Grizzly Beard (Mail Order Mountain Book 1), page 1
Cassie Mint
Grizzly Beard
First published by Black Cherry Publishing 2022
Copyright © 2022 by Cassie Mint
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
First edition
ISBN: 978-1-915735-00-3
Cover art by Cormar Covers
This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy
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Contents
1. Luna
2. Griff
3. Luna
4. Griff
5. Luna
6. Griff
7. Luna
Teaser: Lonely Beard
About the Author
One
Luna
Okay, don’t make fun of me, but I’ve been practicing my knock. First impressions are a big deal, you know? And even though I’ve been emailing back and forth with Aiden McRae for months now, I want to get this exactly right.
You only get one chance to be like, ‘Tadaa! I’m your mail order bride!”, after all.
In my head, I was gonna be cool and collected. My clothes would be spotless and unrumpled, and I’d smile nice and wide, and Aiden would fall in love with me in a heartbeat. A chorus of birds would break into song, and he’d pick me up and spin me around in his big, strong arms.
Whatever he looks like. Kinda hard to picture it without knowing that.
Of course, I didn’t count on the half mile trek to this cabin up from the road, lugging my suitcase and sewing machine over a carpet of pine needles and wet rocks. And didn’t realize I’m so freaking behind on my cardio, either—I’m red-faced and sweating like a sinner in church. If my husband-to-be picks me up right now, I’ll probably squelch.
“Shoot. Come on, Luna.”
I blow the wild strands of hair out of my face and smooth down my favorite lavender dress with trembling hands. There’s no need to be this nervous.
I mean, sure, my whole future is on the line, and maybe my only chance at love. But the mail order people know what they’re doing, and I’m 99.9% sure that they wouldn’t let a serial killer sign up.
My breath fogs in the cold air as I stumble back a few steps, peering up at the cabin. Buying time? Maybe. But I want a good look at my new home, too.
It’s understated, this cabin. Strong and sturdy and well crafted, made with the kind of wood that blends into the landscape. A deck wraps around the outside, and a hatchet and pile of cut logs are tucked under a wood shed against a side wall. The windows are shadowed.
It must have rained here in the last hour or so. The air’s extra fresh, scented with petrichor and damp soil, and there are still droplets clinging to the glass window panes.
It’s so austere. Nothing like my playful apartment back in the city, with my polka dot welcome mat and my navy bedroom curtains printed with the phases of the moon. You can tell a Man lives here, and not just a Man, but a Manly Man. One who speaks in grunts and knows how to skin a deer.
Maybe this is a huge mistake. I stumble back another step, my heart hammering. If I get my bags back down the mountain and call the local cab company from the road—
The door wrenches open, replaced immediately with a pair of broad, plaid-covered shoulders. A bearded man glares down at me from inside the cabin, thick eyebrows lowered over dark eyes, and he looms so high above me that my knees wobble.
“Um,” I squeak. “Aiden?”
The frown deepens. “Wrong cabin,” the man rumbles.
Thank. Freaking. God.
We didn’t swap photos as part of the mail order program. It’s one of the reasons I chose Soulmate Express—I didn’t want any judge ‘em by their looks, swipe right shenanigans. I want love. Soulful love.
And even though I’m still clueless about my future husband, I’m glad he’s not this grumpy Goliath. Bullet: dodged.
“Oh. Right. Could you point me toward Aiden McRae’s cabin, please?”
The man says nothing. He’s silent and brooding, those dark eyes running over my rumpled clothes and bright cheeks, my messed up hair and nervous smile, then to the luggage stacked on the deck behind me.
I didn’t think it was possible for this man to scowl even more, but here it is. He looks ready to roar like a bear. Damn, I didn’t mean to encroach on his territory or whatever. Hopefully I didn’t accidentally scent-mark any trees.
“Actually.” The deck creaks as I back up, my voice unnaturally bright. “Forget it. I’ve already disturbed you enough, sir. I’ll just get out of your—” beard “—um, hair, and call a cab from the road. Sorry. Sorry.”
My fingers scrabble at the handles on my cases. Heat burns on my cheeks, and I can’t get away from here fast enough. Who cares if it rains again? But then—
“Stop.”
The low order makes me freeze. I blink at the man through my blonde hair.
He sighs and says, “It’s not safe to go alone. Aiden McRae’s on the other side of the mountain.”
Ah, crap. I’m that lost? Freaking cab driver. Why did I tip him so well? Did he drop me off at the wrong cabin on purpose?
What if they’re some kind of serial killer duo, where the driver leaves unsuspecting women on this man’s deck like gift-wrapped treats? What if this is all some nefarious plan and that hatchet isn’t for logs after all? What if—
“I’ll drive you.” The man ducks through the doorway, finally stepping out into the mountain air, and my stomach swoops. Beneath the beard and the scowl and the general cloud of irritation, this man is… he’s…
I think the word is rugged.
“Um.” I clear my throat, suddenly dazed. “Thank you.”
He’s square-jawed and handsome. Maybe a decade older than me, but his dark hair is thick and his eyes crinkle at the corners. Like he’s been squinting into the sun his whole life, and sunglasses never even crossed his manly mind.
The wood creaks beneath his bulk as he tugs the door closed and comes to pick up my cases. He lifts them as easily as if they were stuffed with feather pillows, which, believe me, they are not. My sewing machine alone weighs more than I do.
Could he lift me with one hand, too?
Not helpful, Luna. Jeez.
“My truck’s back down near the road. You gonna be okay in those shoes?”
I peer down at my gray suede ankle boots, already ruined by the slog up the mountainside. Stray pine needles have stuck to the soaked fabric, and there’s a soggy dark tideline around the tops of my feet. “Yeah. I’m good.”
“Alright, stay close. The animals get bolder around dusk.”
They do?
What kinds of animals? Like cute, fluffy bunnies, right?
A mournful howl drifts through the trees, and I shiver. Sounds like it came from far away—but not far enough. Nowhere near far enough, damn it.
The man’s eyes glitter with amusement as he starts the walk back down the mountainside. “Come on, city girl. Better stay close. You’re the perfect snack size for a grizzly.”
* * *
“I knew there’d be bears and wolves and stuff.”
“Right.”
“I’m just saying. I’m not completely clueless.”
“‘Course not.” The man’s mouth is a flat line, his expression as severe as ever, but somehow I know he’s laughing at me as he loads his truck. It’s a dark blue beater, kept tucked away against a rock face, and I linger extra close as that howl echoes around my brain. It’s still light out, the golden sunshine bleeding through the trees, but the shadows are getting longer.
“Could you, um.” I point at my sewing machine case where it lies on its side in the center of the truck bed. “Could you tie that down or something, please? It’s pretty valuable.”
It’s my whole livelihood, but whatever. No big deal.
The amusement fades, and the man sighs as he digs out two ratchet straps from his truck cab and sets about winching my luggage down tight. I nibble on my lip, watching him work, and feel about three inches tall. Even all the way out here, starting my new life, I’m still a pain in the ass.
“Better, princess?”
I nod, throat tight, and we load into the truck cab in silence.
“Luna,” I say after a while once we’re bouncing along the rocky track. Trees and rocks whip past outside the windows, and squirrels scurry along branches in flashes of fur. “My name is Luna Lindgren.”
I don’t want this man to call me princess. The scathing way he says it, like he knows everything about me already and finds me lacking… it makes me want to cry.
“Griff.”
It takes me a second to realize what he’s saying. “Oh. Hey, Griff.”
We swing around a bend in the road, engine rumbling and truck rocking. Surreptitiously, I check my seat belt is secure.
“So you’re gonna be Luna McRae?” Every time he speaks, the low rumble of his voice takes me by surprise. It’s like I can feel it, vibrating through my body. But hey, maybe that
I glance at my driver, mortified. He knows I’m a mail order bride? Is it that obvious? I mean, it’s not like I’m wandering around in a veil and bridal gown. I’m not ashamed of what I’m doing here, but I’m not exactly out to brag about it either, because what girl wants to admit that she couldn’t find love the ordinary way?
I’m a die hard romantic. A big believer in fate.
And yet the dating scene back in the city… it left me cold. Cold and jaded and lonely.
“Some of the locals call this Mail Order Mountain,” Griff explains, like he somehow read the emotions flitting across my face even with his eyes fixed on the road. “We get a lot of brides turning up here for a fresh start. Grooms, too. Hard to meet someone when it’s just you, your cabin, and some trees.”
Yeah. Aiden said as much in his emails.
“But what’s your excuse?” Dark eyes flick to me, then back to the road. “No one up to your standards in the city, Luna? Or did you want the authentic mountain man experience? A man to chop wood shirtless then carry you back to his cabin? Spread you out by the fire and make you forget about all the hassles of modern life?”
Jerk.
Knotting my fingers in my lap, I glare out of the passenger window in furious silence. Did I think Griff was nice? I was wrong. So wrong. He’s a judgmental asshole who thinks he knows me from one glance, and I can’t wait to get far, far away from him. Aiden McRae’s cabin can’t come soon enough.
Spread me out by the fire. Ugh. Please.
I’ve never been ‘spread’ in my whole life. Jackass.
And the longer we go without speaking, the more pissed off I get, so there’s no use for it. I clear my throat and force the words to come out evenly. “You don’t know me.”
Griff grunts. “I’ve seen it happen around here enough times. City girls swan in, looking for an exotic thrill, and within a few weeks they’re gone, leaving nothing but broken hearts behind. Couldn’t hack the mountain life.”
Did that happen to him? Is that why he’s so grouchy with me? My belly drops at the thought.
“Well, I’m not like that.”
He shrugs, his grip tight on the wheel. “We’ll see.”
Such an ass. I frown out at the trees, their bark tinged blue in the fading light, and hate that I’m reliant on this man to get where I’m going. Hate that he’s helping me out even as he judges me to hell and back.
At least it’s a big mountain. Once I’m tucked up safe with Aiden, I’ll hardly ever see Griff again.
Can’t wait. I’m counting the minutes. The truck lurches beneath me and I grip the door handle with a clammy hand, suddenly feeling sick.
At least when I do see Griff in the future, he’ll know he got me all wrong. That I’m not some tourist here for a whirlwind romance; that I’m here for the long haul.
Because my heart is heavy duty. I may not have been in love before, but I know instinctively—once my heart is gone, it’s gone.
It’s been a long time waiting. Hoping and yearning.
And I sure hope Aiden is the man I’ve been looking for.
Two
Griff
The mail order programs have a lot to answer for. So many broken-hearted idiots mooning around their cabins; so many city slickers trekking out here only to discover that they prefer WiFi to romance after all. As the head of Mountain Rescue, I’ve dug more than my share of rental cars out of the dirt; I’ve saved dozens of runaway brides from winter storms. They always say the same thing: it’s not how they imagined it would be.
Those dreams of romance are dangerous. Literally.
“So.” Luna’s voice is hoarse, but it can’t be from talking. We’ve been bouncing along the rocky dirt track in taut silence, both staring out at the road with our jaws clenched. And I hate hearing the strain in her soft voice, hate knowing that I put it there, but what’s the sense in trying to fix it?
We’ll be at Aiden’s cabin in less than two hours. Two hours, and then she’s another man’s girl to soothe.
“So,” I prompt when she says nothing else. Damn me, I should know better than to take an interest, but there’s something about this girl that piques my curiosity.
She’s beautiful, obviously, with her pale blonde hair and the glacial pools of her eyes. Those rosy cheeks and the dimples when she smiles. When I first opened the door to my cabin, my heart actually skipped a beat, and fuck, I thought that only happened in stories.
That’s not it, though. Not why I can’t resist wanting to know more.
Maybe it’s the way hard steel filled her voice when she said you don’t know me. Putting me in my place for being rude.
Or maybe it’s the floral scent of her, filling the cab of my truck. Is that lavender?
“Tell me about Aiden McRae,” Luna says, and I huff, scowling out at the road.
Do I have to? Do we really need to do this? It’s bad enough that she’s the first woman I’ve felt this strong of a pull towards in—well, ever. Bad enough that I’m delivering her to another man. Now I have to talk him up?
“He’s fine.”
Luna snorts, turning to me at last. Her gaze is like a warm hand coasting over my skin, and I shift in my seat. Urge the truck forward faster, heart thumping as I wrench at the wheel.
“‘Fine’? Are you serious?”
Yup. “He’s seriously fine.”
“Griff, come on. I’m going to marry this guy.”
Don’t remind me. “That’s on you, Luna. You must have talked with him, right? Must have figured out if you were a good fit?”
Fuck. If I’d been signed up to the mail order program, would she still have picked Aiden McRae? Or is there any chance that Luna would have chosen me? Would we have talked for a few months, moving from shy chatting to deeper confessions? When I opened the door to my cabin, would Luna have been on the right deck after all?
Trees whip past the window, faster and faster, and I force myself to press the brakes and go slower. No sense driving like an idiot just because there’s a pool of acid spreading through my chest.
Maybe I should sign up for Soulmate Express after all, dangers of romance be damned. God knows I don’t want to bump into Luna and Aiden down at Cloudy Lake and be the loner. Always watching and wanting. Sighing after another man’s wife like a creep.
Except—no. There’s no point in signing up, and I squeeze the steering wheel until my knuckles creak. Every breath I suck down is laced with lavender.
The girl I want is already matched up. I’m too late.
“Aiden’s…”
What? Am I gonna ruin this for one of the best guys on the mountain? Am I gonna make Luna unhappy just because I’m a jealous ass?
“Aiden’s a good man. You’ll like him, princess.”
Don’t know if that’s what she wants to hear, but I guess we’re done talking again. There’s a soft sigh, and then she stares back out of the window. Mouth pursed, Luna watches the dying light fade away between the trees; the shadows lengthen and pool together on the forest floor as stars wink between the branches.
I wait for the usual comments. The freaked out whispers that it’s so dark here, and creepy at night, and it gets so cold, and she had no idea in the city that this would feel so remote. That maybe we should head down off the mountain to the nearest town right this second.
I wait, but the complaints and escape plans don’t come.
So perhaps I misjudged Luna Lindgren. But as we wind along the mountain path to her fiance, it doesn’t make me feel better. Not at all.
* * *
The road along the mountainside is treacherous at the best of times. Prone to rock slips and flooding, to fallen trees and wayward cars half in ditches, and I trust this road about as much as a hungry bear in springtime.
Shouldn’t have tried to drive it at night, not really. But I took one look at Luna and my instincts started screaming to get her away from me, to put some distance between us, else I’d do something unwise. Something like try to get closer. Something like admit to this hunger for her gnawing on my ribs.
“Not far now,” I tell her, and I’m not sure which of us I’m trying to soothe. “An hour or so, then you’ll be tucked up with Aiden.”
“Spread out by the fire,” Luna says dryly, and I wince. Yeah, that was a dick thing to say. “Will you be okay driving back alone in the dark?”
