Chapter 1
Hudson
Even if Hudson Ross wanted to call this whole thing off, it was too late. He scrubbed both hands over his face and through his hair, swallowing a groan. Reese Calloway was on the way to Starlight, and there was nothing he could do about it.
“You might try smiling.” Ronnie nudged him with her elbow. “You won’t win her over with that scowl.”
He turned to peer out the living room window for a few beats to avoid his sister’s too-bright eyes. They held an extra dose of mischief he’d learned could be blamed on baby hormones. When Ronnie first hatched this matchmaking plan, he’d been all in. But that was with Reese a thousand miles away, when it hadn’t seemed so . . .real. “Why did I let you talk me into this?”
“Because I’m your baby sister,” Ronnie said in answer. “And I’m seven months pregnant. You don’t argue with a pregnant woman if you know what’s good for you.”
If he squinted, he could almost see mountain peaks. “It’s never going to work.”
“If you don’t go all in, how will you ever know?” She’d wielded that same question like a weapon since the plan was devised, especially in moments of doubt.
Five years ago, Hudson had been stranded at the altar, waiting on a bride-to-be who never showed. He swore after that heartbreak, he’d never get serious about a woman again. He leapt at an opportunity to move to Wyoming and work on a ranch—the exact opposite of the corporate, city life he’d led.
Years later and wounds healed, Hudson was ready to settle down. The jilting at the altar turned out to be a blessing. He found something in Starlight that he never had in Chicago—belonging.
“I know she cares about you, Hudson.” Ronnie placed a gentle hand on his bicep, joining him at the window. He’d never tire of this view—the rolling hills, the wide open sky, the pastures, the natural beauty. It was all his now. He couldn’t imagine planting roots anywhere else.
“Care and love are two different things.” He let out a sigh, abandoning his perch. Scanning the room for something to keep him occupied, he messed up a couch cushion just to have something to straighten out. “Her life is in Chicago. It’salwaysbeen in Chicago. What makes you think she’ll ever be happy here?”With me. But he didn’t say that last bit out loud.
“Reese loves it here. Why do you think she keeps popping in on random weekends? She just never stays long enough to soak it all in. I bought you a whole week. Use it to show her what she’ll be leaving behind.” Ronnie sniffled. “To show her how much you love her.”
“Are you . . . crying?”
“Don’t!” Ronnie barked, hiding her face from him as she wiped away tears. “Stupid hormones. I swear they’re twice as potent as they were with Cami.”
“Need something to drink?” Hudson asked, only too happy to talk about something other than this crazy plan that would be put into action within hours. Unlike his sister, Hudson did much better when he winged situations. The less he dwelled, the better.
“You have any pickles?” Ronnie asked, her eyes filled with doe-eyed hope, still shiny with tears. “With peanut butter.”
“Doubtful on the pickles, but I’ll check.”
Ronnie followed him into the severely outdated kitchen. As he flipped through cupboards in search of peanut butter, Hudson wondered how much his sister had told Reese about the renovation project. The orange Formica countertops still made him jolt every time he entered the kitchen.
Hudson first met Ronnie’s best friend three years ago when his sister came to Starlight for a visit. Despite Ronnie’s intention to relax, she ended up with a renovation project. Her coworker and best friend, Reese, flew in for a quick weekend to help pull off a miracle.
That’d been it for Hudson.
One kiss, and he knew.
He lied to himself for a long time, but deep down he knew Reese was it.
A string of disappointing dates as of late seemed to agree. Reese was the one woman he couldn’t shake, no matter how many miles separated them. Which was the only reason he was taking such a gamble.
One week. That’s all he had to convince Reese they were meant to be. If he couldn’t, he’d finally let her go and move on.
Ronnie rested her back against the counter with a sigh of relief, her swollen belly protruding. In a couple of months, Hudson would be an uncle for a second time. “I know you two are perfect for each other,” she said. “Reese keeps dating these throwaway guys, and I think it’s because she’s scared of the real thing. Peter shouldn’t be a threat, by the way.”
Hudson found the jar of crunchy peanut butter hiding behind a tower of soup cans. “Peter?”
“The guy she’s dating.”
The jar nearly fumbled out of Hudson’s grip, but he caught it before it hit the floor. The linoleum practically cracked under the weight of footsteps. Until he could replace it, he didn’t want to accelerate its destruction with his clumsiness. “She’s dating someone? Ronnie, you didn’t tell me this.”
She waved a hand as he set the peanut butter on the counter. “I’ll bet ten bucks she’s single by dinner tonight. You forget how well I know her.”
