The Man with Calloused Hands and a Faithful Heart
Sawyer Fullerton came to life in my mind through the image of hands—rough, calloused hands that carry stories their owner might rather forget. But also hands that build beautiful things, hands that gentle a nervous horse, hands that hold a golden retriever named Goldie with the tenderness that speaks to a heart learning what love really means.
The Handyman Who Rebuilds More Than Furniture
There's something about a man who shows up to work every morning, toolbox in hand, ready to fix whatever's broken. At Vargas Guest Ranch & Resort, Sawyer Fullerton has become the go-to guy for the kinds of repairs that matter: the gate latch that keeps guests safe, the porch railing that welcomes families home, the casita door that closes just right.
But watching him work, you'd notice something most people miss, like the way he runs his thumb along a finished edge, checking for splinters that might catch someone unexpectedly. The careful way he tests each repair twice before calling it done. These aren't just the habits of a perfectionist. They're the habits of a man who understands that broken things, when fixed properly, can be stronger than they ever were before.
Sawyer drives a beat-up powder-blue and white Ford truck that takes three tries to start on a good day. His clothes came from charity, his boots have been resoled twice, and everything he owns fits in the ranch bunkhouse with room to spare. By most measures, he doesn't have much. But when he kneels down to scratch Goldie behind the ears, or when he tips his cowboy hat to guests passing by, you see something money can't buy: a man who's found his place in the world and is grateful for every single day of it.
The Language of Second Chances
What draws you to Sawyer isn't his past. It's his present. The way he listens when Junior Vargas talks about faith, asking questions like a man who's never heard these truths before but recognizes them as something he's been searching for his whole life. The way he bows his head before meals now, this new habit that sits on him like a coat he's still growing into.
There's something in his green eyes that speaks to anyone who's ever wanted to start over. He looks at the world like a man who doesn't take good things for granted because he knows what it's like when they're gone. When he smiles—really smiles, not the polite one he gives to guests—it transforms his whole face, erasing years and worry lines and replacing them with the kind of joy that comes from unexpected grace.
His hands might be calloused, but they're gentle with everything that matters. Whether he's coaxing his old truck to life one more time or helping Cara Hollis arrange furniture in the guest casita, there's a carefulness in his touch that speaks to a heart that's learned the value of what's precious.
When Perfect Isn't the Point
Sawyer Fullerton isn't your typical romance hero. He doesn't own the ranch. He fixes things for the family that does. He doesn't have a trust fund or a college degree or a five-year plan. What he has is simpler and somehow more attractive: integrity that runs bone-deep, a work ethic that would put most men to shame, and the kind of quiet strength that makes you feel safe just being in the same room.
There's mystery in his story—questions he deflects with a smile, a past he doesn't talk about, a careful way he scans crowds like a man who's learned to watch for danger. But there's also hope. Hope in the way he's learning to pray, hope in the way he talks about tomorrow like it's something good, hope in the way he looks at Cara like she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, and he can't quite believe she's looking back.
The Power of Belonging
What happens when a man who's never truly belonged anywhere finds a family willing to call him their own? When someone who's made mistakes discovers grace that's bigger than his worst day? When a heart that's been guarded learns to risk loving again?
These are the questions that drive Sawyer's story in Falling for a Fake Cowboy, releasing October 14. His journey isn't about becoming someone different—it's about discovering who he's always been underneath the fear and learning to trust that it's enough.
Sawyer Fullerton proves that sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is show up for ordinary life with extraordinary faithfulness. Whether he's rebuilding a guest casita or rebuilding his own heart, he approaches each task with the same careful attention, the same hope that broken things can be made beautiful again.
Have you ever been drawn to someone not because of what they had, but because of how they treated what they'd been given? There's something powerful about a person who sees every good thing as a gift. I think that's part of what makes Sawyer's story so compelling.
I can't wait for you to meet him this October.
If Sawyer's story speaks to your heart, you can preorder Falling for a Fake Cowboy today and be among the first to experience his journey of redemption, love, and belonging.