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A n hour after closing time at Old Glory, Lottie tossed the rag into the sink and leaned a hip against the counter while Brand double-checked to make sure the back patio door was securely locked. Although Cielo Springs was a far cry from Manhattan where she’d lived for a few years, the idea of a small town being crime-free was a myth and she appreciated that Brand took their safety seriously.

“All good,” he said, striding back over. He’d already given her the entire bowl of tips collected, which had been generous. She appreciated every single dollar because she needed to save every penny for Reya’s future.

Just thinking about her two-year-old daughter brought a smile to Lottie’s lips. Reya Russell was a smart little thing with a tiny soul made of the sweetest sugar. The other day, she’d spent an inordinate amount of time carefully picking a bunch of dandelions and then presented them to Lottie with the biggest smile. Of course, to her momma, the weeds were more exquisite than an entire bouquet of the finest roses. She’d found a vase and now they sat in a place of honor on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“C’mon, I’ll walk you out,” Brand said.

Lottie knew there was no point arguing. Brand was a protective boss and he’d never let her go to her car parked in the corner of the lot without an escort. Though she never wanted to be a burden, she was grateful. Lately, she could’ve sworn someone was watching her. Every time she was alone an uneasy feeling crept over her, leaving her on edge. Recently while taking out the trash at work, she’d convinced herself someone was stalking her as she walked to the dumpster. A raccoon had taken her by surprise and she’d hauled ass back into the bar and straight into Chaz’s arms.

God, how embarrassing. She’d felt like a fool.

He’d seemed so concerned and, for a moment, she’d let herself enjoy his strong, protective embrace. Feeling his big, strong arms wrapped around her had felt so damn good. When he demanded to know what was wrong, she felt silly and said nothing.

But she was still convinced there had been more than a raccoon out there. If she were being completely honest with herself, it was more than feeling watched. She’d also been getting weird hang-ups. Maybe it was nothing, but something about it rattled her. You’re just stressed out , she tried to tell herself.

There was always the possibility she simply worked too hard and being overly tired was making her imagine certain things. Late night shifts didn’t help and raising a toddler who required constant supervision and stimulation would wear anybody down.

Luckily, she lived with her mom who always helped with babysitting. Ever since moving back home, her mother had been beyond supportive, her rock and best friend. Maybe her life hadn’t turned out the way she’d planned, but she was perfectly okay with that. Sometimes detours happened, and she was incredibly grateful for hers. It had given her the most beautiful gift—her daughter.

Brand shoved the front door open, holding it and allowing Lottie to pass. Customers and employees parked in front of Old Glory because the back half of the bar was a deck built on stilts overlooking the vast Montana wilderness. Perched on a hillside, the bar might’ve been a little rough around the edges—just like its owner and his ragtag group of friends—but Lottie had a soft spot for it…and for them. It wasn’t shiny and new, but rugged and worn. And she much preferred its charming imperfections to some trendy, highly-polished spot which served twenty-five dollar custom cocktails.

Lottie loved a diamond in the rough and a good work-in-progress appealed to her. She inhaled TV shows where they flipped houses, risking everything to buy dilapidated properties and renovate them into incredible homes for potential buyers. Sometimes, the best and most rewarding things lacked a little polish and refinement, and she was quite alright with that.

Her thoughts immediately turned to Chaz. That gruff man made her entire body tingle and she’d fantasized about him more times than she would ever admit. He reminded her of one of her makeover shows. She could see his potential, but the stubborn bear of a man refused to let her get too close. The couple of times she’d attempted to flirt, he’d instantly backed off.

It was probably just as well. He’d sworn off marriage, claimed he was no good with kids and made it abundantly clear he didn’t want any kind of serious relationship. But the way he watched her so intently with those deep green eyes of his said something entirely different.

Maybe she was reading him all wrong and he just wanted to fuck her. And maybe part of her wanted to take him up on it.

Stop it, Lottie , she scolded herself. You’re a mom. You need to be responsible and focus on your daughter. Not the big, grumpy former military man who makes you feel things better left ignored.

Easier said than done.

You’re a woman, too , that naughty little voice reminded her. A hot-blooded woman who has needs.

Needs that hadn’t been met in a very long time. She was only thirty-two, but sometimes she felt so much older. Burdened by so many responsibilities—especially a little life who was totally dependent on you—made a person grow up fast. But just because she had a child didn’t mean she’d lost her sex drive. If anything, looking at Chaz made it crank up a few notches.

“Thanks again,” Brand said, breaking into her lusty thoughts. “I don’t know what I did without you.”

“Me neither.” She smiled and unlocked her trusty Honda. “See you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night.”

“You, too.” Once she was securely in her car with the engine running, Brand turned and headed back into Old Glory—back to Julia and their life together. They lived in the apartment above the bar. It was small, but cozy and very convenient.

With a soft sigh, she put the car into drive, and was about to hit the gas pedal, when she noticed papers sticking out of the glove box. Weird. Frowning, she opened it and saw everything inside was askew, as if someone had been rifling through it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d opened it and she never would’ve left it a mess. Being organized and neat was an ingrained part of her personality. Clutter drove her absolutely crazy. Mom brain was a very real thing, though, so she decided to just write it off. After quickly fixing the papers, she snapped it shut.

But when she saw her water bottle on the passenger side floor, her pulse sped up. It had been on the seat earlier. Most likely it had rolled off. But what if it hadn’t? One thing out of place was possible, but two was a pattern that made her nervous. What if someone had broken into her car while she’d been working? There really wasn’t anything to steal, though, and nothing seemed missing.

Turning around, she peered into the back seat. No one was hiding behind her, and Reya’s car seat looked untouched.

“Get a grip, Lottie,” she whispered to herself and pressed her foot down on the accelerator. More than likely, she was freaking herself out over nothing.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long to drive to her apartment building. After pulling into her designated parking spot, Lottie turned off the car and sat there for a moment. She patted the wheel, happy to be home. Her trusty Honda had gotten her all the way to New York City when she was twenty-five…and then back again.

Back then, Cielo Springs had seemed like a dead end town she needed to escape. Her childhood friend Jenna lived in Manhattan and suggested she move there, too. Jenna raved about the big city and even hooked Lottie up with an office job in the Financial District. It seemed like leaving her boring, lowkey life behind was the answer to all her problems. Unfortunately, in less than four years, she’d wound up with a whole new set of problems—laid off and knocked up.

The biggest issue was Lottie seemed to have an asshole magnet somewhere inside and jerks always found her. Her ex-boyfriend dumped her the second he found out she was pregnant, claiming he wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. Is anyone, though? It’s not like they were a couple of eighteen year old kids.

Without any options and barely able to make ends meet, she returned to Montana and moved in with her mom. At first, she’d felt like a failure, returning home with her tail tucked between her legs. But her mom welcomed her with open arms and was beyond excited to become a grandma. Her unwavering support helped Lottie see her worth and Reya gave her a true purpose. She regretted nothing. In fact, after everything that happened, all she’d gone through, she learned how to see the positive in every situation.

Which made no sense when she thought about her attraction to Mr. Grumpypants. Chaz Madden was her complete opposite in nearly every way. He was huge, towering over everyone, and she was small, never able to reach anything. She made an effort to smile and be welcoming to all, and he had the art of intimidation and glowering down to a science. While she saw butterflies and rainbows, he saw roaches and thunderclouds. He grunted a lot when anyone tried to engage him in conversation, but was very vocal when it came to his disdain for marriage. She didn’t know the details of his divorce, but she knew it had been messy. As a result, he wore a suit of grumpy armor and it protected him well.

But, Lottie? She’d been waiting her whole life for a love story.

Maybe it would never happen, but she still had faith one day she would find her fairytale. And Chaz? Well, he didn’t believe in happily ever after.

He’d told her point blank.

“Love is for suckers,” he grumbled.

“You don’t really mean that, Chaz,” she said, stopping beside his chair and reaching over to grab an empty beer bottle from the table.

“I mean every word of it.” His stony facade cracked when she pushed a small finger against his broad chest.

“Grumpypants,” she chided playfully.

He automatically reached up, encircling her hand with his, and pulled her down to his level. His warm lips brushed her ear as he whispered, “Not everyone finds their soulmate, princess.”

With a sigh, Lottie opened the door and slid out. And she really hoped Chaz was wrong.

Exhausted, she tucked a wayward curl behind her ear and trudged up to the apartment. It was after three in the morning and her mom and Reya would be sound asleep. She slid her key in, unlocked the door and crept inside, being as quiet as possible.

The apartment was fairly small with two bedrooms, and Lottie headed straight for the room she shared with Reya. One day, she hoped to move into a bigger place and be able to give Reya her own bedroom. She could even picture it—cheery yellow walls with daisies stenciled along the ceiling in a cute border. Or maybe dandelion puffs. Ever since Lottie taught Reya to blow off the tufted tops and make a wish, the little girl had been fascinated.

Some people called them weeds, but Lottie didn’t. After experiencing one of the lowest points in her life—the day she was simultaneously fired and dumped by the father of her unborn child—she’d left her Manhattan office in a daze, carrying a small box of personal items. Wandering aimlessly through the city, not sure what she should do next, she’d sat down on a bench, looked down, and spotted a dandelion growing out of the cement crack. Seeing that lone dandelion surviving against the odds gave her hope that she could, too. From that point forward, she’d always referred to them as flowers, never weeds, and seen them as a symbol of hope, healing and resilience.

Walking straight over to the crib, she peeked in and spent a few minutes watching her daughter sleep. The little girl slumbered peacefully. Lottie reached in and brushed a knuckle over Reya’s chubby, babysoft cheek, then she tucked the light blanket around her more snugly.

She knew she’d have to transition her to a toddler bed soon, but the crib still worked because Reya was such a tiny thing. Clearly, she’d inherited Lottie’s short genes. Not that her ex had been very tall. Nothing like Chaz who had to be at least six-five.

Her belly fluttered and heat arrowed between her thighs as an image of his large frame filled her head. Lottie was five-two with heels and she had no illusions about her height. She was a munchkin compared to the big, former warrior.

Her eyes closed, fingers curling around the crib railing, and she thought about what it might be like to be with a man like Chaz. If she had to guess, she’d say he would be hard, fast and a little rough and tumble in the bedroom. The complete opposite of her suit-wearing ex who she’d met at the office where they’d worked.

Now she understood why people said don’t date anyone you work with. Andy had been the Human Resources manager who’d hired and fired her. Ironic since he’d had to let her go when she was pregnant with his baby.

But Lottie wasn’t bitter. He’d had a job to do and, deep down, she knew he wasn’t the right man for her. And one look from him had certainly never made her tummy flutter with thousands of butterflies the way Chaz did.

Always determined to see the silver lining, Lottie believed with her whole heart that everything worked out the way it did for a reason. Andy didn’t want Reya, and Reya was Lottie’s reason for living. Anyone who came into her life would need to accept and love her daughter as his own.

It made her sad that her green-eyed grump had sworn off the one thing she yearned for with all her heart—a man who wanted to be her partner and a father for her daughter.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for a love story,” Lottie whispered to her sleeping daughter, “and I won’t settle for anything less than what we deserve, sweet girl. I promise.”