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“Imagine if you got help from your brothers, and your friends in town? We could get up way more than one. The problem is, it’ll take a lot of money to get all the materials. My parents had to renovate quite a bit, and it was double what they expected.”
“I can do it on my own over a few months, and I’ve got some money saved up. You’ve got to spend money to make money, right?” No one needs to know the money is my savings for Ana’s college fund.
During dinner, we brainstorm the expansion of the ranch together.
Justine pulls out her laptop and sets up accounts for me on a handful of home sharing sites. Jules makes vision boards for some simple decorating I can use in the cabins that would attract families and long-term renters.
Even though we didn’t get to follow up that kiss, being able to create something with her and her sister ended up being satisfying in its own way.
I think she might have just saved my ranch.
Chapter Eight
Jules
“I’m here to volunteer today,” Adriel says, showing up at the library the next day.
“Can’t get enough of me, eh?”
“You caught me,” he says with a grin.
We get comfortable in our seats across from each other in the back detached storage room, and he asks, “What would you name this one?” Adriel raises a book with another bare-chested man on the cover, but this time he’s glaring at the reader while standing in front of a sunny beach.
I smile. “Looking for love?”
He nods and says, “Sandy serenade?”
“How about, sex on the beach?”
“There’s that crass mind of yours again.” He laughs.
“Well, he’s not looking for a drinking buddy with his chest out like that. What’s it called?”
“Sweet Spot.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed that.” I say nodding.
I look at a few more books in my box and hold up a cover featuring a couple. I quickly put my hand over the title and hold it up. The man is cuddling the woman from behind and they’re standing in a front of a Christmas tree forest. “What would you name this one?”
“Christmas tree couple,” he says, moving behind me to get more boxes.
“Too on the nose. How about, Christmas tree farm love?”
“That’s a terrible title.”
“It is,” I laugh.
I peek at the cover and laugh even harder. “You’re not going to believe it.”
“What is it? It’s not even Christmas themed, huh?”
I laugh and drop the book because he’s not wrong.
I reach down, wanting to keep him in suspense a moment longer, but he’s quick. He reaches over and picks it up, but my instincts kick in and I grab it out of his hands. Suddenly it doesn’t matter that I don’t know if he wants to date, or that I’ve imagined him in my bed since I saw him walk into the library with his wide Stetson hat months ago. This mini competition pushes us past strangers. He’s practically curled over my back reaching around me to get the book.
Instead of letting up, he tickles me, and I drop the book on the ground again.
“You’re ruthless,” I laugh. Turning around to face him, I lean back onto my elbows using the table behind me.
