A Knight's Fall: Mountain Royal's Series, #2

By A.J. Nighthawke

Beau Knight has just sworn off all women! Being cheated on kind of makes a man just get fed up and want to be done with it. Why does dating have to be so hard? Why does life have to be so hard? His Dad is the one who found love and got it right. After seven children, his mother was taken by cancer. It's unfair! His baby brothers won't even remember the woman that he was blessed to know. They do need nurturing and care that only a woman can provide. With his Dad fixing to have knee surgery, a new employee arrives to take care of the Knight's brood. Expecting the sweet grandma-type, Beau is surprised to find a genuine soul that truly cares for his family. Is she too good to be true?

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.J. Nighthawke
• Release date: Aug 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201787080

A.J. Nighthawke

There is nothing like a good story that leaves you feeling warm and cozy inside. Here is my promise to you - Within the pages of my books, you will never find anything vulgar or inappropriate. My goal is to leave you encouraged and happy. Who doesn't like a happy ending? You may find a little drama, maybe a touch of suspense. Some of the characters might even face hard challenge's but a sweet kiss, and a happily ever after is a must.

Book preview

Mountain Royal’s Series: A Knight’s Fall – Book 2

© 2022 A.J. Nighthawke No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

For more information, contact

A.J. Nighthawke

[e-mail]

All rights reserved

Cover: turnthepagenow.com

ISBN:  9798842058846

Published by: A.J. Nighthawke

Printed in the United States of America

A

Knight’s

Fall

Mountain Royal’s Series

Book 2

By

A.J. Nighthawke

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 1

Beau

Today is not my day ! Who am I kidding? It’s not my week, month, or year either. Dad is down with his knee and is due for replacement surgery in five weeks. That left all of the farm duties to the seven sons of Conner Knight. Our saint of a Mama went Home to be with the Lord two years ago after a long battle with cancer. Lord rest her soul.

At twenty-one, I am the oldest of the Knight’s brood. The youngest is Cooper, and he’s only two and a half. My brothers and I were all home-schooled, meaning that we helped Dad with the farm during the day and completed our schoolwork in the evenings.

Thankfully, I am done! That means that I have a state-issued diploma that says I’m a high school graduate. I’m not sure how Dad has kept this up without Mama here, but he’s stuck to it because that was their plan. He didn’t change our routine just because our Mama made it Home before we did. That has me respecting the man more than anything. He sticks to his convictions no matter what.

Jackson is the brother closest to me in age, and he’s just now starting his senior year. He and Holden mostly care for our animals and livestock. Dad and K.C. are training Dawson, who just turned eight, to help handle the crops. Miles and Cooper are the youngest, so they actually get passed around to whoever can watch them at the time. As for me, I have a small woodshop where I get to work with my hands, building custom furniture and various woodworking projects.

All of us Knights contribute in different ways around here, but it’s hard with the younger ones. Sometimes it feels like they don’t get a childhood where they can play and use their imagination like I had. I was blessed to have Mama for nineteen years, while Cooper barely had her for six months of his early life.

The thoughts overwhelm me until they release in a heavy sigh. What will happen now?

Looking over at the table that I just finished makes me want to burn it. Don’t get me wrong! It's perfect! The piece turned out just like I planned, and I sure did pour my heart into this one. This table is special! This is supposed to fit inside my cabin.

I started construction on my log cabin two years ago and have worked on every little detail, taking my time. It is the place where I will start my own family. Back to the table! That table is where I’m supposed to meet my wife every day. It’s where the two of us would share meals and dreams. This is where I will bow my head and thank the Creator for His every provision and gift from above. Our babies are meant to sit at it and be nourished by this Blue Ridge just like I was. This table is where I’m supposed to measure and count the blessings by the seats filled with my own growing family. My dream and prayer every night is to see this table full of children and grandchildren.

Back to my bad day... Cora, my girlfriend of the last two and a half years, just demolished my dream. There is no possible way that I can marry a woman that would dare even think to cheat on me. I’m not one for disloyalty or lies. To make things infinitely worse, it just had to be Jackson that uncovered the betrayal.

A text came through three hours ago that showed my girlfriend lip-locked with Randy Montgomery, the local mechanic at the auto garage. I guess I lost a friend as well because Randy knew very well that Cora and I were together.

Ugggh! I hate this!

Son, Dad says low. I’m so distracted by the pain in my chest and thoughts in my head that I didn’t hear him enter the shop.

I ended things with Cora, I inform, running my calloused hand over the smooth top of the farmhouse table. It really is a fine piece. It’s one of my best!

I figured, Dad sighs. He hates that I’m hurt. The man is a gentle soul that could never stand to see any of us with a skinned knee, and here on the farm, that was a given, especially with seven sons.

I’m done with women, I state with fire and conviction. All I need is a pulpit to bang my fist on like a gavel in a courtroom to make it more official. Right now, I’m as fed up as I can be.

Be careful, son, Dad says with a quirk of the lip. Men who utter those words usually find the ‘ONE’ soon after.

Yeah, right! If it were only that easy, I would chant the phrase every blame night.

Dad goes on, For the record, Cora isn’t a woman. She doesn’t deserve the title. That is an immature snake of a girl playing dress-up. A woman is loyal, godly, giving, kind, compassionate, and will support you. Cora never did that. She was always trying to change you.

He’s right, of course. It’s just that when you live with it, you justify for a person that you care about to make excuses for their behavior. Cora hated that I was a woodworker. She thought that it was a job for the uneducated and that it would be hard to support her since she considered herself high maintenance. I’m sorry, but thirty-something bucks for fingernails is ridiculous. It’s wasteful, and she couldn’t even do anything with those things glued on her fingers anyway.

My gaze catches Dads as he studies me. He’s searching to see if I’m alright. His attention then falls to the table with a smile. It will look good in your cabin, he compliments, and he’s right. I can already picture it there.

Yeah... I rasp, my one word so full of emotion. It’s almost done. I’ve got to sand down the kitchen cabinet doors and to put up finishing molding. I built the shell but have opted to finish the interior a little at a time due to a lack of funds and time. When I moved in, I was hoping it would be with a wife.

I wanted to talk to you about something, Dad says, coming to lean against the table to take the strain off of his knee. This sounds serious, so I give him my undivided attention. I’m the oldest son, and Dad treats me as an equal here on this farm since I’m bringing in income and helping with my younger brothers.

I’m worried about all of my sons but most of all for the youngest, he confesses, and the stinging cactus rises in my throat. He misses Mama and tries to handle the burden of a farm and manage a house full of rambunctious boys. Miles and Cooper will never remember Mama. That is heartbreaking because she was the ideal woman as a wife and mother.

Are you saying that you want to date? I question, lowering my voice to make sure no little ears are trying to spy.

Goodness, no! Dad barks, giving me a nervous chuckle. I was thinking of hiring someone to keep house, cook meals, and watch after the boys. I’m struggling. They needed me... right after losing your mama. Now, I need to provide for us and make sure they have some nurturing.

It would help out, I agree, knowing how hard it is to just feed all of us. We’ve lived on canned spaghetti and frozen dinners for years. "I could go ahead and move into the cabin so