Hankering for Home by Rachael Eliker

Getting hitched is a convenient business arrangement. No strings attached, no hearts involved…except maybe mine.
Growing up in a broken home taught me to watch out for myself, and that the only love out there is what I create. That’s why I stick to taking care of my baby sister, and the hodgepodge of wildlife I volunteer to rehabilitate. Add in a stray puppy I found under the car with the help of Wil, a recent move-in to Button Blossom, and my life is complete.
He’s cute.
The puppy, not Wil.
He’s broody, which also makes him a teensy bit hot.
Turns out, Wil’s a grumpy single dad because he’s been burned before. So when he’s given an ultimatum to marry by his crazy uncle, he finds a way around it by suggesting a mutually beneficial arrangement. No emotion, no required commitment to each other. Just a sterile, clean-cut handshake deal.
Except, it’s not all that easy. For one, Wil’s abs. Can they be any more firm? For another, Wil’s patient with everything that comes with me, from snakes in his tub, flying squirrels in his curtains, and that adorable puppy that just ate his favorite shoes.
What’s worse is the more time I spend with Wil and his son, the more knit I feel to them as the family I never knew I needed. Our marriage has an end date, but my heart may be too entwined to not tear in two when we say goodbye.