Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Either way, I want to bust up that pretty face of his.
Before I can respond, Linc cuts in, his arm sliding across the back of my chair. “The rivalry was just a disguise, Finch. Truth is, I’ve always thought Harlow was beautiful. Even when we were kids.”
I look up, struck by the sudden conviction in his voice.
His gaze locks on mine, steady and unwavering. “I remember always watching her out my window—sometimes running with a fistful of dandelions, other times swinging barefoot in the yard—and I’d come up with all the dumb ways to ambush her just so I could get close enough to talk to her.”
He speaks like those words are carved into him, not rehearsed, and suddenly it’s just us, the entire room fading away.
“I wondered if it would be different when she moved back, if maybe we’d outgrown it. Then I saw her at Heart Mountain Gas Station.” A smile breaks free, reshaping his expression. “She was drowning in an oversized sweatshirt, hair an absolute mess, not an ounce of makeup on…and still, she was more beautiful than I remembered.”
I can’t look away, can’t breathe. I’m dragged back to that night, after ten hours on the road, betrayal heavy in my chest, a trunk full of suitcases, returning to the only place that had ever truly felt like home.
“Then she opened her mouth”—his grin deepens, boyish and knowing—“and hit me with that sharp tongue.”
Despite myself, I smile too, recalling it word for word.
Of course you had to be the first person I see. Couldn’t be someone I actually like.
His eyes warm with amusement as he remembers it too. “I thought, yup. Same old Harlow, still bold, still sassy…just a whole lot more dangerous.”
The rawness of those words wrap around me, igniting a warmth I have no defense against.
“It took a while, but eventually I knew the banter had to end, and it was time to acknowledge what had been in front of me all along.”
For a long moment, the weight of it all hangs between us, a current I can’t escape.
Then, he turns back to the table, casual and aloof. “So, there you have it, folks. That’s the story. That’s how it all changed. Not so drastic after all.”
I’m slapped back to reality, his indifference shattering the spell he had over me.
Damn, he’s good.
I reach for my wine, taking a long sip before chancing a look at my family. Mom’s captivated, Dad quietly impressed. Finch scowls as usual, but it’s Hattie’s soft, tear-brimmed smile that catches me—warm, wistful…and maybe even a little envious.
Another red flag, considering she’s the bride-to-be.
“Honestly, I always suspected this,” she says, eyes flicking to mine. “I knew you secretly liked him. You talked about him all the time.”
I stiffen, my denial sharp. “What? No, I didn’t!”
“Did too,” she fires back, teasing.
Linc leans back, looking more than amused. “She did, did she?”
“No, she didn’t,” I snap, a hint of panic threading through my voice. “I complained about you. Plotted your demise. Big difference.”
He smirks, clearly not buying it.
“And here I thought you spent most of your days roping your sister into those silly little weddings you planned,” my mother says, her tone laced with unmistakable condescension.
Bitterness rises in my throat, my teeth clenching as it tangles with the ache I keep buried.
“They weren’t silly, Mom,” Hattie defends quickly. “Besides, we had fun.”
I meet her smile, appreciating the support.
“Guess that’s why she’s so good at it,” Linc adds, also backing me up. “Harlow’s well-known across the Rockies. If there’s a wedding here, chances are she’s the one behind it.”
“I’m not surprised.” My mother’s tone is light, almost effortless. “Harlow excels at everything she does. She always has.”
Surprise flares inside my chest for half a heartbeat, but dies with her next breath…
“Too bad she didn’t stay in Vancouver where she could build a real career out of it.”
Welp, that didn’t last long.
“People travel from all over the world to get married in the Rockies, Mother,” I point out, my annoyance seeping through every word.
She shrugs. “That may be true, but the clientele isn’t the same caliber. There’s a lot more money here.”
I shake my head, knowing it’s pointless to argue with her.
“What about you, Linc?” my father asks, redirecting the conversation. “Harlow tells us you’re a firefighter.”
Linc nods. “Joined the academy right out of high school. Been with Passion Falls’ department ever since.”
“He’s a lieutenant,” I add, knowing he won’t.
“Lieutenant,” my father echoes, impressed. “Quite an accomplishment at your age, isn’t it?”
Linc downplays it with a shrug. “Helps that I started young.”
Finch decides to chime in just then, his voice edged with arrogance. “Can’t imagine there’s much money in a small-town fire department.”
Heat flares in my chest at the not-so-subtle dig, but Linc’s calm never wavers.
“It pays well enough,” he says evenly. “But I didn’t become a firefighter for the money, Finch. I do it to protect the town I grew up in and the people I care about.”