Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Grady Stevens doesn’t need love. He needs a partner. A practical, no-nonsense wife to keep his rugged life in order and care for his aging black sheepdog while he spends his days deep in the forest, working as a brooding, solitary lumberjack. Inspired by his best friend’s successful mail-order bride story, Grady places an ad for his own bride. But what he gets is not what he expected.
Sarah Gerard is everything Grady didn’t ask for—and everything he secretly needs. A curvy, sunshiney schoolteacher with a past that’s left her bruised and wary, Sarah is seeking a fresh start far from the betrayal of her fat-shaming ex-boyfriend and toxic workplace. She’s ready to take on the wilderness, but she never expected her grumpy, older husband to be so…irresistible.
With a lazy, lovable dog at their feet, Sarah and Grady will have to decide if the life they’ve built together is worth fighting for, even as their pasts threaten to tear them apart.
The Lumberjack’s Bride is a fun romp with a grumpy, ex-military, mountain man loner and his younger, sweet and curvy bride. The Mountain Man’s Mail Order Bride series features rugged men, unexpected brides, and love as wild as the mountain winds that whip around Devil’s Peak.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
Grady
Bear’s paws click against the linoleum floor as we leave the vet’s office. He’s slower these days, his once-sleek black coat showing streaks of gray. I grip the bag of prescriptions in one hand and his leash in the other, my chest tightening as he stops to sniff a patch of grass just outside the door.
“C’mon, Bear,” I mutter. He looks up at me with those soulful eyes, and damn if it doesn’t feel like he understands every word I’m saying. “We’ve got a long day ahead.”
The vet’s words echo in my mind. A calmer routine will be good for him, Grady. Hell, Bear and I have spent years trekking through the woods, felling trees, and hauling logs. Asking him to slow down feels like cutting off his lifeline—and mine, too.
The bag rustles in my hand as I shove it into the truck’s glove box and then lift Bear into the truck. His movements are careful, calculated. Watching him hurts more than I’ll ever admit out loud. It’s been just the two of us since I came back to Devil’s Peak after my last deployment.
Lately, though, I’ve been thinking. Maybe it’s time for a change—for both of us.
The idea planted itself when Quinn, my sister, showed up on the mountain a few months ago to research the constellations around Devil’s Peak, and then answered a mail-order bride ad as part of a prank pulled by Ridge’s brother, Zane. I guess she couldn’t stand to stay with me and ole Bear more than a few weeks before being a mail-order bride sounded like a better deal–Ridge didn’t know Zane had taken out the ad on his behalf–not until my sister showed up on his doorstep with her suitcase and a smile. That woman has turned his world upside down since then, and now Ridge is happier than I’ve ever seen him. It’s been gnawing at me ever since. I can’t say I want what Ridge has exactly, but the thought of coming home to a quiet, steady presence—not a firecracker like my sister Quinn—doesn’t sound half bad.
I drive the few blocks to The Devil’s Brew, the local brewery, where Ridge and the rest of the guys are already waiting. The brewery’s neon sign buzzes faintly in the twilight, the scent of sawdust and hops wafting out when I push open the door. Ridge and Slate Warner, Liam, and Fox are at a booth, beers already in hand.
“Well, if it isn’t Grady Stevens,” Ridge drawls, his grin wide and wicked. “Finally decided to grace us with your presence.”
I grumble under my breath, sliding into the booth beside Liam. “Had to take Bear to the vet.”
“How’s the old boy?” Slate asks, his easy smile dimming just a touch.
“Slowing down,” I admit. “Got him on new meds, though.”
Liam raises his beer. “To Bear. The only soul who can stand this grouchy bastard.”
Fox chuckles. “Amen to that.”
I grunt, grabbing the beer Ridge slides across the table. The teasing is familiar, comfortable. These guys have been my family for years now, through deployments, losses, and more goodbyes than I care to count.
“You hear about the new teacher at the elementary school? Emma was talking about it last night–something about a city girl from Denver getting canned from her last teaching job for some rumor about–”
“Didn’t come here for the gossip,” Liam interrupts, then pulls on his IPA. Fox chuckles and nods in agreement.
“So, Grady,” Ridge starts, his tone far too casual. “You ever hear back from that ad you placed in Mountain Living Magazine?”
The beer freezes halfway to my mouth. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Liam snorts. “Don’t play dumb, Grady. We all know about the ‘practical wife’ ad. ‘Hardworking, no-nonsense, and okay with living in the woods.’ Real romantic.”
I set my beer down with more force than necessary. “It’s practical. Not everything has to be about romance.”
“Yeah, sure,” Ridge says, his grin widening. “Except the part where you’re hoping she’ll fall in love with you over chopping firewood and feeding Bear.”
“She’s not falling in love with anyone,” I snap. “It’s not that kind of arrangement.”
Slate raises an eyebrow. “So you’re just gonna bring some poor woman out here, plop her in your cabin, and expect her to be happy without so much as a damn spark?”
“Exactly.” My tone leaves no room for argument.
Ridge whistles low. “You really are a cold-hearted bastard.” His eyes brim with amusement as he says the next part: “Hey, you got no judgement from me. The day Quinn showed up on my doorstep changed my life–she’s made me the happiest man on this damn mountain. We both want the same for you, bro.”
“Whatever,” I mutter, draining my beer. “Not all of us are looking for a fairy tale.”
The guys exchange looks but let it drop. I glance at my watch, eager to leave before they can dig deeper. I’ve got a meeting tomorrow with whoever answered the ad. No need to have them ruin that, too.