• Grump x Sunshine
• Single Dad/Surrogate
• Small Town
• Age Gap
• Found Family
• Plus Size FMC
• No (real) Third Up Breakup
• Interconnected Standalone
• Audiobook (Teddy Hamilton! Erin Mallon!)

• I LOVE AMY DAWS!
• Trista: Wyatt's surrogate; animal lover who wants to open a rescue; found by Everly; plus size; confident; independent; terrible early family life; no current family
• Wyatt: Brother of Max (from Last on the List); mountain man; grumpy, broody; lives alone with brothers on Fletcher mountain; has a goat, Millie
• Trista wants to be a surrogate bc she needs money and a place to stay; runs into Everly, who introduces her to Wyatt, who wants to have a baby and be a single Dad
• Trista moves in and Wyatt does all these nice things for her (that's his love language - "acts of service") and she feels smothered bc she's not used to ppl taking care of her
• Trista brings farm animals that ppl have given up to Wyatt's barn, which Wyatt always says he dislikes, but lets her do it
• They start a sexuationship, which starts blurring the lines; Trista ends the sex - she's starting to have feelings for Wyatt but doesn't know how to deal with it (she doesn't understand the love his family shares so easily)
• She finally realizes she's in love with Wyatt and he tells her he wants to rip up the contract
• When he brings her breakfast every morning, fills her car with gas, helps take care of her animals, lets her bring chickens, a cow, a horse, etc to the barn 🥰
• Caulder's reaction to finding the kitten and the reasoning behind her name, Milkshake 🥹
• I can't wait for Luke's story - total golden retriever 🐶
• The reaction of the uncles at the airport saying goodbye to Everly 😭
• Every time Trista cries (especially when Wyatt eats the fry she was waiting to eat)
• Her reaction to the destruction of the chicken coop 😫

I bet Wyatt likes tiny women—a little slip of a thing that he could completely annihilate in the bedroom.

“Sex is Mother Nature’s cough medicine,” Calder says with a dopey smile. “You got a little tickle in the back of your throat? A good bang session will make that pain disappear, guaranteed.”

He’s so big. So warm. But I’m not here for a cuddle, so I lean forward to let the brawny man rub my back. When I slip my robe off my shoulders and hold it across my chest so I can give him better access, I feel a point of pressure against my lower back. “Wyatt…” I state with a warning tone. His voice is deep and husky in my ear when he replies, “Just call it lumbar support.”

I squeeze her tightly, grateful her mood has lifted a bit. I’ve learned that I cannot handle seeing tears in her eyes, and I would do just about anything to make them stop—like hike through the forest on my property in the rain, searching for fucking chickens.

At some point, we shifted around and began to spoon. Yes, spoon. It’s new to me, but I can’t say I mind it. In fact, it feels pretty good. (Teddy Hamilton reading this is 🤌🤌)

“I love every single one of those gifts. Especially the foot-warmer thing. Did you tell Luke my feet are always cold?” 
“No. I never said a word.” 
“That’s so weird he just knew that, right?” 
“I guess.”

And I love the things you do for me. The breakfasts, the car vacuuming, the random topping off of gas. It’s so nice, and I’m so tired of pretending I don’t like them,” she says, her voice cracking at the end. “I’m tired of thinking I can do everything on my own. I can’t pretend anymore, Wyatt.”

“Watching your family these past several months… it’s intense. You guys just give unconditional love by default. You forgive each other so easily. You defend each other without question. It’s unreal. You are so fucking lucky, Wyatt.”

I wrap my arms around her and kiss her fiercely, pulling away when I remember, “We’re having a girl, Lucky.” She laughs against my lips. “We’re having a girl, Mr. Mountain Man.”