Chapter 2
Iset up a makeshift shop on the family ranch the day after Erin, my soon-to-be sister-in-law, asked me to make her an arbor for her wedding. She wants it made out of some of the recycled wood from the old barn on the property that she’s going to have rebuilt and converted into an event space to rent out for weddings and parties, so the arbor would be a piece that the business offers guests to use for their events.
The whole family agrees that the new business venture is a great idea, and I especially love that she wants to reuse as much of the old wood as possible. The barn collapsed in on itself long before I was born, and it’s just sat there, in the middle of a grazing field for cattle. There are several other smaller buildings, also no longer in use, around it. We never considered using any of it for anything. In fact, when we were kids, Dad thought about tearing it all down but never did.
Erin saw it this past spring and had the great idea of turning it into a business. With the gorgeous views of the mountains as the backdrop, I have a feeling that the space will be booked solid year-round.
My brother, Remington, mentioned to his fiancée during one of our family dinners that I like to build things in my spare time, and Erin batted her green eyes at me and talked me into building her pretty much whatever she wanted for the wedding. She’s been amazing for my brother and his kids, and I adore her. She knows that she has me wrapped around her tiny little finger.
No, the event space definitely won’t be ready in time for next month’s nuptials, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make it work with a tent, and we can bring in whatever Erin wants to make it pretty for her.
Right now, I have to build this arbor, which is a fun project. Or would be, if I had the right shop to do it in.
I have a small woodworking space in the two-car garage at the house I rent in town, but it’s nowhere near big enough for this project. Plus, the wood I’ll use is on the property. It doesn’t make sense to move all of it into town and then move it back out here again.
So, I took over my brother’s garage.
Remington and Erin, along with his two kids, live in the big farmhouse on the ranch. The same one that our parents owned and raised all five of us kids in. Remington took over the ranch from our dad a few years ago, and when our parents built a smaller, more manageable house for themselves on the property, Remington moved his family into the farmhouse.
But for now, I’m using his garage.
And even that isn’t really big enough for what I need.
“How’s it going out here?”
I turn to see Rem standing just outside the open garage door, his thumbs in his pockets, watching me work.
“Slower than I’d like.”
“Why is that?” He saunters in, picks up a hammer, and flips it around in his hand as he watches me measure a board and mark it with my pencil.
“Because I don’t have enough space.” I glance up at him and see his shit-eating grin. “Why are you so fucking chipper?”
“Life is damn good right now, that’s all.”
I shake my head and measure again. “I’m happy for you, Rem. I really am. Erin’s the best.”
“She’s worried that we won’t get it all done and thinks we should move the date out until spring so we have more time to do everything.”
“I figured,” I reply with a nod. “I was just talking about that with Summer at the flower shop yesterday. I also told her that there’s no way in hell you’d go for that.”
“Fuck no,” he confirms, his voice mild. “I’m marrying her next month. Whether it’s in a field of grass or at the courthouse, I don’t care.”
“She cares,” I remind him. “And all of her family’s coming in from Seattle. All of her very famous family. So, we’d like to give them something pretty to look at while they’re here.”
“The mountains are just fine,” he grumbles and then shrugs. “Anyway, you said you need more space to work in? This garage isn’t tiny.”
“This arbor is going to be big. The bar she wants me to build is also good-sized. And who knows what other odds and ends she’ll want. So, yeah, I need more space, but this is bigger than my shop in town, so I’ll make do. I’ll have to run home later to get more tools and bring them out here.”
“You could probably use Dad’s garage, too,” he offers, thinking it over, “but it’s just a two-car.”
“I might have to store some things in there,” I reply with a nod. “Good idea. Hey, I’ve been thinking.” I lean against the board that I still haven’t cut and hold Rem’s gaze with my own. “I think it’s time that I built a place out here. The ranch belongs to you, but all five of us siblings have acreage.”
“You haven’t decided which acres you want, but yeah, there’s definitely a place for you out here. You don’t want to be in town anymore? You always said before that you liked being close to the station in case you were needed at work for an emergency. Being this far out of town isn’t convenient for that.”
“I can make it into town within twenty minutes,” I reply. “And yeah, I liked being closer to the action in the beginning, but people have started stopping by the house when I’m there to ask questions or to try to get me to do them a favor.”
“What kind of questions and favors?” he asks, narrowing his eyes.
“The usual shit. Can you tell my neighbor to cut his tree down, or can’t you get me out of this ticket? It’s a small town, and you know that I love it, but it comes with small-town politics and attitudes. People think they can call me on my day off, and I don’t like that. I’m ready to come back home. I love it out here. And I need to build a big fucking shop so I have the space I need for woodworking projects. In fact, I’d likely build the shop first and go from there.”
“Fine by me,” he replies with a nod. “I’d love to have you out here more often. Might put you to work sometimes. You’re damn good on a horse. What part of the property were you thinking?”
“On the lake.” I grin over at him, as just the thought of it makes me happy. “I’m surprised no one else has built there.”
“It’s not a big lake,” Rem reminds me.
“Big enough to put a little dock on and fish in the summer. The sunsets are pretty out there, too.”
“You already have it mapped out in your head.”
“Yeah, I do. And I’ll build it myself.”
That makes him pause and frown over at me. “All of it?”
“I can’t do the electrical and plumbing, but the rest? Yeah. I can do that. And I want to build my place with my own two hands. It’s kind of a family tradition out here.”
“I don’t think there were construction companies in this valley a hundred years ago, so building things themselves was kind of a given. I didn’t know that building your own place was a dream of yours, man.”
“I didn’t either, until recently. I’m not in a rush. We’ll get through this wedding, and then I’ll start digging into what it’ll take. I’ll have to get the land surveyed to make sure that it’s stable enough for a house and a big shop. It won’t happen overnight, and that’s okay with me.”
“No, but it’s damn exciting to think about. Just let me know what you need from me, and I’ll make it happen.”
That’s Rem. Always ready to jump in and help. Always the big brother.
“Thanks.”
He pauses. “Do you want to go have a look now?”
“Actually, yeah, I do.”
Rem laughs as we walk out of the garage and over to his Jeep. We hop in, and it only takes us about five minutes to make our way over to the lake. He’s right, it’s not a big lake, definitely not big enough for motorized boats, but it’s not tiny. We’ve spent many a summer canoeing and paddleboarding out here. Swimming and fishing. Hell, we’d camp out here as teenagers, sometimes for a week at a time.
“Not only is it a pretty spot,” I say as Rem comes to a stop, “but it’s not part of your grazing land. It won’t interfere at all with the business.”
“That makes it a win-win, then,” he replies. “Point out where you’re thinking, and I’ll drive us over.”
I point to the other end of the lake, and Rem turns to me in surprise.
“All the way over there?”
“That’s right.”
“Okay, then, hold on. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
He puts the Jeep in gear. He’s not wrong; it’s a rough ride through the brush and trees, but we eventually make our way to the other side of the lake.
“Right here,” I murmur and climb out of the Jeep, taking a deep breath of clean air. “I want the shop here. Four bays wide and two stories tall.”
“Nice,” Rem says with a nod, scanning the land. “And the house?”
“About forty yards that way, closer to the shoreline. It’ll also have an attached garage so it’s easier in the winter. Not a huge house, about two thousand square feet, all one story.”
“I already like it,” he says, surveying the area, and I can tell he’s picturing it all in his head.
“I do, too.” I can imagine the wraparound porch, my truck in the driveway, and a dock on the water. I want to fish out here in the summer, maybe with a couple of kids and a pretty wife. I don’t just want this for now. I want it forever. This is my place.
“I know we need to get through the wedding to really wade into the project, but why don’t you go ahead and get the surveyor on the schedule? They might be booked out a bit, and this way you’re on top of it. Have plans drawn up.”
“Plans are drawn.”
“I should have known,” he says with a rueful laugh. “It may be a newer idea, but once you get your mind set on something, it’s full speed ahead.”
I simply grin over at him. “No sense in moving slow.”
“No, God forbid we move slow.” He snickers. “Come on, we’d better get back.”
But I stop, just for a minute, and look back at my place. I belong here. I’m ready to plant my roots in this spot.
“If she had any issues,she’d have called me already,” I mutter to myself as I park my truck in front of Paula’s Poseys and cut the engine. “And she likely doesn’t want my mom’s cookies. This is lame.”
I’ve wanted to see Summer all week since the incident at her place on the Fourth. Yeah, I want to check in to see how her new security systems are working out, but more than that, I just want to look at her. Make her smile that big smile that lights up the goddamn room. Bonus points if she laughs because Summer has the best laugh I’ve ever heard.
“You’re a sap,” I whisper as I push out of the truck and, with a plate of cookies in hand, walk to the door of the flower shop. The bell rings as I push in, and I hear Summer laugh and then see her pat a tall man on the shoulder.
“Oh, stop it, Evan. He didn’t say that.”
“Swear to God,” Evan says, his right hand in the air as if he’s swearing on the witness stand.
Both sets of eyes turn to me. Summer’s expression warms, and if I’m not mistaken, her smile brightens.
Evan’s eyes narrow. I keep my face passive but quirk an eyebrow.
This idiot can fuck right off.
“Well, hey there,” Summer says. “It’s good to see you, Chase.”
“Hey. My mother swears she baked too many of her famous peanut butter cookies, and I can’t eat two dozen by myself, so I thought I’d stop in to share with you. Also, I wanted to see how your security systems are working out.”
“First of all, I never turn down a cookie,” Summer says and accepts the plate from me just as Lily the dog hops out of her bed to come and greet me. “And second, everything is working great. I think I’ve finally got the hang of checking the app, and I love being able to see both places when I’m not there.”
“You got a security system?” Evan asks.
“I did,” she confirms. “Both here and at home. I’m sorry, Evan, I assume you know Chase Wild?”
“Sure,” I say with a nod to the other man. “How’s it going, Evan?”
“I’m great,” he says and turns back to Summer. “Why do you need a security system?”
“Oh, I had some kids try to break into my house on the Fourth,” she says, waving it off. “Chase and Brady installed it for me.”
“Well, that was…nice,” Evan says with a forced smile. “You’re okay?”
Summer bites into a cookie and closes her eyes with a groan.
Jesus Christ, I want to make her groan like that for completely different, more primal reasons.
“These are seriously so good. Tell your mama I want the recipe, Chase.”
“You’re okay?” Evan repeats, clearly irritated that he’s being ignored for cookies.
“Oh, yeah. Totally fine now.” She waves him off and takes another bite of cookie.
“Well, you know you can always call me. I’m just down the street. I’m pretty sure I can be at your place in just a few seconds.”
“I appreciate it,” she says to him. “Chase arrived and saved the day, and now I feel a lot safer. You should try one of these cookies.”
“I’m allergic to peanuts.” His voice is tight as he shakes his head. “I’d better go back to the office for my next appointment.”
He nods at me, then looks longingly at Summer before walking out the door.
Looks like Evan Spencer, Attorney at Law, has a crush on the florist.
And he’s going to be damn disappointed if I have anything to say about it.
“Seriously,” Summer says as she chews another cookie. “Do these have crack in them or something? Because holy moly, they’re addicting. Ida, come eat some cookies before I eat them all myself.”
She breaks off a tiny piece of her cookie and offers it to Lily, who’s sitting patiently like a good girl.
“I’m glad you like them,” I say with a chuckle. “They were always a hit when we were kids.”
“They’ll go right to my already too-wide hips,” Summer says with a shrug. “But I don’t seem to care.”
“Nothing wrong with your hips.”
I love her curves. She has a phenomenal body. Today, her long blonde hair is down around her shoulders, wavy and begging for my fingers. She’s in jeans that hug those curves perfectly, and a green T-shirt that shows off breasts that would make any red-blooded man sit up and beg.
Summer Quinn is a gorgeous woman, and I’ve been attracted to her since the first day I laid eyes on her years ago.
Summer smirks at my hips comment and pops the last of a cookie into her mouth. “Thanks for that snack. I was hungrier than I thought. I guess I forgot to eat lunch.”
“What do you normally eat for lunch?”
“Oh, I just grab a sandwich from the deli or something. With it being the busy season, I eat while I work.”
“She works too much,” Ida says as she comes out of the back and snags a cookie.
“Where are the other girls?” I ask, looking around. “It’s quiet in here.”
“Sharla and Margie are both out on deliveries,” Summer replies. “And my new gal, Vickie, is working over at Charlie Lexington’s office on a wedding we’re doing in early September.”
“You know better than to mention a Lexington when a Wild is around,” Ida reminds Summer, whose eyes widen.
“Oops, sorry.”
I laugh at that and shake my head. “The family rivalry isn’t that bad.”
“Oh, yeah, it is,” Ida disagrees. “I went to school with your father, and let me just tell you that it’s worse than that.”
“For the older generations,” I reply with a shrug. “They may not be my favorite people in town, but you can speak about them in my presence. It’s fine. I’m not going to pull out my gun or anything.”
“I wonder if Erin would hire Charlie for their wedding. She’s the best event planner there is,” Summer wonders, and that makes me bust up laughing.
“Okay, that might be a line that we wouldn’t cross.”
“But why? Charlie is the best in this part of the state. She’s super organized and listens and works so well with all the local vendors. I was just talking with Erin yesterday, and she’s so overwhelmed. She needs the help, Chase. More than Millie or even I can give her. It’s a big wedding, with really famous people coming, and her family lives far away.”
“Well, when you put it like that,” I mutter, thinking it over. “I just don’t think that Rem will go for it. We’ve mellowed out a bit where the Lexingtons are concerned, but hiring them? That’s altogether different.”
“Mention it,” Ida suggests. “Just don’t mention it to your father. I think there are a few other wedding coordinators in town, but none hold a candle to Charlie. That girl can work magic out of a dandelion and a paperclip.”
“So, she’s the MacGyver of weddings?” I laugh at their nods and then reach down to pet Lily, who’s still hoping for more pieces of cookie. “I’ll mention it. None of us wants Erin to be under too much stress. This should be fun for her.”
“Ha,” Ida says, shaking her head. “Says a man who’s never had a wedding. Of course, she’s stressed out, honey. But Charlie can at least help.”
“Good to know.” I glance back at Summer. “What kind of sandwich?”
“Huh?” She blinks those blue eyes at me.
“What kind of sandwich do you order from the deli?”
“Turkey on rye with mustard.”
I wink at her and turn to leave. “Good to know. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Bye, Chase.”