MONTANA BLUEPRINT FOR LOVE
~ Excerpt ~

She’d already plugged the address into her phone so finding the place was relatively straightforward. Boone’s Dodge four-wheel-drive with a black lumber rack was parked in front of a shabby-looking, weathered ranch-style house. She’d worked for her father long enough in the past to pick out obvious issues—like a deck that looked ready to cave in. But the mature trees, open space, and distant view of the mountains worked in its favor. The two out-buildings she’d passed by—a barn that stood the test of time and a shop with fairly new metal siding—appeared to be in decent shape, although she wasn’t thrilled by the placement of either.
       A bit close to the house, aren’t they. Who thought that was a good idea?
       She grabbed her phone and was taking a video when the front door opened and Boone stepped onto the low redwood deck, which stretched from one wing of the H-shaped house to the other.
       He walked to the edge of the decking and called out, “How’s Jim today?”
       She breathed in slowly to tone down her racing heart as the bits and pieces of him made a whole. Summit ball cap with sunglasses shoved against the logo. Washed out hunter green shirt with matching Summit logo on the breast pocket and sleeves pushed back to expose thickly corded forearms.
       No tool belt. Better to see the way his dark blue jeans hugged his hips and emphasized his flat belly.
       No beer gut for Boone.
       He looked like a calendar model for some hardware company.
       Maybe I should suggest the idea to Paul Zabrinski.
       She cleared her throat to answer his question. “Amber and Jade both said Dad had an uneventful night. Mom was up and out of the house before I woke up. She drove herself to the hospital to relieve Amber.”
       She shoved the phone into her hip pocket and started toward him. The crumbling uneven flagstone slabs of the sidewalk made it hard to walk and talk. When she reached the deck, she stopped and looked at him. “No doctor yet, but a nurse told Amber they want to run a couple more tests and set Dad up with a pulmonologist. He might not be able to go home until this afternoon or tomorrow.”
       Boone pointed to her feet. “Watch where you step—there’s a lot of rot here. From the tire tracks I’d say your dad’s been using the back door for access. He left some sawhorses and trim material in the screened porch.”
       She stepped over one iffy spot with a bit too much momentum and wound up bumping into him. “Sorry.”
       He steadied her with one hand then reached out with the other to brush something from the corner of her lips. “Did you bring me one?”
       “Huh?”
       He popped his finger in his mouth and smiled. “Powdered doughnuts. I’m more of an apple fritter man myself, but I’ve never said no to sugar and fried dough of any kind.”
       She wiped her mouth self-consciously, wishing she could deny the zing his touch had sent through her body. “Sorry. I grabbed one on the way out the door. Didn’t want to keep you waiting. How’d your meeting with Paul Zabrinski go?”
       His frown said he wasn’t thrilled. “About what I expected. I was working on the estimate of what it will cost to finish this when you drove up. Your dad bought a house at auction to flip a couple of years ago. Jim told me the company made a decent profit, but the older the house the more problems you’re bound to encounter.” He reached behind him and opened the door. “See for yourself.”
       The smell emanating from the interior gave her pause. “Did someone die in there?”
       “A generation or two of mice, I think.”
       “Why aren’t the windows open?”
       “Your dad had the place locked up tight. I’m guessing kids were using it for parties—as evidenced by the stash of beer cans and broken bottles out back.” His expression turned grim. “The toilets are beyond redemption. Fingers crossed the septic system is still operational.”
       She blew out a breath. “On that happy note...”
       Before she could take a step, Boone positioned himself in front of the door. “There are exposed nails all around. Jim must have pulled out the old carpet but he didn’t remove any of the tack strips. Watch where you step.”
       “This isn’t my first rodeo, Boone.”
       His cheeks took on a hint of color. Nice guy. The kind who worried about people getting hurt. Nothing like her dad. Wasn’t that one of the reasons she’d been attracted to him in the first place?
       “Just be careful, okay? I don’t know if there’s any insurance on the place, and Summit sure as hell can’t afford to pay for your doctor bills. Not after you see what this is going to cost,” he added under his breath.
       Dread and worry made the doughnut in her belly churn uncomfortably. “I promise not to sue you. Cross my heart.” She made the motion, which pulled Boone’s gaze to her chest, which made her cheeks fill with heat. “Come on. Show me around the money pit.”

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