Softhearted (Deep in the Heart Book 2) Read online

  PRAISE FOR KIM LAW

  “Montana Cherries is a heartwarming yet heart-wrenching story of the heroine’s struggle to accept the truth about her mother’s death—and life.”

  —RT Book Reviews, four stars

  “An entertaining romance with a well-developed plot and believable characters. The chemistry between Vega and JP is explosive and will have you rooting for the couple’s success. Readers will definitely look forward to more works by this author.”

  —RT Book Reviews, four stars (“Hot”) on Caught on Camera

  “Kim Law pens a sexy, fast-paced romance.”

  —Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author, on Caught on Camera

  “A solid combination of sexy fun.”

  —Carly Phillips, New York Times bestselling author, on Ex on the Beach

  “Sugar Springs is a deeply emotional story about family ties and second chances. If you love heartwarming small towns, this is one place you’ll definitely want to visit.”

  —Hope Ramsay, USA Today bestselling author

  “Filled with engaging characters, Sugar Springs is the typical everyone-knows-everyone’s-business small town. Law skillfully portrays heroine Lee Ann’s doubts and fears, as well as hero Cody’s struggle to be a better person than he believes he can be. And Lee Ann’s young nieces are a delight.”

  —RT Book Reviews, four stars

  ALSO BY KIM LAW

  Deep in the Heart

  Hardheaded

  The Wildes of Birch Bay

  Montana Cherries

  Montana Rescue

  Montana Mornings

  Turtle Island novels

  Ex on the Beach

  Hot Buttered Yum

  Two Turtle Island Doves (novella)

  On the Rocks

  Sugar Springs novels

  Sugar Springs

  Sweet Nothings

  Sprinkles on Top

  The Davenports

  Caught on Camera

  Caught in the Act

  Holly Hills

  “Marry Me, Cowboy” in Cowboys for Christmas

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2018 by Kim Law

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781503901346

  ISBN-10: 1503901343

  Cover design by Tammy Seidick

  To Anne Marie Becker and June Love—the other two of my “Three.”

  Thanks always for your friendship, your love, and your never-ending support.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “Love is precious, love is kind. But love can kick you in the behind.”

  —Blu Johnson, life lesson #27

  It had been forty-two days since Waylon Peterson moved to Red Oak Falls, and Heather Lindsay still hadn’t met the man. And she was quite proud of that fact.

  She hadn’t been to the Buffalo Nickel—where he was apparently a weeknight regular. She hadn’t run into him at the ranch—even though she’d had to be out here several times in preparation for her friend Jill’s wedding. And she hadn’t so much as glanced around, hoping to catch sight of him while driving through town—even though the man was supposedly a dead ringer for Prince Harry. Which was exactly her type.

  Nope. She’d been a bona fide Girl Scout when it came to avoiding the subject of the town’s buzzing rumor mill. Just as she’d promised her other friend Trenton she would be. But she feared her time of compliance would soon be coming to an end.

  “More brisket?”

  A tray of prime grilled beef appeared under Heather’s nose, and she closed her eyes and allowed herself one deep breath of the mouthwatering smell—and one tiny vision of helping herself to seconds. Then she popped open her eyes and shot their head foreman a droll look. “Really, Pete?” She pushed the platter away. “You know I have to be in a bridesmaid dress in seven weeks.”

  And she knew any extra calories would land squarely on her hips.

  Pete waggled his brows and inched the platter closer. “Not even for a special day?” he taunted.

  Heather narrowed her eyes at him. “No day is special enough for yet another yoga session.” Some days she truly hated yoga. “Neither is your brisket. So, run along, evil man, and find another unsuspecting soul to fork calories into.”

  Pete chuckled and moved on. It was Labor Day, and though Pete had been manning the smoker since it had been fired up, the group of construction workers, friends, and family were actually at Cal and Jill’s ranch. The couple had invited everyone over for a cookout, but more importantly, they’d invited the group to preview the extended-length trailer of the upcoming Texas Dream Home special.

  Back in the spring, the popular home renovation show had chosen two companies from Red Oak Falls to compete against each other, and the entire town had immediately climbed on board. They’d cheered passionately, either rooting for Cal’s team—a company previously known as We Nail It Contractors—or Heather, Jill, and Trenton’s—Bluebonnet Construction. It had been a men vs. women showdown, and though arguments still occasionally erupted over whether the correct team had been declared the winner, the girls had graciously accepted defeat. Only, with their defeat, an opportunity had presented itself.

  To be fair, the opportunity had been for Jill and Cal alone. Due to their contentious past, the two of them had sparked on-screen from day one, and the executive producer had jumped on their chemistry. He’d offered them their own show. However, there had been one small catch. The two companies would have to merge to make the new show work. The producer had wanted two hosts but only one company. Therefore, after wading through the hows and who-would-do-whats between all parties involved, Bluebonnet Construction and We Nail It Contractors had officially become known as Bluebonnets Nail It.

  Heather almost laughed out loud at the thought. She still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to the name. But at the same time, she could admit that it was catchy. And people had been eating it up. Business was booming.

  “Who’s up for cake?”

  Heather audibly groaned as Blu Johnson appeared at the back door carrying her life-altering orange chiffon layer cake. Aunt Blu was foster mother to Heather, Jill, and Trenton—as well as to many other girls over the years—and her cake happened to be Heather’s favorite dessert of all time. But favorite dessert or not, she hadn’t been joking with Pete earlier. At five feet two, and with her late mother’s curves, it wasn’t easy keeping in shape.

  “I’m in,” Trenton
piped up from the other side of the covered patio. She rose from the rocker where she’d been slouched. “I never miss cake.”

  Trenton never missed any food. And it never showed.

  “Have a piece for me, will you?” Disgust dripped heavy from Heather’s voice. Life could be utterly unfair when it came to body types and metabolism, but she wasn’t about to give in now. If she could go six weeks without doing anything stupid to get the attention of the man who, according to every single female in town, was “the hottest male to ever grace the streets of Red Oak Falls,” then she could avoid a slab of heaven on a plate.

  As Trenton and the others made their way over to where Aunt Blu was now serving up healthy slices of the decadent dessert, Heather looked beyond the patio to the horse barn that had been built over the summer. As part of the new show, Cal planned to turn the ranch into a working cattle farm, and one vital piece of a working ranch was having a ranch manager who oversaw daily operations.

  Enter Waylon Peterson. Otherwise known as Red Oak Falls’ latest heartthrob . . . a.k.a. the man of many rumors. A.k.a. the last man she needed to fall for.

  And if he really did look like Prince Harry? Then yeah. Like an anchor being chucked into the ocean, she’d fall. Fast. And land flat on her face. Because that’s how it went for her. Three devastating heartbreaks behind her, and her radar still pinged only for the wrong guys.

  She jerked her gaze off the barn, chastising herself for even letting the man enter her mind. He wasn’t out there right now, anyway. He might live in the small apartment that had been built inside the barn, but he never stayed in Red Oak Falls over the weekends—and he apparently didn’t loiter during holidays, either.

  Must be nice, taking a job and being able to get away with such demands.

  She frowned at the voice inside her head. It was none of her business what the man did with his weekends—or why he’d had it written into his contract that he would take every one of them off. Enough people speculated about that as it was. She didn’t need to add to it.

  “Start up the preview, Cal.” The request came from one of the men who’d originally worked for Cal. “You’ve kept us waiting long enough.”

  A round of agreement followed.

  “I suppose that is why we’re all here today.”

  Cal moved to the custom-built fireplace with the mounted outdoor TV and held out a hand for Jill to join him, and as Cal’s hand wrapped around her friend’s, Heather’s heart smiled.

  “Jill and I want to thank you all for coming out today,” Cal began. He talked for a minute about the pride they both felt at being asked to participate in the new show, as well as what it meant to have worked so hard with everyone in the original competition. He then invited each person there today to come back for the wedding.

  “We’ll be here,” someone yelled out, “but only if there will be more of this cake.”

  Another voice seconded the suggestion, and laughter filtered through the crowd. Cal pointed a remote at the oversized television before he pulled Jill down beside him on the wicker sectional, and all talking ceased.

  Everyone watched in silence as the voice-over set up the rivalry of the competition. Pictures of Cal and Pete, as well as Heather, Jill, and Trenton, were flashed on-screen and the group of onlookers cheered as each “player” was introduced. The two houses to be renovated were showcased next, followed by shots highlighting the beauty of the hill country. The sneak peek then shifted and became more about Cal and Jill. After showing a couple of heated glances the two had exchanged during filming—along with a handful of shared death glares—the trailer cut to a moment inside the house the girls had been renovating. It was the day they’d first been explaining to Jill the reality of her and Cal getting within twenty feet of each other . . . and how if they did, the two of them would likely go off like a rocket.

  “I don’t want to be combustible!” Jill shouted on-screen. She’d been standing in the middle of the bare-bones living room, shouting up at Trenton, who’d been perched in the rafters.

  Heather smiled at the memory.

  “But our wants and our actions don’t always make complete sense, do they?” The response came from Trenton.

  “I will not be acting on any perceived wants.”

  At Jill’s on-screen declaration, Heather heard Cal murmur in real time, “Yet you did.”

  “And I’m glad I did.” Jill’s reply was so soft it was almost inaudible, and once again, Heather’s heart squeezed for the love her friend had found. Jill and Cal were seriously perfect for each other.

  “Good,” Trenton replied from the TV. “Because I’d hate to have to kick his ass again.”

  Pete guffawed from where he stood beside his date, and Cal paused the video to scowl at his friend.

  “She never kicked my ass,” Cal asserted.

  Trenton merely shot him a haughtily lifted brow. Because though she might not have kicked his entire ass, she’d totally gotten in several blows.

  “You didn’t,” Cal mumbled. The comment referenced the point in time twelve years before when Cal had been the only one to return after his and Jill’s Vegas elopement. No one had heard from Jill since they’d left—and then Cal wouldn’t answer questions about her after he’d returned—so Heather and Trenton had taken it upon themselves to pay the man a little visit.

  “That’s okay, baby.” Jill patted her fiancé’s thigh. “No one thinks you’re less of a man because a girl once had to set you straight.”

  The entire group chortled, and Cal good-naturedly flipped the lot of them off. He then restarted the video, and as clips from both renovations continued on-screen, Aunt Blu asked if a name had been decided for the new show.

  “We got a decision today,” Jill told her. “They’re calling it Building a Life.”

  Aunt Blu tilted her head as if contemplating the words before giving a firm nod. The producers had decided that since the Texas Dream Home special would not only showcase the two renovations but also Jill and Cal’s story of falling in love again, they wanted to capitalize on the popularity the romance would attract. Therefore, the new show wouldn’t just be about home renovations. Simply put, it would follow Cal and Jill as they began to build all aspects of their new life.

  There was the ranch and getting it up and running, the renos Jill had lined up for the first season, Cal’s workshop—where he’d build custom pieces for each renovation—and then there would be the wedding. The first half of the season would lead up to Jill and Cal’s nuptials, with the ranch’s backyard being transformed into an outdoor oasis worthy of any Hollywood A-lister’s ceremony. And who better to take on the task of that transformation . . . than Heather herself.

  Heather gulped at the thought. She had no idea why she’d thought she could pull this off.

  The video ended, reminding viewers to tune in starting in two weeks to fall in love with America’s next favorite couple, and Heather rose as the group whooped with excitement. The enormity of the project weighed on her. She was no landscape architect. She had a green thumb, sure. Just as her parents once had. And yeah, she’d overseen the landscaping for their company’s past projects. But before the two companies had combined, she, Jill, and Trenton had mostly been hired for smaller, more self-contained jobs. They’d been known as Queens of the She-Sheds, and as such, they’d created a niche business building unique backyard spaces for women—of which the landscaping jobs had been a fraction of the job at the ranch.

  Those jobs had also not been nearly as high profile.

  She slipped silently through the crowd, collecting used plates and empty soda cans, and doing her best not to let her rising panic show. She should have stuck to what she knew. Because the last thing she wanted was to screw this up.

  With hands full, she turned for the house. She didn’t break stride as she entered the massive kitchen. She tossed the trash in the garbage and hurried to the powder room, and once alone, locked herself inside. Then she thumped her head back against the door. Her breath
ing had turned shallow, so she closed her eyes and focused on calming techniques. As one-third owner of one-half of the newly formed company, she’d had options when it came to her role on the new show.

  She could have sold her share—which she’d never really considered. She’d worked hard to build what had once been Bluebonnet Construction, and she was proud of that. And she didn’t want to walk away from it.

  She also could have stayed completely out of the picture, letting her portion become an investment only. That option would have left her free to seek other interests, and honestly, she’d given that one serious thought. Participating in the filming during the Texas Dream Home renovation had been enjoyable. Mostly because it had been a new experience. But unlike Jill, Heather never held any real desire to be in front of a camera. The problem, though, was that she didn’t know where her desire did lie.

  She’d certainly tried to map out a path for herself over the years. She had a college degree going unused, a couple of side jobs that had never panned out—and of course the exes who’d done more damage to her psyche than provide anything lasting and good. Yet through all of it, she’d never gotten a clear picture of what she truly wanted to do with her life.

  A third option concerning the new show had been to maintain the status quo. She’d worked alongside Jill and Trenton for years, and she could have continued doing exactly that. In fact, she’d been quite happy doing that. They were good at the job, and working together had put her in daily contact with her best friends—whom she’d missed terribly during her years away from Red Oak Falls.

  Only, maintaining the status quo no longer meant that everything would remain the same. Because the fact was, nothing would ever again be the same. Jill would be the star of a new television show, she’d be married . . .

  And Heather had suddenly found herself unsettled.

  She pushed off the bathroom door and moved to peer out the small window. The instant Cal and Jill had announced their intent to marry in the half-acre space, a design had formed in Heather’s mind. A design she’d been a part of once before. So she’d thrown caution to the wind, and she’d taken door number four. She’d negotiated a new position for herself. One that very well might be over her head.