Claiming Love

I thought my friend and former Army Ranger buddy, Wilder, was crazy when moved to the Smoky Mountains and bought an old mining town. Fast forward a few months, and I’m starting to see the brilliance of having an oasis from humanity while we heal from the trauma and loss of war.

After several surgeries I wasn’t sure I’d wake up from, I found myself trudging up the mountain to join my friend. I was expecting long days in the sun filled with back-breaking work, which sounded perfect to me. I wasn’t expecting the sweet, shy, irresistible woman working at the hardware store at the bottom of the mountain.

I keep finding reasons to stop by the store to see if I can get her to smile and blush. She’s painfully shy, yet curious about the world around her. I get the sense Jordan has been sheltered her whole life, and I have the urge to give her the adventure she so obviously craves.

The more I find out about Jordan’s past, the stronger my need to protect her grows. Claiming Jordan is my new purpose in life. I hope she’s ready for a mountain man like me.