Page 35 of The One Who Saw Her: Boone

"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?"