Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Yup. Background in military, then contract work, now with Dean’s firm full time. Denver branch is new—we’re building it out. Asher’s running point.”
“Is that why you transferred?”
He gives a thoughtful nod. “Part of it. I needed a change. Less city chaos, more clean air and good people.” He throws me a smile that does funny things to my stomach. “And now here I am rescuing stranded influencers.”
I grin. “You know?”
“The shoes,” he says, eyes twinkling. “You may be wearing yoga pants, but those are influencer-level sneakers. Plus, I recognized you. Melanie Chase, right?”
My cheeks warm. “Guilty.”
“Well, your rescue pups are about to have a hell of a photographer.”
For the next twenty minutes, the conversation flows easily—Lucas’s a great listener with a dry wit, and every time he smiles I catch myself wanting to lean closer. We talk about the rescue, about my social accounts, about life in the mountains. Turns out he’s got a rescue dog of his own—Max, a three-legged lab mix.
“You’ll have to bring Max by the ranch,” I say as we round a bend, the cabin coming into view. Warm lights glow through the big windows, and a few dog silhouettes bounce happily behind the fence.
“Deal.” He glances at me, smile softer now. “And next time you drive up here—make sure you’ve got a spare.”
I laugh, unbuckling my seatbelt. “Next time I’ll just call you first.”
He parks beside the cabin, engine idling. I turn to him, heart still fluttering from the unexpected rescue and this surprisingly charming ride.
“Thanks again, Lucas. Really.”
He meets my gaze, voice low. “Anytime, Melanie.”
Our eyes linger a beat too long before I grab my bags and hop down, cheeks flushed. Charlotte waves from the porch, calling out, “You made it! What happened?”
Asher appears beside her, frowning like the protective big brother he is until Lucas steps out.
“Lucas?” Asher says, brows lifting. “You two know each other?”
“Now we do,” Lucas says easily, eyes flicking back to me with a smile.
And just like that, my weekend in the mountains has gotten way more interesting than planned.