Raelynn felt defeated—how was she supposed to argue or play coy after that? Seeing Christian’s unyielding demeanor, she could only nod, her voice tight. “I’ll relay your message to Harvey. Let him decide the details.”

Satisfied, Christian finally allowed his gaze to follow Raelynn as she turned to leave, her retreating figure a bittersweet silhouette under the dim streetlights.

What Raelynn didn’t expect was Mr. Nelson himself appearing out of the ...