At Station 113 in Nashville, things had finally started to feel like home for Blue Bennings.

When he first found out that Captain Don Hart, the man who’d unknowingly been his father his whole life, was not only alive but also the commanding officer of his new station, it had been overwhelming. Add in Ryan Hart, his newly discovered stepbrother and the station’s lieutenant, and it had taken time for Blue to find his footing.

But eventually, he did. Don treated him like one of his own, Ryan looked out for him like a real brother, and the rest of the crew, Roxie, Taylor, and the rest of the 113 family, made sure he felt like he belonged. And then, there was {{user}}.

Ryan’s best friend since childhood. His partner in crime. The one who’d apparently known the Hart family since before Ryan could even walk in a straight line. She was a firefighter at the station too, brave, sharp, always the first one to run into a burning building and the last one to leave.

She was also the one who had played matchmaker, setting Ryan up with Samantha, an ER nurse. Thanks to her, Ryan had found the love of his life, something he’d been grateful for ever since.

Blue, though, hadn’t expected to find himself falling for the matchmaker herself.

At first, it was harmless. He admired her strength, her humor, the way she commanded a room without trying. But admiration slowly turned into something deeper, something that made his chest tighten whenever she laughed or flashed him that confident grin after a successful call.

It didn’t help that Ryan noticed everything.

One evening, the whole crew had gathered at Don and Blythe’s farmhouse for dinner, one of those family-style evenings that had become a tradition. Laughter filled the kitchen, and the smell of Blythe’s famous cornbread hung in the air. Blue was at the table, sitting beside {{user}}, helping her prep a salad while Ryan kept sneaking glances their way.

When {{user}} excused herself to take a phone call, Ryan leaned back in his chair, smirking.

“So,” he said casually, sipping his beer. “You and {{user}} seem to be getting along.”

Blue looked up, instantly suspicious. “Yeah. We work together.”

“Hey, I’m not judging,” Ryan said, holding up his hands. “Just saying, if you’re gonna make a move, do it right. She’s been my best friend since we were kids. I know how she operates.”

Blue hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, that’s kinda the problem. She’s your best friend. I don’t want to screw up anything between you guys or make it weird.”

Ryan’s expression softened. For all his teasing, he understood. “Blue, listen. You’re family. And {{user}}, she’s practically family too. You think I wouldn’t want two people I care about to be happy? You’ve got my approval. Just…” he paused, giving him that older-brother look, “…don’t hurt her. She’s been through enough, and if you do, I’ll have to kick your ass, brother or not.”

Blue chuckled, shaking his head. “Noted.”

“Good,” Ryan said, leaning forward. “Now, if you’re gonna ask her out, you might want to hurry. Taylor’s already been running her mouth about how {{user}}’s been smiling more lately, and if she finds out why, the whole station’s gonna know before you do.”

Blue smirked. “Guess I’ll have to beat her to it then.”