Page 29 of Falling

She lifts a shoulder. “Sort of.” She makes that crinkly face that’s so adorable it makes my heart pinch every time she does it. “I documented my remodeling project on TikTok and it sort of…blew up. Before I knew it, people were asking for merch and I was getting free products from all kinds of companies. In my spare time, I worked on T-shirts and stickers and mugs, mostly cutesy, yetclassy,” she holds up a finger to emphasize classy, “RV and design-related.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never heard the words,classy RV-related,but since that’s the first word that came to my mind after seeing your RV, I’m curious.”

She laughs. “Well, thank you.”

“How do I see your stuff?”

Her cheeks bloom with color. “Uh…just look up Ruby Sunshine Jones on Tiktok or Instagram.”

“Ruby Sunshine Jones,” I echo. I can’t hold back a grin. “Well, that makes a helluva lot of sense.”

CHAPTER NINE

CHOCOLATE

RUBY

Over the next week and a half, Callum and I find our routine. I get up at 4:45 and have breakfast ready for us before he comes out fifteen minutes later. Despite his protests, he thanks me and scarfs it down. He’s been fully dressed since that morning I saw him in his briefs. Good thing. The sight of him first thing in the morning, that very large and very appealing…no, not appealing…I meandistractingbody part he’s got going on is not something I could handle seeing every day.

It’s just too much on the eyes and honestly, must be too large to be comfortable, but I can’t say I’m not curious about who he wields that thing around. Try as I might, I haven’t been able to suss out any girlfriends or even potential ones, and that’s just hard to imagine.

Callum Landmark is a total babe and he’s not getting the full recognition he deserves, being out here all by his lonesome.

I may not want a man in my life for the next jillion years, but I can still appreciate this man’s allure.

While he works, I’ve been creating content. So far I’ve only posted a few times since I got here, and my followers are heartbroken about Jolene’s misfortune, but they areobsessedwith the new scenery. And I think I’ll be getting that battery sooner than expected, thanks to the posts.

There were a bunch of questions in the comments wondering about my wedding content and the lack thereof, but I haven’t answered any of that yet. I also haven’t answered Junior’s calls.

He keeps leaving messages like it’s urgent that I call him. Like Iowehim a conversation. He might be right, but I’m just not ready to talk to him.

So far I haven’t ventured into town and we haven’t gone anywhere, and the strange thing is, I haven’t missed it. I was on the go so much at home, working on the farm all day, posting on my social media accounts, planning the wedding, and then going out with Junior at night…I didn’t realize how tired I was.

Most days Callum or I make a light lunch and then I try to beat him into the kitchen to make dinner, but last night, he did,surprising me with a delicious mushroom risotto. We chat, okay, it’s mostly me chatting, by the fire after dinner, and then I fall into bed and sleep harder than I’ve ever slept in my life.

It’s not what I expected in coming to Landmark Mountain, and certainly not at all how I thought I’d spend my honeymoon, but each day, I wake up with anticipation and a little more energy than the day before. The burns on my chest are angry reminders of my first night here, symbolic of the state I was in when I arrived, which in some ways feels like an eternity ago. Hard to believe it’s not even been two weeks.

This morning, Callum surprises me by being up before me, already making breakfast when I go into the kitchen. I pause at the sight of him and he barely glances up, his sleepy voice sending a shiver down my body.

“The truck will be here soon.”

“Oh, I forgot today was the day.”

He nods and flips the eggs onto a plate that’s already filled with toast and fruit. I take the plate he offers and he finally meets my eyes. The intensity mixed with—amusement maybe?—leaves me breathless.

“Didn’t know I had a superstar in my house,” he says.

That husky tone of his just…well, chalk it up to one more thing about him that distracts me. I can’t believe the women in this town aren’t beating the door down to get to him.

My head tilts as I stare at him and then hurriedly look away.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I finally downloaded Tiktok and watched…some of your…whatever you call them.”

“Toks,” I say playfully.

“Dumb name.”

I lift a shoulder.

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