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Join these Colorado men as they navigate real life, work success and fails, and finding the women that bring them to their knees.

Excerpt from Off The Grid by J.S. Wood © J.S. Wood Books LLC

GRAHAM

"How old are you?"

I grunt as I rotate the bolts back onto the AC unit. The entire unit could use replacing but I don't see Quinn being able to spring that with all the other things she needs fixed around here. She could use an entire crew.

I look up from my place on the ground to the eight-year-old who's been sitting on the edge of the half-broken porch, her legs poking through the side, swinging her feet back and forth while she watches me work. Her little hand absentmindedly pets Rudy's head and I give the dog a look. She's going to get spoiled by this girl.

"I'm thirty-one."

"Wow," she replies and when I look at her considering face, she says, "My mom's way older. She's like thirty-four."

I smirk at her suggestion that that's way older and nod my head, filing away that bit of information. "Good to know."

"Why?" she quips quickly and I blink my eyes, moving my hands in front of me, packing up the tools that are lying around.

An answer doesn't come quick to me, even as I will it to."Because... because I like to know how old my friends are." It's a terrible excuse and this eight-year-old is smarter than I give her credit for.

"You guys aren't friends," she says, shaking her head. "You're my friend though, if you want to be." Her head bows forward, her auburn hair that matches her mother's hiding her face. I detect a shyness after her admission.

"I'd like to be your friend, Mini," I say softly.

"Why'd you call me that?"

"What, Mini?"

"Yeah."

I smile, thinking of the answer. "Because you look just like your mama. Her mini-me. So I called you Mini."

Her head lifts and her green eyes meet mine, a wide grin on her face. Putting a smile on her face somehow makes this long, long day all the better.

Kids are easy to navigate, as long as you talk to them and really listen to what they're saying

."Alex!" The bellow comes from just inside the back door, I straighten as Quinn comes through the door, her wide eyes taking in the scene in front of her. "Alex, I told you to stay inside!"

"It's alright," I reply before Alex can give an excuse. "She didn't bother me."

Mom eyes. That's the only way to describe the look that's on Quinn's face right now, and as I assess the situation I realize why she's so worried.

"Alex, you can't come outside when a stranger is here without me," Quinn says to her, ignoring me completely. I dip my head to give them whatever privacy I can.

"But Graham isn't a stranger, he's my friend. He just said so!" Alex's defense is sweet but... doesn't sound good.

"That's—"

"Did he now?" Quinn's voice has me looking up and that fire in her vibrant green eyes has my body heating up in ways I haven't experienced in far too long. "Alex, go pick up your art supplies, please."

"Okay," she replies softly and shuffles in through the door, I whistle at Rudy to stay, not wanting to add fuel to the fire.

Without the buffer of the eight-year-old, I fumble with the tools again, but they're put away already and the unit is already put back together, giving me nothing to fidget with.

"Quinn," I start, standing and facing her finally. "I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable, I'm sorry about that. Alex is a sweet kid and was just asking me some stuff. Random questions. I didn't realize how that would make you feel."

Her eyes soften and her arms fall to her sides. "Oh," she replies, whatever she was going to say dies on her lips and I watch her rearrange the words she was about to say. "Hard to be mad when you're so understanding."I

lift my hands in the air and say, "If that was my kid, I'd be protective too. I can't imagine how hard it must be to do it on your own."

Quinn tilts her head and eyes me speculatively, her eyes glance to my hands and then back to my face. "Are you married?"

I shake my head in confusion. "Uh, no."

"Got a girlfriend then?"I huff and run a hand over my beard, I notice Quinn watching me closely. "No."

A brow raises on that sassy woman's face. "Boyfriend? Fiancé? Monk?"

I sigh and drop my hands to my sides. "What are you getting at, Quinn?"

She shrugs and shakes her head. "I just can't believe it."

"Can't believe what? The status of my singleness?"

"Just doesn't seem possible. You seem to know how to handle women."

It's my turn to raise a brow and I smirk. "I know a thing or two."

Immediately her skin flushes and her eyes widen slightly when her words catch up to her. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure you didn't." I don't know what we're doing, it feels like flirting but... it's been so long since I've felt the want to do so that I'm rusty as hell.

"I didn't!" Luckily for Quinn, Alex bursts through the door, cutting off whatever I was going to say in response which would have been something like, "I'd be happy to show you sometime."

Hell. I need to get a grip.

"Graham! Can you stay for dinner?" The innocent question is so loaded but Alex has no idea.

Before Quinn can jump in and cut us off, I say, "Absolutely."

Excerpt: Off The Grid; J.S. Wood; ©J.S. Wood Books LLC