Marry Grinchmas (Moosehead Minnesota Series Book 1)(7)

“Ava, answer one question for an old woman, will ya?”

Old, my ass! She is a loose cannon and she knows it. God help us.

“What is it grandma?”

“If you got a fancy degree, what would it be in?”

“Well I was thinking education or childcare…, Well shoot.”

She looks at me with a grin equal to that of the Cheshire cat, and the old coot says “Here’s your bread, honey.”

Crap. So much for the best laid plans.





I FEEL I’M GOING CRAZY without her near me, which is not a rational reaction considering I literally just met her. She is ingrained in a soul I didn’t know I had.

For a long time, holidays brought out the worst in me, and I know that. My mother has been telling me for years the right woman will soften me. I hate it when she is right because she becomes impossible.

Avalynn is literally everything I’ve wanted in a woman. She is beautiful, but there is much more to her than that. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life figuring her out, if I can get her to give me the time of day. Driving to her grandmother’s house and letting her go was hard for me. I am not a playboy but I have never had a woman tell me “no” before. Fuck if that doesn’t make me want her more.

Once I’m back at my house I notice the lights are on in the living room. I know I shut everything off before we left. Getting out of my truck, I jog up to and onto the front porch. As I open my door I can see Jace sitting on my couch, drinking my beer, and watching Sports Center on my TV.

Kicking off my boots near the door, I walk over into the kitchen and say “what the fuck bro?” as I reach in the fridge for a beer. Popping the top and tossing it in the bucket on the counter, I head over to the couch.

“I want to hear all about her, because you’ve never done anything like that before. You fucking claimed her. That is serious shit bro.” Jace says in disbelief.

Shrugging my shoulders, I reply “I knew she is the one for me. And cut me some slack, it’s my first time feeling caveman-ish. But she doesn’t want me man, and I feel like a fucking pussy for not fully claiming her.”

“You need to get her ass back here and become impossible for her to resist. Call her grandmother. Be everywhere she is at first, then stop. She’ll miss you being there and come to you.”

“That is actually not a bad idea. When the hell did you get so smart about women? Aren’t you the one who is still a virgin?”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Ham. At least my future girl will never get jealous over someone being better than her or worry that anyone has been here before.” He gestures to his crotch. “It was a no brainer for me, and it’s not a hardship waiting for her. I know what you guys think about me, and it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“What do we think about you?” I ask. I know, but I want to know if he does.

“They say I am a pussy who doesn’t know how to please a woman.” He says. “I have done stuff with women, but the finale is reserved for the woman I marry. It doesn’t have a fucking thing to do with anything else.”

“Wow! While I do think twenty-nine is a little old to be a virgin, I do get it. Honestly I do. I wish I had waited, especially since everyone I’ve been with is fucking bat shit crazy.”

“It has to be all the fresh winter air. It fucks with people’s brains.” Jace says.

I laugh, but it does make me wonder if he is right. “You might be right. Those girls were crazy. Luckily, there were not many. Five isn’t too many? Is it? Considering, I was fifteen the first time?”

“Elizabeth Mcintosh was the worst though,” Jace says diplomatically.

“Believe me, I know. She is someone I never want to see again. I do not say this lightly, but she is one evil bitch. After what she did to me and tried to do to Max, she’s lucky Mom didn’t kill her.”

“I know. Let’s move on to something different,” thinking of that time in my life has me cringing. Elizabeth is the reason my brother Max and I barely talk. She came between us for no reason, other than boredom.

“I’m going to head home, bro. I wanted to get caught up about the future Mrs. Crawford,” Jace laughingly teases me.

I laugh with him, but that shit is true. I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything. The thought of her all alone in her bed makes me hard as a rock. I need to set my plan in motion to get her to feel what I do for her. Is love possible in less than a day? I’d fucking say yes, because it is what I am feeling.

After Jace leaves I lock the doors and turn the tv and lights off. I head to my bedroom where I shuck my pants, t-shirt, and socks before sliding between the soft sheets on my bed wearing only my boxers. Tucking my arms behind my head, I think on how much better this will be when she is beside me.

I consider taking my cock in hand, but decide against it because I am saving all of it for her. The thought of her carrying my baby warms my cold heart, along with other thoughts, before sleep takes me. There is our first time together, our wedding day, and the day your first child is born. She is my queen and I should worship her. I will do whatever it takes to make the vision a reality.

My thoughts drift to what happened in Florida that was bad enough to cause her to leave. I would like to make it right for her, but she needs to open up to me and tell me her secrets. The thought of someone hurting her has me seeing red and wanting to kill whoever did it to her and thought they could get away with it.