Chapter 1

Chapter One

P ope

The rhythmic sound of hammering fills the construction site as I drive the last nail into the beam. The scent of fresh pine and sawdust mixes with the crisp mountain air, and it's the only thing keeping me from losing my mind. I prefer days like this—just me, my tools, and the quiet satisfaction of building something with my hands. No distractions.

The new addition to the library is coming along fine, the framework of the new research wing of the building rising up against the backdrop of Copper Mountain. It's a project I've taken on alone, and that's exactly how I like it. No one to mess up my plans, no one to tell me how things should be done.

But then I hear it—a loud crash behind me, the unmistakable sound of lumber hitting the ground. I freeze, mid-swing, the weight of the hammer suddenly heavier in my grip.

"What the hell—" I spin around to see a woman, wide-eyed, standing over the scattered pile of wood she's just knocked over.

She's petite, with big brown eyes and a soft face that makes her look too sweet for her own good. Her chestnut hair falls in waves around her shoulders, and she's dressed in a dress and boots, clearly out of place in the middle of a worksite. And she's staring at the mess she made like she's waiting for it to clean itself up.

"Jesus," I mutter, shoving the hammer into my tool belt and striding over. "What are you doing?" My voice comes out rougher than I intend, but I don't have time for this.

"I— I'm sorry," she stammers, cheeks flushing pink. "I didn't mean to... well, knock everything over."

I cross my arms, staring her down. "You can't just wander onto a construction site and start throwing things around."

"I wasn't throwing—" She stops, takes a breath, and straightens her shoulders like she's gearing up for a fight. "I came to talk to you about the design for the new library. I had some questions?—"

"And this was the best way to get my attention?" I snap, glancing at the pile of lumber scattered across the ground.

Her eyes narrow. "Maybe if you'd returned one of my calls, I wouldn't have had to come down here in person."

I blink at her, surprised by the spark in her voice. This isn't the shy, delicate librarian I imagined when the town council told me who I'd be working with. There's fire in her tone, and though she looks like she'd be more comfortable in a quiet room full of books, she's standing her ground.

"Well, now that you're here," I say, crossing my arms tighter, "how about we avoid knocking over any more of my work?"

She flushes again, but there's a flicker of pride in her eyes that tells me she's not about to back down. "It was an accident. But I still need to talk to you about the library's layout. Some of the design choices don't make sense for the kind of space we need."

I grit my teeth. I don't need some librarian telling me how to do my job. "I've built plenty of libraries before. I think I know what I'm doing."

Ruby—because that's who this has to be, Ruby the librarian—lifts her chin slightly, meeting my gaze with defiance. "I'm sure you're good at what you do, but this isn't just about building walls and floors. It's about creating a space for people—a community."

I take a step closer, looming over her, half to shut her up and half because I can't seem to stop myself. "A community isn't much good if the building falls apart because someone didn't listen to the guy with the hammer." My voice drops lower, more like a growl, and I can see her swallow nervously, but her eyes stay locked on mine.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," she says, her voice softer but no less firm. "I'm here because I care about this project."

I take a deep breath, trying to shove down the irritation that's bubbling up in me. This whole situation is ridiculous. She shouldn't be here, distracting me, making me forget what I was doing. I run a hand through my hair, trying to regain some composure.

"You can't just barge into a construction site, knocking things over," I say again, but the edge in my voice is starting to soften.

"I didn't mean to barge in," she shoots back, and I can see that spark again, that same defiant look that makes something inside me twist in a way I'm not used to. "But I did mean to talk to you. I'm not going to sit back while you make decisions that impact the future of this library."

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "You don't even know me. What makes you think you're going to change my mind?"

She bites her lip for a second, but then she takes a breath and says, "Because this is important. And because I'm not afraid to speak up when something matters to me."

I stare at her for a long moment. She's got more fire in her than I expected, more than I know what to do with. I don't know whether to be pissed or impressed. But something about her stubbornness, her determination... it stirs something in me. Something dangerous.

Before I can say anything else, Ruby crosses her arms and tilts her head. "Look, can we just talk? Without you glaring at me like I've ruined your day?"

I can't help it—a small smirk pulls at the corner of my mouth. "You did ruin my day, knocking over that wood like it was nothing."

She rolls her eyes, but I can see the corner of her mouth twitching like she's fighting a smile. "I'll help clean it up," she offers, glancing at the pile of lumber. "Then we can talk."

"Deal," I mutter, grabbing a few planks and tossing them back into place. I watch her out of the corner of my eye as she crouches to help. There's something about the way she moves, the way her brows knit in concentration as she stacks the wood. It's... distracting. Way too distracting.

But for the first time today, I don't mind the interruption.

As we finish cleaning up, Ruby stands and brushes the dirt from her hands, giving me a quick glance. "Now, can we talk about the design?"

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. "Fine. But if you knock over anything else, you're banned from the site."

She grins, and damn if that smile doesn't do something to me. "Deal."

She turns to leave, and I watch her go, my gaze lingering longer than it should. I don't have time for this kind of distraction, but something tells me Ruby's not the type to give me much choice.

As I pick up my hammer again, I can't shake the feeling that this project just got a hell of a lot more complicated.