Blaine: Brothers in Arms in Alaska, #2

By Kali Hart

Charmane

 

When my transmission dies, I'm forced to do the one thing I swore I'd never do:
Ask Blaine Stark for a favor.
With a massive snowstorm on the way, it's my last chance to make a trip up the mountain to bring my dear friend supplies until spring.
It's just a quick trip.
Except the storm comes early, trapping us.
Forcing us to share a cabin with one bed.
Making it impossible to fight my attraction to the one man I've sworn off.
So I strike a deal.

Blaine

 

I've been stuck on Charmane since the first night I saw her.
Only I was an idiot and went about things all wrong.
What I felt for her the instant I saw her scared me.
I tried to cling to my playboy ways, but I couldn't escape the truth.
Charmane is the only woman I want—ever again.
I'd do anything for her, including giving her a ride in a dangerous storm.
But if she thinks what happens during our time stranded together will be nothing more than a secret fling, she's got things very wrong.
She's mine.
The one I always secretly hoped to find but never believed I would.
I'll do whatever it takes to prove to her that she's the only one for me.

 

We all made a pact. We've survived basic together, shared duty stations, and gone to war together. But the needs of the Army have separated us multiple times. That's why we agreed that when each of us got out, we'd settle down in the same mountainside town of Three Rivers. It was a favorite place to get away on holiday weekends when we were stationed together in Alaska, and as veterans now, we can't imagine anywhere better. A place filled with fresh mountain air, friendly people who are there when you need them but happy to keep to themselves when you don't, and unexpected love none of us saw coming.

Sweet & steamy short story instalove romance with an older mountain man and younger curvy woman. NO cliffhangers. NO cheating. Guaranteed HEA.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jackie M. Wallick
• Release date: Jun 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223580331

Book preview

1

CHARMANE

You’re sure there’s nothing you can do? I ask Arnie Jacobs, hugging both arms across my chest as if that’ll shield me from the bad news. But I already know the truth. Arnie, one of the local mechanics in Three Rivers, is already patting the hood as if my Corolla was a favorite horse that needed putting down.

Sorry, Charmane. Arnie lifts his ball cap, scrubs a hand over his balding head, and puts it back on. Wish I could snap my fingers and make the transmission as good as new. But I’m afraid she’s toast.

Panic seizes my chest, but I don’t let Arnie see past my appreciative smile. It’s not his fault that my car has two hundred and twenty-three thousand miles on it and the transmission decided to die. I just wish it had waited until after I made the trip out to Harvey’s. With the snowstorm fast approaching, I’m running out of options.

You and I both know it’s not worth replacing, Arnie says, again patting the hood.

Yeah, I know. Not that I could afford it anyway. I would ask him if he’s got a vehicle I could borrow for the day, but I already know the answer. With the summer season over, the town has thinned out considerably. Only the locals are left. Everyone’s making trips to the grocery store a short drive from town and hauling in supplies, preparing to get snowed in.

My only option is Blaine Stark. Dammit all to hell.

You ready to weather the storm? Arnie asks, his way of trying to ease the sting of the bad news he delivered about the car. Heard we’re gonna get two or three feet.

I’m as ready as I can be, I say with a forced smile. My dinky cabin is walking distance from The East Fork where I’ve worked for the five years I’ve lived in Three Rivers. Its small size makes it remarkably easy to heat. My water tank is full, I’m stocked up on munchies, and I’ve got a stack of books to read.

It’s Harvey Wilkerson that I’m concerned about. The old man, a regular diner at the restaurant over the summer season, has already retreated to his winter cabin. Twenty miles off the beaten path and up in the mountains, it’s just him and a pair of donkeys to watch over one another. I always make a point to deliver him supplies before the first big snow.

Except this year, I’m without a means of transportation.

Let me know if you need anything else. I’ve got extra firewood if you’re running low.

Thanks, Arnie. That right there is one of the reasons I love this small town. We look after our own here, as long as you’re not a dick. If you hear about anyone selling a car cheap, give me a shout.

Will do.

I zip up my coat, pull down my hat to ensure it’s securely over my ears, and head down Main Street. The last thing I want to do is take Blaine up on his offer. I asked to borrow his truck, but he said he’d only agree if he could make the drive with me.

Thick, puffy snowflakes leisurely fall from the overcast sky, making me wish I’d just accepted that offer two days ago when he’d made it. Today’s the last day I can make the off-road trip to Harvey’s. Tomorrow, the rough path will be buried in several feet of snow.

I find Blaine in his favorite place in town, the Three Rivers Roadhouse. This quaint Alaska town is full of old buildings from its founding days, and this one is no exception. Missy’s breakfast is the best in town, and the aroma of bacon reminds me I haven’t eaten today. I’ve been too worried about getting Harvey, and his two donkeys, supplies.

Hey stranger, Blaine says in that cool, suave voice he uses on all the ladies. I hate that it makes my heart pitter-patter, even if only for a few seconds. The day Blaine arrived in Three Rivers, I was hooked. But so was every other woman in town. He flirted with them all. Me included. But when he realized I wasn’t as easy to chase down as he was used to, he set