one
Josie
"His name is Brewer.He lives on the south side of the mountain, by River Tail Road." I listen to my boss, Aspen, explain how to get to the poor guy's cabin, where I need to tell him that his mail-order bride is now a runaway mail-order bride.
I trace my finger over the picture Aspen gave me of him. He's not at all what I expected, with his shoulder-length dirty-blond hair and hazel-green eyes. He looks more like Tarzan than a mountain man.
Maybe that's how I should break the news to him— "You, Brewer, me, Josie. Your bride ran away."
A nervous giggle escapes my lips as I imagine the conversation making Aspen stop talking. "Are you sure you're up to this, Josie?" Aspen raises an eyebrow. "I know it's a lot for your first day. I’ve already bombarded you with a lot of information. Besides it’s getting late and I heard we might have a rain storm tonight.”
Crap, my daydreaming might cost me my new job. "Yes." I clear my throat, reluctantly removing my finger from his picture. "I think it's better for me to tell him in person rather than on the phone," I say, hoping I sound professional. “It’s better to tell him today then to put it off any longer.” Honestly how bad can a little rain be?
She eyes me closely as I try not to squirm under her intense gaze. "You're right," she sighs. "It's best if someone tells Brewer in person."
That’s one of the things I like about Aspen—she treats her employees with respect and listens to their ideas. Kiki is Aspen’s other employee, who recently talked Aspen into hosting a speed-dating event at the winery in a couple of weeks. It’s the next logical step for Aspen’s ever-growing company.
Whatever is in the water in Temptation Ridge has women from all over the country vacationing here to find themselves a mountain man or lumberjack of their own, thanks to Aspen’s sister-in-law and resident influencer, Rue. The town's revenue tripled almost overnight. It’s one of the reasons I moved to Temptation Ridge, along with the hope of finding a mountain man of my own. Rumor has it that the lumberjacks and mountain men who live here love women with curves, and I have more than enough to go around.
“Should I stop by the bakery and pick up something sweet to help ease the shock of losing his bride?” I wonder if they have a custom cookie for something like this—maybe a heart-shaped cookie with “I don’t” written in the middle. I bite the inside of my cheek to suppress a giggle. It really isn’t professional of me to make light of Brewer’s pain. The thought sobers me quickly. “Sorry, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Actually,” Aspen taps her index finger against her chin. “The bakery makes the best unicorn-decorated sugar cookies—the whole town loves them. Giving Brewer a couple might ease the sting of heartache.”
“Unicorn cookies, it is.” In my haste to get to the bakery before they sell out of the famous unicorn cookies, I grab the packet of paperwork Brewer needs to sign, dissolving the temporary mail-order bride contract and including a new contract at adiscounted rate if he wants to continue with Aspen’s company to search for a bride for him. “Wish me luck.” I dash out of the office and down the hallway to the door connecting the dating agency, the bakery, the bridal shop, and the flower shop. It’s the perfect setup for everything you need to get married, all in one place. Too bad Brewer isn’t going to need any of it.
two
Brewer
"Hey, Brewer, it's Aspenfrom Forever Yours," Aspen says when I answer the phone. "I have some bad news. The mail-order bride you were matched with actually ran away. We haven't been able to locate her since the first correspondence after you two were matched."
A wave of relief washes over me. I only signed up for the mail-order bride program because I was feeling a little lonely one night a few weeks ago. It was an impulse decision. When daylight hit, it seemed like a very bad idea. But I was too far in to back out.
My plan was to let the mail-order bride down gently if and when she arrived. Don't get me wrong. From her picture, she's a real beauty, but I'm just not attracted to her. Having her run away is a blessing in disguise.
"It's no big deal." I shrug, trying to sound casual, not wanting Aspen to feel bad about the situation.
"Thanks for being so understanding, Brewer." Relief is clear in her voice. "But there's one more thing." She pauses. "I have a new employee who started today. Her first assignment is to break the news to you in person. I wasn't sure how you would take it, so I wanted to give you a heads-up."
"Understandable." I think of the poor young woman who has to tell me that my mail-order bride ran away and decide to let her practice breaking bad news on me. What else do I have to do today?
There’s enough wood chopped to supply the whole town next winter—I should probably start selling some of it or at least give it away. I’ve already cleaned the cabin, washed my clothes, and pulled the weeds from my garden—there isn’t anything else pressing to do today. Helping Aspen’s new employee would at least pass the time. When I stop moving, the memories come flooding back—memories best forgotten.
“You’re a lifesaver, Brewer. Her name is Josie. She’s twenty-two, just finished college, and moved to Temptation Ridge last week. She should be there any minute.” As if on cue, a loud, firm knock comes from the other side of my front door.
“I think she’s here. I’d better let you go.” We say our goodbyes. I end the call, toss my phone onto the coffee table, and head for the door. “Can I help you?” The words stick in my throat, making me sound like I’m chewing on a wet sponge as I open the door and get my first look at Josie. The sight in front of me takes my breath away.
Josie has dark brown hair that falls in waves down her back, making my hands itch to bury themselves in it. Her aquamarine blue eyes blink up at me as her plump lips part in surprise. I don’t want to be disrespectful and drop my gaze any lower, but I can’t stop myself from letting it drop, taking in the swell of her large breasts as they push against the fabric of her white button-down dress shirt, until it lands on the indent of her waist that flares out to her curvy hips, encased in a tight black knee-length skirt. I swallow hard, snapping my gaze back to her beautiful face.
“Hi. I’m here.” She pauses, her eyes locked on mine. “I’m here because...” She starts again. “I’m your mail-order bride.” BeforeI can react to her lie, she launches herself into my arms. On instinct, I grab her hips to steady her as she wraps her arms around my neck and presses her lips to mine.
This is the reaction I expected from my original mail-order bride. When I didn’t get it from her picture, I wasn’t sure I would ever feel this way about anyone. But now that my little liar has thrown herself into my arms, I’m never letting her go.
“Mine.” I moan against her mouth, running my tongue along her lips until she parts for me. My hand glides behind her head, cupping the back of her neck to draw her closer.
She’s all mine.
three
