Lumberjack in Love (13 page)

Ami glanced down at the sketch. “I love the princesses,” she whispered. “Who made this? It’s adorable.”

“Your niece. Rachel, Doug and Nat kept stopping by to check on me. I think they were worried.” He cleared his throat. “I might have been moping around town a bit.”

She gently placed the sketch on his kitchen counter and reached for his hand. She took it in both of hers, then brought it to her chest and pressed it against her heart. “I know I’ve been sending you mixed messages. Please forgive me. I wasn’t expecting any of this. I wasn’t expecting
you
.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I want the whole enchilada, too. I understand if you’re mad at me, but I just want you to know. I’ve fallen in love with you, lumberjack. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. And now I can’t imagine my life without you.”

She loves me.

She loves me.

Thank God!

He grabbed her. Cotton against flannel. Denim against leather. Pointy-toed stiletto boots on top of Timberlands. She let out a sob as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. “Jesus, Ami. I’ve been in love with you since the first day you sassed me.”

Her whole body trembled in his embrace. “I’m sorry I was such a big bitch. Forgive me.”

“I love your sarcasm, honey. Don’t you ever change. I love your mix of sweet and spicy. My life was boring as hell before you showed up.” He kissed her neck, tiny little kisses and a brush of his beard, just the way she liked it.

She pulled back and cupped his face. “I missed your hairiness. I’ve been sleeping with a teddy bear in Boston, but it just wasn’t the same thing.”

Marcus chuckled. “Say it again, sweetheart. I want to hear you say it.”

“I love you. How’s that?” Even with her eyes filled with tears, she still managed to look mischievous.

“I love you, too, city slicker.” He couldn’t believe she was finally here. She’d chosen him. He searched her face for any hints of indecisiveness, but she looked completely smitten. “You sure you’ll be happy with a mountain man in the woods? We don’t have a lot of Starbucks up here.”

“I’m sure.”

She graced him with the most beautiful smile in the world. It hit him like a punch in the gut. He was totally whipped.

“You’re sure you’ll be happy with a high-maintenance city slicker and a bunch of princesses? It could get a little bit dicey.”

He laughed. “I’m sure. I know you’re all going to drive me totally nuts.”

“Probably.” She grabbed the front of his T-shirt and pulled him down for a scorching kiss. “Definitely.”

No indecision there.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said.

“You do?”

“Yeah, a project I was working on when…well, at the beginning. When I was hoping you were coming back to me.”

“I came back to you,” she whispered.

“I know.” He took her hand and led her though the dining room and out the back door. “I hope it’s big enough. I wasn’t sure how much room you’d need. But I figured this was good to start.”

“Oh my God! What have you done, Marcus?”

“Just trying to make your dreams come true.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and enjoyed the wonder of her expression.

An enormous plot, maybe fifty feet square, was framed by a white picket fence. There was a gate at the front with a hand-carved wooden sign that read “Ami’s Garden.” Around the perimeter stood a tall wire fence with cautionary plaques and voltage signs.

“I tilled the soil already. I have a friend delivering compost in a week. It will be ready for planting in May.”

“I can’t believe you did this for me.” She flung her arms around his neck and Marcus relished the feel of his woman in his arms. He tightened his hold around her.

“Um, Marcus.”

“Yeah.” Her scent was distracting. He couldn’t stop nuzzling her neck.

“What the hell is the Alcatraz fence?”

She was staring over his shoulder at the garden plot with a confused look on her face.”Oh, that’s to keep the bears out.” He shot her a huge smile. “We have a lot of critters here. Wouldn’t want them to eat all your flowers.”

“You are so thoughtful. Protecting my flowers at all costs. My lumberjack in shining armor.” She rewarded him with a very naughty French kiss. “I love you so much. You have no idea.”

“I think I have some idea.” He rested his forehead against hers. “So, where does this leave us on the ten-year plan, exactly? Just want to be crystal clear on that.” He raised an eyebrow at his future bride.

She smiled brilliantly. “We’re just getting started on our
fifty
-year plan, my darling lumberjack. And I’m looking forward to every minute of it.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PENNY WATSON
is a native Pittsburgher whose love of romance started at the age of twelve when she discovered Gone With The Wind in the middle school library. This resulted in numerous attempts at a first novel involving a young lady with windswept hair who lived in a tree house.

A biologist by training, Penny has worked at various times as a dolphin trainer, science teacher, florist, and turfgrass researcher (don’t ask). Through it all she was a compulsive reader and collector of romance novels. After taking time off to raise her two spirited children, she decided to rekindle her passion for storytelling with the support of a wonderful writer’s group, The Quirky Ladies. Now she gets to incorporate her wide array of interests, including gardening, cooking and travel into her light paranormal stories. Penny lives outside of Boston with one fly-fishing crazed husband, two lively Filipino kids, and a wiener dog.

Please visit Penny’s website:
pennywatsonbooks.com
and her blog
Penelope’s Romance Reviews
for more information about her upcoming releases.

ABOUT THE COVER ARTIST

Anne E.G. Nydam
is an artist working primarily in relief block prints. She portrays whatever strikes her fancy, from flowers to steampunk, animals to architecture, and all kinds of other Interesting Things. You can see more of her work at her web site:
nydamprints.com
. Her nearest approach to the lumberjack lifestyle was a lot of tree-climbing as a child, and she would still love to have a tree house.

More Titles By Penny Watson/Nina Clark

THE KLAUS BROTHERS Series…

What if the legend of Santa Claus is real? What if Santa has five strapping sons who help him run his empire? Five single, sexy sons looking for romance?

SWEET INSPIRATION

Klaus Brothers Series #1

Nicholas Klaus is a master pastry chef, a strict disciplinarian, and the eldest son of the legendary Santa Claus. One look at café owner Lucy Brewster sends him into an unexpected tailspin of lusty desires. When Lucy is injured, Nicholas makes a decision that catapults both of their lives into turmoil…

Lucy Brewster, the free-spirited proprietor of Sweet Inspiration, has a flair for concocting sugary confections but no time for adventure. She gets more than she bargained for when she awakens in the North Pole…rambunctious elves, a fitness-obsessed Santa, and the man of her dreams. Does she have what it takes to become the next Mrs. Klaus?

Sweet Inspiration
will be re-released for the 2012 holiday season.

SWEET MAGIK

Klaus Brothers Series #2

Oskar Klaus’ job is killing him. Not even his favorite hobbies (extreme snowboarding and browsing old bookstores) are enough to snap him out of his funk. It’s not easy living in the shadow of four successful older brothers and a father named Santa. Little does he know that a kiss on New Year’s Eve is about to turn his life upside-down.

Kiana Grant’s Manhattan life is a world away from her childhood in Oahu. She traded sunsets and surfing for a respectable career in library science, but Oskar Klaus is a temptation that’s hard to resist. Before she knows it, she’s in the midst of an outrageous adventure in the North Pole, dealing with mischievous elves, wicked demons, and a devastating attraction to Santa’s youngest son.

There’s just one problem…a bitter elf hell-bent on revenge threatens the future of everyone in the North Pole, even Santa himself…

Sweet Magik
is now available on Amazon!

SWEET ADVENTURE

Klaus Brothers Series #3

What happens when a tabloid reporter decides to investigate Sven Klaus, Chief Toy Designer for the North Pole? A very unlikely adventure…

Coming Christmas 2013

SWEET DESTINY

Klaus Brothers Series #4

The final installment for the series. Which Klaus brother will be the next Santa Claus? Find out!

Coming Christmas 2013

COMING SOON!
A Brand New Series by Nina Clark and Sara Pulver—

LUCY THE WONDER WEENIE!

Lucy is just an ordinary weenie dog until she consumes a pile of magic beans. Then she is transformed into a superhero with surprising results. Stay tuned for this whimsical and quirky story, written by Nina Clark and illustrated by Sara Pulver.

Because every dog’s a superhero.

Visit Nina Clark on
Facebook.

Visit Sara Pulver’s
website.