Chapter 15
Vivi had never imagined she’d manage a renovation project, but there she was, sprawled over a pile of floor-plans, Pinterest printouts, and a half-empty coffee mug, trying to figure out how to turn a crumbling bunkhouse into something resembling civilization.
The Montana morning sun poured through the kitchen window, glinting off the measuring tape and casting a warm glow around the room.
Vivi leaned back in her chair, rubbing her forehead, and muttered under her breath about how maybe she'd completely overestimated her abilities.
The walls needed rebuilding, the floors begged for refinishing, and how the hell she was going to make any of this work without creating a bigger mess than it already was.
Before Vivi could dive back into her sketches, the kitchen door opened with a dramatic flair that could only belong to Rea. Behind her, Colter trailed reluctantly, his usual calm replaced by the hard, irritated edge of suspicion.
"Well, well, look who's busy pretending to be a miracle worker," Rea announced. "Vivi, darling, you're about to be very useful."
"How?"
"This," Rea said, grabbing Colter by the elbow and steering him toward the table. "He’s a pillar of this community now. A new business owner who needs to be taken seriously. Therefore, he needs a wife. And therefore, a dating profile."
"I do just fine on my own," he muttered.
"You present roommate behavior, not relationship goals, darling. You need someone auditioning for a wife position, not a late-night option. And that's where Vivi comes in."
Colter groaned, and Vivi felt a pang of sympathy—just a pang.
She'd been in the house for two weeks and had already witnessed a revolving door of women waltzing in and out like it was an open house.
Not that he wasn't polite about it—he smiled, nodded, poured drinks, probably memorized everyone's names— but there was always something tight around his eyes, like being charming was a full-time job and he was one unexpected question away from quitting without notice.
"All he knows are one-night stands," Rea said. "So, you, my clever little helper, are going to make him irresistible."
Colter's eyes narrowed. "I am not doing this."
Vivi glanced at him, trying not to laugh because he was tense, like a cat cornered in a room full of rocking chairs.
"Relax," Vivi said lightly. "It's not painful. You just answer some questions and I make it sparkle. Easy as that."
Rea beamed, obviously delighted with herself. "See darling, easy.” Then to Vivi she said, “Make him look good. He's practically my grandson, and I refuse to see him alone in this town another day."
"I am your grandson."
"Then give me some grandbabies."
Colter went white. "A girlfriend is a lot to ask. Babies? Sorry, Nan—not on my dance card."
"Ever?" Vivi asked.
"I love kids as long as I get to send them home with their parents. Dated a single mom once. Didn't go well. Lesson learned. I'll stick to kittens and alpacas."
Vivi stifled a laugh, already imagining the swipe count once she was done with him.
She rolled up her sleeves, pulled her laptop out from under a stack of papers, and settled into the work she did best—organizing the storm without losing the excitement, even if the subject was a stubborn Callahan who'd rather wrestle a cow through a difficult birth than navigate a dating app.
Besides, as far as she could tell, Colter spent the majority of his caretaking energy on the animals in his practice, which didn't leave much room to develop relationships of any significance. That's where she came in.
She positioned the laptop between them on the kitchen table. Colter sat stiffly beside her, fingers drumming against the wood, eyes flicking to Rea like she was some kind of interrogator.
Vivi tapped her finger against the keyboard, eyeing him like a detective. "Alright, let's get this right. What's your ideal first date?"
Colter leaned back, ran a hand through his thick, dark-blonde hair, and let a grin tug at his lips. It was the grin of a self-proclaimed playboy. "Depends. Wine, dinner, dancing or perhaps something more spontaneous.”
“Like?” Vivi asked.
“Like skydiving."
Rea's sharp voice clipped through the air. "Skydiving? Really, darling? If the woman survives the jump, she shouldn't also have to survive you."
Colter raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I was just trying to sound exciting."
"Exciting is good. But let's stick to something that doesn't require a parachute." Vivi poised her fingers on the keyboard. "Next. How would your friends describe you?"
"The charming, rugged type. Someone people trust." He paused. "Sometimes." He winked after the last word.
"Sometimes?" Rea's eyes rolled. "Sometimes you are trustworthy, Colter? My word, you were raised better than that." She wagged a finger at him. "You might have the looks of a Greek god, but charm alone doesn't keep a woman interested. Or married."
Colter flushed. "I wasn't planning on marriage for a while. If at all."
Vivi typed furiously. "Noted. What's your deal breaker in a relationship?"
"Boredom. I can't stand being bored."
"Boredom?" Rea playfully clucked her tongue. "Your life isn't exactly dull. Perhaps you mean a woman who doesn't appreciate your dazzling presence. And no, that doesn't count as modesty."
Vivi laughed, enjoying the commentary. "Okay, next. If someone asked your friends what you're really like behind closed doors, what would they say?"
"Depends. Female friend or male?"
"Ow!" Colter hollered, rubbing his head.
"Watch your tongue," Rea said.
"Probably that I'm loyal. When it counts." He trailed off, glancing at Rea like he was checking for incoming fire. "I mean, I date a lot, but—"
Rea's scowl softened just a fraction. "Finally, a shred of honesty. Don't ruin it with smarmy charm."
Vivi's fingers flew over the keyboard, biting back a smile at his flustered expression. Every answer, however begrudging, made him seem more human. "What do you want someone to know about you that they'd never guess from the surface?"
Colter's eyes darted to Rea, then back to Vivi, cheeks tinted with color. "That I'm not as careless as people think. I might act like a playboy but I care. Really. Just in my own way."
Rea gave him a sharp nod, almost approving. "Finally, some substance. About time someone showed a spark of intelligence.”
Vivi smiled, working with flourish. "Perfect. That's the heart of the profile right there. Now let's make sure people see that side of you, not just the skydiving or charming rogue bit."
Colter gripped the back of his neck. "You two are brutal."
"It's called preparation. You're welcome."
Vivi looked up from her laptop. "Okay, last one, I promise. If you could describe yourself in one word, no charm, no smarmy deflection, just the truth, what would it be?"
“Dependable. "And, bingo, the guy actually blushed. The cheeks-pink, eyes-sheepish, goofy-smile kind of blush.
At that moment, Boone's laugh boomed from the doorway. "Dependable? The playboy being dependable? Isn’t that like an oxymoron?"
Colter spun around. "Fuck off, Boone."
Vivi wanted to smack him for his timing.
She'd finally gotten somewhere with Colter—gotten him to a place of honesty and actual vulnerability—and now he'd snapped shut like a clam.
There was Boone, leaning against the doorway as if he was holding up the entire ranch, smirk tugging at his lips like this was the best moment of his week.
"Is that an offer or are you going to take me skydiving first?"
"At least I can get a date to go skydiving with me. When was the last time you went out? Six months? More? You're practically a reincarnated virgin at this point."
Six months?
Vivi was shocked because nothing about that fact computed.
He was Boone, after all. Tall, rugged, built like a damn action figure, and somehow magnetic in every room he walked into.
There was also the grump-factor. But once one got past that it added to his charm.
She'd assumed there had been women here and there since his breakup, nothing serious, just casual.
The idea that there hadn't been anyone, though? That made her heart do this irritating around-the-world-in-eighty-days thing.
Suddenly she wondered if he'd been more tangled up in the aftermath of his ex than she'd ever realized—and if that meant the piece of the Boone she thought she knew had been off-limits all along.
"At least I don't need a matchmaker to find a date," Boone said.
"I'm not a matchmaker. I'm a dating profile consultant."
"What the hell is that?"
Vivi stood, squaring her shoulders, a mix of pride and defensiveness rising in her chest. "I help people put their best foot forward online."
Boone raised an amused eyebrow. "A professional dating profile consultant? You're telling me that polishing a bio somehow makes a guy like him more dateable?"
"You'd be surprised, Grumpy Cowboy," Vivi shot back. "It's about showing the real person underneath the armor. I increase the odds of a meaningful match, facilitate the meet-up, and Cupid takes it from there."
Boone's smirk softened just a little, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Well, I'll be damned."
Before anyone could respond, or Colter could change his mind, Vivi clicked the Submit button at hyper-speed and the bio went live.
“Aren’t you going to share with the class?” Boone asked.
“No need to,” she said. “Just wait and see my magic work.”
“You already put it up?” Colter choked.
“No take backs now,” Vivi answered.
They waited in silence for a few minutes and then suddenly a flood of notifications began pinging—matches, winks, likes—all pouring in at once. Colter's eyes widened as the screen lit up.
"Looks like it's working," Vivi said proudly.
Colter muttered, "I'll admit, that is damn impressive."
Boone laughed again, shaking his head. "You two are unbelievable."
His gaze lingered on Vivi a fraction longer than necessary, eyes glinting with something unspoken. She felt it too. A small electric pull that made her stomach twist and her cheeks heat.
Vivi took a slow breath, forcing herself to keep her voice even, though her chest was doing little staccato beats against her ribs. "Do you want me to help you with your profile?"
Boone's eyes flickered, that quiet intensity locking in, and for a heartbeat she wondered if he could read every thought she'd tried to hide.
He didn't answer right away. Just tilted his head, the corner of his mouth tugging up in the ghost of a smirk, and she had to fight the urge to smile back.
He lifted one challenging, mildly annoyed brow. "Didn’t know I needed a dating profile."
Before she could answer, he turned on his heel and walked out.