The Cabin Comes First

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He bought a cabin to escape his life. The cabin came with a failing septic system, a rescue dog, and a groundskeeper who has no respect for personal space.

Drew Sloane bought a crumbling Adirondack cabin at two in the morning because he was lonely and would not admit it. A Manhattan corporate attorney with a perfect record and an empty apartment, Drew expected a project. Something to fix, manage, and control. Instead, he found a property with thirty-seven discrete problems, a dog who decided he was its person, and a groundskeeper who calls him Counselor and walks into his house without knocking.

Beckett Vale has maintained Hollow Pine for nine years. He knows every rotting board, every trail, and exactly which floorboard will drop a city lawyer through to his knees. Drew is prickly, controlling, and completely unprepared for a man who does not flinch when he is difficult.

When the lake association threatens to condemn the cabin and a developer circles the land, Drew and Beck have to work together to save it — one repair, one argument, and one very inconvenient bed at a time.

Drew wants clean boundaries. Beck wants Drew to understand that some things cannot be fenced. And Milo wants them both to stop pretending they are not already home.

You will love this if you enjoy:

✅ High-strung city lawyer x grounded outdoorsy groundskeeper
✅ Cabin renovation with forced proximity and only one bed
✅ Grumpy/sunshine with banter that turns into something more
✅ Fake dating for a cabin competition that becomes very real
✅ Slow burn that EXPLODES (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ — graphic, explicit, emotional)
✅ Rescue dog as matchmaker and emotional support cockblocker
✅ Found family lakeside community
✅ HEA guaranteed