Marrying the Mountain Man (Mountain Man Mail Order Bride)

Chapter One

MINDY

I used to think pitching million-dollar ad campaigns to stone-faced CEOs was nerve-racking. Turns out, nothing beats the emotional rollercoaster of driving into a remote Montana town with two squabbling eight-year-olds who’d decided they hated their soon-to-be father figure—before meeting him.

“Mom,” Connor declared from the back seat, “if this mountain guy is missing a tooth, I get to tell him we never asked for a one-tooth dad.”

Cody chimed in; his arms folded over his booster seat. “And if he keeps a raccoon as a pet, we’re done. I don’t do rabies.”

**

Suppressing a laugh behind a wave of nerves, I focused on the winding road ahead. “Enough with the wildlife phobia, guys. Let’s give Levi a chance.” My voice came out far breezier than I felt. I was trying to sell them on this new life the way I’d pitched countless ad strategies: with confidence and maybe a dash of overblown optimism.

That optimism had taken a small beating over the nine-hour drive. My back ached from the miles, my cheeks were numb from the drafty car heater, and the twins’ bickering had escalated into a constant stream of comments on everything that might be wrong with Levi Voss. But each time doubt crept in, I reminded myself of the sweet, heartfelt messages I’d received from him. He’d sounded so genuine about wanting us in his life—especially since I was a single mom looking for stability and he was a local bar owner who claimed he was ready for a family. Our DMs—lots of them—convinced me he was excited for an instant family.

Now, as we approached the main drag of Hope Peak, the snow-dusted storefronts glowed under a canopy of twilight. Old-fashioned lamps lined the sidewalks, casting a golden hue on the fresh powder. It was postcard pretty, so different from the city streets I’d left behind. My nerves fluttered again, half from the pressure of uprooting the kids for a near stranger, and half from the flicker of excitement that this might be the boldest, best decision I’d ever made.

Connor’s voice yanked me out of my thoughts as I slowed for a red traffic light up ahead. “Mom, look, there’s like…zero cars on the road. This place is smaller than my old school parking lot.”

In the rear-view mirror, I saw Cody press his nose to the window. “Where’s the huge buildings? Or I dunno…at least a movie theater?”

I sighed, trying not to let their cynicism eat me alive. “It’s a small town, guys. We discussed that. More trees, less traffic. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Both twins answered with a shared shrug that said it sounded anything but nice. My heart squeezed as the light changed to green and I accelerated through the empty intersection. Please, let them be wrong, I thought. Let Levi be everything he wrote in those messages. Because if he was, the twins would eventually come around, and we’d form the family I’d always wished for them. And for me.

Pulling up in front of Skyline Bar the bar crowd seemed enthralled. My heart sank. This was about the worst possible outcome. My big city confidence, so solid in corporate boardrooms, faltered under the weight of instant social humiliation.

“Levi,” I repeated, quieter, “you texted me. We met on the app, remember? Mountain Mates? You said you had a cabin; you sent me a key…” In a near-frenzied motion, I dug through my pocket, producing the small metal key for him to see. “I literally have a moving truck outside with all our stuff. You said you’d help unload it. You said…” My voice cracked. “You said you looked forward to meeting the boys. That you wanted us. Here. With you.”

Across from me, Levi’s gaze bounced from the key to my children, then back to my face. His shoulders tensed as though bracing for an avalanche. “A key to my place?” he echoed. “I…definitely didn’t send any key. I…” He suddenly stopped, cursing under his breath. “Oh my god. Tessa. My sister. She must’ve…” He pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead. “Fuck, this is insane.” His eyes landed again on the boys. “Oops, sorry.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “We’ve heard the F word before, mister. We’re eight, after all.

I stared at Levi, my throat tight. “So you’re telling me you never wrote me any messages?” My brain reeled at the thought of an entire conversation with a man who wasn’t actually him.

Levi exhaled a short, pained breath. “I run Skyline and handle supply runs. I barely have time to check email, let alone chat with someone about adopting kids.” His tone carried equal parts regret and frustration. “My sister’s been on some crusade to fix my single status. I guess she…took it too far.”

Hollow disbelief rippled through me. This had to be a bizarre prank. Yet the sincerity in his eyes said otherwise. “But you said…she typed…you were excited to be a father figure, that you wanted the pitter-patter of little feet in your life.” My lips trembled, bitterness coating each syllable. “I quit my job, Levi. I gave up my place in the city. We came here because I believed you.”

His jaw clenched, and for a moment I caught a flicker of sympathy softening the lines of his rugged features. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice low. “I had no clue Tessa was impersonating me on that app. But if you came all this way expecting…well, I definitely didn’t ask for…” He gestured to Connor and Cody, who were now squabbling in hushed tones about how weird this fiasco had become. “I’m not about to throw you in the street. Just…just let me think for a second.”

I swallowed the sting in my throat, glancing back at the table of curious patrons. “Could we maybe…talk outside? I don’t love having an audience for my meltdown.” Because that was exactly what this was: a meltdown in slow motion.

Levi nodded rapidly. “Yeah, sure, outside.” He half turned, addressing the bar. “Be right back, guys,” he called, in a tone that dared them to comment further. A few folks winked or raised drinks in a We’ll be waiting gesture. I could’ve died on the spot from embarrassment.

I herded the twins out the door, ignoring their continual commentary about “What a weird first impression.” The cold slapped my cheeks once more, and I shivered despite my puffy coat. Levi followed, a swirl of snow gusting around his boots. My gaze flicked to them—scuffed, well-worn leather, matching a pair of muscular legs that tapered into narrow hips and a broad chest. He was distractingly good-looking, even if he was basically a stranger.

He pulled his flannel tighter against the chill. For a split second, I noticed the lines of his biceps under that shirt. My stomach fluttered, cursedly aware that, had things gone right, I might’ve been leaping into those arms. Instead, I faced the raw truth that his sister’s manipulations had led us all here.

Cody pressed into my side, trying to avoid the wind. Connor toed a patch of ice, scowling. Levi looked at them with an unreadable expression—maybe guilt, maybe pity.

“Look,” he began softly. “I’m sorry Tessa did this. She’s been on a get Levi a wife mission since…well, for a while. I never thought she’d go as far as forging messages or mailing keys. If I had known, I’d have stopped her.”

“But you didn’t know,” I said flatly. “So…what happens now?” My chest felt like it might implode. We had a truck full of boxes, a driver I’d promised it would be a quick unload, and two kids who’d pinned their hopes on a man who apparently wanted none of it. “I can’t just magically get our old life back. Everything’s gone.”

Levi raked a hand through his sandy-brown hair. Even in the gloom of evening, I could see flecks of gold in it like I’d seen beneath the lights of the bar.

“I…I get that and I’m not a heartless jerk. At least let me help you find a place to stay tonight. We don’t have many hotels here, but maybe there’s a bed-and-breakfast…”

Connor let out a sarcastic grunt. “Oh, goodie, a B&B. Exactly what we wanted, right, Cody?”

Cody sniffed. “We were supposed to have our own rooms in a cabin…With a dad.”

Their words stabbed my heart, but they also flickered something protective in Levi’s gaze. He pressed his lips together. “I wasn’t prepared for visitors, but I do have a cabin—one bedroom plus a loft. It’s not fancy or child-proof, but it’s warm.” He paused, grimacing. “I can’t promise bunk beds or immediate fatherhood, but it’s a roof if you need one tonight.”

A wave of relief warred with my embarrassment. “You’d…let us stay with you, even though you never planned on us?”

He shrugged, color flushing his cheeks. “I’m not gonna toss a family out into the snow. I can talk to Tessa, figure out something more permanent. But for now, I guess the least I can do is honor her insane invitation.” His mouth quirked at the corner, like he was forcing a wry grin.

Connor narrowed his eyes. “You better not snore.”

Cody poked him. “Stop. Mom, are we seriously crashing at a random dude’s house? I mean, we just met him.”

Levi cleared his throat. “Anyway…your truck driver’s probably impatient. Let’s get them directions. There’s a narrow mountain road leading to my place, but I can guide them if we caravan.” He seemed uneasy, like he’d never guided unsuspecting families to his home before. Which, presumably, he hadn’t.

I mustered a shaky nod. “Thank you. I appreciate you helping, even though I see how messed-up this is.” Messed-up was mild compared to the swirl of betrayal I felt at Tessa. But I also couldn’t direct all my anger at Levi, who’d been equally blindsided.

Cody dug his boot into a snow pile. “So…no raccoons, right?”

Levi blinked. “I do not have a raccoon.”

Connor snorted. “Fine. Let’s just get it over with.”

I cast Levi an apologetic glance. “They’re…not usually this mouthy,” I lied, or at least partially lied. Stress had them in full meltdown mode. My entire brand pitch was teetering on meltdown mode too, so I couldn’t blame them.

“No problem,” Levi said, tone low but not unkind. “I guess we’ll figure it out together.” He hesitated, then murmured under his breath, “And I’ll kill Tessa for this,” as if tacking that on for emphasis.

Despite everything, a tiny spark of relief flickered in me. He might not have sent those messages, but at least he wasn’t a monster. And from the quick glimpses of those forearms and strong jaw, he was definitely easy on the eyes. My traitorous mind conjured how his arms might feel wrapping around my waist, if the circumstances were different. I swallowed that thought fast. Focus, Mindy. He’s basically a stranger doing damage control.

We circled back inside long enough for Levi to give the impatient truck driver coordinates. The bar’s patrons mostly stared, but Levi shot them all a glare that silenced the amusement. A middle-aged woman with a half-finished beer whispered something to her friend about mail-order family, and I tried to pretend I didn’t hear. The twins traded an eyeroll that made it clear they’d heard every word. My cheeks flamed again.

Finally, with the instructions settled, we trudged to the SUV. The truck driver followed. Levi said he’d lead in his own pickup, so I told Connor and Cody to buckle up while I started the engine.

The night air felt sharper now, the last vestiges of daylight gone. As I settled behind the wheel, I caught a glimpse of Levi heading to his pickup. His posture was tense, but he moved with a confident grace that made my insides flutter again. He’s so tall, I noted, a silly detail to cling to in the midst of crisis. Yet attraction slipped through my chaos-laden mind, stirring a fresh dose of adrenaline in my veins.

Cody poked my arm from the back seat. “Mom, you’re staring.”

I whipped around, flushing. “No, I’m…I was just making sure he’s ready.”

Connor snickered. “Riiiight.” They shared another look. Those two were unstoppable.

But maybe they had a point. I was staring at the way Levi’s shirt pulled across his broad shoulders. Even from here, I noticed how his flannel stretched when he lifted his arms, how his jeans hugged his thighs. The thought that this ridiculously handsome man never once typed those sweet lines to me was equal parts humiliating and weirdly disappointing. I almost wished he were an older, toothless, pet-raccoon guy—that would’ve made it easier to be mad. Instead, I found myself noticing every appealing detail about him, from the shape of his hands to the faint shadow of stubble on his cheeks.

I inhaled hard, forcing my eyes on the road. “All right, seatbelts on. Let’s follow him.”

We rolled behind Levi’s pickup, forging a slow path out of town. Snow flurries drifted past our headlights, giving me fleeting glimpses of the silent pine trees around us. The kids quieted down, probably fatigued from hours in the car plus the shock of our mismatched greeting. My own thoughts spun in loops. Part of me still stung from the betrayal that these last few weeks of messages were a hoax orchestrated by Levi’s sister. Another part recognized that Levi had no responsibility to us. He was being decent by letting us crash at his place.

Twenty minutes later, we stepped onto the porch of a small house located at the end of a heavily forested road. Levi unlocked the front door and gestured for me and the boys to follow him inside. The space was small but quaint: one open living area with a worn leather couch, a kitchenette to the left, and a short hallway presumably leading to a bathroom and a single bedroom. A sturdy set of stairs climbed to a loft overhead.

Connor and Cody halted, scanning the interior suspiciously. “No bunk beds,” Connor declared, shooting a pointed look at me. He said we’d have bunk beds, remember?

I swallowed. “We’ll adapt.” My chest pinched again. So many tiny illusions undone. I forced a small laugh. “It’s cozy, though, right?”

Levi flicked on a second lamp, revealing more details. A battered coffee table, a braided rug that had seen better days, and an old photo or two on the walls. No actual dead animals except a single set of antlers mounted above the stone fireplace. Connor wandered over, poking it. “This better not come alive at night,” he muttered.

Levi observed the twins with a mixture of uncertainty and faint amusement. “It won’t,” he assured them. Then his focus shifted to me, his expression tilting toward sympathy. “You must be tired. Let me help bring your things inside. Unpacking can wait until tomorrow.”

It was true—I basically wanted to sink into the couch and cry from exhaustion. Instead, I nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.” My voice wavered. “Sorry this is…well…” I almost said “so humiliating,” but I opted for a calmer approach. “I know it’s not your fault.”

He opened his mouth as though to respond, then halted at a noise behind us. The truck driver poked his head in. “Ma’am, where do you want your stuff? And do you mind signing the form soon?”

We busied ourselves hauling in the few boxes and bags we’d brought from Chicago, having sold or donated the rest since Levi—er, Tessa—had assured us there was no need to double up on furniture. I located the suitcase containing the boys’ pajamas, some toiletries, and my prized laptop for tomorrow’s remote ad meeting. Even in my chaotic meltdown, I had work to do.

After we finished piling in our belongings, I scrawled my signature on the moving form and the driver lumbered back to the empty truck.

The twins hovered near the couch. Cody discovered a small, crocheted blanket and wrapped himself in it, squinting at Levi with uncertain curiosity. Connor flopped down dramatically. I took a slow breath, letting the warmth from the nearby radiator soothe my trembling nerves.

Levi shut the door against the swirling snow, turning to me with a cautious expression. “Sorry there’s just one real bed. The loft’s sofa bed is decently comfortable. Whichever you prefer, just let me know. I can…I can crash wherever.”

I rubbed my forehead, the realization of sharing tight quarters with him all too real. “I appreciate it. The twins might take the couch if it’s big enough, or I might. We’ll figure out the arrangement.”

His gaze flicked to the boys, then back to me. “I can also throw something together for dinner if you’re hungry. Or if you want to call it a night, that’s okay too.”

Connor’s stomach growled right on cue. Cody brightened. “Got any pizza?”

Levi chuckled low in his throat, the sound unexpectedly warm. My pulse jumped. “I have frozen pizza, yeah. It might be pepperoni if that’s okay?”

I forced a smile. “Pepperoni is good. Thanks, Levi.” My voice sounded calmer than I felt. The entire day’s chaos buzzed through my skull like a broken neon sign: Fake father figure, real confusion. Yet I couldn’t deny how my heart thumped whenever Levi’s honey-brown eyes slid my way.

He moved to the kitchenette, rummaging in a small freezer. I took the moment to glance around more thoroughly. The cabin might’ve been small, but it had potential—log walls, a stone fireplace, and well-made furniture. If only the path to living here had been a little more, well, real.

Levi set the frozen pizza on the counter. “This’ll take about twenty minutes. Then we can all chat or… rest.” He paused, as if unsure how we’d want to handle the next phase of our unplanned cohabitation.

I mustered what I hoped was a gracious expression. “We appreciate it. Really. I know you’re blindsided, too.”

He nodded, lips tightening. “I’ll call Tessa as soon as possible. Maybe she can fix some of this. Or at least explain how she thought this was a good idea.”

At the mention of Tessa, a pang of betrayal surfaced. I hadn’t met the woman, but she’d effectively turned my entire life upside down. The kids had pinned their hopes on a father figure, and I’d pinned mine on a stable home in the mountains. Now it was a messy improvisation scene that threatened to undermine everything.

Yet… as I glanced at Levi’s profile—strong nose, trimmed beard along that firm jaw, a determined set to his brow—I couldn’t ignore a spark of something beyond frustration. He was undeniably attractive, in a rugged, no-nonsense way that made me wonder if Tessa’s meddling might actually align with some cosmic sense of humor. Perhaps, beneath the inconvenience, there was a faint shimmer of possibility. Or maybe you’re just delirious from the cold and embarrassment, I scolded myself.

Connor suddenly blurted from the couch, “You guys are super quiet. This is so weird. Can we watch TV or something while we wait for pizza?”

Levi blinked like he’d momentarily forgotten the twins existed. “Uh, sure.” He turned back to me. “Is that okay with you?”

I spread my hands in a why not? gesture. “Go for it, guys. Just keep the volume reasonable.”

I settled onto the couch, the twins crowding on either side of me. Levi moved quietly around the kitchen, preparing that pepperoni pizza with steady hands. My eyes drifted over him once more—those shoulders, that broad back, the occasional flex of muscle. My dread still lingered, but a wisp of humor and reluctant comfort took its place, weaving through the tension like a subtle thread. Maybe, in the end, we’d find our new beginning here after all.