He came to the mountains to be alone. She came running for her life. Now neither can walk away.

Former Marine sniper Cole Downs has built his life on distance - distance from people, from attachment, from the memories of the spotter he couldn't save. High above Solitary Ridge, he keeps watch from the shadows, guiding hunters, taking quiet security jobs, and convincing himself that isolation is the only way to survive.

Then Marcy Jones walks into the sheriff's station with a thumb drive full of evidence, a story about financial fraud targeting elderly veterans, and killers already closing in.

With the FBI scrambling to build their case, Cole is asked to protect her. From a distance. Fifty yards out in the trees, where vigilance is easier than vulnerability and where emotions can't complicate the mission.

Except they do.

Marcy is hypervigilant and grieving the loss of her grandfather. Cole carries the weight of a war he couldn't finish. They're both haunted by the people they couldn't protect.

As the danger closes in and the threat becomes impossible to ignore, Cole is forced to choose between the life he's built on isolation and the woman who's already under his skin.

Because protecting her may cost him everything.
And loving her may be the one risk he can't afford to take.

Perfect for readers who like protector romance, wounded ex-military heroes, heroines on the run, forced proximity, small mountain towns, found family, and second chances.

Book 4 in the Solitary Ridge Protectors series. Each book can be read as a standalone romance with a guaranteed HEA. Meant to be a short escape. Perfect for a lunch break, though you may blush a little.

• We started tracking this book on February 15, 2026.
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• RomanceMilitary
• RomanceAction & Adventure

• Publication Date: February 3, 2026
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 82 Pages
• File Size: 14 KB