Rugged Match by Lana Love

I came back from war a broken man. Despite my best efforts to hide away from the world by living on King Mountain, I succumbed to the many charms of my best friend’s sister.

She was the most perfect person in my highly imperfect life. Then I got spooked and ghosted her.
That was two years ago.
Now, I’m happily (or so I tell myself) living my life on the mountain, working with the other guys who live up here. It’s a solitary existence.
Only one of the guys signed me up for a cockamamie matchmaking service — and they found a match for me. As much as I yelled at my buddy for doing this, I can’t deny that I’ve been lonely up here. Even the veteran therapist I occasionally see tells me I need someone in my life.
And then I see my match.
My best friend’s sister. The woman I ghosted.
She doesn’t flinch when she sees me, and after an awkward beginning to our date, the magic is still there. When we end up at a pinball arcade, our walls our down, and I’m standing behind her as she plays and my hands are on her hips and she’s pushing back against me. It’s fking heaven on earth.
But she’s holding back and so am I. I know she expects me to ghost her again. I know that having her in my life would make me happier than I have any right to be. I’m scared to open myself up to her, but I’m more scared of what will happen if I don’t. I don’t even care what her brother wants to throw at me, because for her, I’ll take it. I’m going to be the man she deserves, now and forever.