Page 12 of Her Grumpy Lumberjack

Sienna nods as she eats the last bite of her pizza. “That’s neat. I prefer my theory though. Somebody made a cherry pie so delicious that they just had to name a town after it.”

I smile at her. She looks so fucking adorable, chuckling at her own joke, her brown eyes twinkling.

“Well, I’ll cut you a piece and you can tell me if you’d name a town after it,” I say, heading to the kitchen to grab a knife and a couple of plates. I hand Sienna a generous slice of cherry pie and watch as she spoons a forkful into her mouth.

“Oh my god,” she says, her eyes widening as she swallows. “I would definitely name a town after this. I’d name a hundred towns after this.”

She’s right—it’s delicious, tart and sweet, and I immediately cut us both another slice.

“Not a great day for my diet,” Sienna says, shaking her head as she takes another bite. “But this is way too good to miss.”

I frown at her. “What are you dieting for?”

She pauses mid-bite, her cheeks pinkening. “Well…” she mumbles, gesturing down at herself, “I’m not exactly small, am I?”

Her words bug me. I hate the thought of this angel thinking she’s anything less than perfect. She’s thick and curvy and sexy as hell.

“You’re beautiful as you are,” I tell her firmly. “Don’t change a thing.”

Sienna’s eyebrows shoot up and she drops her fork. It clatters onto her plate as she stares at me.

“You think I’m beautiful?”

Fuck, this girl really has no idea what she does to me.

“Of course I do.”

She blinks at me, her cheeks redder than ever. “You don’t think I’m…too big?”

“No, I think you’re perfect as you are. Your curves are sexy as hell, Sienna. Eat all the cherry pie you want.”

I shouldn’t be admitting how attractive I think she is, but dammit, I can’t just sit back and say nothing. Sienna is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She’s a fucking goddess, and I never want her to doubt it.

“Th-thanks, Chase,” she says, her voice a little shaky. “I…uh…I think you…you’re uh…you know…I think the same…”

“You think my curves are sexy too?”

She bursts out laughing. “No. I mean, yes, but not your curves…because you don’t have…oh, you know what I mean.” She shakes her head, looking adorably flustered. “Anyway, uh…so…uh, are you the only guy who lives out here in the forest?”

I go along with the sudden change of subject, but my mind is still thinking over what Sienna just said. Was she trying to say that she finds me sexy too? I find that hard to believe. She’s a pretty young twenty-something, and I’m a middle-aged grump with an unruly beard. I’m also a giant and look intimidating as hell to most people. Could a girl like Sienna really find a guy like me attractive?

“There are other guys out here too,” I say eventually, clearing my throat. “Good guys. We keep to ourselves mostly, but we’re always there to help each other out. That counts a lot in a small mountain town like this.”

Sienna nods and bites her lip, hesitating before she asks, “How come you decided to live in the woods? If that’s not too personal, I mean.”

I shrug. “I’m ex-military, like most of the guys out here. The lifestyle is intense. Some soldiers come back from that and miss the action. They become cops or firefighters, something that lets them keep on serving. Others come back and all they want is some peace. That’s why I moved out here after I left the army.”

Sienna is listening intently, her eyes fixed on me. “Did you move here recently?”

“No. Seven years ago now.”

Life in the military was chaotic and unpredictable, and after fifteen years of service, I was craving some stability. A solid, unchanging life, that’s what I wanted. No surprises, no drama, just the quiet woods and the simple routines of a lumberjack.

“I guess you’re happier now than you were in the military?” she asks.

“Yeah. I’m proud to have served, but that doesn’t mean I miss it.”

Sienna nods. “That makes sense. I’m glad you built a happier life for yourself.”

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