Page 188 of Catch the Sun

My blue heeler pup dashes to the window and hops up on the couch, his long, silvery tail swishing back and forth with excitement.

I swipe my hair back with one hand, fidgeting in place while I watch Ella assess her surroundings for another minute before she squares her shoulders and traipses toward the front door.

Klondike starts barking.

“Easy, boy,” I tell him, ushering him off the couch with a rubber toy and a palmful of dog biscuits. He hops down and takes the treats, then carries the toy to his crate.

Fuck.This is terrifying. I have no idea how Ella is going to react to what I’ve created, and while I’ve made peace with a possible rejection, my heart still pounds with pleading hope.

Say yes, Ella.

Stay.

She knocks twice and I move to the doorway.

My palms sweat. My ears ring. My chest hammers with cautious optimism.

I swing the door open and watch as Ella does a double take, glances at me, over to the left, then back at me. Her eyes flare wide and vibrant green.

Her glossy lips part briefly, then snap shut as she stares at me, a startled frown bending her dark brows.

“Hey,” I say, a smile stretching. Nerves stomp through me just as Klondike stomps through the living room and pounces on Ella with two happy paws and a wiggling butt. “Shit, sorry…” I take my puppy by the collar and pull him back as she gawks at the both of us, frozen to the porch step.

“What is…?” She starts blinking rapidly, head swinging side to side. “What’s going on?”

Scooping Klondike in my arms, I inch away from his tongue slapping at my cheek. “You’re here for a job interview.”

Ella continues to stare, dumbfounded, glancing behind her at the property sign and then at me. “Okay.” She draws out the word. “But that doesn’t explainwhy you’re here.”

“I’m the one interviewing you.”

She gapes at me in shock. “Um…what? This is your farm?”

I nod, as if that answers everything.

“Max…explain.”

“Come inside,” I urge, moving from the threshold and setting Klondike back down. “Klondike won’t hurt you, by the way. He’s only seven months old, so he’s still learning his manners.”

He proves my point by leaping at Ella again.

A huff of a laugh falls out of her as she crouches down in the doorway to pet him between the ears. “I don’t understand,” she says, peeking up at me. “Please explain. Quickly. My brain is imploding.”

“Well, I found him on the side of the road with one of those Klondike bar foil wrappers hanging out of his mouth. That’s how he got the name. I took him to the vet and—”

“Max.”

Her arms are full of my rascally puppy, her eyes full of questions.

A grin slips. “Yes, this is my farm. For now,” I tell her. “And yes…I knew where you were living. I’ve known for a long time.” Those emerald eyes glaze over as her hand absently strokes my pup’s short fur. “I bought up these acres over a year ago with my earnings from the house flips, and Chevy and our team helped me with the renovations on the house. Of course, I’m not well versed in the equestrian field, so I reached out to Natine for guidance.”

Klondike moves away from Ella and starts circling my feet, allowing her to stand. Ella blinks back tears of disbelief and swipes her palms down the front of her dog-fuzzed leggings. “Natine knew about this?”

“She did.” I nod. “We met up for coffee a while back. I told her who I was and asked if she thought this was a good idea or not.” Folding in my lips, I shrug. “She said you’d either slap me or kiss me, but she was looking forward to hearing about the outcome.”

Ella lifts both hands and drags them through her hair, her cheeks flushed pink. “I…I’m not following. How did you even find me?” Before I can answer, her eyes flare with realization. “Brynn.”

“Don’t be mad.”

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