Page 1 of Lumberjack Bride
One
Hazel
I stareat Leo Jackman from my spot on the floor by the fireplace. My brow twitches as the feeling of pure, unadulterated betrayal slowly sinks in.
“You cheated?” I ask.
It’s not really a question. It’s a fact. One I have to repeat out loud before I ever believe it to be true.
Leo doesn’t try to deny it. Instead, he sits up a little taller on his cushion and has the audacity to smile. “Yes, I did,” he replies.
“You’ve been cheating this whole time?” I accuse.
He nods. “Yes.”
“Since before we moved in together?”
“Oh, long before that…”
I grab one of my white pawns off the chessboard between us. “How many times?” I ask.
“Hazel,” he warns, calmly, “you don’t want to know that.”
“How many times, Leo?”
He exhales. “Tonight? Or total over the past year?”
My jaw drops. “Oh, my god.”
Leo laughs as he raises his wineglass to his red lips. “You’re too good, Hazel. I had to do something to level the playing field.”
“So, instead of practicing and learning new strategies like a decent person, you swipe my pawns when I’m not looking?!”
“Yes!” he admits. “That’s right! I cheat at chess — but only when you’re really drunk and less likely to notice.”
I snatch the pillow beneath my bottom and swing it over the board at him, striking his side over and over again.
“Hey!” he shouts, blocking each hit. “Pearl! Help me!”
“Help you?” My laughter spills off my lips. “Help me, Pearl! Leo Jackman is a damned liar—” I hit him again. “And a cheat—” And again. “And he has a really stupid beard!”
Leo grabs the pillow as his face turns serious. “Hey, now. You leave the beard out of this!”
“Pearl!” I cry out her name again as she appears from behind the couch. “Sic him, girl!”
“No!” He points at me. “Sic her! You obey me, Pearl. I’m the one who raised you since you were a puppy. Remember? Man’s best friend.”
Pearl’s long, golden snout snaps back and forth between us. She refuses to lean in either direction, completely torn between her two masters.
Finally, she passes around us to lie down by the fireplace and huffs loudly in annoyance.
“Ouch,” Leo says. “Eh, can’t say I blame her.”
I pick up the chessboard and turn it to dump the remaining pieces into the box beside us.
“What are you doing?” he asks me, still chuckling. “We’re not done yet. I was actually winning that one.”
I glare at him as I slap the board back down. “If you’re going to cheat like a child, then we will play a child’s game.”