This winter finds Kemp Trumble in a pickle along Lake Erie as he attempts to seek out some quiet time to finish writing his next best-selling thriller. Not only does he think the lumberjack next door is loud and annoying, but he also believes the stud alluring, a heavy distraction, and sexy.<br><br>Kemp purposely tries to keep his distance from Jack Manwood, knowing they rub each other the wrong way. To no avail, Kemp seems to constantly run into Jack. No matter how much Kemp steers clear of the hot neighbor, Jack is always around, here and there, everywhere.<br><br>Unpredictably, these two different men, one from the back woods and one from the city, find common ground: drinks at Timbers, manly hugs, and the annual Lumberjack Competition, which they both attend. But are Kemp and Jack's similarities strong enough to escalate their friendly relationship into boyfriendhood? Or will they remain separated by miles of lumber and broken hearts?

Lumberjack

Chester MacCardle used to be my aunt’s lawn boy two decades before. Chess, as he liked to be called, went from a short, pudgy, and timid lad to a chiseled adult with sweeping ginger hair, muscles galore, and the most tranquil green eyes that I have ever viewed on a man. Youth brought us together and we saw each other regularly. Life-long friends through the good and bad, the ugly and beautiful—everything to share.


Of course, we kissed once, back in the day whenChild’s Playand Men in Black played on the big screen. Back when Justin Timberlake was the lead singer in a boy band. And back when Stephen King’s The Standplayed as a mini-series on television. All of that history felt a million years ago. Lost.


Chapter 7