Mountain Man's Bride: A Marriage of Convenience Romance, page 1
MOUNTAIN MAN’S BRIDE
MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE ROMANCE
BROTHERS OF WINTER ROCK
BOOK ONE
T. THOMAS
Copyright ©November 2023 by T. Thomas
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Formatting: Tiff Writes Romance
Cover Design: Tiff Writes Romance
Editing: Tiff Writes Romance
Proofreading: Kimberly Peterson
For Riley, my reason for everything that I do.
For readers who love cowboys, mountain men, overbearing OTT men, and the marriage of convenience trope.
CONTENTS
Books in the Series
Note from the Author:
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
Also by T. Thomas
About the Author
BOOKS IN THE SERIES
Mountain Man’s Bride
Mountain Man’s Soldier
Mountain Man’s Criminal
Mountain Man’s Baby
Mountain Man’s Comfort
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book contains an FMC who has type 1 diabetes which has not been properly managed since her diagnosis. I have used two sensitivity readers for this book, but if I have not properly represented the type 1 diabetic community, please do not hesitate to reach out directly via my email: authorthomast@gmail.com, Instagram, or Facebook.
Thank you and happy reading,
T. Thomas
PROLOGUE
Everlee
The doctor frowned down at me once he finally ripped his eyes from his clipboard, which he’d been staring at for what felt like an eternity. “Everlee, why aren’t you on insulin yet? You were diagnosed with diabetes months ago.”
I winced. How did I explain to a doctor, who seemed to have an endless supply of money to dip into, that I couldn’t afford to have diabetes, that I couldn’t afford the insulin I needed to get my sugars under control? Insulin was necessary, but with as expensive as it was, especially for a person like me without health insurance, it was treated as more of a luxury.
I couldn’t even afford these doctor bills that I kept racking up every time I fainted and someone called 9-1-1 for me. I was working two jobs, both of them part-time positions, which meant health insurance wasn’t something they had to offer. And even then, health insurance premiums were too high for someone like me to afford. Because that would then come out of one of my checks, and I barely scraped even on bills every month. As it was, I was surviving off of ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I knew that didn’t help my current situation, but when you only have a dollar to spare, ramen noodles were the cheapest thing to grab.
I shrugged at the doctor. He sighed. “You need to get in to see an endocrinologist, Everlee. Don’t play with your health. One day, we’re not going to be able to help you. Do you understand that?”
Swallowing thickly, I nodded. I knew the risks associated with not seeing a proper doctor and getting on the right medications to help me live a stable life, but when you couldn’t afford something, you just couldn’t. And there was no way around that.
“I’ll do my best, doc.” It wasn’t a lie. I was already doing my best. Just my best wasn’t enough. But it was all I had.
His frown deepened. It was obvious he didn’t believe me. But there was nothing I could do about that. Life was life, and mine sucked.
I signed off on my discharge papers so I could finally leave the hospital. My best friend and roommate, Charlie, was waiting outside for me in her almost thirty-year-old Honda Civic. It seemed to be broken down more than it ever ran, but today was my lucky day. I didn’t have to catch a bus home. That was two dollars and seventy-five cents saved.
“Don’t hate me,” she said as soon as I got into the car. If there was one thing to know about Charlie, she couldn’t keep quiet about anything to save her life—not if she was eager to tell someone. But I loved her despite it. She was one of the only people in this world to never let me down. She even cried with me when I found out I was a type one diabetic, which was uncurable. I was stuck with it for the rest of my life.
Just another crap thing to add to my overflowing plate of crappy situations.
“What did you do?” I asked her, already on guard.
She winced. “I, um, might have got you some help?”
I arched a brow at her, not following why I would hate her for getting me help. “Help?” I questioned, wondering where exactly she was going with this. “What kind of help, Charlie?”
She grimaced. Immediately, I knew I wasn’t going to like whatever came out of her mouth next, but nothing could have prepared me for what she’d done. “So… I came across an ad on Facebook. It was for like, I don’t know, a mail-order bride kind of thing?” Oh, God. “I might have filled out your information and submitted it.”
“Charlie!” I yelled at her, my face paling.
“Please don’t be mad!” she begged me, swinging her wide eyes to mine as we stopped at a red light. “I was just trying to help, and you keep getting worse, and,” tears filled her eyes, breaking my heart, “I don’t know what else to do, Ever!” I sighed, my gut cramping at her tears. “I know it’s terrifying for you, but this is scary for me, too. You’re like my sister, and I can’t lose you.”
“Oh, Charlie,” I whispered, reaching over to grab her hand in mine. I sighed, tears burning in my eyes, too. “The doctor warned me that one day, they might not be able to save me.” It hurt me to say those words, but I never lied to Charlie. My lips trembled. “If one of these guys has something real to offer that could help me, I guess it wouldn’t be the end of the world, would it?” It might even be my only hope of getting help before my diabetes ended up killing me.
She sniffled. “You might have to leave me to go live with him.”
I frowned. “I don’t like that.”
She squeezed my hand before releasing it to make a left turn. “I know, but we have to think about you right now, Ever. And your health is declining rapidly. We’ll figure everything else out, but no matter how far you might have to move, I am always just a phone call away. We’ll always be family, whether whoever you happen to marry likes it or not.”
I smiled at her, but inside, I was a bundle of nerves. Leaving her, my best friend, my only family, to marry a stranger who might be able to help me was terrifying and risky.
But honestly, I was already playing a risk by never seeing an endocrinologist and never getting on insulin.
Possibly marrying a psycho couldn’t be too much worse, could it?
My phone pinged as I was brushing my hair. Frowning, I grabbed it off the counter and looked at the screen.
I had a new email from a weird email account I hadn’t seen before: trippwalker87@gmail.com.
Curious, I clicked the link and opened it.
Everlee,
Hello. I just received your application from On the Dotted Line, and I was very interested in your responses. I’d like to possibly meet you and get to know one another. Based on your application, I think we could come to a mutual agreement that benefits both of us.
A little information about me: I’m thirty-six years old, and I live in Montana. My four brothers and I inherited the ranch we live and work on from our parents. One of us has to be wed for the inheritance to be unlocked and given to us, so I’m biting the bullet for all of us, so to speak.
Between the money I have now and the inheritance from my parents, I’d have more than enough to help you with whatever you may need. I know you have medical expenses, and I can definitely help with that.
We can discuss paying off rent, moving expenses, etc., if we happen to be compatible and we would both like to move forward.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Tripp Walker
Holy crap. A rancher—and a wealthy one at that—had emailed me about the application Charlie had submitted! I almost couldn’t believe it. It really almost felt too good to be true.
I drew in a shaky breath. Part of me wanted to delete his email and never think about it again. Part of me just wanted to try to figure this out on my own. But I knew I needed help. I had the kind of problems that money could solve most of.
I blew out a soft breath, and with my phone in my hand, I took a seat on my bed and began to respond to his email, hoping I wasn’t making a grave mistake as I did so.
CHAPTER 1
Tripp
Icouldn’t believe I was doing this. What in the world was wrong with me? I had to be out of my mind to even consider this. Was I seriously picking up a potential bride from the airport, a woman I’d never met before in my life? For all I knew, she could be a serial killer.
&n
I silently cursed my parents—rest their souls—for this stupid marriage clause. I understood that they were hopeless romantics, but my brothers and I were not. We were just happy being single and working the ranch.
“Hope you’re rolling over in your grave for this, Dad,” I muttered as I glanced in my mirror to switch lanes. I was getting close to the airport, and it seemed like the traffic was getting worse, along with the drivers. Seriously, where in the world did people learn to drive? And who the hell let some of these people get their licenses? I hit the brake and laid on my horn when someone cut me off, almost making me rear-end them.
This was why I stayed in my small town, up on my mountain. No traffic. No dumb drivers to worry about. I wasn’t built for the city.
Finally, I was in the parking garage, luckily unscathed. I put my truck into park and killed the engine before getting out, beeping my truck locked before I headed across the small bridge that led into the airport. After riding down an escalator, I scanned the baggage claim area before finally finding the board that would tell me where Everlee’s flight’s luggage would be. We’d agreed to meet there so we both felt safe for our first meeting.
Our emails back and forth led me to believe she was a sweet woman in need of some financial help. Nothing about her had been alarming, though I could tell she was just a little bit cautious about this whole thing.
Still, emails could be deceiving, so I was on guard.
After scanning the board, I found her flight, and beside it in a little blue box was the number eight. I headed in that direction and scanned the small crowd around the luggage carousel for the dark-haired woman. She’d sent me a picture of herself, and I was a bit ashamed to admit how often I’d stared at it.
She was beautiful, really. I imaged in person, she’d probably take my breath away. Her dark hair was naturally wavy, and there was a tiredness in her dark eyes that was soul-deep—a tiredness I could relate to. It came from hard work and little rest. Freckles lined her cheekbones, and her nose was small and slightly turned up at the end.
My heart skipped a beat in my chest when I landed my eyes on her. She was clutching a small blanket in her hands, watching the luggage nervously for her own. I made my way to her, keeping my steps casual. She looked at me as I neared her, her eyes widening in surprise, her light pink lips parting the tiniest bit.
“Everlee?” I asked.
She smiled then, and it almost brought me to my knees. This woman was straight trouble, and I didn’t even care. She could be a serial killer, and I’d probably willingly lie at her feet.
She quickly held her hand out to me. “Hi. Yes. Everlee. I’m Everlee.” Her cheeks darkened with a blush when I chuckled at her cute rambling and shook her hand. “I, um, thank you for coming to get me.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Everlee. I’m Tripp.” Reluctantly, I dropped her smaller hand. It’d been a little cool, and I so badly wanted to warm her up. “You seen your luggage yet?”
She frowned and shook her head. “I was so nervous about missing my flight that I was the first person for my flight at the gate.” Her cheeks colored a little more. “It’ll probably take it a minute to get around to us.”
I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “You hungry?” I asked her as I settled in beside her to wait. “We can grab some lunch and talk before I drive you out to the ranch.”
She nodded. “I need to eat, so yeah. Food sounds nice.” She smiled, glancing up at me from beneath thick lashes, her dark eyes still seeming tired, even though they twinkled with happiness. “Thanks, Tripp.”
I shrugged. “Of course.”
“Oh, there’s my bag!” she exclaimed, pointing at it. I quickly moved forward and lifted the small, plain gray suitcase. It was light, so I guess she hadn’t packed much.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” I jerked my chin in the direction of the exit. “The city makes my skin crawl.”
She giggled, and my heart tripped in my chest. I never wanted her to stop laughing.
“So, you know why I need this marriage,” I began once we had our food in front of us, “but you didn’t ever say why you need it. Just medical bills. Is it more than that?”
Everlee sighed, frowning now, her smile gone like it had never been there in the first place. I didn’t like that. The disappearance of her smile actually made my chest hurt.
What in the world was wrong with me?
“I, um, I’m a type one diabetic.” I blinked. “It’s not curable, and the insulin I need is way too expensive for me to afford. I’ve been in and out of the hospital since I found out due to fainting episodes from high and low blood sugars.”
I had expected anything but that. Honestly, even cancer had crossed my mind. But diabetes? Never would I have guessed it.
I cleared my throat. “While you’re here, I can get you in to see a doctor and get you on some medications,” I told her. “Even if we decide not to go through with this, just consider it a gift for giving me your time.”
She shook her head, but I arched a brow at her. I wasn’t backing down on this. I didn’t know much about type one diabetes, but if she was seeking to be a bride to someone wealthy like me, it was obviously a pretty serious condition. I couldn’t, in good conscious, not do something to help her.
“Everlee, it’s not up for discussion. You need medication, and I can help. Let me help. It’s what I do.”
She sighed, giving in easily, thankfully. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it. But the bill might be extremely high.”
“Hush,” I gently chided. A small smile tilted her lips. I pointed my fork toward her salad. “Eat your food. I’ll call the doctor when we get to the ranch and make an appointment for you tomorrow.”
Her brows pulled low over her eyes. “That fast?”
I chuckled. “It’s a small town, darlin’. Not to mention, my brothers and I are well-liked. It’ll be that fast. In fact, he’ll probably want to see you first thing in the morning. You just let me handle all that, you hear?”
She nodded, a pretty blush staining her cheeks again.
Not even an hour in her presence, and I was ready to put her name with mine on a marriage certificate and take care of her. I knew it without a doubt. It was a fact that had settled in my mind like a cement block dropped into a lake.
Something was seriously wrong with me. But I didn’t dwell on it. If there was one thing I’d learned from my parents, it was to just go with the flow. Fighting my feelings would never get me anything but a headache and a bad mood.
CHAPTER 2
Tripp
My backdoor opened, and I glanced up from my phone, already knowing it was my brothers. I’d texted them about thirty minutes ago, letting them know I’d made it safely back to the house, and that yes, Everlee was with me. She’d laid down for a nap shortly after we got here, and I couldn’t blame her. She was probably severely jet-lagged from flying all the way from Florida to Montana. I was always exhausted after flying, even if it was a short flight. And hers had been long, not to mention she’d crossed time zones.
“I still think you’re out of your mind,” Nash said as his greeting, falling onto the couch next to me. “Seriously, we don’t even need the funds, Tripp.”
I shook my head. “She does,” I muttered. “And lower your voice. She’s sleeping.”
“You brought here here?” Nash incredulously asked. “I thought that was a joke, bro. Why would you bring a stranger into your house? You don’t know anything about her.”
“Shut up,” Eli snapped at him. “Jesus Christ, Nash, you can be annoying.”
