Page 40 of Fixing to Be Mine

We take the long road that leads straight to my parents’ ranch. The sun hangs low in the mountains, causing everything to glow a golden hue. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day.

By the time we pull up to the Valentine family house, the sun’s even lower, the porch light is glowing, and I already know we’re one of the last to arrive. I try to figure out who’s missing.

I can hear their laughter before we even get out of the truck. Somewhere between Kinsley’s sharp cackle and London’s dramatic-storytelling voice lies Harrison’s voice, agitating them both. There’s music coming from the open windows, something twangy and upbeat, and the smell of grilled corn hits me square in the chest.

“Wow,” Sunny murmurs, eyes wide as she takes it in. “This is where you grew up?”

“Yep, this is it,” I tell her.

“You’re so lucky,” she says. “This is like … a sitcom.”

“Yeah. It’s calledMeet the Valentines, and the show starts now. Come on, darlin’. We don’t want to be doin’ those dishes, trust me.”

She smiles but looks nervous.

Headlights swing into the gravel driveway behind us, and it’s a jacked-up black truck.

“Shit. It’s Emmett,” I mutter. “We gotta hurry.”

Sunny glances at me. “Right now?”

“Yep, unless you love washing dishes,” I say as I hop out of the driver’s side and come around to her door. “Can you run in those shoes?”

“Um,” she hesitates.

Before she can answer, I grip her by the waist and lift her off the seat.

“Colt!” she yelps, laughing as I haul her up and over my shoulder like a sack of flour in a sundress.

“I can’t afford you busting your ass,” I say, already sprinting for the porch.

“Seriously!” Her laughter spills into the warm night air, and damn if it doesn’t light me up from the inside.

I set Sunny down at the top of the porch, gently, both hands on her waist. Her hair’s a little messy from the sprint, and she’s laughing, cheeks flushed and glowing in the porch light.

We’re close. Too close. Her hands are still on my chest. Mine are still on her hips. She looks up at me, breathing a little fast, lips parted. And for a second, everything else fades out.

I could kiss her right now. Iwantto. God, I want to.

“Damn it,” Emmett yells in the distance. “You cheated! Unfair advantages! Long legs, dirty tactics, and apparently no shame!”

“I warned her about you,” I holler back at him.

“About little ole me?” Emmett acts offended, but he stops running, giving up. “You look upSouthern gentlemanin the dictionary, and you’ll see a picture of my beautiful face.”

Remi cracks open the door. “Y’all comin’ in or gonna keep flirting on the porch all night?”

“We’ll be right there,” I tell my sister, glancing down at Sunny, and I’m still holding her close.

Something dangerous flickers in her eyes, and I let my hands fall away and step back, clearing my throat.

“Let’s go, darlin’. Time to introduce you to the Valentine army.”

The house is buzzing with voices while laughter rolls from the dining room and the faint sound of a Willie Nelson song drifts in from the kitchen speakers. The air smells like comfort with the scent of butter and warm bread.

We stand inside the entryway, the bouquet still tight in her hand. Her eyes sweep over the space, taking in the old wood floors, the gallery wall of mismatched frames, and the way nothing here is curated. It’s lived in, full of love, and loud.

She doesn’t move, and her shoulders stay a little too high.

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