Loving The Mountain Man (Mountain Man Mail Order Bride #15)

Chapter 1

I wanted to be left alone.

Why was that so hard to ask for?

But my friends?

They couldn’t do that.

Sure, it was my birthday, but I still wanted to be alone.

I was forty-two, still looking for love, still hoping someone out there would want an old hag like me.

But so far, no luck.

So, for today, I wanted to be in my sad little apartment, but they couldn’t do that.

They all barged in, drinks, food, and cupcakes in hand.

Did I mention that cakes and donuts were my weakness and it showed? Because at my age, I had curves and rolls, and lots of them. And it wasn’t like I was getting rid of them anytime soon.

“Come on, Janelle. It’s your birthday, be happy.”

“I am, Chris,” I told her, hugging her. “Just kind of wanted to be alone.”

“No, you wanted to sulk, and those are two different things.” She glanced around at our friends and then took my hand, leading me outside. “I wanted to run something by you.”

“What’s that?” I asked her, worried because it was obvious she couldn’t say it in front of the others.

“Have you thought about a dating app?”

“A what? No, no thank you. I won’t do that.”

“Really, think about it? You find someone that likes you for you and you can fall in love and get away from this place. How is that bad?”

“How do you even know that guys would like this?” I asked, waving my hand over myself.

She ducked her head and gave me a sheepish look. “Christina, what did you do?”

“I signed you up, Janelle. It’s a site called Mountain Mates. And you got pinged, a lot.”

I frowned, not sure what to think about that. My privacy was certainly taken advantage of, but I couldn’t deny that someone liking me had me feeling a lot better.

And it was a mountain thing; it wasn’t like they were close. If I didn’t want to meet them, I didn’t have to, right?

So, where in all of this was the problem?

“Let me see it,” I finally told her, holding out my hand for her phone.

“Great. It’s easy to log in so you can change it. I just wanted to start it for you.”

She pulled up the app and handed me the phone.

I browsed through the guys who had commented on my phone, which I was glad to see was a real one that she had taken of me, not some filtered piece that didn’t show the real me at all.

“All these guys want to talk to me? To get to know me?”

She looked over my shoulder and then nodded. “They do. Are you going to message any of them?”

I twisted my lip, looking over the list again and then shrugged. I had no clue what to even say to anyone.

“What do I say?”

“Just say hi, Janelle. It’s not complicated, so don’t over think it.”

“Right, I can do this.” I responded back to a few people, already seeing some that wouldn’t hold my interest for long.

I sat down on the patio furniture, hearing the sliding glass door close and then scrolled through, looking at some pictures and names, and then stopping on one that lived about nine hours north of me.

“Oh, you have photos of the area,” I muttered, clicking on some photos, my breath catching at the beauty that he claimed was his front porch. “Yeah, I could sip my coffee out there and just daydream for hours on end.”

I jumped as the phone pinged and a notification popped up, showing a new message. I clicked on it, seeing that it was the guy that had the view and I gasped.

Happy Birthday, beautiful.

Thank you.

I’m Christian.

I tapped on his profile picture, my heart doing double time as I took in his strong arms which I had no doubt could carry my weight and hold me up like I needed to be.

Nice to meet you, I’m Janelle. What’s a man like you doing on Mountain Mates?

I’m looking for a bride to fill my lonely cabin and my lonely heart.

“I’m totally fine being alone, Mason, get off the subject already.”

“Don’t lie, Christian. You’re still young and you have that huge cabin to yourself.”

“Do you have a point?” I asked, getting more annoyed the longer I stayed talking to him.

“Just try it.”

I frowned as he handed me his phone, seeing the app open, and I slowly shook my head. I didn’t need to be on a dating app.

Sure, the hook ups were getting old, but a dating app? Wasn’t there a decent female around these parts that he could find.

“Hey, Christian, are you wanting some company?” someone asked. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Susan walk over and I frowned.

Okay, maybe there just wasn’t any hope for that here. I turned my attention back to Mason who was taking a sip of his beer. With his free hand, he pushed his phone forward and I took it, looking at it again. With a defeated sigh, I took my own phone, downloading the app as well.

What could it hurt?

I’d give it a try and let him know how much it sucked and that finding anyone real and wanting to move out here would never happen.

I made a profile, adding a selfie I had taken a few days back and then adding some of my cabin and the woods surrounding it, then explaining how tired I was of one-night stands and wanting someone real and warm to hold onto at night.

With that, giving my friend a scowl, I shoved his phone in my pocket. I wasn’t ready to start browsing over the ladies, and I sure didn’t want to do it in the company of my friend, because I knew I would never hear the end of it.

At least this way, when I was home, and it failed, I could be honest. But if Mason saw me looking, it would never be lived down. And I couldn’t deal with that.

Two days later, I sat on the porch of my cabin, staring at the sunset, smiling at the serene feeling that washed over me and for the umpteenth time, I wished I had someone to share it with. I glanced at my phone, staring back at me, almost mocking me.

With a sigh, I picked it up and opened the app, thinking that it wouldn’t work and anyone that I would even talk to would be crazy.

I swiped through a few pictures, landing on a female named Janelle. She was gorgeous, with a smile that would knock someone over sideways and big, brown eyes that looked like melted honey. I tapped on her profile, liked it, and then saw it was her birthday.

I twisted my lip for just a moment before taking a chance.

Happy Birthday, beautiful.

I hit send before I could think twice and was just about ready to move on, really believing that she wouldn’t respond. I was fully surprised when my phone pinged with a notice.

Thank you.

I’m Christian.

Once more, I quickly responded, not thinking. Instead, just letting my feelings handle the lead on this one for once.

Nice to meet you, I’m Janelle. What’s a man like you doing on Mountain Mates?

Now, that was a loaded question, but I sure couldn’t tell her that.

So, I really thought about it because there was something, as crazy as it sounded, that felt nice and real about this woman.

I didn’t want to lie but I didn’t want to scare her.

I did the only thing I could think of; I told the truth.

I’m looking for a bride to fill my lonely cabin and my lonely heart.

You live alone in that beautiful cabin?

I do. I was just watching the sunset, thinking I wanted someone here.

I quickly took a picture, trying my best to capture the feeling and sent it to her.

Wow, that’s breathtaking. And peaceful.

I was about to respond when a picture came in from her.

My view…and I didn’t want people here.

A birthday alone, Janelle, is never any fun. Besides, someone as beautiful as you should be spending it out with lots of people.

Eh, I’m not a hermit, but I am a homebody.

I smiled at that, having to agree.

Can I be honest, Christian?

[’d like that.

I think I much rather spend my birthday on your porch taking in that view with you, than be here.