Last Night With the Grumpy Man
(2026)(Book 20 in the One Night's Lasting Echo series)
A novel by Scott Wylder
He’s grumpy, guarded, and done with love.
She’s sunshine wrapped in sass…
And she just crashed right into his darkness.
Marcus Fields isn’t looking to fall again.
Not after heartbreak.
Not with a diagnosis that’s changed everything.
The quiet, brooding history teacher keeps his head down, his heart locked up tight, and his past buried deep.
Then Desiree blows into town like a walking hurricane.
Smart mouth. Big smile. Hips that make him forget how to breathe.
She’s the new bartender at the Ochre Drift—and the chaos his world didn’t ask for.
She flirts. He scowls.
She teases. He grumbles.
But somewhere between late-night talks and sizzling glances, that storm brews into something electric.
A weekend getaway—thanks to a meddling friend—forces them closer than ever.
One bed. One night.
One line they’re no longer willing to toe.
Now, secrets start slipping.
Walls start cracking.
And Marcus is torn between pushing her away… or finally letting someone in.
Can a grumpy man with a broken heart risk falling for the woman who makes him feel alive again?
Or will fear ruin the only chance he has left at love?
Last Night With the Grumpy Man is a slow-burn, steamy romance full of crackling tension, tender healing, and second chances that hit deep and hard.
She’s sunshine wrapped in sass…
And she just crashed right into his darkness.
Marcus Fields isn’t looking to fall again.
Not after heartbreak.
Not with a diagnosis that’s changed everything.
The quiet, brooding history teacher keeps his head down, his heart locked up tight, and his past buried deep.
Then Desiree blows into town like a walking hurricane.
Smart mouth. Big smile. Hips that make him forget how to breathe.
She’s the new bartender at the Ochre Drift—and the chaos his world didn’t ask for.
She flirts. He scowls.
She teases. He grumbles.
But somewhere between late-night talks and sizzling glances, that storm brews into something electric.
A weekend getaway—thanks to a meddling friend—forces them closer than ever.
One bed. One night.
One line they’re no longer willing to toe.
Now, secrets start slipping.
Walls start cracking.
And Marcus is torn between pushing her away… or finally letting someone in.
Can a grumpy man with a broken heart risk falling for the woman who makes him feel alive again?
Or will fear ruin the only chance he has left at love?
Last Night With the Grumpy Man is a slow-burn, steamy romance full of crackling tension, tender healing, and second chances that hit deep and hard.