Murphy's Law: Lumbercats Novella, #5

By Sunny Mawson

Mahogany "Micki" Merritt was born into the lumber industry. Following in her dad's footsteps, her life was about being a lumberjack. When she loses her job because her father retired and she got screwed by the new owners, nobody will hire her because she's a woman, never mind the fact she has more experience than most men on the job.

For Murphy Scott, everything about the lumber industry came naturally, except for the office. He is closer to losing his business than he wants to admit. As a shifter, he prefers to be outside with the rest of his rogue pack, but someone has to pay the bills, do the filing, and keep the business side of Wild Cat Timber afloat.

When Murphy hires the incredibly experienced "Mick" to run his office without even meeting him, he thinks it's too good to be true. This guy has all the right credentials. Then, she walks in. The cat inside knows exactly what he wants to do with Micki, but can Murphy control his emotions or his ragtag crew long enough to win her over?

An alpha shifter and a human mate could be an amazing match, if only Murphy could own up to his feelings and get over his past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sunny Mawson
• Release date: May 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224619863

Book preview

Chapter One

Micki

I hadn’t anticipated losing my job. I’m sure most people didn’t, but I shouldn’t have been shocked. When my father had surprised us all with the news he’d sold his lumber company, I hadn’t expected to be the first one laid off, but I was. He’d assured me I would be kept on and the new owner had agreed, but I had my doubts. A gentlemen’s agreement was between two gentlemen and Loudin Davis, the new owner, was grade-A asshole. I had immediately started applying for new jobs. I had gotten a nice severance package, but it was going to run out sooner rather than later.

I flopped down in my desk chair and checked my email for the twentieth time since I’d woken up. Still nothing. I’d applied to more than three dozen jobs in the last week but not a single one of them had called me back. I refused to give up. There had to be something out there for me that didn’t involve sitting in a cubicle. There was nothing. Again.

I groaned and shut my computer down and decided to go check in with my folks. When my father had decided to sell the business, he’d been ecstatic to spend more time at home. My mother not so much. Probably because she knew he’d be up her ass twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week without a job to go to. He’d started Merritt Lumber before they’d married so it was all either of them had known. Times had been tough at first but the lumber industry in Texas had boomed most years and been steady the others. My mom had tried to convince me to go to school to be something other than a lumberjack, but it was in my blood. My dad boasted I’d had a chainsaw in my hands before I could walk. Knowing him, he wasn’t wrong.

My parents, Marcus and Melanie Merritt, had been high school sweethearts and my dad always said he knew the instant he laid eyes on my mom he was going to marry her. My mom had laughed and said it took him six months to even speak to her. I’d always hoped to have a love story like theirs, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me. The boys in high school had considered me to be one of them and I didn’t think it ever occurred to them I was a girl, much less that they could have dated me. Of course, most of them had been dumb as hell and I hadn’t wanted to go out with them anyway. But a little attention would’ve been nice every now and then.

I hopped into my truck and drove the three miles to my parents’ house. When I pulled into the driveway, I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene before me. My mother, all five-feet-nothing of her, was chasing my father around the yard with a broom. He towered over her at six-feet-two inches tall and outweighed her by a solid hundred plus pounds. Yet, there she was, whooping the snot out of him with a broom as he cursed and tried to dodge her blows. I decided to take pity on the old man and climbed out of my truck.

What did he do this time? I hollered across the yard at them.

Momma stopped running and turned to look at me, a bright smile on her face. The old jackass decided to take apart the four-wheeler engine and used my antique dining table as his workbench.

Oh, shit, I muttered under my breath. My eyes widened as I watched my dad take advantage of the distraction to snatch the broom from her hands and toss it onto the porch. He swooped down and lifted her into his arms and then kissed the ever-loving hell out of her. I chuckled and shook my head.

Whatcha doing here anyway? You ain’t got a job yet? Still can’t believe that lying sumbitch fired ya after he told me to my face he wouldn’t, Dad muttered.

Not yet. I’m still looking. I wasn’t about to admit to him no one would hire me in the lumber industry because I was a girl. The man would’ve had a coronary. My dad always believed a person’s gender had nothing to do with whether or not they could do a job. It didn’t always win him friends.

Well, you’ll find something soon, sweetheart. Mom swatted Dad on the shoulder and told him to put her down. When he did, she straightened her clothes and turned to face me. You hungry?

I could eat. What do you have? I asked.

Well, come on in. I think I have a pie in the fridge. Mom clapped her hands and marched into the house like the little dictator she was.

I glanced at my dad and shrugged. She’s on one today. Might want to consider switching her coffee to decaf again.

He snorted. "Kiddo, it is decaf."

We sat around the tiny breakfast table and polished off an entire chocolate bourbon pecan pie in record time. My mom had tweaked her recipes until they were so good, she wasn’t allowed to enter them in the county fair anymore on account of no one else being good enough to beat her. She’d glared at the county commissioner who’d drawn the short stick and had to tell her. Then promptly told him his mother’s biscuits were drier than dirt and his wife used a bag cookie dough. While we’d found it absolutely hilarious, his wife hadn’t spoken to Momma since. Southern women were brutal.

Dad sat back in his chair and rubbed his belly. You got any good prospects?

I shrugged. I don’t know. There ain’t much to be honest. I’m hoping something turns up soon. My savings will only stretch so far and unemployment don’t pay for shit. The truth was the job market in east Texas was shit.

Naw, I’m sure it don’t. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Mick. The right job will turn up when it’s the right time. He paused and raised an eyebrow as he grinned at me. In the meantime⁠—

Hell no. I cut him off quick as a snake. I am not working for Oakes. He’s a dickhead and we all know it.

Don’t talk about your brother like that. He’s just a little uptight, Mom chastised me.

Uptight? The man is a perfectionist and acts like his shit don’t stink, Momma. You and I both know if I went to work for him, we’d come to blows and it would be bloody, I grumbled.

Dad nodded. Yeah, she’s right. Normally my money would be on Oakes, but you fight dirty.

Only way to fight. If ya ain’t cheatin’, ya ain’t trying, I quoted him. He’d told us so many times it had practically become the family motto, at least when it came to fighting. If Dad caught us cheating at anything else, he’d have tanned our hide.

Utter ridiculousness. Momma shook her head as she cleared the plates off the table. Why don’t you two go work on that damn engine so I can have my table back before it stains?

Yes ma’am. I saluted her. It was a classic Melanie Merritt dismissal, and I knew better than to ignore her.

Chapter Two

Murphy

I stared down at the pile of bills in front of me and willed them to pay and file themselves away. The business, Wild Cat Timber, was my pride and joy and on the verge of going under. I knew lumber like the back of my own hand, but office shit was over my head. We had bills to pay, invoices to collect on, and I had no clue where to start. I’d inherited the giant ass mess when I bought the company and had only made it worse. I needed to hire someone but that brought on a whole host of other problems.

My cat rumbled in my chest, and I stared at the door to the office trailer until Rowan Howard, my right hand, walked in. He looked around the room and groaned. I knew it was bad, but hearing and seeing his reaction to the chaos made me feel even worse.

Hire someone. This is bullshit and it’s gotten way too out of hand, Murph. We can’t handle this anymore. We need an office manager. Just place an ad and call it a day, he insisted.

And what? Hire a damn human who could see one of the guys change? No, thank you. I won’t be the reason shifters are discovered. I shook my head.

Rumors are already out there. Someone got a video of a wolf shifter changing back after a run. Somewhere overseas. There are claims the video is fake, but it looks pretty damn real to me. Besides, you’re the boss. Just make sure whoever you hire knows they can’t leave this compound. Problem solved. He looked so proud, like he’d just solved world hunger or something.

Fuck, I groaned.

"We have less than two months before the bank starts repossessing equipment. We’re busier than ever and have nothing to show for it. Especially you. I know damn good and well you’re forgoing a paycheck so the guys can get paid. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to pay them and yourself?" he asked.

Fine. I’ll make the ad.

Excellent. I’m gonna go up and check on Tex and Xander. They’re running the back field today and I need to make sure they don’t kill each other. Call and place the ad. Rowan flipped me off as he left the building. I chucked a stapler at his back, but he was too quick, and the damn thing put a hole in the wall beside the door. I was forced to listen to his laughter as he crossed the parking lot to his truck. Fucker.

I turned back to the mess surrounding me and groaned. As much as I hated to admit it, Rowan was right. I needed someone in here to fix all this shit and I needed them like yesterday. I muttered a curse as I picked up the phone and called the paper. I hadn’t read it in years, but I was fairly certain they still did help wanted ads. There was no way in hell I was putting something on one of those hiring websites. I needed someone local, not some jackass halfway across the country wasting my time.

After a frustrating twenty minutes of talking to Miss Melissa Sue Sanders, I had her assurances she would post the ad right away. I wasn’t convinced of her ability to actually do the job, but I didn’t have any other choices. The woman was fucking annoying. I was fairly certain I knew more about her family drama than her family did. Her brother was sleeping with his secretary and his wife knew but refused to admit it. Her sister had six boyfriends and none of them knew about each other. Disturbing but kinda impressive too. I also knew her