The Mountain Man's Runaway Mail Order Bride (Mountain Man Sanctuary Season 2 #10)
1. Josie
one
Josie
"His name is Brewer. He lives on the south side of the mountain, by River Tail Road." I listen to my boss, Aspen, explain how to get to the poor guy's cabin, where I need to tell him that his mail-order bride is now a runaway mail-order bride.
I trace my finger over the picture Aspen gave me of him. He's not at all what I expected, with his shoulder-length dirty-blond hair and hazel-green eyes. He looks more like Tarzan than a mountain man.
Maybe that's how I should break the news to him— "You, Brewer, me, Josie. Your bride ran away."
A nervous giggle escapes my lips as I imagine the conversation making Aspen stop talking.
"Are you sure you're up to this, Josie?" Aspen raises an eyebrow. "I know it's a lot for your first day. I’ve already bombarded you with a lot of information. Besides it’s getting late and I heard we might have a rain storm tonight.”
Crap, my daydreaming might cost me my new job.
"Yes." I clear my throat, reluctantly removing my finger from his picture.
"I think it's better for me to tell him in person rather than on the phone," I say, hoping I sound professional. “It’s better to tell him today then to put it off any longer.” Honestly how bad can a little rain be?
She eyes me closely as I try not to squirm under her intense gaze. "You're right," she sighs. "It's best if someone tells Brewer in person."
That’s one of the things I like about Aspen—she treats her employees with respect and listens to their ideas. Kiki is Aspen’s other employee, who recently talked Aspen into hosting a speed-dating event at the winery in a couple of weeks. It’s the next logical step for Aspen’s ever-growing company.
Whatever is in the water in Temptation Ridge has women from all over the country vacationing here to find themselves a mountain man or lumberjack of their own, thanks to Aspen’s sister-in-law and resident influencer, Rue.
The town's revenue tripled almost overnight. It’s one of the reasons I moved to Temptation Ridge, along with the hope of finding a mountain man of my own.
Rumor has it that the lumberjacks and mountain men who live here love women with curves, and I have more than enough to go around.
“Should I stop by the bakery and pick up something sweet to help ease the shock of losing his bride?” I wonder if they have a custom cookie for something like this—maybe a heart-shaped cookie with “I don’t” written in the middle.
I bite the inside of my cheek to suppress a giggle.
It really isn’t professional of me to make light of Brewer’s pain.
The thought sobers me quickly. “Sorry, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. ”
“Actually,” Aspen taps her index finger against her chin. “The bakery makes the best unicorn-decorated sugar cookies—the whole town loves them. Giving Brewer a couple might ease the sting of heartache.”
“Unicorn cookies, it is.” In my haste to get to the bakery before they sell out of the famous unicorn cookies, I grab the packet of paperwork Brewer needs to sign, dissolving the temporary mail-order bride contract and including a new contract at a discounted rate if he wants to continue with Aspen’s company to search for a bride for him.
“Wish me luck.” I dash out of the office and down the hallway to the door connecting the dating agency, the bakery, the bridal shop, and the flower shop.
It’s the perfect setup for everything you need to get married, all in one place.
Too bad Brewer isn’t going to need any of it.