I was living my dream… until it turned into a nightmare.

My little cabin in the woods of Vermont was everything I’d hoped it would be. Quiet. Rustic. Beautiful. On top of that, my only neighbor was the most intriguing man I’d met in years.

Then one night my cozy sanctuary was invaded, and I ended up facing off against a man who tried to kill
me. On the run, injured and scared, I fled my house in search of protection.

Even in the midst of my terror, there wasn’t a question of who I would go to.
Knox. My neighbor-turned-friend. A man I would have considered dating had things been different. And highly skilled from his years in the Army.

As I hoped, Knox didn’t hesitate to come to my aid. But the man who came after me is still out there, and until he’s caught, I’ll never be safe.

The last thing I was expecting was violence right outside my back door.

After years in the Army, of memories I’d rather forget, I came back to Vermont in search of a new beginning. In the time I’ve been here, I found even more than I ever imagined. A home. A business. A team. And the purpose I’d been missing.

My life was busy, and I liked it that way. Maybe I wasn’t happy, but I was content.

As my friends all coupled up, sometimes I thought about a relationship. But the only woman I’d consider opening up to has never given a sign she wants anything more than friendship.

Do I still think about Lark and wonder? Absolutely.

Then she comes to me for help, hurt, terrified, bleeding, and everything is thrown into stark clarity. I’ll do anything to protect her. To make her happy. To see her gorgeous smile again. And now I know friendship isn’t enough anymore.