Page 36 of Falling for the Bombshell (Falling for #1)

The Home Stretch

Weekends became a blur of open houses, cramped storage spaces, and paint swatches.

Football still lit up the weekends, Blaine grinding through practices and scrimmages with the Locos, while Linnie juggled her job, support from the sidelines, and keeping their connection strong.

Date nights turned into late-night food runs and couch cuddles while watching home renovation shows with Ember curled up between them.

They kissed between chaos. Loved in spite of fatigue.

Laughed even when it felt impossible to keep up.

Then they found it .

A two-story split-level just outside of Billings. With land that stretched wide, a winding creek out back, and golden sunset views that melted Linnie ’ s heart. “ This is it,” she whispered the moment she stepped onto the deck.They put in an offer that night.

Accepted.

They were on cloud nine.

In celebration, Linnie surprised Blaine with two of the best gifts: a brand new PlayStation—“for us to play together, not just you!”— and a fluffy, bumbling Bernese Mountain Dog puppy they named Daisy.

Emberlynn, the pint-sized pug, was skeptical at first but quickly warmed up to her new sister.

The little family was growing, and it felt right.

Until it didn ’ t.

The inspection hit like a sledgehammer. Water damage. Plumbing issues. The septic system was a nightmare. Even the well water tested unsafe. Linnie sat on the couch in their apartment, silent as the inspector laid it out, tears threatening behind her eyes.

“ We can ’ t do it,” Blaine said, squeezing her hand. “ Not for that much work. Not when it ’ s our first home.”

They pulled the offer.

And just like that—they were two weeks away from having nowhere to go. Panic set in. But as always, they leaned into each other. Blaine scoured listings every break he got. Linnie refreshed her search apps at midnight.

Then they found a rancher in the Heights.

Brand new. One level. Three bedrooms. A big backyard.

A front porch swing that Linnie immediately imagined Daisy and Ember curled beneath.

It was perfect. It just… wasn ’ t ready until August. With no other choice, Jillian and Charles offered to packed up and moved into their house.

At first, it was meant to be temporary. Just a month, maybe a little more.

But it didn ’ t take long for the seams to fray.

Blaine ’ s mom, Jillian, meant well—she always did—but her constant hovering, comments about dinner schedules, and habit of folding Linnie ’ s laundry without asking started wearing thin.

His dad, Charles, grumbled about the dogs.

Daisy had a habit of bounding up the stairs at top speed, and Ember barked at every passing mail truck.

Their stuff was crammed into a spare room and half the garage.

Their bed was an old pull-out. The water pressure sucked, and the hot water timer was not long enough for two adults.

Blaine and Linnie started snapping at each other over little things —who forgot to put away the leftovers, why the hamper was overflowing, whether it was worth going out for dinner when they could just eat with his parents again.

Every moment alone felt borrowed. Every breath felt like it had to be shared.

They missed their rhythm. Missed space to laugh loud and dance in the kitchen and sprawl out on the couch without Bria walking in halfway through a makeout session.

Work became an escape. They ’ d meet up for lunch in the park, or whisper over coffee in the mornings just to carve out five minutes that were theirs .

Right before the fair, tucked between job stress and house hunting meltdowns, Linnie turned twenty.

Her girlfriends weren ’ t about to let the milestone slip by unnoticed.

Cleo, Jade and Sadie kidnapped her for the night—with a blindfold, glittery party hats, and the kind of chaotic energy only a dance team posse could bring. They whisked her away to a

downtown Billings tapas place where the appetizers came out on tiny boards and the mocktails sparkled with edible glitter.

“ No house talk tonight,” Jade declared, clinking glasses with

Linnie. “ Just cake, gossip, and vibes.”

They spent the evening swapping team drama, guessing which Loco players had secret crushes, and laughing until their sides hurt.

The server brought out a surprise flaming dessert, and everyone sang—badly and loudly—while Linnie flushed and tried to blow out the candle before they got kicked out.

Cleo handed her a card that read Welcome to your reckless twenties and inside was a gift card to a local spa with a note: Go relax before your eye starts twitching again. We love you.

“ I needed this,” Linnie whispered, eyes stinging just a little.

Jade leaned across the table, grinning. “ We all did. You ’ re carrying a lot, girl. Tonight? You don ’ t have to.”

They ended the night back at Sadies apartment doing face masks and watching dance competition fails on YouTube, Ember snoring in a donut bed by Linnie ’ s feet.

No boys. No timelines. Just her girls, peppermint foot lotion, and the kind of full-hearted peace that only comes when you ’ re surrounded by people who truly get you.

She came home glowing.

Blaine kissed her cheek when she walked in and whispered,

“ Happy birthday, baby.”

And even though their world still felt cramped and uncertain, Linnie fell asleep that night smiling.

Montana Fair in mid-August—just one week before move-in day.

They needed the night out like air. They walked hand-in-hand through the warm, buzzing night, eating fry bread and caramel apples, watching the lights from the Ferris wheel spin above them.

For a few sweet hours, it felt like they were dating again.

No house stress. No nosy parents. No soggy leftovers.

Just Blaine and Linnie and the sugary rush of summer.

They made it back to the house sun-drunk and sticky from lemonade and sugar, hearts still light with laughter. The house was quiet—his parents had gone to dinner with friends, and Bria was still out at a sleepover… or so they thought.

As soon as the front door clicked shut, Blaine was on her—lifting Linnie into his arms, her laughter muffled by the kiss he pressed to her lips.

Clothes scattered like breadcrumbs through the hallway as they slipped into the upstairs bathroom.

The shower steamed up instantly, and Blaine pressed her against the cool tile, water cascading over them, their bodies moving in sync like they were made for this.

For each other.Between kisses and moans, Linnie whispered, “ We really shouldn ’ t be doing this here… ”

And Blaine ’ s grin was wicked, eyes wild with need. “ But it ’ s just us, right now.”

Or so they thought.

Midway through a heated moment—right as the water was slapping against the glass and Linnie moaned Blaine ’ s name loud enough to echo—a door creaked open downstairs.

Bria.

She was back early from the sleepover. Texted her mom. Thought she ’ d crash in her own bed. As she reached the top of the stairs, she paused. The bathroom light was on.

And then she heard it.

“ Oh my God,” she whispered to herself, instantly recognizing the voices. “ Nope. No no no.”

Wide-eyed and traumatized, she spun on her heel so fast she nearly tripped over Ember and Daisy, who were curiously sniffing around the hallway. She didn ’ t even stop to get a snack—just marched straight to her room, slammed her door, and threw her earbuds in.

Down the hall, the shower kept going. Blissfully unaware.By the time Blaine and Linnie dried off, curled up in his childhood bed with wet hair and happy hearts, Bria was texting frantically with her best friend:

Bria: i just saw the UNSEEABLE

Bria: i am scarred for LIF E

Bria: if mom finds out they ’ ll be homeless ??

Bria: i ’ m taking this secret to the grave

The next morning, Bria avoided eye contact, mumbling a fast “ morning” before grabbing a muffin and disappearing.

Blaine glanced at Linnie, puzzled. “ What ’ s her deal?”

Linnie raised an eyebrow and whispered, “ You don ’ t think…”

Their eyes widened at the same time.

“ Oh, no.”

“ Oh, yes.”

They didn ’ t say a word to anyone else. Neither did Bria. But for the next week, every time she saw them holding hands or laughing together, Bria visibly cringed. And Linnie? She made sure to always knock now—just in case the poor girl was anywhere nearby.

Some memories, unfortunately, stick forever.

“ I can ’ t believe we ’ re this close,” Blaine said, holding her tight as fireworks lit up the sky at the fair ’ s end.

Linnie smiled up at him, glowing in the reflection. “ Just one more week… then it ’ s ours. All of it. ”

Their first real home.

A space for Ember and Daisy to roam.

A porch swing to drink coffee on.

And a front door to open into the rest of their life.