Book 2: The Mountain Monroes
Snowed in with the Single Dad
Never trust a Monroe—especially if she steals your heart!
To mayor and single dad Mitch Kincaid, Second Chance, Idaho, is something of a time capsule, and he wants to keep it that way. His problem? Gorgeous pregnant redhead Laurel Monroe, who, along with her family, now owns the town. But sometimes all it takes is an unexpected opportunity—and a snowstorm—to turn Mitch’s bad first impressions into a second chance at love!
Tropes: second chance romance, single dad, surprise pregnancy, twin switch, enemies to lovers
Excerpt:
“Don’t encourage the Monroes.”
Standing in the kitchenette of the Lodgepole Inn, Laurel Monroe stopped steeping her tea bag, stopped mentally mending the tears in the fabric of her life, and paused, trying to place that voice.
Masculine.
Three men were living or staying at the inn. Authoritative. Two were natural-born leaders.
Presumptuous.
Given her father wasn't in town, that narrowed it down to one. Mitch Kincaid, mayor of Second Chance, Idaho, and the man who ran the Lodgepole Inn. A month ago she’d thought Mitch had kind eyes. Three weeks ago he’d held her head when she’d been too weak to keep it out of the toilet. And then last week he’d cast shade on her family, the wealthy Monroes, not once but three times!
“Dad.” A much younger, feminine voice reached Laurel.
“Gabby.” Masculine. Authoritative. Presumptuous. That was Mitch, all right, talking to his preteen daughter. “We're not going to make friends with the Monroes. They need to leave town before it's too late.”
Too bad for Mitch that the Monroes owned Second Chance. It was their town to ruin.
“All I’m saying is I don’t want you hanging out with the Monroes, especially Laurel.” Mitch opened the door behind the check-in desk and saw Laurel.
Mouth dry, Laurel stopped dipping her tea bag. They stared at each other in silence.
Mitch Kincaid carried himself like he should be wearing a suit and tie and standing in the corner office of a high rise. Solidly built, tall and proud. Thick, dark hair cut short. Intelligent brown eyes that could easily read any situation. But he wasn’t wearing a suit or surveying the world from a corner office. Mitch wore a navy cotton sweater over faded blue jeans and stood in an inn built entirely from logs. It was just that he wore the casual attire the same way he spoke. With authority.
Not that Laurel or her cousins acknowledged his authority as mayor. And maybe that was part of Mitch’s problem. He had no control over what happened in town next and that seemed to be making him cranky.
Case in point, he made a grumpy noise to acknowledge Laurel.
“Bad morning, Counselor?” Laurel returned her attention to her tea, stung that she was the villain in this scenario. And Mitch? He could’ve acknowledged her testy greeting with a muttered apology. Or a cocky eyebrow quirk. Instead, he went for a repeat of the grumpy noise. Laurel had a grumpy noise, too. But before she could use it, the aroma of bacon drifted from the plate Mitch carried, turning Laurel’s stomach—once, twice, a third time.
Baby doesn’t like bacon.
Which was a shame, because Laurel loved bacon. Maple bacon. Smoked bacon. Crispy bacon with burned edges. Laurel disposed of the tea bag and willed her stomach to stop doing barrel rolls. “Are you going to eat that? As in immediately?”
“Is that Laurel?” Gabby poked her young face around Mitch’s wide chest, lisping slightly from her new retainer. “Hi!” Gabby’s smile was bright. Her intelligent dark eyes and quick wit seemed to be a gift from her father. Presumably, her long, straight strawberry-blond hair was a gift from her mother, who wasn’t around and apparently never had been. “Ignore him, Laurel.” Gabby poked her father in the ribs. “His bark is worse than his bite.”
“So you keep telling me.” Laurel tried to discount the way nausea crept up her throat. “Are you going to eat all that bacon?”
“Smells good, doesn’t it?” Mitch was no longer looking at Laurel or he might have noticed her green pallor. “Did you want some? I made plenty.”
“No.” Laurel took a step back and breathed shallowly.
Baby definitely doesn’t like bacon.
Despite Laurel’s best efforts, the aroma of greasy bacon filled her nostrils. Her stomach took a nosedive. “Could you…eat a little quicker?” She waved her hand in the air trying to encourage Mitch to eat up.
Mitch gently pushed Gabby back and closed the door in her face, eliciting a muffled, “Da-ad.” “Ignore me and my bark, darling daughter.” Mitch went to the check-in desk and deposited his plate there, sparing Laurel a half grin. “How are you this morning?”
If you smile at me like that any longer, I might forget you consider me and my family the plague of Second Chance.
People rarely considered Laurel trouble, if they considered her at all. She averted her gaze. “If you’re asking did I upchuck in my room last night, the answer is no. If you’re asking if I might lose it now, well… Baby is undecided.”
“Ah.” Mitch bit into a piece of bacon and chewed slowly. He slid Laurel a look that said many things.
Thank heavens this Monroe won’t try to snitch my bacon.
Thank heavens this Monroe didn’t get sick in the bathroom I have to clean later.
Thank heavens this Monroe isn’t bringing up the conversation she just overheard.
Laurel wasn’t about to let Mitch get by on that last one. “Is there something you want to get off your chest?” Your very tall, broad chest.
Baby was undercutting Laurel’s perspective when it came to men. Really, Baby was only undercutting Laurel’s perspective when it came to this man.
The Story Behind the Story
Probably the most joyous part of writing this book was the unexpected appearance of Gabby on the page. She’s in that awkward phase where she’s not yet a teen - bras on, braces off, independence reached for. Without meaning to, she’s both a catalyst and an obstacle to the romance. Is anything ever smooth where pre-teens are concerned?
Cookies: look for cookies planted in this book that show up in Book 6 & 7. Plus Gabby plays a big role in these books, too.
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