No. But you may proceed.
Carter
I need help splitting the cost. We buy the building outright and put it under her name. She thinks she’s paying rent, and sends the money to “Linda,” aka me. I save it for her so she has a nest egg; she’s still learning responsibility and saving money. Win, win.
Maverick
I’m gonna be honest, I almost crashed reading this, but I’m fucking down you lovesick dog.
Maverick
Can I wear a matching cowboy hat when we sign the papers?
Carter
God fucking help me.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, trying to rein in the ache twisting through my chest and focus on what the hell I came here to do.
Meet Maverick. Handle business. Get this bookstore locked down for Catalina.
I pull into town and immediately spot him, leaning upagainst the brick wall of Bell’s Books like he’s in a sports ad. He’s got sunglasses on like a jackass even though the sky is gray as hell and the sun hasn’t made an appearance all damn morning.
I slam my truck door shut, stepping onto the curb.
“You look like shit,” he says around a grin, sunglasses still firmly on his face. “Catalina been using you as a saddle or...?”
“Shut the fuck up,” I mutter, slapping the back of his head as I pass. “Let’s go.”
The bell above the bookstore door jingles as we walk in, the warm scent of old paper and lavender candles instantly filling the air. Linda’s behind the counter, sorting a stack of hardcovers, but looks up the second we step in.
“Well, well,” she says, smiling brightly. “The Hayes boys. What brings y’all in today? Are we doing a little book club now?”
Maverick doesn’t miss a beat, “Just trying to keep my fuckass brother from cleaning you dry of your alien smut.”
Linda gasps, her hand to her chest. “Maverick Hayes, watch your language.”
He grins. “Sorry, ma’am.”
I shake my head and step forward, ignoring his antics as I rest my hands on the counter. “We wanted to talk to you about the building. You mentioned you were planning to retire soon, and we’re interested in buying it.”
Linda tilts her head, curiosity lighting her expression. “Interested in running a bookstore, are we?”
“Not exactly,” I say. “Catalina’s got plans. But she doesn’t have the means to get started right now. So we want to buy the space outright. Full sale. You don’t have to worry about managing tenants, or worry about maintenance—just peace and retirement for you.”
She folds her arms on the counter, watching us closely. “And does she know about this?”
Maverick snickers beside me like a fucking gremlin. “She won’t know it’s us. Ownership will go under her name, and she’ll think she’s renting. She’ll pay Carter like clockwork, thinking it’s going straight to you. Meanwhile, he’s just tucking it away for her like a damn squirrel hoarding nuts.”
Linda raises her brows, clearly amused, but I cut in before Maverick can keep running his mouth.
“I just want her to have a chance,” I say, quieter now. “She’ll be paying her way. She needs that confidence, that win. But she’s stubborn. She won’t take help, not unless she thinks she’s earned it.”
Linda watches me for a beat, her face softening. “Carter… I haven’t seen you this lit up in years. Not since… well… not since before she left. Do you love her?”
The question lands hard. It knocks the wind out of me even though I’ve already admitted it in the quiet of my bedroom, whispering into Catalina’s hair when she was fast asleep.
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. My hand drags over the back of my neck, and the collar of my flannel suddenly feels too tight.
