The first time I laid eyes on Adele Jacks, she was staring down a wild animal, bold and unforgettable. She stole my breath before I even knew her name. And I'm the guy who doesn't lose his breath over anyone.

I never planned to fall in love. I'm the guy who laughs everything off, the charming cynic who hides his scars behind jokes. But Adele? She's a force of nature.

She's tough, she's smart, and she's hiding something. She's the kind of wilderness guide who can out-hike me and stare down a grizzly without blinking. Before I know it, she's working at my family's wilderness resort—walls up, defenses sky-high. She's slipping through the cracks in my heart every time I catch the vulnerability she tries to hide.

The longer I know her, the harder it becomes to keep things light and uncomplicated the way I always have. Because underneath the flirting and easy smiles, I've spent years avoiding anything that feels too real. But with Adele, I want to protect her, claim her, and make the world safe for her.

When a ghost from her past crosses our path, and I see the flash of something she thought she'd buried—I realize there's nothing I won't do to take care of her. Because somewhere between the slow burn, the reluctant sparks, and the small-town chaos, Adele became my forever.

Even if falling for her means finally risking my own heart, too.

Contains mature themes.