Chapter Two
Archer
My lip curls with a grunt when I open my email account on my laptop. The inbox is filled with more unread messages than I’d care to admit. The necessary evil is the bane of my existence, but running a business, I really have no choice in the matter. Everything runs electronically now.
There’s a reason I chose forestry as a field of study when I went to college. I’d much rather spend my time outside tromping through the pouring rain and mud than stuck inside working on a computer. Fortunately, the majority of my timeisspent outside in the woods where I love to be, but as my business and reputation grow so does the office time.
I swallow a gulp of icy beer, hoping it’ll help ease the pain of paperwork, but know it’s futile and nothing can make this any easier. Heaving a sigh so deep my body deflates with it, I accept my reality and get to it.
Forty minutes and two beers later, I’m about to throw in the towel, having about all I can stand for the time being. Before I can close out of the program, my eye catches on the name of asender. A closer look has my body humming with anticipation. A grin breaks across my face as I scan through the email to get the gist.
Kingston & Sons Timber is looking to expand and has several tracts of land they’re interested in purchasing. A couple tracts will be auctioned soon so there’s a time crunch, and they need me there as soon as possible to do assessments of the potential timber which could be harvested. How fortuitous it is I’ve just finished my last contract and have a few weeks scheduled for downtime. Hence the reason I’m doing admin work at the moment.
This job will not only earn me a great payday due to the time-sensitive nature of the project, it’ll also take me to a beautiful part of the country. It also happens to be near one of my friends who I don’t get to see nearly often enough. Completely worth forgoing the break I had planned.
I fire off a response to the proposal, accepting the job if they agree to the added hefty rush fee. Feeling pretty confident they will, I head to my dated kitchen to grab another beer to celebrate. Pulling open the door of the avocado-green refrigerator, which has been running strong since the Carter administration, I wonder if I should use this unexpected windfall to update my place.
I lean back against the faded yellow laminate counter, popping the tab on my beer while gazing around my cabin. It’s straight out of the seventies ugly and could definitely use a refresh, but I don’t spend all that much time here with my job keeping me on the road more than I’m home. I couldn’t care less what the place looks like as long as it keeps me dry and warm when I’m here, and it does just that.
Giving up on the idea of renovating, I return to the brown leather couch, which is the newest piece of furniture in the place, besides my mattress. I replaced the ugly yellow floralmonstrosity when I moved in. Comfort is important, and this couch is the bomb.
Reaching for my cell to call my buddy Liam, I glance at the computer while the phone rings to find a reply to my email already. I click on it to find one sentence—Send the contract. Hell yeah.
“Hey man, how’s it going? It’s been a minute since I’ve heard from you.”
“It’s going pretty damn well. Just secured a big contract. One that’ll have me in your territory for a few weeks, starting in a couple of days.”
“No shit? That’s great news. Even better, Kinsley and I are getting ready to host a charity lumberjack show. It would be great if you participated and we could sure use the help getting it all to come together if you’re up for it.”
“You know what? I’m in such a good mood after getting this job, I’ll agree without even questioning how much it's going to take. I can’t really argue since it’s for charity and I’ll get to spend some time with you.”
“Yeah, it will. I appreciate you agreeing to help. This is turning out to be more work than I expected, but you know I could never say no to Kinsley, and once she gets her mind on something there’s no talking her out of it.”
“Sounds about right. Someone has to keep you in line, and you know it takes a tougher than normal woman to do that. It’ll be great to catch up with you both. I’ll let you know when I make it to town.”
“Great. I’ll have Kinsley add you to the contact list for volunteers. Get ready to get your hands dirty.”
“Absolutely.” I grin as I hang up. I haven’t competed in a lumberjack show for several years. It’ll be fun to see if my skills are still up to par, but I’m afraid I might be a bit more than rusty. Maybe I’d better spend some time practicing.
No longer annoyed with the bookwork at hand, I whip up a contract and send it off to be signed for the job. Once that’s done, I work on securing lodging in Coyote Creek. It turns out finding a place is harder than expected.
I knew it was a small town with limited options, but I’ve been informed by more than one establishment it’s spring break time. Between those visitors and people coming to town for the lumberjack show, there’s no vacancies. Finally, the last place I try, the Twilight Inn, has one room available, and I snap it up without even considering what the place might be like. It’s not like I’ll be spending much time there anyway.
Chapter Three
Sage
The meeting room at the library is crowded when I arrive, surprising me. Kinsley must’ve been working overtime to recruit people to help with the event. I find a free spot at the circle of tables and snag a seat. The spot on my right is filled before I have a chance to set my Diet Coke on the table.
I turn to offer a smile to whomever fills the seat, only to have my eyes widen as I get a glimpse of the mountain of a man dwarfing the chair next to mine. These chairs are heavy-duty metal, but this guy makes it look child’s size. His biceps and shoulders are the size of small boulders, stretching his soft gray flannel to its limit.
My hefty figure has been something I’ve struggled with most of my life. I’ve never been what one could call delicate, having taken after the hulking men in my family, but in his presence for the first time I have an inkling of what being dainty must feel like. When I finally tear my gaze away from his muscular form, it swings up to meet the deepest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re so dark they’re navy, like the depths of the ocean.
His lips tip up in one corner before he winks at me as I snap my mouth shut, only just now realizing my jaw has been hanging open. He shoves a behemoth hand toward me. Mine drifts to his of its own accord as if it’s magnetized, and his is the polar opposite, attracting it.
“I’m Archer.”
The deep rumble of his voice combined with his warm, calloused hand engulfing mine sends shivers over me, which converge between my thighs, causing my core to pulse. My nipples tighten as I swallow to ease my suddenly dry throat and provide a response.
