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Small Town #1
Build You Up
Missy moves to a small town in Northern California after walking in on her boyfriend in bed with someone else.
The picturesque cottage she bought outright with the money she inherited from her parent’s passing isn’t as picturesque as she was promised. She is forced to hire the only contractor in town to make it liveable, even though she can’t stand the man and his rude and crude remarks.
Adrian Brewer is a single father, fighting for his parental rights for his daughter, and doesn’t need another woman to bring more drama into his life….but there is just something about Missy that has him wishing for more.
When Adrian makes repairs to her new home, can he also help repair her heart? Can she repair his in return? When their past comes back to ruin what they started building together, will the foundation of their budding love be able to withstand the storm? Will Missy let it all burn down? If it does, can Adrian build it back up?
**************************************“Poor girl,” my dad mutters quietly so only I can hear. “She’s been through a lot. Sounds like she’s got no one to depend on now but herself, but she doesn’t let it bring her down. She’s a fighter, that one.”
I nod. I know what he’s doing, but I can’t. No matter how attracted to her I am, I can’t be the one to support her when I can’t even support myself. I had to move back in with my dad for fuck’s sake to be able to pay Monica off so I can still see Hailey.
Giving Hailey back to her mother was the hardest thing I ever had to do. She was mine no matter what the test said. Monica couldn’t even give them an idea of who her real father was. Why couldn’t I keep my paternal rights when I loved her so much more than her biological mother did?
Monica has been blackmailing me with Hailey for money ever since. My lawyer, an old friend of my dad’s, has been mediating an adoption so I can legally have her again, but Monica keeps demanding more and more from me.
Yes, I’m attracted to Missy. More attracted to her than I would like to admit, but I can’t jeopardize losing my daughter for a crush. I need to get my act together and just work to get the job done. Once I have my daughter and she is legally mine, then I can worry about other shit.I look back to the women as dad tells them to come in to eat, taking a long swig of my beer. When Missy squats down, her plump ass straining against her jeans as she lets Hailey climb on her back, that growingly familiar pang shoots through my heart again as they both giggle and run for the kitchen door.
Dad looks over at me, giving me a look like he can read my thoughts.
“It’s okay to do something for yourself, son,” he pats my shoulder as he walks by. “She’s a sweetheart. Hailey loves her too.”
“I can’t, dad. She has issues of her own. She doesn’t need mine too. Maybe after I legally have Hailey….”
“The way Chris and some of those other boys are snooping around her, you might not have that long to wait. Britt called her over to us Friday night for your sake. Chris was laying it on thick. We love her, Hailey loves her and I can tell you are more affected by that girl than you want to admit. Why don’t you take a chance on yourself for once?”
The picturesque cottage she bought outright with the money she inherited from her parent’s passing isn’t as picturesque as she was promised. She is forced to hire the only contractor in town to make it liveable, even though she can’t stand the man and his rude and crude remarks.
Adrian Brewer is a single father, fighting for his parental rights for his daughter, and doesn’t need another woman to bring more drama into his life….but there is just something about Missy that has him wishing for more.
When Adrian makes repairs to her new home, can he also help repair her heart? Can she repair his in return? When their past comes back to ruin what they started building together, will the foundation of their budding love be able to withstand the storm? Will Missy let it all burn down? If it does, can Adrian build it back up?
**************************************“Poor girl,” my dad mutters quietly so only I can hear. “She’s been through a lot. Sounds like she’s got no one to depend on now but herself, but she doesn’t let it bring her down. She’s a fighter, that one.”
I nod. I know what he’s doing, but I can’t. No matter how attracted to her I am, I can’t be the one to support her when I can’t even support myself. I had to move back in with my dad for fuck’s sake to be able to pay Monica off so I can still see Hailey.
Giving Hailey back to her mother was the hardest thing I ever had to do. She was mine no matter what the test said. Monica couldn’t even give them an idea of who her real father was. Why couldn’t I keep my paternal rights when I loved her so much more than her biological mother did?
Monica has been blackmailing me with Hailey for money ever since. My lawyer, an old friend of my dad’s, has been mediating an adoption so I can legally have her again, but Monica keeps demanding more and more from me.
Yes, I’m attracted to Missy. More attracted to her than I would like to admit, but I can’t jeopardize losing my daughter for a crush. I need to get my act together and just work to get the job done. Once I have my daughter and she is legally mine, then I can worry about other shit.I look back to the women as dad tells them to come in to eat, taking a long swig of my beer. When Missy squats down, her plump ass straining against her jeans as she lets Hailey climb on her back, that growingly familiar pang shoots through my heart again as they both giggle and run for the kitchen door.
Dad looks over at me, giving me a look like he can read my thoughts.
“It’s okay to do something for yourself, son,” he pats my shoulder as he walks by. “She’s a sweetheart. Hailey loves her too.”
“I can’t, dad. She has issues of her own. She doesn’t need mine too. Maybe after I legally have Hailey….”
“The way Chris and some of those other boys are snooping around her, you might not have that long to wait. Britt called her over to us Friday night for your sake. Chris was laying it on thick. We love her, Hailey loves her and I can tell you are more affected by that girl than you want to admit. Why don’t you take a chance on yourself for once?”
457 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2022
14 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
C. Hazlewood
21 books31 followersHey y'all!
My name is Chelsie. I'm an indie author living in SW Oklahoma. I started writing fantasy and contemporary romance in 2022.
I'm a mother to two. Wife to the most amazing man. If I'm not writing, I'm usually reading. Traveling and fitness are also hobbies I love.
I love to use my imaginary worlds to create yummy men (who all strangely remind me of my husband) and strong, resilient female characters who are not perfect, but grow into women fighting for their own happily ever after.
My name is Chelsie. I'm an indie author living in SW Oklahoma. I started writing fantasy and contemporary romance in 2022.
I'm a mother to two. Wife to the most amazing man. If I'm not writing, I'm usually reading. Traveling and fitness are also hobbies I love.
I love to use my imaginary worlds to create yummy men (who all strangely remind me of my husband) and strong, resilient female characters who are not perfect, but grow into women fighting for their own happily ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 22, 2024
Loved this book. C.Hazlewood has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She makes the characters all so relatable and you just fall in love with them.
February 20, 2025
I love this author but this book read kinda of like high schoolers even though H is 23 and h is somewhere around there. Missy hires Adrian to be her contractor to fix her new house. Adrian has a kid from a previous relationship and missy just moved to town. Was giving me hallmark movie vibes. There’s tons of dialogue which I started skimming it. I feel like I also couldn’t get into the H either, seemed more immature than golden Retriever Not an angsty story, closer to cute on the spectrum but I don’t know…
Dual POV
No long separations
No actual cheating
Still going to give the second book a try which is about Adriana sister.
Dual POV
No long separations
No actual cheating
Still going to give the second book a try which is about Adriana sister.
Read
September 7, 2024Okay I actually read Succeeding Love but that’s not on goodreads so I chose this? Close enough
May 14, 2025
I love the teasing nature of the MMC but how great of a father he is as well
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews