Title: Refrain
Buy the Book: Amazon
Published by: https://wildrosepress.com/products/refrain?variant=67329345290458
Release Date: 11/18/26
Pages: 255
ISBN13: 9781509267330

 

Ryder Bingham fled Austin for Nashville six years ago, vowing never to return. However, wisdom comes with age, and to build the family he craves, he must face the hardest thing—his ex, Evelyn.

Evelyn Abbott spent years dodging news of Ryder's country music stardom. When he offers her a house remodel, her instinct screams not to do it. But with bankruptcy looming, this job could save her company.

Besides, the bastard owes her.

As they work together, their unhealed breakup colors everything. Drawn to each other yet haunted by the past, their collision is catastrophic. Can they repair the damage? Or will they walk away forever?

“Ryder.” She cleared her throat, her mouth dry from the anticipation of this meeting. “Welcome back.”

She should have declined when his manager reached out. The negative word had echoed inside her mind with such force that she could have sworn it bounced through her tiny office.

What spoke louder were the unpaid bills crowding her email with reminders sent via regular mail. Her precarious situation kept the negative response to herself. For now.

“Thanks, Evelyn. It’s good to be home.”

His voice was like his eyes, touched with a hint of whiskey smoke. Once she had shivered just to hear her name spoken in that husky drawl.

She fumbled with the single jacket button, shifting her gaze away from his. “Your manager said you bought this place? Good neighborhood, but the house needs work.”

He ducked his head again, a gesture that was instantly so familiar she felt like six hours, rather than six years, had passed.

“Mike. That’s my manager. Yeah. I bought the house and yeah to the rest.” He gestured to the visible subfloor and the walls half installed with drywall. “As you can see. We had somebody else working on the home, but I was dissatisfied with their work and fired them. This time, I insisted on you.”

Evelyn took in the bare framing of the kitchen area and the popcorn ceiling that had to be removed as she processed the information. “Really? I’m surprised. You could have any number of large firms.”

In the three years since Atwood Designs had been open, she’d either scraped by or taken a loss. Interior design was a tough field to break into. She’d hoped that giving the clients what they asked for—even if the style was the opposite of hers—would help, but it hadn’t. She never argued, even if the vision didn’t make sense, to cultivate a reputation of being easy to work with. Her online ratings were decent enough. Evelyn might have been able to get her parents to send referrals, but she never asked. She was her own woman and made her own way. The child who had entered the relationship with Ryder never returned after the relationship imploded, though her parents tried to push her back into that role.

“They don’t have the personal touch. I still remember your designs.”

The word no bounced around her mouth, daring her to utter it. If she didn’t take the job, she would close her shop within a month, maybe two. Three at most. She might score another big gig, but swine could also take to the sky.

The silence lengthened between them until she felt compelled to speak. “Thanks. That’s nice that my early attempts were remembered by someone. I’ve grown since then. This house has so much potential.”

She doubted Ryder was used to hearing the word no at this stage in his life. When they were a couple, refusals had been a part of his existence as he tried to make it in the music business.

That time was long gone.