by Abby Brooks
Praise for Abby Brooks
“Abby Brooks is a wizard with Beyond Us—entertaining and pure enjoyment!”
Adriana Locke—USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author
“A masterful blend of joy and angst.
Praise for Abby Brooks
“With just the perfect amount of angst and remarkable character development, Abby Brooks has crafted a masterpiece…”
Praise for BEYOND WORDS
"Once again Abby Brooks creates a world filled with beautifully written characters that you cannot help but fall in love with.”
Praise for BEYOND LOVE
"A lovely story of growing beyond your past, taking control of your life, and allowing yourself to be loved for the person you are."
Melanie Moreland—New York Times Bestselling Author, in praise of Wounded
“Abby Brooks writes books that draw readers right into the story. When you read about her characters, you want them to be your friends.”
Praise for Abby Brooks
615 Forever Way
A Cherry Falls Romance
Abby Brooks
Copyright © 2021 by Abby Brooks
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.
WILDROSE LANDING
Fearless
Shameless
THE HUTTON FAMILY
Beyond Words
Beyond Love
Beyond Now
Beyond Us
Beyond Dreams
It’s Definitely Not You - Joe’s story
The Hutton Family Series - Part 1
The Hutton Family Series - Part 2
A BROOKSIDE ROMANCE
Wounded
Inevitably You
This Is Why
Along Comes Trouble
Come Home To Me
A Brookside Romance - the Complete Series
WILDE BOYS WITH WILL WRIGHT
Taking What Is Mine
Claiming What Is Mine
Protecting What Is Mine
Defending What Is Mine
THE MOORE FAMILY
Finding Bliss
Faking Bliss
Instant Bliss
Enemies-to-Bliss
THE LONDON SISTERS
Love Is Crazy (Dakota & Dominic)
Love Is Beautiful (Chelsea & Max)
Love Is Everything (Maya & Hudson)
The London Sisters - the Complete Series
IMMORTAL MEMORIES
Immortal Memories Part 1
Immortal Memories Part 2
AS WREN WILLIAMS
Bad, Bad Prince
Woodsman
Contents
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
Epilogue
Also by Abby Brooks
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Chapter One
Morgan
My hands were too full, and I knew it. Instead of juggling three different hammers, four brands of nails, and my phone, I should have used the basket provided by the store. I knew I was being stubborn not to, but that didn’t stop me. I couldn’t put anything in the basket until I decided which one I wanted to buy…and that was where it all fell apart.
How did one judge the value of a hammer? How many different sizes of nails did a person need? What was a washer, and why did I need them for screws?
Who would have thought buying supplies for a project would be so hard?
Maybe the answers would be in the plans I’d found online.
Shuffling the mess of items around in my arms, I pulled the instructions up on my phone. The shopping basket I’d draped over my forearm shifted and the plastic scraped across my wrist.
I lurched.
Yelped.
Dropped one hammer. Then another. Then one more. They hit the ground with a clunk, a ding, and a bong before my phone slipped from my hands and clattered to the floor, bouncing off every single corner before it finally clonked face down on the cement.
“No!” I stared in shock, hoping, praying, begging it was okay. The darn thing was brand new—replacing the one with the broken screen I’d carried for years.
Not to be outdone, the handle on the basket broke, dropping the rest of my purchases to the floor at my feet. The racket echoed around the shop and I closed my eyes in embarrassment.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” I whispered to the mess.
“Everything okay back there?” A masculine voice came from the front of the store.
I peeked down the empty aisle, nodding even though no one was in sight. “Yeah. I’m good.”
At least I hoped so. I’d know for sure once I saw that screen.
I dropped to the floor, shifting the hammers, nails, screws, brackets, and other things I’d forgotten the name of away from my phone. By some blessed mercy, the screen was intact and I clutched it to my chest, sighing in relief. I’d come to Cherry Falls to get a fresh start. The old Morgan Montgomery carried around broken phones because she was too frugal to replace them. The new Morgan Montgomery took better care of her stuff.
I surveyed the mess at my feet.
Or…she would once she’d completed her transformation.
Footsteps caught my attention. I looked up to find a man ambling toward me, the one I’d tried not to ogle when I walked in. Thick, dark hair framed expressive eyes. Strong cheekbones highlighted supple lips. A smattering of stubble accentuated strong cheekbones. Impressive biceps tested the limits of a red polo emblazoned with the store logo—a cherry tree and an axe—and I couldn’t let myself think about what was happening in his jeans or my brain would melt down. I sneaked a peek anyway. Yep. There it was. Total hotness initiating a complete loss of words.
“You sure you’re okay?” His eyes widened when he saw the mess on the floor. “You know, we typically suggest putting the items in the basket. Keeps stuff like this from happening.”
My pride bristled. “You know what? That’s a great idea. I’ll try that next time. Or…” I extended a finger and lifted an eyebrow. “I would if the baskets were more reliable.”
Straightening, I held up the defective handle as proof, omitting the fact that I had, in fact, been carrying too many things at once which…was what led to the disaster in the first place.
“Look at that. Never seen something like this happen before. I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry.” He took the basket and extended a hand. “I’m Reuben Cantal. You just moved here this spring, right?”
I accepted his hand with a wary glance. It was roughened by use, but warm and strong. My lady parts held up a Yes, please! sign but I waved off their excitement. I had too much on my plate to worry about men, no matter how sexy they were.
Or how rugged.
Pay no attention to the fact that he was exactly my type.
Tall, dark, and confident with a broad chest and an impressive set of biceps—
Focus, Morgan!
I cleared my throat and refocused on the conversation. “I did move here in the spring, but how do you know that? Should I be worried? You don’t look like the stalker type, but…” I feigned a dramatic shrug. “Never can be too careful, you know.”
Reuben laughed, the corner of his mouth twitching int
o a cocky grin. “You must be new to small towns. Everyone knows everyone else in Cherry Falls. The best part? Everyone talks. And the beautiful stranger who bought the old Crocker place? Primetime gossip.”
“Look at me, hitting primetime. My parents would be so proud.” I put a hand to my heart and smiled at the ceiling. “What else do you know about me?”
“That’s the thing. The reason no one can pass up a chance to talk about you. You’ve been here a couple months now and that’s all anyone knows.” He shifted his weight, folding his arms over his chest as his gaze took the scenic route around my face. “It’s tantalizing.”
What was tantalizing was his smile, the way it quirked higher on one side. The way his eyes crinkled in the corners. Those broad shoulders and powerful arms.
“And here I was, just about to introduce myself.” I grinned. “I’d hate to ruin the mystery, though…”
Reuben leaned close. “Could you imagine how in demand I’d be if I was the only person here who knew your name?”
What the heckity-heck are you doing? Flirting? Really? You moved to Cherry Falls specifically to simplify your life and learn to do things on your own and you’re freaking flirting? Doesn’t seem much like simplifying, now does it?
Ignoring my inner voice, I extended my arms in a “tada” gesture. “Morgan Montgomery, at your service.”
Reuben pumped his fist. “You have no idea how popular you just made me.”
“I guess I’ll keep the rest to myself then. Draw out the suspense.” I lowered myself to the floor to gather everything I dropped. “In the basket, you say? That’s the better plan of attack?”
Reuben nodded, kneeling to help. He eyed the items as he picked them up. “This seems like a DIY starting from super scratch. Who doesn’t have a hammer or three laying around?”
I pretended to zip my lips, then smiled. “Shroud of mystery,” I said, waving my hand around my face.
I could freaking talk to this guy all day. Smart, funny, and lumbersexually hot? My lady parts held up another Yes, please! sign.
Once my potential purchases were rearranged and put neatly in a new basket with a stronger handle, we stood awkwardly looking for more to talk about. I couldn’t speak for him, but I was both out of things to say and unready to end the conversation.
“Seriously though.” Reuben’s eyes met mine. “As the owner of Cherrywood Lumber & Hardware, I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer my assistance. What are we building?” He rubbed his hands together and placed them underneath his chin as he awaited my response.
I peeked over my shoulder, then beckoned him forward. He obliged me in my game, leaning in close enough for me to catch his masculine scent…strong, woody, with a hint of citrus. Yum!
“I’m building a chicken coop,” I whispered, as if he was right and half the town was waiting one aisle over for more info.
“A chicken coop? With a hammer and nails?” He looked at me with concern. “Have you ever built anything like this before?”
“Well, no. But I found these plans online and I mean, how hard can it be?”
I knew that look. It was the look every man gave a woman when he thought she was in over her head. A little smile, a lift of the eyebrows. A whole lot of ‘aren’t you adorable’ wrapped up with a kiss of condescension and patronization. It was the look my father gave me when I said I wanted to move to Cherry Falls. The look my doctor gave me when I said I wanted to stop hopping from prescription to prescription and try growing my own food. The look that made me want to double down and prove them all wrong.
Reuben grimaced. “With all due respect, putting together a chicken coop can be very hard, especially if you’ve never built anything before.”
“What makes you say I don’t have any experience building things?”
He was right, of course. The only thing I’d ever built was a nightstand, and I’d used a butterknife to tighten the screws because I didn’t own a screwdriver. If he hadn’t pricked my pride, I would have admitted my inexperience and asked for help. I just couldn’t stand the thought of being judged on nothing but my appearance and the contents of a shopping basket.
Reuben pointed to a hammer. “Exhibit A. Someone with experience would already own one of those.”
I lifted my chin. “Maybe I needed a couple more.”
“Or maybe you’d own a nail gun. Though, the clincher was when I asked you if you’d built anything before and you said no.” He held up his hands as if he’d just won the argument. “Just sayin.’”
I sighed. “Okay. Truth. I’ve never built anything in my life other than a nightstand.” I omitted the butterknife info on the grounds that it would only further weaken my position. “But honestly, I feel like I should be able to do this.”
I carefully placed the basket on the ground and pulled out my phone, where I’d saved the plans for the cutest backyard chicken coop. As proudly as if I’d built the thing myself, I showed Reuben the pictures.
And…there it was again. That face that said he had zero faith I’d be able to pull this off. “That looks…”
“Adorable? I love the little rectangular stuff over the door. And the windows with the flower boxes underneath?” I shrugged. “It’s everything I want. Happy chickens lay healthy eggs, right?”
“The rectangular stuff? You mean the dentil molding?”
“Sure. If that’s what it’s called.”
Reuben gave me a long look, and I wasn’t a fan of what I saw behind his eyes. “I’d be happy to help, if you’ve got your mind set on that particular coop. I could come over this weekend—”
I held up my hands. “That is incredibly nice of you but completely unnecessary. I need to do this myself. I want to do this myself. And…I believe I can do this myself.”
He didn’t look convinced. “I have some prefab kits. Maybe you could start with one of those and decorate?”
There was a line when helpful became patronizing and he’d just crossed it. How many times did I need to say I wanted to do this my way?
“I’m gonna pass on the kit but thank you. I’m perfectly capable of doing this.”
“If that’s the way you want it.”
“That’s the way I want it.” With a decisive nod, I turned on my heel in search of the rest of my supplies. A few steps later, I realized I had no idea where I was going or how to find the remainder of the stuff on my list. I stopped, sighed, and turned back around.
Humor danced through Reuben’s eyes as he smiled. “Forget something?”
With a lift of my chin and a perfectly confident tone I said, “Yes, I need wood, please.”
His eyes bulged. His mouth opened and his head cocked and he let out a surprised laugh that had me replaying my line in my head.
Oh, for fuck’s sake! Did I really just ask the sexy stranger I’d been kinda sorta flirting with for freaking wood?
Of course I did.
Way to come off cool, calm, and collected, Morgo.
“You, uh, need some wood?” One side of Reuben’s mouth quirked up and all I could do was laugh. He looked so unsure how to handle my little slip of the tongue that my embarrassment faded away.
“Of the building variety, yeah.”
“Well, Morgan Montgomery, constructor of deluxe chicken coops and newest Cherry Falls resident, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve got all the wood you could ever need.”
I bet you do, whispered my libido and my eyes couldn’t help drifting downward to check.
“You’re proud of yourself for that one, aren’t you?” I asked a grinning Reuben.
“Of course I am.” He slid his hands in his pockets and puffed out his chest. “And you will be too, once I show you what I’ve got.”
Chapter Two
Reuben
From her impractical boots to her manicured nails, the rich brown hair sliding in looping curls down her back to her full lips painted a vivid red, Morgan Montgomery screamed “not from around here.”
Her complete inability to accept he
lp or recognize she was in over her head with that chicken coop confirmed for me what everyone had been speculating: she’d probably moved here from the city. Boy, was she in for a fucking wake up call. City life was nothing like life out here. We moved slower. Thought more. Took time to get to know our neighbors. Offers of help were genuine, but you damn well better be prepared to reciprocate.
Morgan arched one eyebrow. “So this massive wood you’re talking about. You gonna show me? Or do I have to find it myself?”
Her eyes twinkled with humor, but there was fire underneath, and for some reason, I fucking loved it. Normally, I’d find her overestimation of her abilities annoying. But in this small but mighty package? It was adorable. It’d get her in trouble, but I’d be there to bail her out once she admitted she had no clue what she was doing.
“You won’t have a hard time finding it. Believe me on that one.” I smirked, enjoying the double entendre. Maybe a little too much, if the way she narrowed her eyes had anything to say about it. She raised an expectant brow and cocked her head.
Right. Moving on.
“The lumberyard’s back here.” I gestured for her to follow me to the back of the store, where I held open the door for her to exit first.
On the outside, it looked like chivalry, which it was. I raised myself right. But…letting her walk in front of me gave me ample time to appreciate the view. Impractical or not, those boots made her legs look amazing, and the sway of her hips? Fucking captivating—
