Page 7 of Fixing to Be Mine

“Kitchen looks nice as fuck,” he says. “Impressed.”

I lean against the counter, taking a swig, and feel the soreness in my muscles from the work I completed today. “Thanks. And thanks for your help. Tomorrow, I’ll start in the hallways, then make my way into the dining room, and then the library. First floor is almost done. Two weeks, max.”

He grins, and his phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out and looks at the screen, immediately declining the call.

My brows lift curiously.

He straightens his stance. “Anyway, gotta go. Let me know if you need more help tomorrow. Be happy to stop by after work.” He heads toward the door, and I follow behind him. “Oh, don’t forget dinner plans on Thursday.”

“Thanks. I’ll text ya if I need help,” I say, appreciating the extra set of hands more than he’ll ever know.

“You goin’ to the rodeo this weekend?” I ask.

“Yep,” he tells me, and I watch that grin spread across his face like he’s already thinking about whoever’s waiting for him.

“With more than one person?”

“Hopefully,” he says, climbing into his truck.

Classic Emmett. Known playboy. Refuses to commit. And I’ve got a damn good guess which heart he’s currently messing with. Only problem, she ain’t innocent either.

I stand on the porch, whiskey in hand, watching my brother’s taillights disappear down the long dirt road. He turns onto the highway, and his lights fade away.

For a while, we were roommates. Two bachelors living on oven pizza and bad habits. But the second I laid eyes on thisplace, I knew I needed it. Not just for a project, but to build something more permanent.

The moon hangs low in the sky, swollen and golden, like it’s been watching me. I lean against the porch railing, letting the whiskey burn down my throat as I enjoy the view.

I walk inside, knowing I’ve put hours into these walls, patched scars into strength. It’s where I’m dropping roots, preparing a life for my future wife and kids. The vision is so vivid that I can’t help but smile. I can’t fucking wait to fall in love again.

CHAPTER THREE

SUNNY

My anxiety crept in somewhere near the gas station with the taxidermy bobcat and a road called Snakebite Ridge. When I walk up the front steps of the bed-and-breakfast, I’m barely holding it together. The place is picture-perfect—fresh paint, blooming flowers, and a front porch that looks like it’s hosted its fair share of good conversations and glasses of sweet tea. It feels gentle, even if I don’t.

I knock because it feels more respectful. A moment later, the door opens, and the woman from yesterday stands there. Colt’s sister. Her dark brown hair is pulled up, and she’s wearing a soft T-shirt with some kind of faded logo over her heart. Her expression shifts the moment she sees me. Not surprised, but more curious.

“If we keep runnin’ into one another, you’re not gonna be a stranger anymore,” she tells me, stepping aside and allowing me in.

This is the second day I’ve knocked on a random door, and she’s opened it.

“Oh, hi,” I say. “Do you work here?”

She nods. “Yep. I don’t know if we’ve officially met. I’m Remi Johnson. Was Valentine until recently.”

“Very nice to meet you,” I say, looking around this gorgeous place.

She continues the conversation. “My older brother, Beckett, and his wife, Summer, own Horseshoe Creek Ranch. I help run the bed-and-breakfast. What can I help ya with?”

“So, the motel in downtown Valentine that I was staying at the past few days doesn’t have any availability for the next two weeks. The woman gave me this address to see if, by some miracle, you had any rooms open. I made a few phone calls and every motel, hotel, and Airbnb within a hundred miles is fully booked.”

Remi looks out at the pasture; the sun has already dipped below the horizon, and it will be dark soon.

“We don’t have anything tonight, but let me check the rest of the week to see if anyone has canceled. Follow me.” Remi leads me to the counter, where a computer is set up. “The rodeo’s coming to town. It starts this weekend and runs for two weeks. People started booking rooms last year.”

My timing is shit—that’s what I’ve realized.

“I didn’t know. I left the city on a whim, stupidly believing Valentine was a place to get lost.”

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