Fixer-Upper

By Megan Kelly

Chris Brandt limps home from the Army, less than thrilled with his future, until he meets Julie Palmer. But he’s done too much and seen even worse, and won’t get involved with the local bakery owner. Will the magic of Valentine’s Day persuade him to give love a chance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Megan Kelly
• Release date: Feb 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9780988601796

Megan Kelly

Megan Kelly fell in love with romance books in her teens and sees no end in sight. Thank goodness! She considers getting paid to follow her passion is the best job ever. The first book in her Love in Little Tree series, THE WEDDING RESCUE, is available now. Book #2 will be released July 2016. Megan lives with her husband and two children in the Midwest, where the weather has an imagination--and sense of humor--of its own. Please visit her website at www.megankellybooks.com.

Book preview

For my husband, always.

I’m grateful for a lot of extra help this time around. Thanks to:

The Windy City Romance Writers chapter

for including me in the original anthology,

A Delicious Dessert;

My critique partner, Carol Carson;

And a special thanks to the family of mystery writer, Mary V. Welk.

It was an honor to write in her world.

All rights reserved.

© 2016 by Megan Kelly

Editing by Nancy Canu

Background Image by ValuaVitaly/iStock/Thinkstock

House Image by frankes/openclipart

Cover by Pamela J. Trader

ISBN 978-0988601796

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotation in critical articles or reviews.

***

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

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This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be sold or given away to others. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Fixer-Upper

A Returning Home Romance

Megan Kelly

CHAPTER ONE

Brandt! You dog, is that you?

Chris Brandt glanced over the boxes of nails on the top shelf of the hardware aisle, not surprised to be hailed on his first visit back in town, though he’d been gone for eight years. Rhineburg, Illinois, maintained its small-town feel, despite the university on its outskirts bringing in more residents. Case in point—after just two hours home, and ten minutes after leaving his mom’s house, his childhood friend had already found him.

Hey, Brian. You still haunting this place?

The two of them shook hands and did the one-armed buddy clap on the back. Just like that, eight years disappeared.

Your mom didn’t tell me you were back.

Chris gave him the evil eye. You been keeping time with my mom?

Brian Mauer grinned. You know it. Can’t stay away from her sweetness.

You better mean her snickerdoodle cookies or I’m gonna have to kick your sorry butt. Chris smiled. I appreciate you checking in on her.

They also serve who sit and eat cookies.

Chris nodded and glanced away down the aisle. If he didn’t follow up on the serve comment, Brian would drop the subject. And Chris had no intention of discussing his military service as a casual topic. Not yet. Not in the middle of his family’s hardware store. The best defense being a good offense, he asked, How’s Diane doing?

At the mention of his high school sweetheart turned wife, Brian’s grin grew. Just found out we’re expecting.

Congrats, man. Chris gave him the one-armed hug again. How many does this make?

This is three…and four. It’s twins. Brian’s knees bent as he crowed, almost overbalancing with laughter. Diane’s about to kill me. Says the twins have to be from my side of the family.

Are they? I don’t remember you having any twin cousins.

I didn’t exactly pass biology class, so I’m not sure how twins learn to swim in the gene pool. Brian sighed dramatically. But I’m pretty sure I’ll always have to take the blame just for getting her pregnant again.

Horn dog. Chris smiled as he said it.

I’m getting that tattooed over my—

Chris glanced around, but the other two customers in the store weren’t close enough to overhear.

—heart, Brian finished with emphasis. I’m all G-rated now, dude. Two kids at home, remember? He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. I wanted to tell you I’m sorry about your brother. Your mom took Derek’s death hard.

Thanks. Chris swallowed. It is hard, especially a crazy accident like that. We all thought it would be… Well, not him.

Another silence fell between them while they looked anywhere but at each other. Finally Brian said, Hey, how long you home for?

Chris’s gaze flitted around Brandt Hardware, not really having to focus. Same place he’d always known, with the same scents of oil, metal, and wood as when he’d been a kid. Working here as a teen had helped acquaint him with the tools he’d become so familiar with as a handyman, construction worker, and jack-of-all-trades. With his dad and brother dead, Chris needed to relieve his mom of the worry of running the store.

He swallowed as he envisioned his future—a future that looked a lot like his past. I’m moving back.

No sh— Brian ducked his head, appearing a little sheepish at his near-cussing, then shrugged. Not a saint, but I’m trying. But, no kidding, you’re moving home?

I’ve been gone long enough.

Well, then, we need to celebrate the prodigal’s return. Diane’ll kill me if I don’t bring you home. How ’bout you come over before the dance tonight? We don’t have a calf, fatted or otherwise, but we can hoist a beer or two.

Chris noticed his buddy didn’t ask about his injury, and he’d bet his mom had mentioned it. Did it make Brian uncomfortable, or had he turned polite in his old age? Chris didn’t want to talk about it, but the idea that his former pal would tiptoe around the subject or think him delicate made his stomach turn. What dance?

Oh, man, you’ll love this. Brian tucked a strand of shoulder-length brown hair behind his ear. A bit of rebellion for a twenty-seven-year-old father of two-plus? There’s a charity dance tonight at the high school.

Oh, uh, I don’t think so.

Why not?

A Valentine’s dance? I just hit town. Unless I bring my mom, I’m gonna have to come stag. And neither of those things is likely.

Brian poked him with an elbow. It would be just like you to bring your mom. Win all sorts of Nice Guy points with the chicks and old ladies.

Not going to happen.

"It’s not just a Valentine’s dance. This year, we’re having a combo dance and high school