Knotty Magic

By Jodi Redford

All’s fair in love and war...until voyeuristic nature spirits break out the Spanish Fly.

Two things routinely drive professional axe man, Huck McKenzie, to drink—tree-huggers and Tully Eastwood. The woman might be a walking wet dream, but she’s also the biggest pain in Huck’s backside.  And right now she's dead-set on bringing his current logging operation to a grinding halt because of some supposedly magical tree.  

Between a tree and a hard place.

Tully has been up against some blockhead men in her days, but Huck pushes her buttons like no other. Unfortunately, those gorgeous muscles and adorable dimples of his also make her long to rip off his flannel-covered buttons and get down to some frisky business with the sexy and infuriating man. Hormones be damned, she won’t succumb to her attraction for Huck—until she finds herself trapped overnight with him in the woods.

Barking up the wrong tree can have sinful consequences.

When a full moon and an enchanted forest spin their wicked spell on Huck and Tully, resistance drops faster than their clothes. The hot passion that flares between them is enough to make a garden gnome blush. Giving into lust is one thing. Can two stubborn hearts take a chance on love? It’ll take a whole lotta knotty magic to pull off this miracle...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jodi Redford
• Release date: Jul 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533729590

Jodi Redford

At the ripe age of seven, Jodi Redford penned her first epic, complete with stick figure illustrations. Sadly, her drawing skills haven’t improved much, but her love of fantasy worlds never went away. These days she writes about fairies, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures, only with considerably more heat. She has won numerous awards, including The Golden Pen and Launching a Star. When not writing or working the day job, she enjoys gardening and way too many reality television shows.  

Book preview

All’s fair in love and war...until voyeuristic nature spirits break out the Spanish Fly.

Two things routinely drive professional axe man, Huck McKenzie, to drink—tree-huggers and Tully Eastwood. The woman might be a walking wet dream, but she’s also the biggest pain in Huck’s backside. And right now she's dead-set on bringing his current logging operation to a grinding halt because of some supposedly magical tree.

Between a tree and a hard place.

Tully has been up against a few blockhead men in her days, but Huck pushes her buttons like no other. Unfortunately, those gorgeous muscles and adorable dimples of his also make her long to rip off his flannel-covered buttons and get down to some frisky business with the sexy and infuriating man. Hormones be damned, she won’t succumb to her attraction for Huck—until she finds herself trapped overnight with him in the woods.

Barking up the wrong tree can have sinful consequences.

When a full moon and an enchanted forest spin their wicked spell on Huck and Tully, resistance drops faster than their clothes. The hot passion that flares between them is enough to make a garden gnome blush. Giving into lust is one thing. Can two stubborn hearts take a chance on love? It’ll take a whole lotta knotty magic to pull off this miracle...

CHAPTER ONE

Why do I have a bad feeling you’re going to call me in an hour needing bail money?

Tuning out her grandmother’s dire prediction, Tully Eastwood gunned the engine of her ancient station wagon and slammed the gear into reverse. A car horn blared, presumably in response to her nearly clipping its front end. She offered the offended driver a wave in apology and received the woman’s middle finger in return.

Well, that was just plain rude and uncalled for. Grumping under her breath, Tully finished backing up, allowing the vehicle to speed past her. Shaking her head, she straightened the steering wheel and dared a glance toward the curb fronting Blue Moon Books. Her granny remained glued in place, worry stitching a new batch of wrinkles across her brow.

Sighing, Tully ducked her head out the window. Stop your fretting. I promise to keep my cool.

"Dearest, you don’t know the meaning of that word. It’s the curse of being a redhead and an Eastwood. That poor man doesn’t stand a chance."

No, he doesn’t. Whatever it took, she was going to knock some sense into Huck McKenzie’s thick noggin. Grinding her teeth, Tully shifted into drive and stomped on the gas.

Trying to keep track of the occasions she and Huck butted heads could be its own full time job. Seriously. Yes, she was outspoken about certain things, especially when it came to preserving the pristine beauty of their small community. But someone needed to give a damn. If the logging outfit Huck worked for had their way, they’d end up felling every tree in a hundred mile radius.

Bad as that might be—and it certainly would be, in her book—this latest development amounted to an all-time low. According to the gossip she’d overheard in the store earlier, Blue Moon’s magic tree was about to face the chopping block. Only this time, a greedy, conscienceless corporation wasn’t to blame. No, that rested squarely on Huck’s shoulders, seeing how he owned the property containing the tree.

She wasn’t merely pissed about what he was doing. It was a complete act of betrayal. Because for her and Huck, the tree wasn’t only a magical wonder, it was also responsible for their very existence. But instead of honoring that fact and protecting the oak from money-grubbing developers, he was cashing in.

That motherfucker.

Her grandmother’s words chose that inconvenient moment to pop to the forefront of Tully’s mind. Go easy on him, dearest. You know he’s going through a difficult time right now.

Beneath the haze of fury causing her to white-knuckle the steering wheel, another emotion settled in. One far more uncomfortable to acknowledge in the harsh light of day.

Three days ago Huck’s ex gallivanted back into town after a two year hiatus, flashing an engagement ring—put there by his former best friend. It had to have been a gut punch to Huck. How did she know? She’d experienced that lovely sensation every second of every day during Huck and Melanie’s couplehood.

Yeah, being in love with her biggest enemy? Clearly she had a Ph.D in irony and WTF are you thinking.

The half hour drive through the heavily forested terrain of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula gave her ample time to wallow to her heart’s content in a big ole tub of self-flagellation. She really needed to get over this obsession with Huck. Kick it to the curb once and for all. Two decades of pining for the impossible was plenty enough. No more wasted years or tears.

If they’d started out as sworn enemies maybe she wouldn’t be saddled with these contrary stirrings from her heart. She didn’t want to remember the endearingly sweet boy from her youth. The one who’d always stuck up for her when the bullies picked on her for being weird and awkward.

Except he’d changed over the last few years. Something hardened him. It didn’t take a psychic to figure out the cause.

Damn that bitch, Melanie. Why couldn’t she have stayed gone for good? Yes, an uncharitable thought. But considering the current disastrous circumstances, it would have been best for everybody.

Without warning, the station wagon hit a pothole the size of Alaska, unceremoniously preempting Tully’s mental grousing. She bounced hard in her seat, her head ramming into the roof. Wincing, she scrambled to regain control of the wheel. The vehicle veered wildly to the right, bee-lining straight for a stand of trees. Pulse accelerating in tandem with the runaway car, she pumped the brakes, her stomach pitching when they refused to catch.

All of that bullshit about seeing your life flash before your eyes in a moment like that? Totally true.

The station wagon’s front tires slid down the embankment, picking up speed. A towering wall of birch loomed beyond the windshield. Oh my God. This was it. The final checkout. At least she put on underwear this morning. When cashing in an Express Pass to certain death you’ve gotta grasp any silver lining.

She steeled herself for the inevitable impact.

A shudder vibrated through the seat. It took forever to realize the sensation came from somewhere other than her tensed frame. Her cells buzzing from the adrenaline cocktail rush, she stared out the windshield.

The forest edge remained in the exact spot she’d glimpsed it moments ago. But instead of barreling toward it, her vehicle seemed to be...suspended in mid-air. The instant that miraculous observation bloomed into fruition the odd shuddering stopped and the station wagon thumped to the ground with a teeth-rattling clank.

Bemused, she pried her fingers from their death grip on the steering wheel and released her seatbelt. She cautiously cracked her door open and surveyed the situation. The car rested at a ninety-degree angle on the uneven hillside. Other than her nerves, nothing appeared to be damaged.

Climbing out proved an interesting struggle. Particularly with her head still spinning and slightly sore from the bashing it received from the roof. Nearly twisting her ankle on an