Page 2 of The Mountain Man’s Curvy Obsession (Mountain Man Sanctuary #15)
Chapter two
No, this isn’t normal. Signing up for a mail-order bride service—with a company called Blind Date for Life—is the last thing any man with a lick of sense would do. I scrub a hand over my jaw as I stare out the cabin’s bedroom window, her bedroom window.
“What the hell was I thinking?”
My grandmother’s face flashes in my mind, clear as the day she cornered me.
Her frail hand, all bones and soft wrinkles, clamped onto mine.
She had a stubborn, cute, mischievous glint in her faded blue eyes.
She was very sick at that stage around this time last year.
Her voice was raspy when she told me she didn’t want to meet her maker until one of her grandsons was married, or close to it.
It was impossible for me to say no to her.
Gran was an expert at playing me and laying it on thick.
“You’re the most handsome, the most settled, the most reasonable of the bunch,” she explained with a smile that made her look twenty years younger.
I was aware she was giving me a load of bull—I’m no better than my brothers, but I ate up her compliments.
Before I knew it, I was eating my favorite chocolate chip cookies, warm from the oven, and agreeing to give a mail-order bride service a try.
Do I regret it? The short answer is no. She died two months later.
I made her happy. It was the least I could do for her.
She helped Mom after Dad hightailed it out of here and left her to raise six boys on her own.
But I admit, this new living situation is going to take getting used to, and today is D-Day.
I pace to the closet, find the comforter and lay it on the bed.
My temporary bride—some stranger the service picked based on questionnaires and algorithms—will be here any minute.
Thirty days. That’s the deal I made with Gran.
I’ll play house to prove I gave it a shot, and then, adios, off she goes. I can survive anything for a month.
My hand finds the back of my neck, rubbing at the tension knotted there, and I glance at the clock on the nightstand.
I just hope she’s quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn’t stir up trouble or try to rearrange my world.
I cross my arms and lean against the window frame.
Ugly, too , I think, half-serious, half-praying.
The last thing I need is some city girl with big eyes and a smile tempting me to ruin my life.
I’ve got my land, my work, my solitude. No woman’s worth throwing that away, no matter what Gran thought.
A knock snaps me out of my thoughts. My stomach lurches, and I straighten. My boots thud against the pine floors as I march down the hall.
Here we go.
I swing open the front door and catch my breath. “Is this a joke?”
Evangeline Hart, a ghost from my past, brings her hands to her mouth and gasps. “Are you kidding me?” She steps back.
I wipe my eyes, hoping this is a nightmare and I’m sleepwalking.
But Eva is still there. Here. Standing at my door, in front of me, in the flesh, with that gorgeous face, those mysterious, beautiful grey eyes, and that outrageously curvy body.
Trouble. I learned the hard way with her.
She’s not worth the hassle, but my dick obviously missed the memo.
It’s pressing against my zipper, like it has some kind of muscle memory, and wants to say, hi.
“I didn’t sign up for this.” I bark. “No way.” I turn to shut the door, but she tugs at the back of my shirt.
“And you think I did?” She snaps. “You think I would actually agree to marry one of the worst mistakes of my life? There’s obviously been a major screw up.”
I take a deep breath and decide to give her another two seconds. “I thought you were in Houston with your cousin.”
“I was for a while, and then I met someone and moved to Missouri because his family was there, and we … well I …” She shrugs. “Super long, boring story, but it didn’t work out.”
“So you signed up to be a mail-order bride?” I ask, raising my voice incredulously. Jesus, I feel dizzy.
“Who are you to say anything? You obviously wanted this too. You signed on the dotted line, or I wouldn’t be here.” She snorts, and glances over her shoulder. “Are you going to let me in, or do you intend to keep Steve waiting in the driveway forever?”
Steve? I step outside to check if she’s hallucinating. I wouldn’t put it past her, but yes. There actually is a pickup truck parked in front of my house. I move back into my position at the door, blocking her entrance, with my jaw twitching and look her in the eye.
“I personally do not care what happens to you or Steve. I suggest you get into that dirty truck of his, get off my mountain and drive back to wherever you came from.”
Good. I sounded calm and reasonable and I can see my suggestion is registering in that brain of hers. “Bye-bye now.” I shoo her away with my hands. “Go on now. Have a nice life. Be on your way.”
“But I can’t!” She shrieks. “Don’t you get it?
I have nowhere to go! What does it take to penetrate that thick head of yours?
I hired Steve to pick me up at the train station.
” Her expression softens, and she gives me one of her most charming smiles.
She was always good at smiling. So annoying.
“I guess I could’ve called you,” she says in a sexy, flirty voice.
“If I’d known you were available and in the market for a bride, maybe I would have.
” She teases. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“Do not attempt to make light of this situation.” I growl. “What we have here is an absolute disaster. There is no way in hell I’m letting you in my house.”
“Good grief.” She throws her head back dramatically. “You’ve always been such a grump. A full-out stubborn, capital G.R.U.M.P. and I see time hasn’t changed you one bit.” She turns and cups her hands around her mouth. “It’s okay, Steve,” she shouts. “Could you please bring my suitcases?”
I inhale through my nose, trying to contain my composure listening to Steve bang around on the bed of his truck with her luggage, I presume. I scowl at Eva and lock on. She breaks the stare first and slumps her shoulders.
“Please?” She bats her eyes at me. “Please, can I stay just for tonight? I’m seriously in a bind.”
“Hey guys,” Steve approaches us with two enormous suitcases, awkwardly appraising both of us. “Uh, sorry to interrupt.” He bites his lip with raised brows coming to the realization he just walked into a hornet’s nest. “Here you go.” He places two enormous suitcases on the porch with a thud.
“Thank you, Steve. You’re the best,” Eva says, with a soft smile.
“I appreciate the business. You’re already paid up, so unless there’s anything else, I’ll be on my way.’
“No, that’s all for now.” Eva sighs deeply and glances at me before saying, “But I might need to call you again soon for a lift back to the station.”
Steve shifts, having the nerve to eye me suspiciously. “Are you good here?” he asks Eva. “I don’t want to leave you in a bad situation or with anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable.”
I straighten to my full height of six four to give old Stevie boy a clue of what he’s dealing with if he’s in the mood to start trouble. “She’s fine. We know each other very well.”
“Slade’s right, Steve.” Eva shrugs. “He’s just a big grouch, my annoying ex, but I’m okay.”