Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 13829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 69(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 46(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 69(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 46(@300wpm)
I saw her. I want her. I claimed her. All before she even knew she was mine. Now I have to wait for my future wife to decide she wants to be a wife.
I see the hurt in Winona’s eyes. I feel the angst coming from her in vibrations of pain and I want nothing more than to wipe it away and bring happiness to her face.
I need her because in mere minutes she became everything I wasn’t looking for.
I just have to prove to her, I am the one person who will never leave.
How can I leave the reason I exist?
Winona
Everyone leaves me, eventually. That is the lesson life has taught me. As a result, I don’t rely on anyone, I don’t build friendships outside of work and I am not looking for love.
Then, the one person, the only blood I have, leaves me and loneliness creeps in like the sinister friend you didn’t see coming and I am desperate. Desperate enough to complete an ad for a mail order bride.
When it happens and I get matched to the man who has made me look twice, I think my luck is changing, especially when he tells me he picked me, asked for me, demanded me.
He proves his word, loyalty and devotion in spades.
Am I too jaded to believe in the gift I have been given?
Or will I surrender to the love I have been looking for and live happily ever after?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
Raylan
I have been at this adoption event our mayor and his wife have organized for the last three hours and there seems to be no end in sight. Ordinarily as a vet, I see the dogs when they are brought in for a checkup and maybe to be chipped, but that is the extent of my involvement. I am happy with my level of involvement and my chosen career, but tonight I am doing something I never do; getting personally involved with what happens to them once they are taken to the shelter.
I am sure you are asking yourself why I am doing this if it is something I never do? “Lucky stop licking me you big baby.” The giggle fills up the space and swirls around me making my insides warm and my cock hard. Yes you guessed it, she is the reason I am doing this. My little Winona. “Not you too, Cupcake.” She laughs even louder as she gets attacked by two dogs who insist on licking her face. I watch her hit the floor and succumb to the licking-fest. Not that I blame them. I imagine every part of her is sweet.
Shaking my head, I walk over and shoo the two pits and help her up off the ground. “Are you okay?” I ask her, moving her hair from her face.
“Yeah. I love those two.” She smiles an adoring smile and searches in her pocket for something. Guessing what she is looking for, I pull a wet wipe packet out of my pocket and hand it to her. “Thank you. How did you know?” Her gorgeous evergreen eyes peer up at me, making it plain as day how I have about an entire foot on her.
“I figured you didn’t want to walk around covered in dog goop all day.” She smiles shyly before wiping her face. She begins to turn around and anxiety rips through my gut. I need to keep her talking, keep her standing in front of me, blessing me with her sweetness. “So how is it going?” I ask her. I haven’t been paying attention to the actual event.
“Great actually. Five of our rescues have been adopted today. That is better than I had hoped. Plus the dogs are having fun playing with the kids. They don’t get visitors often.” She says the last part with so much sadness I have to pat my pocket to make sure I have a handkerchief. It is obvious how much she cares for the animals at the shelter where she works.
“So are you and Rachel close?” I am curious if she and the mayor's wife are friends. Instead of answering, she shrugs her shoulders and looks at the ground.
“We bonded over our love of animals, but I don't know that we are friends.”
“Why is that?” She looks at me with such tangible anguish that I want to rip it from her chest and destroy it. Something has caused her great pain and I hate it.
“I can’t trust anyone. Not really anyway.” I step closer to ask another question but then her name is called from across the yard and she walks away. My heart leaps from my chest and follows her and suddenly I know I wont be able to fulfill my obligation to this town if she is not a part of it.
Full of determination and a ire at not being in a position to make her smile and long for me, I walk up to Lloyd. “Hey doc. How’s it going?” he says, patting me on the back.
“I guess alright, but I have a more pressing matter.” He turns toward me fully and crosses his arms.
“I’m all ears.”
“The animal shelter employee, Winona,” he nods his head. “I want to know the minute she applies to be a bride. She is not to be matched with anyone else. She belongs to me.” I don’t miss the smirk on his face.
“What makes you think she will?” His question is valid but I came up with the answer on my thirty second walk to find him.
“Because your wife and she are becoming friends and it would be far-fetched for a friend to bring up the idea to another friend. Would it?” His eyes widen before they squint.
“My wife is not your matchmaker. I will broach the subject with her and only if she feels like it is acceptable and only then will she engage in this conversation. Do we understand one another? I am promising you nothing, Raylan.” Nodding my head I shake his hand.
“Thank you.” He mumbles something about not thanking him yet but I have to. I have to believe this will happen because the alternative is abhorrent and not good for cock. No. She will be mine.
Prologue
Winona
One Week Later
“Are you really going to do this?” I know the question is stupid considering here I am standing in a bridesmaid dress, in a church in Charleston helping my sister fix her veil before she walks down the aisle to marry her boyfriend Cooper.