The Heat Is On (Boston Five Book 1) by Poppy J. Anderson

around, and whether Hayden had given it to him. But whatever the answers to those questions were, the day was utterly screwed, so he decided to pack up his things and go home. He couldn’t take one damn more thing today.
     
     
     
     
    Heath had always gotten along splendidly with Kyle. Contrary to his identical twin, Kyle had an imperturbable disposition and didn’t act like he knew everything. That’s why Heath had taken the news calmly when he first heard about it a few weeks ago. Kyle was being transferred to his department.
    Now, however, in the face of the pushback he had been facing from his family, he viewed the whole arrangement with suspicion. The fire station was really the last place where he wanted to be forced to constantly discuss Hayden. So far, his comrades had been tactful enough not to tell him he was behaving like an idiot. Firemen were there for each other. They literally went through fire for their friends, but they would not presume to meddle in each other’s affairs. For the most part, they let you deal with your problems on your own, but would be there when you signaled that you might need some kind of support. Because of that, the station had become Heath’s refuge, a place he could be sure he wouldn’t be forced to talk about either his dad or Hayden. He feared that that would change once his brother started duty as a paramedic there.
    His mother had called him the evening before, asking him to look out for his brother, and as a result, he hadn’t been able to sleep at all. It had reminded him of when his mom had said the same thing to his dad, back when Heath had first been transferred to the same station. Kyle was no fireman, he was a paramedic, and he was a very deliberate and considerate man, who rarely ever got into trouble of any kind. However, Heath knew that, after her husband’s death, his mom was sick with worry for each of her sons—Ryan out as patrolman, Shane investigating murders, and him trying to extinguish dangerous fires. He had promised to watch over his little brother.
    But he hadn’t told her that the request made him feel sick to his stomach, and that the familiar sense of guilt had crawled up his spine like a poisonous lizard.
    Kyle appeared for his first shift just as Heath had been enduring another unpleasant conversation with the chief, who had reminded him of the psychologist appointment, which of course he still hadn’t scheduled, let alone attended. He didn’t plan on doing it at all. Thankfully, Kyle had innocently arrived then. As was usual with newbies, the whole brigade had welcomed him in a good-natured but rather boastful manner, making a few jokes on his behalf that were so old and predictable it made Heath groan. After that, the chief had formally introduced him again, which was really unnecessary in his case. After all, he knew the entire crew better than the chief himself.
    Heath watched the proceedings with a mixture of amusement and pride. His baby brother was listening to his chief with a serious face, looking very much the grown-up. Heath could have sworn it had only been yesterday that he taught Kyle to drive a car. But it wasn’t yesterday. His brother was twenty-three now, handsome and popular with the ladies, just like his twin, who didn’t waste any opportunity. Kyle’s original plan after finishing undergrad had been to go to med school, like his sister. But he’d decided he wanted to earn a little money first, before committing to another decade of school.
    Heath didn’t say it, but he would have preferred to see Kyle in med school, instead of working long shifts for far too little money. Kyle’s job as a paramedic was important and commendable, of course, but his clever brother could do better than that. He was very bright and could easily become a doctor.
    As soon as the chief had finished his little speech, Heath approached Kyle and slapped his shoulder affectionately. “Welcome to the team, brother.”
    “Thanks.” Kyle gave