Chapter 2
2
ISAAC
D aphne was even more beautiful than her pictures. And that was saying a lot.
Her curves hadn’t quite come through online, and that had been the one thing I’d been hesitant about. I liked my women to look like women. Big boobs, rounded hips, an ass I could grab on to…
But one look at her walking toward my vehicle, and I knew I’d be fighting an erection every second I spent with her until I could do something about it. I couldn’t wait to do something about it. But first, we needed to get to know each other more than we’d gotten to know each other over the course of hundreds of emails and one long-ago half-hour phone call.
By the time we passed the “Welcome to Seduction Summit” sign, I already knew more about her than I did any woman I’d ever dated. Well, that was combined with what I’d already learned over the past six weeks.
She was the oldest daughter of a divorced couple. Both parents had remarried, and she and her sister had spent most of their childhood shuffling between the two homes. She was also a nurse, and she was looking into getting licensed in this state. But she’d resigned from her position a couple of weeks ago. At least that was the plan. She hadn’t really said much about it when I asked her how it went.
“I talked to my buddy, Chaz,” I said. “He agreed with me that this would be the perfect place for an old folks’ home.”
I saw her wince and glanced over at her. She’d been taking in the passing scenery, although there wasn’t much to see beyond this point. Just the shopping center that was under construction and a sign pointing passersby to the downtown area where the courthouse and some offices were. Past this was the occasional shop and restaurant, along with some cabins along the main road. Eventually, we’d reach the ski lodge. My place was a few miles up the mountain from there.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, backtracking through my words. “You cringed.”
Maybe I’d imagined it. Maybe her face was in response to what she was seeing all around her. Was she disappointed? I’d never been to Philadelphia, but it was a decent-sized city. I’d assume it looked nothing like this.
But for me, that was exactly where I wanted to live. The beauty of Seduction Summit was that every square inch of land wasn’t sold off for a fast-food restaurant, bank, or apartment complex. But give it time. The way this town was going, I’d be surprised if eventually we didn’t have at least some of that.
“We don’t really use the term old folks’ home,” she said. “I guess it’s been drilled into me. Sorry, it was a reflex.”
“What do you call it?” I asked.
“Senior living community, assisted living, memory care… And we refer to our residents as older adults, not seniors. It’s just about erasing stigmas that come with those types of facilities.”
“Ahh,” I said. “Noted.”
I had a lot to learn about Daphne’s occupation. I had the rest of my life to learn it, though.
“It’s kind of like lumberjacks, right?” she asked. “You prefer the term loggers?”
I shrugged. “You can call us lumberjacks. We don’t really walk around with axes, chopping down trees, though. We use equipment for a lot of it. That’s why the name for it has changed. But I’ve definitely chopped down plenty of trees with axes, and I love a good flannel shirt when the weather’s cold.”
“Red and black checkered?” she asked with a smile. “Isn’t that lumberjack plaid?”
“I don’t have any that are that color,” I said. “But the boss man is looking into getting us sweatshirts with our company logo on them.”
My voice was loaded with dread as I said those words. I’d chosen Seduction Summit because the pay was good, and the work was plentiful on top of that. A couple of my best buddies from the base had moved here, and there were plenty more where they came from. But I’d spent so much time in uniform, I was kind of enjoying my freedom to wear what I wanted.
“Not too many women in this town, I’m taking it,” Daphne said.
“There’s a ski lodge up ahead.” I gestured toward the road in front of us. “We’ll pass it in a few minutes. But, aside from that, there aren’t very many jobs to bring women here.”
“Women can be lumberjacks too,” she said.
“Sure.” I nodded. “Do you know any who want to?”
I glanced over at her. Her smile widened even further.
“No,” she said. “I do have a friend who’s interested in becoming a police officer. Any room for those in your town?”
I shook my head. “No police department. Not even a sheriff. They all come from next door—a town called Adairsville.”
“What if somebody has an emergency or a kitchen fire gets out of control?” she asked. “Ambulances and fire engines can get there, right?”
I heard a hint of panic in her voice. I was surprised by the strong urge to protect her. It sent adrenaline pumping through my veins.
That shouldn’t have been all that surprising. She was my fiancée, after all. Even though I’d only officially just met her, protecting her was my role.
But this wasn’t about some promise I’d made through a dating app. No, this was more primal than that. From the second I’d seen her, I decided she was mine. But not in some caveman-style, old-fashioned way.
Whether we’d promised to marry each other or not, after meeting Daphne in person, I was sure of it. There was no other woman for me. I’d never met anyone who brought this feeling out in me, and it was terrifying and exciting all at the same time.
Yes, this was why none of my other relationships had ever worked out. Daphne was the woman I’d always longed for. The woman I’d been searching for all my life. I just had to make sure nothing happened that got in the way of us being together for the rest of our lives.