My nickname, Ace, could mean a lot of things, but what hit home for me was that I was a loner, and until I could figure out how to keep from messing things up, it needed to stay that way.

Calling my past checkered made it sound far too organized. It was more of a tangled mess but in an effort to get things right moving forward, I lived with the sense of honor the Men of Valor demanded.

And then I saw Sophia. One woman. One encounter. One life-changing incident.

I’d vowed not to repeat the mistakes of my past and would try like hell not to make new ones, but when my world becomes forever entangled with hers, I’m not the only one who gets to call the shots. Her past, her struggles, and her fears have to be overcome before she can drop her defenses.

My heart and my future hang in the balance as I struggle to help Sophia see that my actions are honorable, and to teach her what I’m barely understanding myself…that life is better when you share it with someone you love.