Page 37 of Rough and Rugged

She loves creating new characters and losing herself in imaginary worlds whether as a writer or avid reader.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison, she holds a BA in English/Creative Writing as well as a BS in Agriculture from Oregon State University.

Away from the keyboard, she works in special education and volunteers with several non profit organizations. Some of her favorite hobbies include: reading, spending time with her cats, horseback riding, and photography.

Her debut series, Door County Dreams, is a series of five contemporary, small town romance novels set in Door County Wisconsin.

www.ceceliaconway.com

www.linktr.ee/ceceliaconway

Mountains, Marriage & Meant-To-Be

KRISTYN DEMASTER

Tropes

MF, mountain man, marriage of convenience, military veteran

Blurb

Caleb

Gemma Montgomery came crashing into my life when she was 17 and crashing into my heart soon after. Too bad I’m not the man for her – never have been, never will be. I married her to help her out, to protect her the best way I knew how and let her follow her dreams.

The military taught me discipline, the mountain I live on taught me to coexist in peace with my demons, and Gemma… Gemma taught me that the heart wants what the heart wants, no matter how futile it may be.

Gemma

Caleb Scott… big, broody, an injured veteran hiding himself away on a mountain, avoiding contact with everyone but the wolves he loves. Nearly my polar opposite, and also the man who has owned my heart since I was a teenager. Too bad he sees me as his little sister and only married me to help me.

My childhood taught me resilience, the Scott brothers taught me what it was to be family, and Caleb… Caleb taught me that sometimes you have to change your perspective – both literally and figuratively – to get to your meant-to-be.

Mountains, Marriage & Meant-To-Be is book 2 in the Kristyn DeMaster’s Scott Brothers “Love When You Least Expect It” novella series. It is a mountain man, injured veteran, marriage of convenience romance that’s a little spicy and a little sweet. It ends in happily ever after and can be read as a stand-alone.

MOUNTAINS, MARRIAGE & MEANT-TO-BE

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or deceased, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2024 by Kristyn DeMaster. All rights reserved.

Proofreading and editing by Laura Walsh of Peace, Love & Commas Editing Services

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Chapter One

Caleb

Ithadbeenashit day.

All day long, I’d been agitated and restless. I loved the Lupa Wolf Sanctuary. Since the first day I’d started there as a teenager working with the founder, Old Man Riley, it had felt like home, and was now that he’d moved closer to his daughter in town and handed the place over to me. The quiet, the seclusion, the hard physical work... normally it centered me, but not today. The wolves picked up on my mood and were as cranky as I was. Even Lloyd, the only other employee, was giving me the eye and he was the most go-with-the-flow man I’d ever come across.

The whole day, I’d been unable to focus. I’d mixed the supplements wrong for Millie, the newest resident at the sanctuary, and had to start over, cursing myself for wasting resources we didn’t have extra money to replace. I’d had to check my checklist three times while feeding our four other wolves, something I did every damn day and shouldn’t have to check any damn list even once to do correctly. Then I’d gotten pissed off working on the new climbing structure in Millie’s enclosure. I’d finally walked away from it after I chucked my hammer off into the trees in frustration and had to go looking for it, reminding myself it wasn’t the hammer’s fault my messed-up brain made puzzles out of things I’d have done with ease just a year ago.

When the afternoon rolled around, and my wife showed up, I wasn’t sure if things had just gotten better or worse.

Gemma Lee Montgomery Scott.

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