Page 147 of Fixing to Be Mine

Jace tips his hat to her with a smirk. “Missed you too, Firecracker.”

Her eyes narrow. “Don’t fucking call me that.”

“Come on,” he says, still grinning. “Thought you liked that nickname.”

“I liked a lot of things I shouldn’t have,” she snaps.

There’s heat in her tone and a dash of hate, mixed with something messier. Sharper. Like the edge of a broken glass.

“Do you want me to leave?” Jace turns to me, and I’m put in an awkward situation.

“I think we can all get along,” I say to him and glance at Fenix, who’s livid.

She lets out a huff.

Jace chuckles and focuses on my sister. “Guess I’ll be seeing you around now.”

“No, you won’t,” she fires back, quick as ever.

“I’m back in town for a little while at least. Youwill.”

Her jaw tightens. I think I see her hold her breath before she explodes. “Fuck you, Jace Tucker.”

She turns on her heel and walks away, chin high, spine stiff.

Jace watches her go, his smirk slipping, before he recovers.

He glances back at me and exhales. “If you want me to leave, I will.”

“No, it’s fine. Please behave,” I tell him.

“Thanks, man,” he tells me, giving me a nod before he finds his brother, who’s entertaining my mom and grandmother.

Stormy comes to me, and I wrap my arms around her.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. Lots of anger from Fenix,” I admit, spinning her around as we slow dance to a fast song. “I think things just got a hell of a lot more interesting around here. Jace is back.”

“You’re kidding,” she says, glancing over her shoulder at him.

Then I watch her eyes scan the room for Fenix. She’s nowhere to be found.

I kiss along her neck. “I was serious. If he’s the reason Fenix quit riding, I’ll hang his nuts off the back of my truck.”

She howls with laughter, and I love to see that bright smile.

Stormy glances over her shoulder. The barn is still full of laughter and movement. Vera dances with Emmett. Mama’s trying to force mini pies into unsuspecting hands.

“You ever think it would look like this?” Stormy asks.

“No,” I admit. “But I hoped. And it’s better than I imagined.”

Her eyes shimmer, and she rises up on her toes to kiss me. I feel the weight and promise of everything we’ve built.

When we break apart, she tilts her head. “So … what now?”

“Now?” I grin. “Now we finish the second floor. Plan a wedding. Maybe adopt another dog. Change some lives. Have some kids. Whatever we want.”

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