Page 6 of Axe-Rated Lumberjack

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By the time Bridget called again, I’d returned to the cottage, finished another set of pickups, and eaten a bowl of soup while staring suspiciously at my phone.

Her name appeared on the screen shortly after two.

“Oliver found him,” she announced when I answered. “His name is Hudson Hewitt. He’s the foreman at Crosscut Logging.”

Hudson Hewitt.

Even his name sounded like it belonged on the cover of a romance novel.

“Did he agree to talk to you?”

“Oliver spoke with him directly. He explained the recording, identified you, and told him why we’d contacted him.”

I pressed my lips together.

“And?”

“Well, Mr. Hewitt wasn’t particularly pleased about being recorded without his knowledge.”

“I can’t blame him.”

“Neither can I. Oliver apologized on the company’s behalf, although he made it clear the recording wasn’t authorized by Folio. Then he explained the job and what we’d be prepared to pay for an emergency booking.”

I waited.

“Apparently, the money got his attention.”

“How much money?”

“Enough that Oliver’s had to get special approval for the rush fee. He’d be giving up most of his weekend on almost no notice.”

That was perfectly reasonable, although I was a little alarmed by how quickly our budget crisis had apparently transformed into an expensive lumberjack emergency.

“Does he understand the book is explicit?” I asked.

“Oliver sent him the content information. The last thing we need is another man quitting when he discovers the dragon has a sex life.”

I laughed, then sobered.

“Please tell me we’re not hiring him without an audition.”

“Of course not. Oliver’s arranging a paid suitability test before any narration agreement, and Hudson hasn’t committed to the job.”

That was a relief.

A gorgeous speaking voice didn’t automatically make someone a good narrator. He’d still need to follow direction, control his breathing, respond to the emotional content of a scene, and manage the technical demands of recording.

Those were skills I could help him develop, assuming he possessed enough natural ability to begin with.

“There’s one more thing,” Bridget added. “Oliver thinks it would help if you met Hudson before the audition. He’s agreed to a short introduction this afternoon, provided you apologize in person.”

My stomach dropped.

“In person?”

“Yes, Peyton. The traditional method of meeting someone whose voice you’ve secretly captured.”