“Oh my god.” I drop my head to the fence, groaning. “I don’t think I’m emotionally prepared for that kind of attention.”
He shrugs, still grinning. “Get used to it. You’re officially part of the gossip mill now.” Then he shifts and fixes me with a look so earnest it cuts straight through me. “Look, Miles…” He hesitates, just for a second, like he’s deciding how much to lay on me all at once. “Me, Liam, Hawk, Eva…we’ve been talking. And we want to offer you something. Officially.”
My hands freeze on the fence rail. “Officially?”
He nods. “Caretaker job. For the B&B. The whole property, not just patching fences and fixing the odd loose board. We want you to stick around. Take care of the grounds, help with the barns and outbuildings, do repairs and upgrades, and maybe take on some special projects when we’ve got the budget for them. Full-time. Year-round, if you want it.”
A beat passes. My brain short-circuits.
He keeps going, filling the silence. “We’d work around your schedule. Training if you need it. Benefits. The whole shebang. Room and board if you want it, or you can keep your own place. Hell, we’d even let you take over the shed out back if you want to set up a workshop. Pay’s decent, too. Not gonna make you rich, but it’ll keep you in beer and fancy coffee.”
I stare at him, hands slick with adrenaline inside my work gloves. For a second, I forget how to breathe. “You’re…you’re serious?” My voice comes out thin, like I’m afraid to trust the words.
Mal nods without hesitation. “Deadly serious, Dalton. We’ve needed someone for a while, but nobody felt right. Then you rolled back into town and it just…clicked. You fit here. The regulars love you, the guests think you’re adorable, and you actually care about the property. Liam and I don’t have time to do it all ourselves. Hawk’s busy running the kitchen. Eva’s got the bakery. But you? You’re not afraid of real work, and you actually enjoy it.” He pauses, letting it settle. “And, to be honest, we want you around. It feels right, you being here. Not just for May, but for all of us. The whole damn place runs better with you on board.”
He shrugs, as if this is just a regular Wednesday and not the moment someone offers me everything I’ve wanted since I was seventeen. I can’t remember the last time someone wanted me for…well, me. Not just a pair of hands. Not just a body to fill a position. Not just a guy passing through, disposable andreplaceable. But now I have May, and I have this crazy crew at the B&B who all want me for what I bring to the table, for just being me.
I brace myself against the fence, feeling a little dizzy. “Wow,” I manage, because my brain is definitely not firing on all cylinders right now. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
Mal grins, bright and real. “You can say yes. Or you can say you need to think about it. But don’t say you’re not qualified, because I’ve seen your handiwork and you’re already better than three out of the last four guys we tried to hire.”
I laugh, shaky but honest. My chest feels like it might crack right open. “Yeah. Yeah, I want it. I want the job.”
He claps me on the back again, nearly knocking me off my feet. “Knew you’d say yes, buddy. Welcome to the weirdest, most dysfunctional family business in town.”
I lean against the rail, letting it all wash over me. A job. Real work. And a reason to stay, beyond just the pull of May’s smile and the low hum of belonging I feel every time I walk into Sleigh Queen. It’s not just a little bit of hope. It’s a damn avalanche. Suddenly, it’s easy to picture an actual future here. Mornings spent fixing things that matter. Afternoons feeding the horses and swapping gossip with Eva. Nights curled up with May in any corner of this ridiculous, snow-drenched town.
It’s more than I ever thought I’d get.
Mal nods, looking satisfied. “I’ll talk to Liam and Hawk, and we’ll get the paperwork together. You get benefits starting next month, but you can move your tools in anytime. If you want to build out a workshop, just tell me what you need.” He pauses, then cocks a brow. “You gonna tell May now, or risk the gossip getting to him first?”
I snort. “I’ll tell him. He’s going to be impossible about it, you realize.”
Mal’s smile is all mischief. “That’s half the fun. Go on. Finish up the section, then take the rest of the afternoon off. You earned it.” He throws me one last bright smile before turning and heading back toward the barn, whistling again, as if he didn’t just upend my entire sense of purpose with one conversation.
I lean on the fence, looking out at the mountain ridge dusted in ice, and let myself imagine it. Waking up every day with not only a reason, but the ability to stay. A future that doesn’t end as soon as the snow melts. Me, here, with May and the crew, making this place better one splintery board at a time.
I finish the last of the repairs, working on autopilot. Every nail feels lighter than the last. The horses wander over, curious, and I let them sniff my pockets for treats. They’re easy company, all big eyes and warm breath and a total lack of judgment.
When the work’s done, I gather my tools, run a hand through my hair to shake loose the sawdust, and head inside. The back room of the main B&B building is warm and thick with the scent of fresh bread and whatever Hawk has roasting for dinner. Stepping toward the front hall, I see Mal leaning against the front desk, already deep in conversation with Hawk and Eva, both of them practically vibrating with excitement.
I duck my head, trying not to look like a total sap, but Eva clocks me instantly. She barrels over, boots clomping, and throws her arms around my shoulders. “Welcome to the madhouse, handyman!” she crows, ruffling my hair. “Mal told us you said yes.”
I can’t help but smile, goofy and wide. “Would have been stupid not to,” I admit. “I’m in.”
Hawk grins from the doorway, arms crossed, eyes bright with approval. “We’ll train you on the mechanicals next week.Liam’s got a list of projects he’s been saving for someone with more brains than brawn, so don’t let him down.”
I salute, mock serious. “I live to serve.”
Eva tugs me into what is technically a group hug, but mostly feels like being smothered by warm flannel and pastry-scented hair.
“We’re all going to Sleigh Queen tonight,” she announces, “so you’d better show up and let May show you off.”
Mal just shakes his head, shouldering his way out to the main yard. “Text me if you need me,” he calls over his shoulder. “Try not to start any fires.”
Hawk nudges me, conspiratorial. “You nervous?”
I shake my head, and I realize it’s the truth. “Not even a little. I just want to tell May.”
