Page 1 of The Mountain Man's Secret Bride
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Jessa
Congratulations on your forevermatch!
I reread the email for what feels like the millionth time in the past few days. It reveals little about my soon-to-be husband, only that he is six feet six inches tall, has brown hair and brown eyes, and lives in a cabin in the mountains.
Scrolling down further, my eyes search for the blurry picture of my future mate included in the email. It’s hard to make out his features—his head is turned to the side, as he holds the hand of a little girl while a dog flanks her other side. It appears that they are walking through the woods, and the picture was likely taken from a distance.
According to the correspondence from him included in the acceptance email, the little girl in the picture is his niece, Molly, and the dog is his, Charlie. He continued to share snippets of his life with me in the email—his love for fishing and hunting, his job as the head of road maintenance for the mountain, along with his role on the search and rescue team.
I’ve never been outside the city, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The drive here was incredible, but the trip up the mountain was absolutely breathtaking. And of course, the gravel roads were immaculate—not a pothole or rough patch in sight. Not that I have any experience with gravel roads.
Bay seems to have everything figured out—unlike me. I can't understand why someone like him would need to look for a mail-order bride. His bio says he’s thirty-three and a military veteran. Mine is less impressive, with only two years of college, which I’m supposed to return to in a few weeks. Instead, I’m a grieving daughter who recently lost both parents in a tragic car accident and is marrying a stranger to escape my greedy uncle.
I didn't realize how wealthy my mother was until our family lawyer read her will last month. We lived simply, and I always thought of us as a middle-class family, but I had no idea my mother was an heiress who chose my working-class accountant father over her wealthy suitors.
Growing up, I never met anyone from my mother’s family because of a falling out. I didn’t even realize I had an uncle until my parents’ funeral. Uncle Eric was sincere at first, telling me to come to him if I needed anything. Little did I know of his true intentions.
At twenty years old, I wasn’t prepared to face my parents' death alone. So, the naive girl I was a month ago asked my only living relative to accompany me to the reading of my mother’s will.
My mother’s will stated that I would inherit fifty million dollars either on my twenty-fifth birthday or on my wedding day, whichever comes first. At the time of the reading, I was too shocked to question the terms of the will.
Like the vulture, I didn’t realize my uncle was—I let him talk me into moving in with him while we got everything settled. It was only a few days before his kindness turned to manipulation.
He found me a fiancé, who happened to be his stepson, claiming it was for my own good so I could access my inheritance and repay him for his kindness. In my grief, I considered his plan and almost went along with it until I overheard him talking to his stepson about the plan, saying that once they had their hands on my money, I was of no use to them anymore.
Fear, unlike anything I’d ever felt before, coursed through my body, and I knew I had to act. That’s what motivated me to sign up as a mail-order bride, get married, and access my inheritance before my uncle and his stepson could claim it and do God knows what to me.
Fighting down the nerves, I place my phone in my pocket and get out of my rental car. It’s time I face the mountain man that will soon be my husband.
The cabin is gorgeous, with the wrap-around deck that I’m sure will offer a fantastic view of the mountains from the back of the house. The trees surrounding the area provide a sense of both privacy and natural beauty.
The closer I get to the cabin, the more butterflies flutter in my stomach, feeling more like what I imagine dragon wings would be like instead of butterfly wings. A foolish thought, I know, but I can’t help but think of Bay as my knight in shining armor, saving me from my evil uncle and his evil stepson.
As I walk up the steps to the front door, I’m greeted by a dog I recognize as Charlie. When I reach the porch, I bend down, balancing my weight on the balls of my feet, and place my hand under Charlie’s chin, giving him a friendly scratch. “You’re such a good boy,” I coo. “And so handsome.” His tail thumps harder against the wooden planks of the porch at my compliment. “You’re such a big, handsome good boy.”
I’m so caught up in greeting Charlie that I don’t hear the front door open until it’s too late, as an angry voice says, “What are you doing on my property?”
I spin around, still on the balls of my feet, and come face to face with a large denim-covered bulge directly in front of me. I bite my lip, wondering what that bulge would feel like in my mouth. I might be a virgin, but in my line of work, you learn about certain things.
My panties dampen at the thought of unbuttoning his pants and sliding the zipper down to free the monster lurking behind the denim. That and the desire to draw him naked, and I haven’t even seen his face yet.
Dragging my eyes away, I lift my head, my gaze tracing his flat-toned stomach and muscular chest outlined by the form-fitting flannel shirt he’s wearing, until it finally lands on his face. I gasp in surprise at the raw masculinity staring back at me. He has got to be the most handsome man I have ever seen.
Before I can say anything, he growls and shifts his head to the left, giving me a side profile. That’s when I realize the left side of his face has some sort of discoloration. I only got a quick look before he turned away, but at first, I thought it was just a birthmark. Now, I’m starting to think it’s far worse than that—not that I would care.
Regaining my senses, I pull my hand away from Charlie’s chin and stand up. “I’m Jessa.” I extend my hand. “Your mail-order bride.” I flash him my brightest smile, hoping to hide my nerves.
When he still doesn’t respond, I pull my phone out of my pocket, open the confirmation email, and hold it up for him to read. His hand reaches for my phone. When our fingers touch, it feels like tiny shockwaves hit me one right after the other.
He yanks the phone out of my hand and reads the email, scrolling through the message before shoving the phone back at me. “Like hell you are.” He doesn’t even look at me as he slams the door in my face.
“Well, that didn’t go very well,” I say to Charlie, my eyes still focused on the closed door and the gorgeous man on the other side, and what might have made him change his mind. “Looks like we’ll have to wait him out.” I don’t have time to find another match—Bay is my only option.
I move to the wooden porch swing and sit down, while Charlie jumps up beside me and rests his head in my lap. “If only your owner were as lovable as you are.” I run my fingers through Charlie’s fur, thinking about my next move.
This grumpy mountain man won’t know what hit him.
