I’ve always lived like nothing lasts, but she makes me believe in forever.
I built my gym with sweat and stubborn grit, and now I’m ready to expand. It’s the biggest project I’ve ever taken on, and the first time I need the town to believe I can finish what I start.
The problem is, people in Hard Timber already think they know me. The Ex-List called me the man who never sticks the guy who jumps in fast, burns bright, and walks away before the dust settles. And Rowan March, the town’s rule-keeper with sharp eyes and an even sharper tongue, is the one person standing between me and the permits.
She doesn’t soften when I smile. She doesn’t bend when I push. She looks at me like I’m a wildfire that’ll blaze hot and vanish.
She’s wrong. This time I’m not walking away.
She wants every box checked and every line followed. I want to prove I’m more than a passing distraction. Because under all her control, I see the fire she won’t let anyone touch. And once I’ve got her close enough to feel it, there’s no turning back.
They say I wont stay. But I’ve found the one woman worth fighting for, and I intend to prove it—one step, one kiss, one promise at a time.
