Page 56 of The Cowboy Fix

They were standing in front of Malorie’s mirror in their 1950s-themed dresses. Izzy’s lightly patterned flowers on an emerald-green background with a bow around her waist; Mal’s a light blue halter cocktail dress—when Izzy realized, she didn’t want to go all the way to Montana, even if it was the best option for her career.

She put her arm around Mal’s shoulders. “You are a good friend, Malorie Harper, soon to be Mrs. Blake Lohmen. Montanaistoo far away.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“With Montana out of the running, that leaves Bellingham and Chicago. They’re not any closer, but they both have great airports so I can come visit whenever I want. And I can probably finish those projects up very quickly with my eyes closed.”

Mal hugged her back, sighing happily in Izzy’s ear. “And we’ll fly out to see you, wherever you go after that. I promise.”

She turned Mal toward the mirror. “You’re going to make a beautiful bride.”

“I can’t wait to be married to Blake and be a family. He’s such a good father, and no matter what happened between them in the past, he loves his brothers.”

The next morning while she was getting ready for her meeting with the mayor, Izzy thought about what Mal had said. Her best friend couldn’t wait to marry Blake and become a family. That’s what love was about... making a partnership that lasted a lifetime with someone who made a girl happy. If she was brave enough.

Did she love Nathan? Did she love him enough to figure out how to have a life with him?

She admired the cowboy. Loved how once he made up his mind he didn’t waver. And loved that even though he didn’t always agree with his brothers, he’d learned to figure out how to work with them to benefit the ranch, not just himself. Even if it meant on occasion pulling a high card from a deck of cards, winner-take-all.

Either she truly loved the man and would commit to staying on the ranch with him for the rest of their lives. Build a life together and raise a family with him. Or if she didn’t, turn her back on all that and go on with the life she’d already chosen.

Was that what she wanted for her future? Running from one job to the next instead of taking a different path?

*

Forty-five minutes later,dressed in a business suit of dove gray, her hair twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck, after introductions and shaking Helen Nichols’ hand, Izzy sat down across from the mayor.

Determined not to let her past override any decision she might make, she pushed the persistent mental buzzing to the back of her mind and smiled at the mayor. “You said you had a proposal?”

“Yes.” Helen studied the papers on her desk briefly and then folded her hands together and leaned on her elbows. “Strawberry Ridge has received a community revitalization grant to help update the historic district and improve our business districts and neighborhood commercial centers. My goal is to stretch the grant money as far as it will go while spending it wisely. I’ve heard about what you’re doing for the Triple L and how innovative your ideas are. Is reviving Strawberry Ridge a project you would be interested in managing?”

Flushed with sudden excitement, Izzy took a deep breath. She couldn’t sayyes!fast enough. This was exactly what she was looking for. Something to stretch her skills and that would give her a reason not to move thousands of miles away.

She loved Strawberry Ridge. And she loved Nathan more. It was as simple and as complicated as that. This sweet town, the job the mayor was offering, and one grumpy cowboy were everything she didn’t know she wanted.

“When do I start?”

“Monday.” Helen rose, shook her hand, and walked Izzy to the door. “We’ll do your onboarding then and go over the grant. I understand you’re staying at the Triple L. Will you need help finding housing?”

“I don’t think so.” At least she hoped not. It all depended on what Nathan had to say about her not taking the Montana job. But it didn’t matter. More than she ever thought it possible, she loved that man. “I’ll let you know on Monday.”

“Eight o’clock, then,” the mayor said and waved Izzy off.

She took her time driving back to the ranch, taking in the blue Colorado sky, the mountains that rose high into the air on the backside of the ranch, and the loving care Nathan gave to his home. She had been so certain when she first arrived on the Triple L that she was taking on a job that, if she was successful, would be a huge feather in her cap. She’d had no idea the real win was falling for a solitary, grumpy cowboy. It’d happened so slowly, by the time her heart let her know that she was hopelessly in love it was too late.

Back at the guesthouse, she stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom and stared at the woman looking back at her. She was subtly dressed for business, the CEO of her own company. Her hair was as tamed as it was going to get.

Quickly, she took the pins out of the bun and let the thick waves fly free. Loving Nathan was like coming home. Why had she not figured it out sooner? She’d never felt that way about Jim.

“Are you ready to trust your heart?” She whispered to the woman in the mirror.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Izzy answered herself unequivocally, “Yes!”

Now all she had to do was convince the cowboy who’d fixed her heart that she was all in, one hundred and ten percent.

Indulging in a long soak in the tub, she took her time getting ready for Blake and Malorie’s engagement party. The catered celebration started at six. There would be dancing and hopefully, an opportunity to talk to Nathan. She couldn’t wait to tell him about her new job.

While she waited for the festivities to begin, she cut flowers from the garden to make bouquets and took them to the main house. Nathan was nowhere to be seen. For a minute her heart stuttered. Surely, he wouldn’t miss his brother’s party because he was trying to avoid her.

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