Wife for the Lumberjack: A Single Dad Mountain Man Romance Read online

  Roy opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. “Is breakfast almost ready?”

  “Yes. I’m just about done,” I said, grabbing a bowl to scramble some eggs.

  “It stopped snowing,” Roy said. He grabbed an apple from the center of the kitchen table and bit into it.

  “Yup, and you know what that means? School will probably be open most of next week up until the blizzard arrives.”

  “Ah man…” he moaned.

  Recently, the little guy had been eating enough food for a grown man, which only meant he was going through one of those growth spurts. The doctor had told me to expect it soon anyway, but I’d gotten so caught up in my projects around the house that I didn’t notice until my trips to the grocery store became more frequent. His appetite wasn’t the problem, but keeping the fridge and pantry stocked was an issue because of time constraints.

  I guess I was doing the right thing by hiring that agency to find me someone to help with the household. Someone like a wife.

  Lots of folks got married for reasons other than love these days, so I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about my situation. Besides, my time to find love had come and gone. All I needed was someone to help me out a little around the house. Our arrangement didn’t even have to be about sex. The woman wouldn’t even have to give me a baby if she didn’t want to. I didn’t have to worry about who I was going to pass the family inheritance on to because I had Roy. Roy was my blood. My family.

  The chime on the coffee maker went off, so I turned around to grab a cup from the cabinet.

  “Roy, we’ve got a house guest, so I need you to behave today,” I called out from across the kitchen.

  “Yes, okay, I will. Is it a woman or something?”

  “Yes, it’s a woman. How’d you know?”

  “Just thought it was.” Roy shrugged. “You’re making a lot more food than yesterday.”

  When I turned around again to reply, Roy had already run off into another room. My cell phone rang as I took a tray of bacon out of the oven.

  “Kamaz,” I answered.

  “Hey Kamaz, it’s the Sheriff. Change of plans…”

  As I listened to the Sheriff explain the reason he couldn’t come out today as promised to take a statement from me, I leaned against the counter, sipped on coffee, and glanced out of the window. The snow was already beginning to melt, and soon, I’d have customers trickling in to do business and neighbors wanting to chat and gossip. Around here, a little snow never kept anyone inside. It didn’t matter that this was a weekend. As long as I had the resources people needed, they’d come all the way up until sundown. It was going to take more than a few inches to scare the residents of Arrow Lake into staying home. Truth be told, I was counting on that approaching blizzard to give me a much-needed break.

  The Sheriff was still talking my ear off about something happening west of Arrow Lake, but I had partially tuned him out. I just happened to turn around and almost dropped my mug when I saw Kristene standing in the kitchen doorway.

  I thought she was beautiful last night, but she was even more stunning today. There was something about the way her long black hair hugged all her curves. Her eyes drew me in like a moth to a flame, and I knew I was done for.

  “Hi,” she whispered. “I mean, good morning.”

  I swallowed, found my voice again, and pressed the phone to my ear. “Sheriff, I’ve gotta go now. We’ll talk later.” I disconnected the call and placed it on the counter. “Good morning.”

  “It’s smells so good in here. I’m not usually an early riser, but I couldn’t resist.”

  “I’m sorry about the noise. Roy’s usually up at the crack of dawn. Me too.”

  “Actually, I didn’t hear anything from a kid. It’s so quiet, I wouldn’t have thought one lived here if I hadn’t tripped over a scooter on the way to the kitchen.”

  She laughed and the whole room just about lit up.

  “Hope you didn’t hurt yourself.”

  “Naw, I caught myself in time. I guess I deserve it anyway for snooping around last night in your office.” She bit her bottom lip and looked up at me sheepishly.

  I rubbed my palms down the front of my pants. “So, breakfast is just about done. I tried my best…um…hope I didn’t burn the bacon too badly.”

  “You didn’t have to cook me breakfast.” She came into the kitchen and looked around. “Mmmm. Smells good and looks even better. Wait, is this going on my tab too?”

  I didn’t miss the joking tone in her voice. I chuckled. “It’s on the house. We should talk over breakfast about that job.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “About the job.”

  “Hi!” Roy called out cheerfully from the other side of the kitchen.

  “Well, hello,” Kristene replied. “You must be Roy.”

  “Yeah. I’m the second man of the house.” He grinned proudly.

  “Oh? You must have some big responsibilities then, helping your dad out and all.”

  “Vik is my uncle,” Roy stated.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s right.”

  “Roy, this is Ms. Kristene,” I said.

  “Nice to meet you,” Roy said. “I didn’t see a car outside.”

  “Well…I kind of walked.” She held up a tiny toy soldier. “Is this yours?”

  Roy nodded and took the toy.

  “I found it by the staircase. You don’t want to lose any of your soldiers, especially if you’re planning on sending them on any special missions in the future.”

  Roy grinned. “I was looking for him. Thank you for finding him for me. Are you our new housekeeper?”

  I cleared my throat and said, “Roy, can you help set up the table while I finish this up?”

  “Oh, alright…” He sighed and headed toward the other side of the kitchen where I kept the plates.

  “Cute kid,” Kristene exclaimed. “He looks like you.”

  “Thanks.” I pulled out a chair. “I’m slow, of course, but shouldn’t take me much longer.”

  “I’m patient. You know, you don’t have to cook for me.”

  “Roy and I usually eat something before we start the day. It was only polite to make something for you too.”

  “I appreciate it. I wish I had something else to change into, but…I didn’t plan on getting caught.” Her face reddened. “I looked outside this morning. Most of the snow has melted from the driveway. That means the roads are clear enough for me to drive back to my motel, right?”

  “Right. They are.” Weather forecasters had already reported that accumulation on the roads wasn’t as bad as they’d predicted, but the worst was yet to come.

  Just as Roy finished placing plates and utensils on the table, I put a platter full of breakfast choices in the center. Bacon, eggs, hash browns, and French toast.

  “Wow,” she explained. “I’m really impressed.”

  “Impressed? Are you impressed by my plating skills or the fact that I managed to cook the eggs without scorching them?”

  She giggled. “It’s just that I’ve never seen a guy cook like this before. This is perfect. Probably better than the free breakfast buffet at the motel.”

  “Well, before you get ahead of yourself, you might want to taste first before you rate me.”

  “Okay. I’ll let you know.”

  I gestured toward the food. “Dig in.”

  As I left the table to grab a few glasses and a carton of orange juice, I heard Roy whisper something to Kristene. Although, I couldn’t make out what he said, it must have been funny because Kristene giggled. It was nice seeing him opening up a bit. I remember when I first took him in and how he was super shy around almost everyone he met. Now he was the most talkative kid I’d ever come across. I took a seat at the table and poured everyone a glass of O.J.

  “Uncle Vik makes the best French toast,” Roy exclaimed, grabbing a few pieces off the platter.

  “He does?”

  “Yeah. The other stuff is okay, but I like these,” he continued
, grabbing the syrup.

  “I like French toast too, so I’ll take a few of those,” Kristene said as she met my gaze from across the table.

  “How far did you walk?” Roy asked suddenly.

  “Oh, not far,” Kristene replied.

  “Do you live in Arrow Lake?”

  Kristene shook her head. “No. I’m from Minneapolis.”

  “You look like April’s mom.” Roy stared at her. “April’s in my class, but her mom’s the principal at our school.”

  “Well, that wouldn’t be the first time someone said I looked like someone they know.”

  “My uncle is a lumberjack and his dad was too. And he owns this whole place. All of the land from Meadow’s Peak to the campgrounds,” Roy stated, excitedly.

  “That’s really impressive.”

  “Where do you work at?” Roy continued.

  “Roy…” I said.

  “No, it’s okay.” Kristene dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “I’m actually a florist. You know what that is?”

  Roy nodded. “You pick flowers.”

  Kristene chuckled. “I mostly arrange them for weddings and other special events.”

  “Are you our new housekeeper?” Roy pressed with a mouth full of French toast.

  “Roy, remember what we talked about when guests are here.”

  “But we…” Roy started. “Oh, alright.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind. The breakfast is really good. I’ll have to rate this a ten.”

  “You’re just saying that,” I joked.

  “No, really. Plus, I’ve been eating out of a lunch bag these past few days. The bus made pit stops every few hours or so, so I got some burgers and fries in yesterday. So satisfying, but not exactly the healthiest.”

  “Uncle Vik, I’m done with breakfast. Can I play on the porch?” Roy asked.

  “Sure, but only on the porch where I can hear you. We have a quick errand to run before noon.”

  Roy picked up his plate from the table and left us alone in the kitchen.

  “You’re doing a great job with Roy. He’s so polite. All kids are curious, so I really didn’t mind the questions,” Kristene exclaimed.

  I smiled. “So, you prefer Roy’s style of interrogating more than mine?”

  “Hmmm, I’m not easily intimidated.”

  “Oh, I believe it. Did you have some time to think about the job offer?” I asked, preparing myself for the worse.

  “I did. I want to give it a go at least until I’ve paid you back for uh…that accident.”

  “About that…we didn’t start off with the best of introductions. I try to give everyone that comes through here the benefit of the doubt. Let’s start with a clean slate. We can get the office cleaned up in no time and I’m sure you’ll be much help to me with all your rental industry experience.”

  She sighed. “Okay. When should I start?”

  “Today, if you’d like.”

  “Today?”

  “Or tomorrow, whichever is more convenient,” I added, after realizing how desperate I must have sounded for her help.

  “Today is fine. There’s just one thing, and it’s minor. I’ve been wearing the same clothes since yesterday morning. I’d really like a long, hot shower.”

  “So, you want to leave now…like, at the moment?”

  She frowned. “Oh…? I see. You think I’m going to ditch everything and never return to pay you back for the damage. You think I’m lying to you about wanting to work.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not what I’m thinking at all.” But that wasn’t the whole truth. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I wanted to trust her, and that scared me. I hadn’t known this woman a whole day yet, and already, I wanted to know more about her. I almost wished I hadn’t stopped Roy from asking her all those private questions.

  Kristene sat back in her chair. “I’m not a criminal, Viktor. I did some things in my younger days, but I’m not like that anymore. Last night, I got frustrated and made one bad decision thinking that I’d be able to reach my sister if I could find out who she was with. Even if it was just to find a phone number or the name of this alleged boyfriend she has.”

  “I understand. You meant no harm,” I said. “What about this…I have to run an errand to town and I’m going up the main highway. I can get you to your rental car so you can go back to your motel, take a shower, or whatever you need. And then when you’re ready, you can start work just like we talked about.”

  She nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’ll start fresh and early in the morning. How does that sound?”

  “That sounds great. It’ll be the first day of the week which is always the busiest.”

  “Then we have a deal. I’ll help you at your rental office a few hours a day to pay for any losses I caused with the fire.”

  “How does double your normal hourly salary sound?” I asked.

  Her eyes lit up. “That would be perfect. We have a deal.”

  She held her hand out across the table. I met her halfway and shook on our deal.

  Her hands were soft. I almost didn’t want to let go. How nice would it be to know a woman’s touch every night? If I had learned one thing from this, it was that I really did long for something that was truly unattainable.

  A wife.

  Chapter Six

  Kristene

  Eager to start my new job with Viktor, I chugged down the carton of orange juice. I had taken the beverage and a danish from the breakfast buffet at the motel just before leaving. It wasn’t exactly as satisfying as the one Viktor had treated me to, but it would keep me satisfied until the lunch hour rolled around. I had packed a few sandwiches just in case since I didn’t know what the arrangements would be like. It was a good thing I’d only be working a few hours a day. I’d already made an appointment with the Sheriff’s department for later this afternoon. When I called about an hour ago, they advised me that I needed to be patient. Apparently, the office was short-staffed and there were other things going on in Arrow Lake that warranted their attention.

  I would be patient…

  Yes, I would try.

  This new job at Viktor’s rental office was going to help me with that.

  My cell phone rang. I couldn’t take my eyes off the road to see who it was, but I didn’t want to miss any calls, especially if it meant that I’d miss any critical news about Jocelyn.

  “Hello?”

  “Kris, it’s me, Jackie.”

  I smiled when I heard the familiar voice of my boss. The Master Florist. She’d hired me almost a year ago after learning that I had inherited my green thumb from my grams. My grandmother and Jackie had been close acquaintances up until the time my grandmother’s health began to decline. But even after that, Jackie came by several times a week to visit my grams. Back then, my sister and I were taking shifts to care for her to make her days as comfortable as possible, but I still ended up quitting my job at the local library due to scheduling conflicts. That’s when Jackie offered me a job at the local florist, and I’d been arranging bouquets and delivering flowers to events ever since.

  “Hi Jackie. How are things?”

  “Great. I’m just calling to check on you, hun. Have you heard anything about your sister?”

  “Nope.” I sighed.

  “I’m so sorry, hun. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

  “You’ve helped me enough. I really appreciate you letting me take some time off for this,” I replied, taking a swift left onto the long winding highway leading toward the cabins.

  “You haven’t run into any trouble up there, have you?”

  “No.” I bit my lip, thinking about the fire I caused on Viktor’s property. “The people are really friendly here. It’s a small town. I found a nice motel by a diner, so I don’t have to worry about food or anything like that.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. Don’t go out after dark. Do all your travels during the day and…”

  Jackie’s voice began to fade in and out.

>   “Jackie…Jackie, I can’t hear you.” I pressed the cell phone to my ear and looked up through the windshield. The sky was clear and gray-ish, but I recalled from the first time I came this way that my cell phone didn’t have a strong signal. Even the radio was going in and out.

  “Jackie, if you can hear this, I’ll call you back later. Okay?” I waited, but there wasn’t a clear enough response, so I sighed and disconnected the call.

  I tossed the phone on the seat next to my bags and turned the heat up in the car. “Crap, it’s freezing.” The temperature must have dropped significantly. I already knew that there was a deep freeze on the way, but I planned to leave Arrow Lake by then. I could only hope that I didn’t get caught up in a blizzard. Then, I’d really be screwed. The clerk at the motel was clear about fees being paid by noon every day I planned on staying there. When the money ran out, I had to leave.

  My phone rang again, and this time, I huffed. I dug my hand in my purse to grab it only to realize that it wasn’t there. I glanced down and realized that the cell had slipped off of the seat and landed onto the floor. I took my feet off the gas a bit to slow the speed down. With my left hand on the steering wheel, I stretched my arm out until the tip of my finger made contact with the phone. I fumbled around to get a good grip on it.

  I only took my eyes off the road for one second, but it was one second too long. I looked back up to see a very large animal in the road. It was a wolf. It was the first time that I’d ever seen wildlife like that. I stared at it like a deer looking at headlights. The wolf was just as shocked as I was. It never moved. I slapped my foot on the brake, my body lurched forward, and then I felt the car gliding across the road as if I was on top of a sheet of ice.

  The smell of burned rubber assaulted me. I stared, wide-eyed, at a row of trees.

  “Oh, God,” I gasped, turning the steering wheel sharply to the right.

  My car landed with a thump in the ditch alongside the road not even six feet away from a pole.

  My hand went to the back of my neck where I felt a stab of pain. “Ouch.”