Sweet May: Montana Matchmakers, #10

By Reina M. Williams

Cue the big finale for the Montana Matchmakers and the seven Manning brothers!

 

Flint Manning finally has a date for the night—meeting his honorary grandma at her café. Usually, the charming cowboy has no trouble meeting women, but change has come for him. Still, that doesn't mean he wants to be like his six brothers, who have all partnered up. When Mandy Thurmburg, the new waitress at the café, steps into his life, he's ready to ride forward, if she's by his side.

 

Mandy Thurmburg loves her new town, new job, and classic movies. Going to a wedding reception with Flint Manning seems like a fun way to spend a Saturday. Soon, she wants to spend more than just the day with Flint. But the handsome flirt seems to be moving too fast for sensible Mandy, even if part of her wants to join him in the whirl. With a nudge from the Montana Matchmakers, Flint and Mandy's once upon a sweet May might just bring them their happily ever after.

 

Find love in Loving with the Montana Matchmakers, inspired by Jane Austen's couples and classic Hollywood musicals like Hello, Dolly and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!
Sweet Christmas (short story)
Sweet Valentine (short story)
Sweet Spring (short story)
Sweet Summer (short story)

Hello Dolly (novella)
Sweet Fall (short story)
One Moment (novella)

Sweet Winter (short story)

Sweet Easter (short story)

Sweet May (short story)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rickrack Books
• Release date: Apr 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393604372

Book preview

Chapter One

Flint was the last bachelor. Not in the world, of course, but in his family, and it seemed, in this corner of Montana. With summer coming in, warmer weather made coupling the order of the day. But not for him. He didn’t care that all his brothers were paired up. He didn’t care that all his friends had partners. He didn’t care that he couldn’t even get a date to Luke Levi and Dolly Gallagher’s wedding reception tomorrow.

Okay, so he cared about that last one. That he, Flint Manning, who usually had women chasing him, had been turned down not once, not twice, but three times, was the worst defeat he’d had in some time. He had better luck roping cows than he did women. Not that he was comparing the two.

He leaned against the fence to the cow pen and glanced at the wide sky, blue and vast. Manning Ranch was home; he’d never known different. Not the main house, anymore—his oldest brother Adam and his new wife Minnie called that home now. Flint had moved into the old bunk house with his twin Ethan, but now Ethan was defecting to the nearby town of Loving, like their other four brothers had. Leaving Flint alone.

He shrugged and stretched. Why should he care? He could have the place to himself now, without Ethan bugging him about cleaning up after himself.

So he was picking up his things anyway. Soon he’d get back to himself.

His phone buzzed. Since it was his honorary grandma, Mrs. G, he picked up and gave her a hearty greeting.

She laughed in that infectious way that made him smile. Flint, you ole cowpoke, get yourself into town for dinner tonight, huh? The café at seven.

What’s the occasion? he asked. Mrs. G didn’t usually invite him to town, but then again, she could be spontaneous, one of the things they had in common. She used to come out to the ranch and make time for each of them. She and Flint would fly by the seat of their pants, doing whatever felt right that day, sometimes fishing in the nearby creek, sometimes making grilled cheese and tomato soup and watching an old Western, Mrs. G schooling him on all the ways they’d gotten history wrong. He loved that firecracker of a woman.

Haven’t seen you since Brandon’s wedding. Since I can’t get there, I thought you could come here.

Glad to. See you then. They said their goodbyes and he ended the call. He rubbed his hands together before getting back to his chores. At least he had a date this here Friday night. Maybe he could convince Mrs. G to let him escort her to the wedding tomorrow. Why not? He’d had his share of dates in his life, and family was forever, unlike romance.

THAT EVENING, HE STROLLED into Gallagher’s Café, his boots clomping on the wood floor. He removed his hat and hung it on the vintage rack by the door. Opening his arms, he waved to Mrs. G at the host’s stand. She shook her head at his brazen attempt at a hug and obliged by bringing it in for one of her signature warm embraces followed by a pat on his cheek.

Clean shaven now? Had to be different than Ethan, huh?

He shrugged. She was right, as usual, he supposed, but unlike his twin, he wouldn’t admit to it. Rubbing his jaw, he winked at her instead. She chuckled and batted his arm.

I’ve saved us a great table. Mandy will be our server.

Mrs. G must mean the newest waitperson here at the café, who’d replaced Flint’s childhood nemesis—and his twin’s new girlfriend—Autumn West. He followed Mrs. G to a corner table, one where you could see the street and even a patch of trees and river, now flowing briskly in the warmer snow-melting weather. Possibly due to the clear evening and pleasant temperature, more people than he’d seen on his last trip into town were ambling, some even with ice cream cones from Careys’ General Store.

He held Mrs. G’s chair and sank into the one opposite her, splaying out his legs. "Who’s Mandy? Isn’t