinks I’m just the grumpy neighbor... moreShe’s running scared for her daughter’s sake. He’s the safe place they both need.Charlie:I like my space. My quiet. My routine.Then she moved in next door.Lucy’s got curves for days, eyes that never meet mine, and a daughter who clings to her like she’s the only safe place in the world.She’s scared. Hiding. But I see her. And the second I figure out what she’s running from—I’ll make damn sure it never touches her again.She thinks I’m just the grumpy neighbor.She has no idea how far I’d go to protect what’s mine.Lucy:New town. New name.No friends. No noise.Just me and Mila.That’s how we stay safe.Until the firefighter next door starts knocking down every wall I’ve built.Charlie’s intense. Quiet. Too much. And when he looks at me—I forget every rule I made to keep us safe. But wanting him?That might be the most dangerous thing of all. less

He’s possessive. She’s untouched. Sparks are inevitable.Taking over my grandmother’s photography business was supposed to be simple.A calendar shoot. Some attractive firemen. A good cause.Except nothing about Captain Diego Palmer is simple.He’s twice my age, all hard edges and smoldering stares that see too much.Every time his deep voice curls around me, I feel my innocence slipping... moreHe’s possessive. She’s untouched. Sparks are inevitable.Taking over my grandmother’s photography business was supposed to be simple.A calendar shoot. Some attractive firemen. A good cause.Except nothing about Captain Diego Palmer is simple.He’s twice my age, all hard edges and smoldering stares that see too much.Every time his deep voice curls around me, I feel my innocence slipping.This job was supposed to make my grandma proud, but how do I stay professional when all I want is him?DiegoI know discipline. I know control.But the second Adeline Blackthorne walks in with her camera, my restraint burns to ash.She’s sunshine and temptation wrapped in a sweet, untouched package.And I’m a jealous, possessive man who can’t stand any of my crew looking at her for a second too long.She thinks she’s here to capture us for a fundraiser, but I know the truth.The only thing I want her focused on…is me. less