Winning with the Mountain Man (Mountain Men of Apple Falls #6)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Hudson

When I turned into the Apple Falls Garden Center parking lot, I instantly scanned the vicinity for the sexy, spunky, younger woman who worked there. Her family owned the place.

Even without a conversation, a mere glance was enough to make my day brighter. Her looks were as bright and beautiful as her loud, friendly personality.

Some days she’d be laughing with customers, or her family members, all who worked there. Other times, I’d catch her singing while she watered plants, stopping to talk to them like they could hear her.

I moved to Apple Falls about a month ago, finally stable enough to venture into my own landscaping business. I worked long and hard for other companies, but now, it was my turn to be my own boss.

The icing on the cake was this garden center, and she, my sweet girl Carina, made it even better. A bonus? Her discounts on supplies.

Backing into a spot by the front door, I parked my truck, killed the engine, and hopped out.

I strode inside and sought her out, spotting her blond ponytail down one of the many rows of potted flowers.

She sang and shook her hips while tipping the water can above them in short bursts.

I stood frozen and watched her, chuckling to myself at her exaggerated dance moves, the smile on her face so damn contagious.

“Can I help you with something, sir?” A sweet voice behind me broke me from my trance, and when I turned, there stood Journey, Carina’s older sister. Her warm smile resembled her sister’s.

“Thank you, but I’m all set.”

“Okay. If you need anything, let me know.” She smiled again and walked away.

As nice as she was, I only wanted Carina’s help. I walked over to her and chuckled as I got closer, her singing only ramping up in intensity. Customers glanced at her, laughing and smiling, as most of us regulars were used to her by now.

I tapped on her shoulder, and she spun around, her cheeks flushing instantly when she looked up at me.

I loved her short, curvy figure, so tiny compared to my tall, beefy frame.

I wanted to wrap my arms around her and never let go, protect her from all the evil in the world, from any pain and suffering, and keep her safe in my arms. “Hey.”

“Oh my God, Hudson!” Carina clutched at her chest, her breaths quick, yet her big smile, my favorite one, stretched across her lips.

She popped out her earbuds and shoved them in her pocket before setting her watering can down.

“You scared the shit out of me.” She laughed loudly, her boisterous voice echoing around us.

“Sorry. I would’ve let you continue, but I looked kind of weird just staring at you.” I lifted my mouth in a half grin.

“You can stare at me anytime.” Carina’s eyes sparkled as she sucked on her bottom lip, the movement distracting and a turn-on at the same time.

“Do you always flirt with your customers?” I teased.

“Only the really cute ones.” Carina licked her lips, and my dick jerked awake in my pants. Down, boy. Not the time.

“I’m sure your parents love that.”

“What they don’t know can’t hurt them. Besides, Lucian and Journey get themselves into all kinds of craziness. They just worry the most about me because I’m their baby.” She waved her hand and brushed by me as she walked over to the cashier station. “What are you picking up today?”

“An order of cypress mulch. I called it in a little while ago.”

Carina nodded as her fingers cruised swiftly over the keyboard of the register as she pulled up my order. A few more clicks and the total came up on the screen, the usual discount in place. “Charge to your card on file?” She smiled sweetly.

“You know it.”

“Great. I’ll have Lucian bring it around.”

“Perfect. As long as you walk me out.”

“Always.”

I watched her walk away, off to find her brother, Lucian, her sexy hips swaying from side to side.

Ask her out already, you idiot.

But her big family was a bit overwhelming to a guy who only grew up with his dad and spent a lot of time alone.

While I wanted a partner to grow old with, I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea of having kids.

I didn’t want them growing up how I did, lonely and needing attention.

Would I be able to show them enough love?

My dad tried his best, but as the single-income life wasn’t easy, he worked plenty of overtime to make ends meet.

A few minutes later, Lucian and Carina walked over, Lucian pulling a cart behind him piled high with bags of mulch.

“What up, Hudson? Business still doing good?” He passed the cart handle off to Carina.

“You know it,” I said before taking the handle. There was no way I was letting Carina pull these heavy bags of mulch.

“Maybe one day, I’ll start my own business, too. Been thinking about it. Don’t want to run the family business forever, you know?” Lucian looked between the two of us.

Carina’s eyes widened. “Don’t let Mom and Dad hear you say that.”

“What? We’re all going to work here for the rest of our lives?”

Just then, Journey and Barbara, their mother, walked over, and Lucian’s face went pale.

“What was that, Luc?” Barbara said.

Carina laughed. “Let’s go get this mulch in your truck. I’m sure you’ve got a lot of work to do.”

I nodded gratefully and headed for the front door, Carina by my side. Her family chatted loudly behind us, both of us glad to be walking away from the family drama. Another downside to a large family.

“They’ll be arguing over what Lucian said for a while.” Carina laughed some more.

“Does it ever drive you nuts?”

“What? My crazy, large family?”

“Yes.”

“All the time. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. Do you have any siblings?”

“Nope. Just my dad and me.”

“Makes sense,” Carina said as we walked through the front doors and into the parking lot.

“It does?”

“Yep. You’re quiet. Mysterious. It makes me curious to get to know you more and figure out what makes you tick.”

“Is that so?” Blood rushed through my ears.

“It sure is.”

Give it a chance…what have you got to lose?

I opened my mouth, but the words never came. Instead, I said nothing as we walked the rest of the way to my truck.

When we got there, Carina flashed me the smile I loved and offered me a wave. “Well, I better get back to watering my babies. See you around.”

“See ya,” I responded and began loading the bags in the back of my truck, all while watching her sexy ass walk away.

Another chance to make her mine gone.