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I look down and exhale a sigh of defeat. She’s not wrong. But I just met him. We spent one reckless night together in Vegas. It was amazing. And he’s awesome. I didn’t even know he was a famous bull rider. I didn’t care. I fell for the guy on the Ferris Wheel who held my hand, and the guy who looked at me and listened when I talked, as if whatever I had to say was the most fascinating thing in the world. He’s great, and I did have the time of my life. Just when I thought all good guys were obliterated from the planet, the universe dropped Ty Hollis on me. I like him. Like a lot. I didn’t expect this. And this scares me.
It’s ridiculous and impossible. Not to mention completely insane. He was my special night in Vegas. Now he’s...at my family’s ranch. He’s Tucker’s best friend. And I don’t want to mess things up for Tucker. They’ve been friends forever.
“Yeah.” The word comes out quieter than I expect. “I like him very much. But it’s complicated.”
Cami smiles like she’s known all along. “I know.”
I give her a wry glance and add, “Beyond complicated.”
“I haven’t seen you smile like this in years. You looked so happy last night at The Black Dog. I love seeing you happy again. And if all it took was a hot cowboy, I say go for it.”
My throat tightens.
She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You’ve been in survival mode for so long, J. It’s time to stop running from the ranch.”
I sigh. She’s not wrong. I do hide behind work. Work is predictable. Easy. It doesn’t let me down.
“Working seventy-hour weeks. Producing everybody else’s happy ending.”
I swallow and look out the window, trying to figure out how I can possibly survive this holiday season with Ty in a cabin.
“You deserve a little happiness of your own,” she says.
“I don’t even know what that looks like,” I admit.
She shrugs. “I know. That’s why I’m going to help you. We all are.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
She laughs. “Violet, me, Poppy, and Sutton. You know we all have your back.”
“And what happens after I go back to L.A.?”
“Worry about that later.” Then she nudges me with her elbow. “Just have fun.”
Ty is working in the barn when I walk in. He looks up, and his entire face lights up when he sees me. With Ty, I feel all the swoony, excited feels. My guard just falls when I’m around him. He feels safe and solid.
And that’s dangerous, because what happens when I fall even further for him? He’s best friends with Tucker. He’ll always be around. And I’ll have to see him again and again if this doesn’t work out. But if it does work out? I can’t even think about that. People like me don’t get happily-ever-afters. I make them for other people, but for me, they’re off-limits.
“Morning, Roomie,” Ty says with a teasing grin that makes those dimples pop.
I groan. “If you keep calling me that, I’m sleeping in the barn.”
“Yeah, well, word on the street is that you have to put up with me. And I talked to Chief, my horse, and he said there’s no room in the barn.”
I laugh because I forgot how funny he is.
“You talk to your horse?” I snort. “And he talks back?”
“Of course. Chief is the best listener. He holds grudges, though. So be careful.”
I chuckle at his playfulness. “This is like a Hallmark movie. One bed trope. Only one cabin. This could be my next series to produce.”
He grins. “Well, there’s that. We’re the stars.”
Heat pulses through me at the thought of a lazy morning waking up in Ty’s arms.
“You’re stuck with me, too.” I smile, my stomach full of butterflies.
