Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Sophie
My short-term rental is a cozy cabin tucked away deep in the mountains of Courage County. It comes with a stunning view of the mountain ridge, acres of beautiful forest to hike, and a very grumpy mountain man of my own to explore.
I wasn’t expecting the quiet mountain man with the steely gaze and brooding demeanor. He claims this is his cabin, and he swears he didn’t rent it to me. But he’s not making me leave. I already paid my deposit.
Even when he starts playing ridiculous pranks on me in an effort to scare me off, I refuse to go. If anything, I have a few tricks for him.
Whiskey
I don’t care about her rental agreement. I never wanted a roommate. I certainly never put up my cabin for rent. But the stubborn curvy girl has no intention of leaving, not even when I offer to pay for her lodging elsewhere.
This little ball of sunshine is determined to stay right by my side. That’s just fine by me. I’ll figure out a way to make her leave. One way or another, I’ll convince her that this cabin is haunted. She’ll run screaming back home in no time.
I’m definitely not going to kiss her in front of the fire or start wishing she’d stay forever. Things like that aren’t meant for brooding mountain men like me.
If you love a holiday romance that’s sweeter than a candy apple with a melt-in-your-mouth alpha who says the filthiest things, it’s time to meet Whiskey in The Mountain Man’s Sweet Treat. This Halloween love story is a stand-alone romance set in Mia Brody’s Courage County which is the perfect place to find your next book boyfriend!
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter 1
Sophie
Golden sunlight slants through the red leaves of the Maple trees lining Main Street in Courage County. Pumpkins, decorative scarecrows, and hay bales dot the store front displays, showcasing a small town that embraces autumn like a dear friend.
My mom would say the only thing missing from the idyllic scene is a few hungry zombies and some rotting corpses. She films the zombie show. Yeah, the one that became a breakout hit two years ago.
She’ll be calling in a little while, probably to tell me about the tensions that are running high with the cast and how the new makeup artist isn’t nearly as good as me. That’s a lie, and we both know it. I was good at my job. But one day, I walked off the set that felt like a second home and never came back.
Shaking off the memories, I park my car in the lot for Emma May’s Groceries. Tobias meows softly as if to remind me that he’s still in his travel carrier. He’s only a few months old, and he’s endlessly curious about the world.
“Just be patient a little while longer, and we’ll have a yummy dinner,” I promise him. I’ve already stopped twice to let him stretch his furry little legs for a few minutes at a time. He’s so little and traveling a long distance must seem scary to him.
When I step onto the cracked asphalt with its faded white lines, my hips and back protest from the long hours. I’ll be at my destination soon—a beautiful cabin tucked away in the mountains of this tiny town.
I hurry into the grocery store past a group of old men sitting on benches. They’re telling each other tall tales. They barely spare me a glance even though I’m waddling like a pregnant lady because my bladder is so full. I definitely should have skipped the jumbo drink at the last gas station.
After I use the restroom, I grab a shopping cart to fill with essentials and cat food. I never imagined that such a beautiful place in my budget would come available for a month. When it did, I knew I had to act quickly.
I nod to several locals who eye me curiously including two women who are leaning in close to each other to discuss a cowboy who swept a curvy woman that lives here off her feet. Literally.
I barely suppress my smile at their gossip as I turn down an aisle. A display of candy corn has me wishing I could go back in time. When I was with my mom on the set, we would always do a big Halloween party at the end of the month. The entire cast would spend October competing to see who could come up with the scariest pranks.
“Can I help you find anything?” A grandmotherly looking woman with a silver braid down her back asks me. She peers over the rim of her bifocals, taking in my thigh-high black boots, plaid mini-skirt and purple corset layered underneath a faux leather jacket.
I used dress differently, back when I cared what people thought about my plus-size body with my cellulite and curves. Now, I just dress in a way that makes me feel happy and confident. If someone doesn’t like how I look, that’s their problem.
I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak without crying. Some days, I think I’m doing OK. I think I’m getting stronger then moments like this happen, and I doubt I’ve made any progress at all on my journey.
Her smile is warm and genuine with no judgement in her tone. “You look a little lost.”
That’s the understatement of the century, but I can’t tell a perfect stranger that. Instead, I tell her, “I’m new to town.”
“Well, I’m old to town. Been here all my life. Raised half of these youngin’s myself. Now, where are you staying? The Andersons should have an empty room this time of year. But if they don’t, you just call me. I’ll make sure you get put up somewhere. I’m Emma May, by the way.” She reaches into her apple red apron and pulls out her phone.
“I’m renting a cabin. Actually, it’s in the mountains here,” I say, grabbing my phone automatically.
“Well, if you run into any problems or need anything, you call me,” she insists as if she’s my friend and not a stranger that I just met.
I know I won’t reach out. Still, when she rattles off her digits, I put them in my phone.
I assume that’s the end of our conversation, and I push my cart down the aisle. But to my surprise, Emma May falls into step beside me as if she senses I need a friend right now. She asks me questions and nods along patiently, listening as I explain I’m here to train for an upcoming 5K race in Asheville. It will be my first, but I don’t tell her that part.