Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I spin around and storm into my office, slamming the door shut. While I am horrified I just wasted so much time on Bart, my chief concern is suddenly being fiancé-less at the wedding.
Flopping down into my desk chair, I let the tears roll down my face. It's not like my family ever met Bart or even knew his name, but they were well aware that I wasfinallyengaged and showing up to my cousin's wedding with a date for the very first time for a family event in like two decades.
Now here I'll be single yet again, the black sheep of the family.
The next morning, I pull up in front of Corvid Valley Feed & Supply. As I step out of the car, I knock over a paper map that blows away in the February wind. I chase after it, cursing loudly, already irritated with how my day has started.
The map lands on the dirt, and I see Brando rush over and step on it with his boot before it blows away again. Bending over, I pick it up and give him a sheepish grin.
"Thanks."
"Are you okay, Joss?" He asks, studying my face.
Before I can throw on my professional mask, I burst into tears.
"Just that Bart dumped my ass yesterday, and now I have to go stag to my cousin's wedding next weekend, and they're expecting to meet my fiancé. And I don't know if I ever told you, but my family is absolutely toxic, and I'm now living in a pit of hell," I say at a mile a minute, then step back as a small gasp escapes my lips.
I stare at the dragon shifter, horrified.
"I'm so sorry, Brando. That was incredibly unprofessional. Excuse me while I go hide in my office."
I spin on my heel and take several long strides to the office. When the door shuts behind me, I lean against it and lightly bang my head on the wood.
I need to get my shit together.
The rest of the day goes by without incident, and I do my best to keep busy so that I'm not obsessing over the shitshow I find myself in. Out the window, I see the sun dip below the peaks of Ravenhart Mountain, and I lean back in my chair, enjoying the changing color of the darkening sky.
A light knock grabs my attention, and I turn to see Brando standing in the open doorway.
"Hey, Brando. You can take off for the day," I say, looking up into his dark purple eyes.
"I was actually thinking, uh, if you need someone to play the part for that wedding, um, I can."
Feeling my mouth drop open, it takes me a moment for my brain to catch up with what I just heard.
"Are you offering to pretend to be my fiancé?" I ask, feeling my cheeks heat.
"If it would help you, then for sure," he says, shooting a crooked grin my way.
A wave of overwhelm from his generosity washes over me.
3
Brando
Driving toward Ravenhart Mountain, my head buzzes from what Joss just told me. Although Bart was completely wrong for her, I can't help feeling angry that he abandoned her right before this big family wedding she's been dreading for months. Joss clearly had forgotten she shared a bit of that stress with me in the past when she opened up just now. And I know shithead Bart knew how important it was to be finally engaged after all these years, to avoid the typical grief from people like her aunt.
As I turn onto the Brooks' road, protective anger bubbles in my gut thinking about what an ass my boss's ex-fiancé is. A voice in the back of my mind reminds me that I'm just her employee and need to cool my temper, but my body doesn't respond.
Pulling into the long, dusty driveway, I park beside the row of awaiting wheelbarrows. I see Wyatt Brooks, the eldest of the family, walking out of the large farmhouse front door as my buddy Amos and his fellow cowpoke, Ford, come around the back of the barn.
After the initial greeting, the four of us throw the feed bags into the wheelbarrows. I grab a loaded one and follow my buddy toward the barn.
"You don't have to do that," he says, looking back at me with a laugh.
"I need the physical exertion," I grumble.
"What's with you?" Amos says as we enter the barn.
