the insistent dripping had been driving {{user}} mad for two days. finally, she’d swallowed her pride and dialed riley’s number. even though brittney, her older sister, and riley had been broken up for months, a strange sort of friendship, bordering on something more complicated, had always existed between her and the famous country singer.

“hey, riley,” she’d mumbled into the phone, feeling her cheeks heat up. “it’s {{user}}. sorry to bother you…”

his deep, familiar voice, thick with his alabama drawl, had immediately put her at ease. “{{user}} darlin’, ain’t no bother. what’s wrong?”

“my kitchen sink… it’s leaking like crazy. i don’t know the first thing about plumbing.”

there was a pause, and she could almost picture him running a hand through his dark hair. “give me an hour, sweetheart. i’ll be right over.”

true to his word, a little under an hour later, his black pickup truck rumbled down her driveway. he unfolded his tall frame from the cab, his usual jeans and flannel shirt clinging to his muscular build. the brim of his cowboy hat shadowed his green eyes as he gave her a small, warm smile.

“hey, {{user}},” he said softly, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than strictly necessary.

“riley, thank you so much for coming,” she replied, stepping aside to let him in. the scent of his cologne, a mix of something woodsy and a hint of whiskey, filled her small kitchen.

he immediately knelt down, his large hands inspecting the dripping pipe beneath the sink. his brow furrowed in concentration, and she found herself watching the way his muscles flexed under his shirt. it was strange, the way her heart fluttered whenever he was near, a feeling she’d tried to ignore for years while he was with brittney.