1. Reid

1

REID

" You weren't kidding about this being cathartic," says my brother, Shaw, as he wipes sweat from his brow. "Man. I need a break, though. That okay with you?"

I swing my sledgehammer, smashing through what's left of the kitchen tile. Chips of ceramic explode into the air, scattering like confetti across the grimy floor. "Definitely. I could use a break too."

We've been busting our asses all morning, tearing out old drywall, ripping up rotted floorboards, and hauling debris out to the dumpster parked outside. The air is thick with dust, the scent of the old house mingling with the fresh, earthy smell of the outdoors. Our clothes are filthy, sweat-soaked, and clinging to our skin. It's dirty, grueling work, but it's the kind that leaves you feeling satisfied and bone-tired in the best way.

"Thanks again for helping me demo this place," I say to my brother as we step outside to take a breather. I grab a couple of cold beers from the cooler stashed in the shade of an oak tree and toss him one. "I really appreciate it."

"Of course, dude. Happy to help." Shaw takes a swig of beer, then looks out across the sprawling acres of my new property and shakes his head. "God, this is a beautiful piece of land. You're one lucky bastard, you know that?"

"You jealous?" I ask, grinning as I tilt my beer against my lips. The purchase still feels surreal, a culmination of years of hard work and saving. The property is a mix of dense forest and open meadows, rugged and untamed. The house is one hell of a fixer-upper, but it has good bones and all the potential I've been dreaming of. With my background in construction, I know exactly what needs to be done, and since I'm taking the next few months off, I'll be able to get loads of work done on this place.

"Nah, this is too cut off from the world for my liking," Shaw says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It suits you, though, Reid. I'm happy for you."

He's right about it suiting me. It's going to be a while before I have a proper roof over my head, but I already feel at home. The quiet, the solitude, the endless expanse of nature—it's everything I've ever wanted.

"Thanks, man," I say. "And, seriously, thanks for helping me. I owe you one."

"You're sure right about that," he says with a grin. "Next time I need a hand at the bakery, I'm calling you up."

I raise an eyebrow at Shaw, thinking about the bakery he runs in our hometown of Cedar Springs. His small business is his pride and joy. "You sure about that? I have a history of burning whatever I put in the oven."

Shaw groans. "Yeah, on second thought, stay the hell away from my bakery."

We share a laugh and look out at the property again. It's nice, having the company of one of my brothers, but it also makes me think about the one who isn't here right now.

"What do you think I'd have to do to convince Jake to make the trip out here?" I muse.

"I dunno. Fly him out in a helicopter and promise him a strong Wi-Fi signal?"

I snort a laugh. "Guess I've got some work to do."

"I'm just kidding. I'm sure you'll be able to get him to come out eventually." Shaw pauses. "You sure you aren't going to be lonely out here, living all by yourself?"

"Thought you said it suited me."

"It does. I'm just asking."

I take a swig of beer. "I'm sure. I'm all good."

"Not many opportunities to meet women out here…"

"I think if I was supposed to meet someone, I would have met her by now." I shake my head, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment in my chest. I never planned on still being a bachelor at my age, but it's the card that life has dealt me.

Shaw frowns at me. "Wait, what? You sound like you've given up, dude."

"No, I'm just…" I shrug. "You know. Not feeling very hopeful about that part of my life."

"Come on, man. Don't talk like that. You've gotta have faith." He offers a kind smile. "I mean, look at me. I've been single for as long as you have, but I know the right woman is out there. I just haven't met her yet."

"I appreciate the pep talk, Shaw. I wish I had the same gut feeling. But I don't."

"Well, I have a gut feeling that it will happen for you."

I give him a half-hearted smile and clap him on the shoulder. "Thanks. All right. Break's over. Time to get back to it."

Shaw and I walk back into the house, the smell of dust filling our nostrils as we step over debris. The air feels heavy inside, charged with the energy of our unfinished task.

I'm picking up my sledgehammer when I catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye. My muscles tense as I turn to investigate, expecting to see a scurrying rat or a nosy squirrel.

But what I see makes me freeze in my tracks. A thick, furry tail is sticking out from beneath a pile of rubble.

"What the fuck?" I mutter, my eyes fixed on the spot.

Shaw turns, frowning at me. "What's up?"

I nod toward the tail. Shaw's eyes slide over to the same spot. Then, suddenly, a small black-and-tan animal peeks out from beneath the debris.

"Jesus," Shaw says. "Is that a monkey ?"

I stare at the creature, trying to make sense of the surreal sight. "Sure looks like it."

"Where the hell did it come from?"

"No idea. Maybe someone's pet got loose?"

The monkey scurries out from under the debris, clutching a crowbar in one hand, chattering as it eyes us mischievously.

Shaw laughs nervously. "Right. A pet monkey. We should probably try to catch it, huh?"

I take a cautious step forward, extending my hand in a gesture of peace. "Easy there, little guy."

The monkey tilts its head, studying me for a moment before dashing away with the crowbar still clutched in his hand.

Shaw laughs as the monkey makes off with my tool, but I'm not letting it get away.

"Hey!" I yell, lunging forward after the thief. "Come here!"

Irritation courses through me as the rascal easily evades me. The chase that follows is full of a lot of cursing on my part as I weave through the wreckage of the house trying to capture the wild animal.

At last, I manage to corner the monkey in the bathroom, its eyes shining with mirth as it holds the crowbar to its furry chest.

"Give it back," I demand.

The monkey screeches, leaping away from me and bouncing around the tiny bathroom with surprising agility. I make a grab for the crowbar, but the monkey dodges out of reach, taunting me with its stolen treasure.

Shaw watches from the doorway, not even bothering to suppress his laughter. As the monkey continues to outmaneuver me, my irritation boils over.

"Damn it, Shaw, do something!" I shout.

"I'm not getting near that thing," he says, barely able to speak through his laughter. "This is all you, bro."

I glare at him before refocusing on the monkey, who is now perched on the edge of the bathtub. With a determined grunt, I lunge forward, narrowly missing it as it leaps to the sink.

The monkey lets out a noise that sounds an awful lot like gleeful laughter.

"Enough of this shit," I mutter under my breath. I spot a threadbare towel hanging from the bathroom door and grab it, planning to use it as a makeshift net.

Suddenly, a woman's shout filters through the small screened window above the bathtub. "Daisy! Daisy, honey, where are you?"

Shaw and I exchange a glance. "Someone's looking for this little menace," he says.

"Daisy!" the voice calls again, closer this time.

"Your monkey's in here!" I yell through the window.

Her hurried footsteps approach the house. We hear the front door creak open, followed by the sound of her calling out the monkey's name.

"We're in here!" I shout, and her footsteps follow the sound of my voice.

Shaw steps aside to let the woman in. She bursts into the bathroom, relief flooding her expression.

"Oh, thank goodness! Daisy, you little troublemaker," she exclaims, scooping up the monkey in her arms. The monkey chirps, finally drops the crowbar from its grasp, and nuzzles against her, turning suddenly sweet.

Meanwhile, I can't stop myself from staring at the woman who just burst into my house. Her warm brown eyes shine from behind a pair of tortoiseshell glasses, and strands of caramel brown hair escape the messy bun atop her head. Her apple cheeks are rosy with a natural flush, and her bare lips are lifted in a relieved smile. The dirt-smudged overalls she's wearing hug tightly to her curves.

Who is this stunning creature?

"That your pet?" I ask, my head still swimming from the sight of her.

She frowns, her eyes flashing at me. Even with the admonishing look in her eyes, the fact that she's looking at me makes me almost drop the towel I'm still holding.

"No," she says curtly. "Monkeys should never be kept as pets. Capuchin monkeys or otherwise. Daisy is an ambassador for wildlife conservation."

"Well, this little ambassador of yours sure wreaked havoc in my house."

She glances around, looking amused. "What part of this mess are we talking about?"

Okay. So she has a point. But that doesn't make me any less annoyed about the situation. "It messed with my tools. And if you hadn't come when you did, who knows what else it would have destroyed."

" She was just being curious."

"Curious or not, I can't have wild animals running through my house. So I'd appreciate it if it didn't happen again."

I expect her to say something fiery in response, but she just nods and says, "It won't. I'm sorry it happened at all." Then she sticks out a hand while keeping the monkey cradled against her chest. "I'm Mackenna, by the way. I run the wildlife sanctuary next door."

"Reid," I say, shaking her hand. The warmth of her hand ignites a spark against my skin. I reluctantly pull my hand away and nod my chin in the direction of my brother. "And that's my brother, Shaw."

"It's nice to meet you both. My apologies again for the intrusion." She glances down at the monkey in her arm. "All right, Daisy. Let's get you back home."

As soon as Mackenna leaves, Shaw smirks and shakes his head at me. "Looks like your luck's turning around, Reid."

"Shut up, dude."

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend like you weren't attracted to her. I saw the way you were staring at her."

"You're delusional, Shaw."

"Why are you denying it? This is great. I'm thrilled for you."

"You really think I'm stupid enough to go after someone like her? She's out of my league. She's young, gorgeous…hell, she's my neighbor . It's a bad idea all around."

"Stop being so pessimistic. Maybe she's into unkempt older guys who haven't gotten laid in a decade."

"Fuck you, man," I say, chucking the towel at him.

Shaw laughs. "All right, all right. I'll stop. We can get back to work."

"It hasn't been a decade," I grumble. But he isn't far off.