Chapter 5 - Ace

It was one of those quiet mornings at the firehouse, the kind where the coffee was too weak, the TV was too loud, and everyone was pretending to do chores while really just killing time until the next call. I was halfway through sweeping the bay, rookie duty, always, when the bell on the front gate jingled faintly.

Before I could even look up, Goose went streaking across the concrete, his blue collar ringing like an alarm bell.

“Goose!” I barked, dropping the broom. “Don’t you dar…”

Too late. He was already twined around a pair of legs, purring loud enough to wake the dead. And not just anyone’s legs. Hers.

Carolina Alves.

She stood there with a pink bakery box cradled in her arms, curls bouncing as she bent down to scratch Goose under the chin like they’d been best friends since birth. He purred louder, the traitor, rubbing his whole body against her boots like he’d been waiting for her all night.

I froze mid-step, broom still in hand, trying not to stare. She wasn’t bundled up in panic this time. Instead, she wore a cream coat belted at the waist, scarf tucked neatly, curls wild but in that way that looked intentional. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, her notebook tucked under one arm like always.

“Morning!” she called brightly, lifting the pink box. “I brought… um, peace offerings.”

Dez let out a low whistle from the couch. “Would you look at that. Rosario’s new girlfriend brought us sweets.”

My ears burned instantly. “She’s not my, ”

But Carolina had already stepped into the bay, Goose padding proudly at her heels like he’d escorted her in. She grinned at Dez, unbothered. “Not his girlfriend. Just a grateful civilian.”

Nas leaned over the truck hood, grinning. “Grateful civilians don’t usually bring homemade anything. What’s in the box? Cat treats? Can I bring soem home to my Pesto?”

Carolina beamed like she’d been waiting for the question. “I should’ve brought cat treats. But it’s actually brigadeiro! Brazilian chocolate truffles.”

Dez practically leapt off the couch. “Girlfriend material,” he announced.

“Dez,” I growled.

Carolina’s laugh filled the bay, warm and unselfconscious. She set the box on the counter and flipped it open. Rows of shiny chocolate balls, rolled in sprinkles and coconut, gleamed under the fluorescent lights. The crew swarmed like vultures, everyone except me.

I leaned on the broom handle, trying not to watch the way she smiled as Tomás sampled one and nodded approvingly. Or the way her curls bounced as she ducked her head, clearly pleased with herself. Goose hopped onto the counter, sticking his nose toward the sweets until she gently nudged him back.

“See?” she whispered to him, though I caught every word. “I told you they’d like them.”

My chest did a weird, tight thing I didn’t like one bit.

Dez shoved a truffle in his mouth and moaned dramatically. “Rosario, you’d better marry her before I do.”

Carolina giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, eyes flicking toward me. And damn it, I caught myself looking back. Too long. Too hard.

I cleared my throat and forced my gaze away, sweeping again like the world’s most dedicated janitor. “They’re just chocolates,” I muttered. “No one’s marrying anyone.”

But Goose, perched smugly on the counter beside her, looked at me like even he didn’t believe that.

I thought if I kept sweeping, maybe she’d forget I was here. Maybe she’d stay distracted by Dez making obscene noises over chocolate and Nas trying to sneak a second truffle without Tomás noticing. But of course, fate, or Goose, had other plans.

Because the next thing I knew, Carolina was standing right in front of me, notebook tucked under her arm, curls spilling across her shoulders, and that damn sparkle in her eyes like she was about to say something outrageous. Goose trotted after her and sat at her feet like a furry little accomplice.

“So,” she said, tilting her head. “You do realize your cat is actually my destiny guide, right?”

I blinked at her. “Excuse me?”

She hugged her notebook to her chest, dead serious. “Yes. He led me to you. Straight through the subway, over the gate, into your arms. It’s fate.”

I raised a brow, leaning on the broom handle. “Pretty sure it’s just a bad lock on our gate and a reckless kitten.”

“No, no, no.” She wagged a finger, curls bouncing. “Don’t ruin it with logic. Logic kills romance. This is bigger. Magical. Like, the universe sent me Goose so I could…” She trailed off, eyes going wide as if she realized what she was about to say. “…so I could find inspiration,” she finished quickly, tapping her notebook.

I smirked. “Right. Inspiration. Definitely not trespassing or stalking.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she grinned anyway. “You caught me, didn’t you? That means you were part of the plan, too. Maybe you’re the… what do they say? The inciting incident.”

“The what?”

“In stories!” She stepped closer, practically vibrating with excitement. “The moment everything changes. Hero meets heroine. Bam. Destiny.”

I stared at her, fighting the twitch of a smile. “So let me get this straight. You think my cat is your mystical tour guide, and I’m… what, some plot twist?”

She beamed. “Exactly.”

“You’re insane,” I said flatly.

“Maybe,” she said cheerfully. “But insane in a fun way.”

Dez, of course, chose that moment to whistle from across the bay. “Chemistry, people! We’ve got chemistry!”

“Shut up, Dez,” I muttered, but my ears were hot.

Carolina giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “You really don’t see it, do you? The spark? The way Goose looked at me like, ‘Yes, this one, follow her.”

Goose, traitor that he was, meowed right on cue and rubbed against her legs.

I pointed at him. “Don’t encourage her.”

She scribbled something in her notebook, then looked up at me with those big eyes that made my chest feel tighter than it should. “Too late. He already did.”

And damn it all, the way she smiled when she said it… Yeah, the spark was undeniable.

I thought maybe if I went back to sweeping, the heat in my face would cool off. But Goose was purring like a damn engine at Carolina’s feet, and she was scribbling something in her notebook with this dreamy look that made my chest tighten. It didn’t matter how hard I tried to act like it was nothing, the spark was there, and everyone in the station could see it.

Especially Lou.

She came out of her office, mug in hand, watching the scene unfold with that sharp gaze of hers. She didn’t say a word, just leaned against the doorframe, lips pressed in a line that wasn’t quite a frown. I knew that look. It was the same one she gave the crew whenever she was sizing up a situation.

Dez popped another brigadeiro in his mouth, groaning loud enough for the whole block to hear. “Sweet, rich, melts in your mouth. Damn, Rosario, she spoils better than you do.”

Carolina laughed, bright and unbothered, and Goose stretched across her boots like he’d claimed her.

That’s when Lou’s eyes cut to me. I straightened up, broom stiff in my hand, trying to look like the model rookie. Didn’t matter. She saw right through it.

Later, I knew she’d file this away, maybe even tease me about it. But right then, she just sipped her coffee and nodded to herself like she’d made a decision.

Maybe this woman is exactly what my rookie needs.

Her unspoken words burned in the back of my mind as I bent to scoop Goose off Carolina’s legs. He complained, meowing like I’d ruined his whole life, but I needed the distraction. I needed something solid in my arms to remind me who I was.

And who I wasn’t.

I wasn’t the guy who brought someone home for Nochebuena. Not the dependable sibling with the ring on their finger or the partner cheering from the sidelines. I was the last Rosario standing, the one everyone expected to drift off again, to quit when it got hard. I couldn’t afford another failure.

So why was I looking at her like she was the answer to a question I hadn’t even dared to ask?

Carolina smiled up at me, curls bouncing as she tucked her notebook under her arm. “Thanks,” she said softly, eyes flicking to Goose before meeting mine.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to nod. “Yeah. No problem.”

But the way Lou’s brow arched, the way Dez elbowed Nas with a grin, and the way Tomás shook his head like he’d already seen the ending of this movie, I knew I was in trouble.

Big trouble.

And the worst part? For the first time in a long time, I didn’t hate the idea.

Carolina finally gathered her things, tucking her notebook under her arm and pulling her scarf tighter around her neck. She gave Goose one last scratch under the chin, and the little traitor nearly melted at her feet. Then she looked up, her smile quick and nervous, like she wasn’t sure if she should say goodbye or vanish.

“Enjoy the sweets,” she said lightly, her accent curling around the words. “And… thanks again. For not calling the police.”

Dez snorted, Nas grinned, and Tomás just gave her a polite nod. I didn’t say anything. My throat was too tight. She gave Goose a final pat, then turned on her heel and slipped out the bay door. The air seemed quieter the second she was gone.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and dropped back into the nearest chair. Maybe now I could shake her from my head.

Except Goose had other plans.

He sat right at the bay door, tail wrapped neatly around his paws, staring out like he expected her to come back any second. Every time the wind rattled the chain-link gate, his ears perked. When Dez crumpled his candy wrapper, Goose even meowed like he thought it was her voice.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, rubbing a hand over my face.

“Looks like somebody’s in love,” Nas teased, elbowing Dez.

“I meant the cat,” I shot back, glaring at them. But the words felt hollow. Because the truth was, Goose wasn’t the only one waiting.

I leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. I was supposed to be focused on this job. On proving I belonged here. Everyone knew my track record: drifting from bartending to odd jobs, always restless, never steady. Becoming a firefighter was supposed to be my turning point. The thing that finally stuck.

And it mattered. More than I’d admitted to anyone, even my family. I needed Lou to believe in me. Needed Zach and Tomás to trust I could have their backs. Needed my sisters to stop worrying I’d always be the screw-up.

So why was I sitting here, picturing the way Carolina’s curls had bounced when she laughed? Why was I hearing her voice in my head, bright and insistent, calling Goose her “destiny guide”?

I scrubbed my hands over my face, trying to shake it off. She was chaos. Unpredictable. A hurricane wrapped in a scarf and a notebook. The exact opposite of the steady routine I was trying to build.

But for the first time in years, I felt something I hadn’t let myself feel: want.

Not for a drink. Not for an escape. For something and someone, real.

I glanced at Goose, still sitting vigil by the door, his tail flicking impatiently.

“Yeah, I know,” I muttered, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees. “You liked her. Don’t look at me like that.”

He blinked slowly, as if he knew better than I did.

And maybe he did.

Because no matter how much I told myself to focus on proving I belonged here, deep down, I already knew it. Carolina Alves had gotten under my skin. And if Goose had his way, she wasn’t going anywhere.