Hayrides with Hank

Mountain Men Fall Harder

By: Lilah Hart

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

When a nomadic artist gets caught stealing apples by a gorgeous mountain man, sparks fly instantly. But can he convince her that love doesn't mean giving up her freedom?

I never meant to get caught stealing apples at dawn in a Tennessee orchard.

And I definitely never meant to get caught by the most gorgeous mountain man I've ever seen. Hank's got shoulders that could move mountains, a beard that makes my fingers itch to touch it, and eyes that see right through my carefully constructed walls. He's holding a chainsaw like it weighs nothing, but instead of calling the cops on this cape-wearing trespasser, he's looking at me like I'm something precious he's been searching for his whole life.

Which is impossible, because we just met.

I've spent the last year traveling the festival circuit in my RV, selling my metal art and avoiding anything that looks like settling down. I watched my mom's dreams die in a small town just like this one, and I swore I'd never make the same mistake. Freedom is everything. Independence is survival.

But then Hank offers to help me set up my booth, and suddenly I'm seeing Maple Ridge through different eyes.

He's patient when I'm stubborn, gentle when I'm scared, and protective in a way that makes me feel cherished instead of caged. When he looks at me, I don't see someone trying to clip my wings—I see someone who wants to fly with me. The problem is, I don't know how to love someone and still be myself.

Especially when that someone makes me want things I never thought I'd want.

Like staying. Like forever. Like building a life with a man who kisses me against apple trees and makes me believe that home doesn't have to be a prison.

But can a woman who's spent her whole life running finally learn to stay?

Hayrides with Hank is a short and steamy instalove romance set in the small mountain town of Maple Ridge, Tennessee. This 1-hour read is part of the Mountain Men Fall Harder series. It's a forced proximity ex-military, lumberjack romance with lots of steam. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Mountain Men Fall Harder series!