Chapter 5

Violet

Callum Atwood stands before me, a vision of calm confidence like some heaven-sent angel offering me a lifeline in the middle of my storm. His piercing green eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that sends a jolt through me, making it impossible to look away. His presence, tall and commanding, fills the room, and for a brief moment, the chaos surrounding me fades into the background. Every inch of him radiates assurance as if he’s the answer I’ve been waiting for.

It’s terrifying, but the clock is ticking. I have two months until I turn thirty, and there’s no sign of any other marriage proposals on the horizon. If I want to save this ranch, there’s no other option. As much as I hate to admit it, Callum makes a good point: we’re both workaholics, too busy chasing our own ambitions to even think about love. This marriage doesn’t need to be anything more than a contract. A business deal. He can live his life, and I’ll live mine. We’ll be married only on paper, bound by convenience, not affection. Love, emotions—those are for people looking for something else, something softer, but I’m not. I’m looking to save my legacy, my family’s blood and sweat, and Callum just threw me a life preserver when I was drowning.

I push my hair off my face and nod as I hold my hand out. “All right, you have a deal.”

His face lights up, the corners of his mouth curving into an easy, confident smile. For a moment, I’m struck by how handsome he really is. Broad shoulders, chiseled jawline, and those eyes that seem to gleam with something just shy of mischief. I could definitely be marrying worse. Callum isn’t just good-looking; he carries himself with confidence and that is incredibly sexy. He comes from a fabulous family, the type whose door is always open and they will do anything to help you. I can’t help but wonder what they’ll think of this whirlwind marriage, but that’s his problem to deal with, not mine. As far as I’m concerned, this is a business deal. Nothing more. Let him handle the fallout.

His eyes lock onto mine as he wraps my hand in his. “How about we have dinner tonight and discuss all the details?”

Dinner with my future husband? Why not? “Fine, but it needs to be early.”

“How about eight?”

I laugh as I wipe my hands on my jeans. “Eight? That’s not early.”

He chuckles softly as he crosses his muscular, tattooed arms over his chest. “Okay, what time are you thinking?”

“How about five?”

I can see the uncertainty in his eyes. Running a ranch and running a brewery are two totally different things. I’m up early and he’s up late. Which I think will end up being perfect for us, but when we need to be together, finding a time that works for us both will probably be difficult.

“I’ll make it work. Do you want to go to Moore’s for dinner?”

Moore’s is a local restaurant here in town owned by the Moore brothers. One of Callum’s brothers, Brock, is dating Willow, the only sister of the Moores’ brothers.

“As nice as it would be to get out, maybe we should just lay low until we’ve got everything figured out,” I suggest, my voice wavering slightly. “I can make us dinner, if you don’t mind coming back here.” The words feel strange on my tongue, like I’m offering more than just a meal.

He nods, shoving his hands into his pockets with an easy, casual air. “Sure, that’s probably a good idea. I’ll be back at five, and we can iron out all the details.”

Iron out all the details about our marriage of convenience. The thought sends a shiver through me. This is, without a doubt, the strangest and most uncomfortable position I’ve ever been in. I’m about to marry a man I barely know, simply because he’s willing to step in as my husband to save my ranch. It feels transactional, almost cold, and yet here I am, trying to wrap my head around the reality of it. No romance. No love. Just a contract, and somehow, dinner is making me nervous.

“Okay, I need to get back to the brewery. I’ll see you at five.” He turns to walk away but stops and faces me. “What should I bring?”

I shrug as I stare at the man who will be my husband for the next two years. A man that I know very little about. A man who undoubtedly could have any woman he chooses.

“A pen,” I joke, grinning at him.

He chuckles, giving a quick nod. “I’ll see you later, Violet.”

The way my name falls off his lips sends a chill through me. A little bit of nerves or maybe it’s excitement. I’m not entirely sure.

I step out of the barn and look around my ranch. A small smile finds its way to my lips as I nod. I just might be able to do the impossible.

“Well, Dad, I hope you’re happy.”

I check the chicken roasting in the oven, its skin turning a golden brown, filling the house with the comforting scent of rosemary and garlic. The baby potatoes are just about ready, their edges crispy, and the green beans, bright and tender, are almost done too. Everything’s fresh from the farm—except the chicken, of course. I raise my girls for eggs, not dinner. But tonight’s meal feels special, like something that requires more effort than my usual go-to meals.

The chicken is finished, so I carefully pull it out of the oven and let it rest on the counter. A quick glance at the clock tells me I have about fifteen minutes until Callum is supposed to show up. My nerves are shot, twisting tighter with each passing second.

Ever since he left earlier, I’ve been battling with my thoughts, second-guessing this entire arrangement. Marrying a man I barely know just to save my ranch? It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud, but I’m out of options. My father left me with no other choice, and now the weight of that decision is pressing down on me like never before.

After finishing up the day’s work on the ranch, I’d come inside to shower, wanting to wash away not just the dirt, but the tension that had been clinging to me all day. I spent more time than usual on my hair and makeup, trying to make myself presentable, even though I’m not sure why I care so much. I pulled an old dress from the back of my closet, one that rarely sees the light of day. Normally, I’m a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl, but tonight, dinner with my soon-to-be husband feels like it calls for something a little more polished.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror on the back of my closet door, I barely recognize myself. My red hair, usually in a ponytail or messy bun, is sleek and straight, with two small braids pinned at the back of my head. I rarely wear makeup—what’s the point when I’m out in the fields all day, sweating it off? But tonight, with just a touch of mascara and lip gloss, I feel like someone entirely different, like one of the heroines from the romance novels my best friend, Millie, keeps pushing on me.

Millie, who happens to be dating Callum’s youngest brother, Tripp. Their relationship is magical now, but it didn’t start that way. Tripp’s a rising romance author, something he kept hidden from his family for a long time. From what Millie told me, Callum wasn’t too thrilled with his brother ditching the family brewery to write romance novels, and there was definitely tension between them. Callum is all about the brewery, work-driven and focused, much like me with the ranch.

I’ve heard the rumors about him—how he’s grumpy, married to his job, and uninterested in much else. So when he offered to marry me to get his mother off his back about settling down, it didn’t exactly shock me. It was almost transactional for him, just like it is for me.

But there has to be more to Callum than the gruff, workaholic exterior, right? What kind of man steps up to marry a woman just to help her save her ranch? Surely, there’s a heart under all that seriousness—a big one, I’d imagine. Why else would he do this? I have to believe there’s more to him than the cold, business-minded guy people talk about.

None of that really matters right now. Tonight, Callum and I are sitting down to figure out how to navigate this situation. I’ve got a million questions swirling in my head, but the biggest one, the one that’s been weighing on me, is what do we tell everyone?

Obviously, my ranch hands will know the truth. They’ve seen firsthand how desperate things have gotten around here. And Millie—well, she’s my best friend, there’s no hiding anything from her. But Callum’s family? That’s his problem, not mine. Still, what about everyone else in Magnolia Ridge? The town may be small and charming, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, but that also means it’s a breeding ground for gossip. The rumor mill here is relentless, always spinning stories whether they’re based in fact or fiction. I don’t want to be the center of it, the girl who’s suddenly marrying Callum Atwood out of the blue. People will talk, they always do.

But that’s exactly what this dinner is for, isn’t it? We’re putting all the cards on the table, figuring out how we’re going to play this game. What story we’re going to tell. How we’re going to keep this marriage of convenience from turning into a spectacle for the whole town. My nerves tighten just thinking about it.

The doorbell rings, and my stomach drops.

This is it. My future husband is standing on the other side of that door, and suddenly, everything feels so real. I take a deep breath, wiping my slightly sweaty palms on the sides of my dress before heading toward the door. As much as I’ve been telling myself this is just a practical arrangement, it feels like more than that right now.

I reach for the doorknob, my heart pounding in my chest.

This isn’t just about saving the ranch anymore. It’s about my future. A future with Callum Atwood by my side, for better or worse. With a final surge of resolve, I pull open the door and face the man who, whether I’m ready or not, is about to become my husband.