Chapter 1
Wynn
“I’ve got my mind set on you,” Wynn Westbrook crooned as she swiped the paint roller over the top of the outdoor table. The watertight glaze went on milky white, covering the distressed teal blue paint she’d worked so hard on yesterday. “But it’s gonna take ti-ime … a lotta precious time,” she continued to sing along with George Harrison, his lyrics pumping through her earbuds. She scooted back, pumping her arms and bobbing her knees along to the music.
The farm table was done, and she was ecstatic. It was the crowning piece for her booth at the Harvest Festival, and she’d earn enough on this bad boy to buy groceries for three months.
“Set on you. Set on you,” she sang as she spun in a tight circle, tossing her arms over her head and then bringing them back down with a full-body shimmy.
The world spun past her, and her brain registered that there was someone else in her garage. She yelped, ripping her earbuds out. “Judd!” she scolded her ex-brother-in-law.
Judd quirked his lips in his signature bad-boy grin. “You forgot this move.” He hustled into the running man, his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth in concentration.
“I was getting there. But I had to get through the Roger Rabbit first.” She kicked her leg back, pushed out her chest, and busted a move.
He lifted his arm, starting the snake,ending with his hand pointing at her. She took it, moved her arms in a wave, and then rolled it back through her body, dissolving into giggles.
“What are you doing here?” She shoved his arm.
“I heard about a rave in your garage, so I rushed right over.”
His sandy-blond hair was a little shaggy, and he had a three-day growth on his chin. She’d bet twenty bucks he would shave that night. He thought his blond facial hair was unmanly—especially compared to his brothers, who all grew beards in shades from medium to dark brown. She heartily disagreed with him, but not out loud. There were rules to follow.
“No, really. I saw something that reminded me of you.”
“Oh?” She perked up, wondering what he’d seen.
“I had to throw it in my truck and bring it right over.” He didn’t smile, which was strange for him. Whenever he’d had a surprise for her in the past, he could barely contain himself.
Stifled giggles reached her ears, and she suddenly understood the game he played. “Hmm. I’m so curious. What could it be?” She tapped her chin, feigning confusion. “Don’t tell me. I want to guess.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners.
“Was it something I can refurbish?” She set the roller down and grabbed a rag to wipe off her fingers.
“Nope, it’s already beautiful.”
Her little man, hiding behind the door, cleared his throat.
“And handsome.” Judd looked over his shoulder. “Strong too. Like huge muscles.”
Wynn stifled her snort. At seven, Miles thought he was the toughest kid in his class. “Well, now, I’m totally out of ideas.”
“Surprise!” Judd threw up his hands. Her kids ran into the garage, sporting chocolate-smeared grins on their faces.
Wynn bent down and opened her arms to give them both a welcome-home hug. “No way! You two are supposed to be on the bus.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. She’d planned on twenty more minutes of mom time to shower and do something respectable with her hair. “You surprised me.”
“Uncle Judd picked us up after school,” Miles informed her with all seriousness.
“And then he took us to Choco-Latte for oopsies.” Laney—who was five and had yet to create a filter between her brain and her mouth, as well as the ability to hide anything—grinned. One of her ponytails drooped, and Wynn reached to fix it.
“Oh, he did, did he?”
“Don’t be mad.” Judd gave her that bad-boy grin again. “I brought you some. They’re on the kitchen counter.”
“I’ll get them.” Laney ran back inside and appeared a moment later with a white bag. She handed it to Judd.
“You knew Presley was dipping today, didn’t you?” Wynn stared at the bag, unable to take her eyes off of it for fear it would disappear.
