He was just supposed to provide a safe haven for the young mom and her baby, but sometimes love has bigger plans...Mariah is a single mom trying to escape her baby's dangerous father, but she and her legal team need time to put together a solid custody case - and, in the meantime, she needs protection.Ace is the burly, bearded ex-military owner of the local mechanic shop, and he likes to be left alone, thank you very muchAnd yet, when he's approached to help hide Mariah and her baby from her dangerous ex, he doesn't have the heart to say no.But will the ghosts of his past come back to haunt him...and will they prevent him from protecting the single mother and child under his care if the man she's running from finds her?Protected by the Mountain Man is a steamy, over-the-top, instalove small town romance that will warm your heart...and other parts. 😉 Buckle up for a feel-good romance that will make you believe in the protective power of love at first sight all over again.The mountain men of Heartwood have rough palms, thick beards, and big hearts. Join these stubborn, growly men of small town Montana as they find over-the-top insta-love with women they'd do anything to protect.Let The Mountain Men of Heartwood series steal you away to a place of wild beauty where feel-good, mostly-standalone love stories are born. Happily ever afters guaranteed!