“Is that what it’s called? I told Stephan to stop giving me expensive things. When I’m not with him, I’m on babysitting duty.”

  His interest piqued, Carter stands. The two of us inch toward the bank manager’s door, keenly listening to this conversation.

  “That’s got to be their mom,” Carter murmurs.

  “Yep.”

  “Oh my goodness, Brenda,” chirps the bank manager. “I can’t wait to retire so I can get into trouble with my babies. Fill ’em up with sugar and send ’em on home.”

  The two women laugh and swap quick anecdotes, one-upping each other on who spoils their grandchildren the most.

  “The girls tell me they succeeded in finding some additional financial backing at that expo yesterday in Gold Hill,” Brenda says.

  My ears heat. They’re talking about us!

  “That’s wonderful. Was it from the Bryant family? That’s so exciting. I’ve always wanted to meet that Esme character,” says Donna, lowering her voice to a loud whisper. “You know, they say she never leaves that house.”

  “I don’t think so. You know Harmony. She would have put blast all over me with that news. Or however the kids say it.”

  “Hmm. I think that phrase means they’re actually calling you on the carpet.”

  Brenda sips her coffee loudly. “Oh I can’t keep up with it all and I’m too old to care.”

  “Well, maybe those two young men eavesdropping outside my office can explain it to us,” says Donna.

  Yikes.

  “Shit!” mutters Carter. “I’m not ready to meet her mother!”

  I nudge him to stand up straight as Brenda marches out of the office, a genteel smile on her face. The resemblance to Harmony is uncanny.

  “In or out, gentlemen!”

  “We’ll wait here,” Carter says awkwardly, then dashes back toward the bench where we started.

  I’m left standing face to face with the woman.

  “Hi,” I say, extending my hand. “I’m Cooper MacKenzie and I’m here for your daughter.”

  She draws her perfect eyebrows together, studying me like a new and strange insect.

  Oh god. “I’m here to meet your daughter. Meet.”

  She arches a brow. “Whatever Summer does on dating apps is none of my business. But I must tell you, a coffee date is usually the way to go, if you want my opinion.”

  Her referencing Summer has the skittish Carter back on his feet. “He’s not dating Summer.”

  “We’re here for both of them.”

  “Suppose you tell me exactly what’s going on before I roust Roy over there from the thrall of the Reader’s Digest crossword puzzle.” Her eyes cut toward the vestibule, where an elderly security guard sits, peevishly erasing something from a magazine.

  “Ms. Brenda, what is a five-letter word for vigilant?” asks the security guard.

  “We’ll never know, will we?” Brenda says with a sigh.

  “Let me start over,” I say. “We’re the MacKenzie brothers representing Gold Hill Investments.”

  The crinkle in her nose is so like Harmony’s that my chest aches. Where is she? Where’s my girl? And why doesn’t she respond to my texts?

  “And,” she says blandly.

  “We met Harmony and Summer yesterday, and they signed a contract with us last night.”

  Her face softens. “Oh, that’s wonderful! You should have led with that.”

  Carter seems ready to vomit, he’s so anxious.

  As I’m not already in a relationship with one of her daughters, I don’t have as much at stake as Carter. Which is why, what I do next is the only thing a twin brother in my position is bound to do.

  “Come meet my brother. He and Summer really hit it off. He’s entirely responsible for the whole agreement even happening.”

  “I’m going to murder you,” mouths my introvert brother as I lead Brenda across the lobby to meet the man who just did several unspeakable sexual things to her youngest daughter last night.

  “I’m faster than you,” I mouth back.

  Carter better thank me later because Brenda doesn’t ask a lot of questions. As we wait for Harmony and Summer, she regales us with tale after tale of Harmony and Summer’s various enterprises, from their summer lemonade stands charging five dollars a glass, to their bright idea in middle school of making homemade cookies to compete with the Girl Scouts.

  “I notice the two of you aren’t wearing wedding rings,” she notes.

  “Much like no one’s good enough for your daughters, our aunt Gabby never approved of anyone the two of us brought home,” I say.

  “Smooth,” Carter mutters.

  Brenda glances from Carter to me. “Your aunt…is Gabriella MacKenzie.”

  “The very one.”

  “Once again, you should have led with that. Perhaps you should take a class on how to market yourself better, young man.”

  Carter snorts. She’s right, though. My degree is not doing me any favors at the moment.

  “So tell me about her! I want to know everything,” Brenda pushes.

  This takes some pressure off Carter and myself. Aunt Gabby is the easiest subject for us to talk about, and soon enough, we have Brenda on the edge of her seat.

  Things are going perfectly, and then Harmony and Summer arrive. Carter almost got away from Brenda scot-free. Almost.

  He did it to himself, honestly.

  After the conversation in which the four of us realize we’re all on the same page, Carter gives himself away.

  “We don’t want to do it in Gold Hill. We want to build our shop here, in Fate,” Summer tells us. Harmony nods.

  Carter just can’t keep his hands off Summer. “Sweetheart, that’s exactly why we came here.”

  And then he kisses her. I glance at Brenda, whose eyes widen.

  I catch Harmony’s eye, and her cheeks bloom a deep pink.

  “Oh my,” says Brenda. “You naughty boy! You never mentioned you were dating my daughter. But I approve!”

  Well, the cat’s out of the bag.

  Inside, I’m relieved. If Carter has Brenda’s approval, then that paves the way for Harmony and I. Hopefully. One day.

  Harmony’s arms cross in front of her, in her usual stance when I get too close.

  And that’s fine.

  “But we have something else on our minds. We don’t want you to owe money to anyone,” I say.

  Harmony looks up at me, and the ache lessens in my chest, but only a little. “What does that mean?” she asks.

  I tell her that Carter and I are funding the entire project, and that’s that.

  The sisters say nothing, but Brenda is excited. “Guess you don’t need me to co-sign after all!”

  There’s more discussion about the terms, but to my surprise, Harmony agrees first.

  But with one condition.

  “I’m not dating you,” she says.

  What can I say? I can’t argue about it.

  “Fair enough.”

  Harmony gives me the biggest smile yet.

  And I’m falling harder for her. Falling, falling, falling, with no parachute. No guarantees.

  Except a thread of hope she leaves me with every furtive glance.

  Someday.

  chapter

  six

  Harmony

  I have to give Cooper credit. He keeps his distance.

  Well, emotionally. Romantically.

  But physically? He’s literally everywhere.

  And as much as I don’t want a relationship with him—as much as I know I have much more healing to do—I like it.

  I admit it. I like having him around.

  Cooper and Carter don’t seem to have any real job other than to help us start Little Spoon.

  They bring us coffee and donuts from Ruby’s Diner every morning. They go to the town hall with us and provide backup in case there’s any red tape. They attend meetings with us. They ensure we get the location we want—right in the bustling part of Main Street—by having cash on hand when the landlord demands six months’ rent up-front plus a whopping deposit.

  They promised they’d only be here to bankroll everything, and not interfere with any creative decisions. And they’ve kept that promise.

  Annoyingly so.

  It’s annoying because I keep looking for ways that Cooper turns me off. So far, I haven’t found any.

  By the date of our soft launch of Little Spoon, I’m truly crushing on Cooper in every way possible. But I still don’t know if dating him is wise.

  Yet my brother, Owen, seems bent on ruining any type of feelings that Cooper might have for me.

  He gives Cooper such a hard time that I feel queasy.

  “Did y’all run out of room to build more parking lots up there in Gold Hill, or what?” Owen asks.

  He has a lot of room to talk. It’s not like his date, Daisy, the town’s doctor, is from around here.

  And he’s laying on that Southern accent pretty damn thick, if you ask me.

  Cooper holds his own, but I can sense him tensing up. “We’ve been interested in investing in Fate for a while now. We see a lot of growth potential here,” he says.

  That’s a bit of a stretch, but I let it go.

  My brother is giving him enough of a hard time. When Cooper glances at me while talking to my brother, I can see the wheels turning. He’s rethinking everything he’s thought about me.

  I did ask him to be friends. And now he knows that it’s best we remain that way.

  I have to do damage control before this ruins our friendship completely.

  In an uncharacteristic move, I grab Owen by the arm and drag him into the kitchen, pretending that I need him to help me move some boxes or something.

  “What the heck is wrong with you?”

  Owen loves to play dumb. “So, you don’t need my help?”

  “You are blowing it!”

  “I’m doing the best I can! I haven’t been on a date in a while. Not since I met…you know…Graham’s mom.”

  Of course Owen thinks I’m talking about him. No one would ever think I have prospects romantically—not when I’ve spent the last two years pushing everyone away. “Not that! You’re being rude to Cooper.”

  “He’s from Gold Hill. It’s kind of the rules around here.”

  “And don’t you think it’s better to use Gold Hill money than our own money to fund the yogurt shop? Think about it.”

  So, you’re not using your savings?”

  Boy, he is really out of the loop. Between being a single dad and running the feed store, it’s no wonder he has no clue what’s happening. How in the world did he have time and energy to woo Dr. Daisy, I wonder.

  Carefully, I explain the financing arrangement.

  He pushes back, being the stubborn older brother that I would expect.

  “Why are you so worried that I’ll ruin it? Did their checks not clear yet?”

  A sisterly reaction takes over, and I flick him on the chest.

  “Ow!”

  “Are you dumb?”

  “Maybe,” he says, rubbing his chest.

  I point in the direction of the dining room. “You know your girl out there is originally from Gold Hill, right?” From the look on his face, I see that he didn’t know that. “Yeah. I thought so. So I don’t even want to hear it from you.”

  “That’s different! There’s real feelings involved when it comes to me and Daisy.”

  Oh, that’s it. I’m not taking any more shit. Owen will be nice to Cooper or there will be hell to pay. Even if nothing ever happens, romantically, he won’t ruin the friendship we’ve built. And also, Carter and Summer are a hot and heavy item, and Owen’s misgivings will tarnish everything.

  “I’m not going to say it aloud, but try to rub your two brain cells together and figure it out.”

  He blinks at me. “Oh…oh wait…you have the hots for that guy?”

  It’s such a juvenile way to put things.

  I decide to be a grownup and own it.

  “It’s more than that. He could end up being your future brother-in-law.”

  “Whoa. So y’all are really a thing?”

  I nod, knowing that this isn’t true, but I’d rather have him think Cooper’s all in. I need him to back off. If he thinks Cooper and I are just friends, he will pull the big brother card and scare him away. If he thinks we’re an item, then it’s too late for him to say anything.

  “But…but… he’s a creep!” Owen tries.

  Wow. “And you’re being a jerk.”

  I really hate it that I feel like crying whenever someone pisses me off.

  He babbles on about being protective of me and of our town, and blah, blah, blah. “And you’ll ruin everything if you don’t be nice. For Summer’s sake, too.”

  He blinks, taking this in.

  The truth about Summer, and the little fib about Cooper and me, is working.

  Finally, Owen lets all these facts (and one white lie) settle in. He knows he can’t control any of us and will regret it if he acts like a blustering big brother.

  “Sorry, sis. I’ll do better.”

  That night, after a successful soft launch of Little Spoon, Cooper walks me home.

  “I think that went really well,” he says.

  “Don’t sound so surprised,” I laugh.

  We pass by Doyle and Maya’s house, and I think about what would have become of Doyle if Maya had never come to Fate. He’d probably be cooped up in that spooky old cavern of a house, eaten up with guilt over his past, and never speaking a word out loud to anyone.

  The isolation was eating the poor guy alive. Things changed when Maya got involved and convinced him to go to therapy. He wasn’t the “Boo Radley” of Fate anymore.

  Is that what would happen to Cooper if I continue to keep him at a distance? Would he hide himself away in his flashy mansion like a ghost, collecting toenail clippings and scaring the locals?

  “I have to tell you something,” I say.

  “Just one thing? It better be monumental.”

  I roll my eyes. “I might have told my brother you and I are an item.”

  Cooper is silent for a long moment as we walk. Summer humidity has passed, and it would be a lovely walk if I weren’t so guilty and nervous right now.

  “Cool,” is all he says.

  I’m surprised at this. “Cool? I thought you’d be mad that I lied.”

  “Did you lie, though?” The mischief in his voice undercuts everything nice I was just thinking of him.

  “Cooper!” I chastise.

  “What are you getting upset about?” Cooper laughs.

  “Because I thought you’d be offended.”

  “Hardly.”

  I’m so blown away at his reaction that I’m quiet all the way to my house.

  I stand on the bottom step leading up to my front door, then turn toward him. My eyes are even with his at this height.

  “So…why aren’t you mad?” I ask.

  The shit-eating grin is too much. I’m done for.

  Cooper shrugs. And then he leans in and kisses my cheek.

  “You spoke us into existence, dream girl.”

  chapter

  seven

  Cooper

  Even as I stand here at 6 a.m., digging post holes in Harmony’s yard, the moment I first saw her six weeks ago plays like it happened yesterday, accompanied by the same excitement and anticipation. The same yearning. The same pull.

  Good god, it’s been too long since I’ve worked this hard. Gym workouts are one thing, but stubborn clay is another thing. Harmony wants a fenced-in backyard, and she’s going to get one.

  And if she happens to appreciate that I’m shirtless, all the better.

  Of course, she never says she appreciates my shirtlessness. Instead she does that cute pinched thing with her mouth that communicates disapproval while her eyes flash.

  I only smile like a clueless dummy in response. That’s all I’m left with after the charming remarks subside.

  When I first met her, I wasn’t all that charming. That’s because all I wanted was to lift her over my shoulder, carry her out of that business expo, and keep her to myself.

  That moments plays on a loop as I dig post holes in her yard.

  Did she ask me to do this? No.

  But I happen to know what she wants. She mentioned it that first night when we discussed her love of DIY projects.

  “I’ve always wanted a dog, but our house is so small and I’d need a fence,” Harmony had said when we walked together to the lake after dinner that first night.

  I’ve mentally noted everything from that evening.

  So now, whether she wants to date me or not, I don’t care. If Harmony wants a fence, she gets a fence.

  Well, I do care that she doesn’t want to date me. I’m head over heels for her, let’s be real.

  But I’ll wait as long as it takes. And if she never comes around?

  I simply cannot think about that possibility, because I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t see her face every morning and every night.

  I place one pole in the ground and secure it with the ready-mix concrete.

  I get that feeling that someone is watching me. Glancing up, I see the silhouette of her face in the kitchen window. I wave my gloved hand.

  I can’t tell if she’s smiling or not.

  Doesn’t matter. If she wants me to stop, she’ll say so.

  If she doesn’t tell me to stop, I’ll keep doing whatever it takes to make her smile.

  chapter

  eight

  Harmony

  The sound of my preset coffee machine might as well be a preset reminder that Cooper is here, up to no good. Again.

  Morning has become synonymous with seeing Cooper haunting my house, my yard, my town.

  I pluck my favorite mug from the cupboard and peer through the kitchen window, which overlooks the backyard.

  There he is, digging holes.

  Don’t get me wrong. A friend like Cooper is hard to come by.

  For most of my life, Summer has been my best friend. But now she’s moving on with Carter. When she’s not at our frozen yogurt shop, Little Spoon, she spends most of her time at the house in Gold Hill or the property where they plan on building a house together.