I've never been the kind of man to give much thought to the future. When I pictured what forever looked like, I didn't see a picket fence, a wife or a bunch of little rugrats running around. I had the dog, and that was good enough for me.

Or it had been, until a woman with dark, silky hair and sad eyes stumbled into my life and shook everything up.

The shadows that haunted Merritt Bell tugged at something deep inside me, bringing to life a primal instinct to protect that was stronger than anything I experienced before. The second I laid eyes on her, I wanted to slay all her demons. Be the knight in shining armor who could bring a smile to her beautiful face.

But before that could happen, I had to earn her trust.

When a family emergency brings her back to town and directly into the path of her estranged, abusive husband, I don't hesitate to put myself in the middle, even if it means placing a target on my back that my badge can't protect me from.

Now she and her nephew are living under my roof, and there isn't anything I won't do to keep them safe. I might be one of the good guys, but when it comes to protecting the woman who's stolen my heart and the boy I've grown to adore, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty.

I finally know what my forever looks like, and there isn't anything that can stop me from chasing it down and holding on tight.