I never thought a man like me would end up in a place like this.

Life rarely gives us what we expect, but often what we need.

And God knows I needed a fresh start--a clean slate.

Doesn’t mean it’s easy. My sister, Virginia, hasn’t stopped crying her eyes out since we got here.

I’m not emotional about saying goodbye to our old life, but I am feeling more than a little stir-crazy, being with her 24/7. I tell her I’m going for a walk and then head out of the cabin to clear my head. Spending time outside will do my mind and body good. It’s the middle of the afternoon in late spring and the weather is perfect. Not too hot, not too cold.

She’s so damn scared of outsiders right now, not that I blame her. Poor thing has been through hell and back, leaving her frail as a bird. Hell, I think she’d blow over if the wind got going.

I love her because she’s my little sis, but I wish she were a little more resilient, a little stronger. Our old life is over. We’re out here on our own now.

But damn, it feels good to stop looking over my shoulder while waiting for the shit to hit the fan. Out here, Ginny and I aren’t going to be found by the Badlands Motorcycle Club. Here, we’re free for the first time in our fucking lives.

Growing up in Wyoming, life was hard, and we fell in with the Badlands when we were teenagers. We had nothing else, they were our family.

But hell, even a guy like me knows that a family like that isn’t worth having.

The wind rustles through the leaves and I relish the fresh air. After a life spent in dive bars, this mountain is a paradise. I cut across the familiar trail I’ve been taking every morning since we moved into our small cabin out here in the middle of nowhere, thanking God for this second chance.

This particular trail is about more than a chance for fresh air, though. It’s a chance to see her.

Her. That gorgeous creature who leans over plants and plucks them between her fingers.

Her, the woodland nymph who kneels in the mossy earth, foraging for herbs, her wild hair loose and her sundress falling from her shoulder.

I don’t know her name, but I plan on finding out everything there is to know about her.

We moved here a few weeks ago, and every day I’ve seen her come out to the woods. I fall more and more in love with her each day.

When I decided I needed to get my sister far from the hell that was taking over her life, I knew we needed to get as far away as possible.

And after one look at this woman, I know there is nothing like her anywhere else on God’s green earth.

I came here for a reason.

She is the reason.

We started driving, Virginia and I, after selling my bike and getting a beat-up pickup truck. When we got to Idaho, and I saw the mountain range, I figured these woods would be a good place to hide.

I just wanted to get as far away as possible from the people who would be looking for us.

The past isn’t all behind me, though. I know they will keep looking until they find me. No one leaves the Badlands without paying a price.

I thought they were my brothers--my family.

But they laid their hands on my sister, against her will, and I couldn’t stand by and not say something. I had to fight for her honor, even if it cost me everything.

And she had to fight for her life, even if it meant blood on her hands.

I look up to the blue sky, wanting my worries to fade away. Why am I going over all this shit anyway? I should be focused on looking for her.

A branch cracks in the distance. I hear her melancholic voice as she begins to sing the same song she sings every day. The words wrap around me, and even though she’s not singing to me, her voice cracks open my heart. She doesn’t sing like a woman who’s had an easy life. She sings like an angel who’s been through hell and back.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

Her voice is sweet like honey, thick like molasses, and I’m drawn to her even though I know I should stay away.

You make me happy when skies are gray...

I can’t help myself. I walk toward her, watching as she uses tiny scissors to cut wild mint leaves. She hears me moving through the trail and her chin lifts and her eyes meet mine.

She looks startled, like a scared rabbit. Her eyes widen as she stands, knocking over her basket as she does.

I can imagine how I must look to her, untamed and dominating. I’ve been growing my beard and my hair is longer than it’s ever been before. My biceps stretch the cotton t-shirt I’m wearing, and I hate the idea of my broad body intimidating her.

For a moment, I consider retreating but as I run a hand over my jaw, I watch in surprise. She’s not running away. She’s walking toward me, curious.

“I thought I was going crazy,” she says, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. “I’ve seen you around the woods, but you’ve never come close enough for me to say hello. I wondered if you’d make me come.” She swallows, hard, her cheeks flushed a rosy red. “Come over to introduce myself, I mean.”

As she moves closer, I can see how bright her blue eyes are, like clear pools of water. We’ve never spoken before, but I already know she’s nothing like the women I’ve known from Badlands. Instead of collecting lovers and shitty tattoos, she gathers greens from the forest floor.

Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her because she seems otherworldly. However, I know it’s more than just attraction. I’m pulled toward her like a moth to a flame.

I jut out my chin, acknowledging her, but I’m at a loss for words. What am I supposed to say to the woman when just looking at her takes my breath away?

“I’ve seen you poking around,” she continues, stepping over the small creek. Her feet are bare, and her toes grip the stones, but her balance is off. I offer her my hand, wanting to be the thing she holds onto in this world. “Oh, oh, my gosh,” she laughs, as she regains her footing once over the shallow water.

She looks up at me, waiting for me to say something. I’ve never been good with women though. My words always get caught in my throat; catching and never quite saying what I mean.

I don’t want to fuck this up though. Not with her.

Standing next to her, I see how much bigger than her I am. My nickname’s always been Grizzly, but my legal name is Bear. I’m just that; big and burly. The kind of man who can hold his own, but not the kind a woman ever gets close to.

But now, I’m standing here next to the one woman I want.

“Are you gonna say something? Or are you planning on running off with me into these woods?” she asks with a lightheartedness I hadn’t expected. She looks me up and down, biting her bottom lip, and I see a flicker of want in her eyes.

Interesting.

She’s thin but strong. Her skin is a warm bronze from the sun and it’s clear she spends a lot of time outside. I wonder, not for the first time, where she lives. We’re out deep in the woods, and the idea of her living by herself makes my skin hot. A woman as innocent looking as she is shouldn’t be left alone.

There are bears in these woods, after all.

Or, at least, one grizzly.

I clear my throat, my words as needy as my cock. “Is that what you want?” I growl. “Because, darlin’, I don’t think I could deny you a damn thing.”