Broken: A Mountain Man's Romance Read online

  Table of Contents

  Broken – A Mountain Man’s Romance

  Note from Mia

  Chapter 1: Carrie

  Chapter 2: Johnathan

  Chapter 3: Carrie

  Chapter 4: Johnathan

  Chapter 5: Carrie

  Chapter 6: Johnathan

  Chapter 7: Carrie

  Chapter 8: Johnathan

  Chapter 9: Carrie

  Chapter 10: Johnathan

  Chapter 11: Carrie

  Chapter 12: Johnathan

  Chapter 13: Carrie

  Chapter 14: Johnathan

  Chapter 15: Carrie

  Chapter 16: Johnathan

  Chapter 17: Carrie

  Chapter 18: Johnathan

  Chapter 19: Carrie

  Chapter 20: Johnathan

  Chapter 21: Carrie

  Chapter 22: Johnathan

  Epilogue

  Unprepared Daddy

  The Perfect Gift

  Your’s Forever

  The Valentines Day Proposal

  Trapped in the Cabin

  Claiming Charlotte – A Never Before Published Romance

  More Steamy Romance by Bella Winters

  More Steamy Romance by Mia Ford

  Broken – A Mountain Man’s Romance

  Copyright © 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. While, as in all fiction, the literary perceptions and insights are based on life experiences and conclusions drawn from research, all names, characters, places and specific instances are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. No actual reference to any real person, living or dead, is intended or inferred.

  Note from Mia

  A big thank you for choosing to download my book and read it. I am very grateful to have you on board and to thank you, I have included inside this book an Exclusive Romance Novella – “Claiming Charlotte” which has never been published before and is only available here. So, do check that out.

  Also included inside this books are some of my BEST SELLING NOVELS…

  Unprepared Daddy, The Perfect Gift, Yours Forever, The Valentines Day Proposal and Trapped in the Cabin.

  So, sit back, grab some wine and enjoy these STEAMY ROMANCE Books!!!

  WAIT I DO HAVE A REQUEST…

  Please use the TOC (Table of Contents located in the upper left area of your screen) to navigate your way through this book. If you are zoomed out and you are seeing a smaller version of this book and it is flipping through that way, the please press the centre of your screen to get you out of page flip mode.

  Thanks so much for looking into this while reading!

  Once you are finished reading, I would love to hear back from you! So, if you have any feedback, drop me an email at [email protected]

  Enjoy!!!

  xoxo Mia.

  Mia Ford. Let Loose Your Inner Nymphos.

  * * *

  Blurb

  Carrie is a college student, looking for adventure in the North Carolina mountains. She thinks she has everything planned out and is excited about her trip, though little does she know that she has no idea what this trip will entail.

  Johnathan lives alone in the mountainside. He is a loner, who has written off humanity, but when his path ends up crossing with a woman who needs his help, he will have to force himself to rekindle a sense of decency, at least for the woman, if not for anyone else.

  However, things take an unexpected turn when the two starts to enjoy one another’s company and that company eventually heats up.

  Can Carrie help Johnathan break through his trust issues to regain his life and carry on within normal society, or is this simply a fling, for two people brought together by unlikely circumstances?

  Chapter 1: Carrie

  I couldn’t believe that the day was finally here! I had planned this trip for so long, it seemed to take forever for time to finally catch up to my bustling excitement. I sauntered around the house, quickly making my last round, to ensure I hadn’t forgotten anything.

  Kasandra, my roommate, who was also my best friend, sat on the couch and scoffed at me, each time I passed her. I didn’t know what she was so concerned with, since she had the weekend to herself. I was sure she was going to have her boyfriend over and they were going to perform unmentionable acts all over the apartment, while I was using my hiatus from school to get back to nature.

  Yet, being that she was the opposite of me in this regard, I guessed I shouldn’t be so surprised.

  Kasandra wore her emotions on her face and everyone knew exactly what she was thinking, without her having to say a word.

  At times, especially growing up, this trait got her into a lot of trouble, while I was roped in most of the time, simply because I was guilty by association.

  Now that we were adults, though, this talent was useful.

  I, on the other hand, was quiet, resourceful and a pacifist. I would do anything to avoid a fight, while Kasandra had accepted she couldn’t hide her emotions. Therefore, she seemed to always be ready for a fight.

  Right now, however, her glare of disapproval was lessened slightly by her strained, cheerful tone, “So, why are you excited about this trip again? Please tell me you’re going to do more than hike.”

  “Nope,” I insisted as I reached for the last few things I felt I would need on my journey. “I’m going to be spending the week in the mountains, enjoying the clean, fresh air. I want to clear my head before classes start again.”

  “Why don’t you just go to the spa, like a normal person?”

  I laughed, knowing that strangely enough, Kasandra was trying to be nice, even though it didn’t sound like it.

  “Because, it’s not the same,” I insisted, hoping she didn’t see through my carefully constructed plan.

  “Yeah, that’s my point, it’s a lot more fun, relaxing…and safer. If you want to work up a sweat, go in a sauna.”

  “Kas, are you worried about me?” I retorted in a joking tone, which made my friend scowl as she shook her head, though her expression still gave her away quite apparently.

  “No, it’s just a stupid idea,” she answered, somewhat defensively.

  “I know you think so,” I replied, refusing to let her ruin my excitement.

  “I mean, why a mountain? Why that mountain?” She insisted, getting into questions that I didn’t want to answer.

  I sighed, again refusing to allow her to douse the passion I had regarding this trip, “I respect that it isn’t your thing but please respect that it’s mine.”

  “Just be careful, is all,” she hissed, “I know that it’s your thing and whatever. That’s not the stupid part.”

  “Well, if you’re so worried about it, why don’t you come with me?”

  I knew she wasn’t going to, but to keep the conversation fluid and away from the secret truth behind my trip, I needed to ask her, so she didn’t get suspicious.

  If I had it my way, she would never figure out the true reason I went on this trip. If she did, I would likely never hear the end of it and that was the last thing I needed.

  Again, Kasandra scoffed, “I’m not that worried about you,” she retorted with a snide laugh.

  However, I brushed off the warning, considering where it was coming from. After all, Kasandra was a city girl and could never understand the i
ntrigue and the beauty of nature.

  She simply thought it was gross and dirty; which was why this ended up being the perfect place for my trip. If it was anywhere else, besides hiking or otherwise dirty outdoors, she might actually want to come along, and I couldn’t have that.

  I needed to this myself. There was no other way for me to find the peace that I sought.

  I rolled my eyes, “Goodbye,” I grumbled as I grabbed my pack. “I’ll be back in a week,” I insisted, slinging the pack over my shoulder.

  I left before Kasandra could succeed in putting any doubt in my head about taking this trip. After all, I had to meet my guide at the foothills of the mountain range and after waiting so long to go on this trip, I didn’t want to be late.

  “Seriously, though!” I heard Kasandra scream from behind the closed door, “Be careful! Don’t get eaten by wolves!”

  “Bye!” I called again, trying to stifle my amusement as I rolled my eyes. I shook my head and started the trek downstairs.

  This is gonna be great! I assured myself confidently, pushing forward, toward my car, ready to start my adventure.

  The ride to the foothills of the mountain seemed to take forever but eventually, I found myself gazing up at a majestic scene of wildlife and reverent nature. The air was already thinner. I could feel it withering as I inhaled it, already, but I was prepared for this.

  Despite what everyone who was closest to me either genuinely seemed to think, or preferred to believe, this wasn’t my first time in the mountains.

  Granted, the last time was a while ago, but I certainly didn’t think that disqualified my experience.

  I had survived the first time, and I liked to think that I had garnered intelligence with age, so I should be fine this time as well.

  After all, it wasn’t like I was dumb enough to go up there all alone. I had hired a guide and I had no intention of doing anything dangerous. I was taking this trip to enjoy nature and let go of the stress my life had placed upon me in the last year. I wasn’t intending to be consumed by it.

  Sure, perhaps my idea to trek the mountain alone, with only a guide wasn’t the best plan but I didn’t have anyone else to go with and I wasn’t going to forgo this opportunity because I was afraid of a little adventure.

  Everyone who knew me was as certain of that as I was, so despite Kasandra’s attempts to get me to do something else to relax, no one else had wasted much time trying to talk me out of it.

  However, when I saw the man I would soon learn was my guide pull up next to my car in a beat-up truck, looking less than savory, I hoped to God the first impression was inaccurate.

  While I didn’t have anything against pickup trucks, or anyone in particular, the strange feeling that plagued me the moment the truck pulled up had me instantly regretting my decision.

  I should’ve gone for the more expensive guide… I thought immediately, though I still hoped this wasn’t as bad a decision as it now appeared to be.

  It wasn’t that this guide was cheap; he was simply the cheapest. At the time, I had also thought I was getting a good deal, instead of a cheap deal, since this was a little bit of a downtime for the mountain. It was usually hot, so people didn’t like to hike, and it was right at the cusp of the changeover, when the leaves started their fall foliage display, so I thought I might simply be getting a discounted rate.

  However, as I gazed upon the man I was supposed to be spending the next week with, I couldn’t help but think I was going to receive a discounted experience too.

  The man who hopped out of the truck was tall, lanky, and unshaven. His hair looked as though it had never met a brush and his shirt was stained. His jeans were torn at the bottom and his boots looked far too worn out to be acceptable for the hiking trip.

  He looked more like someone I would see living in the mountains, instead of a guide, who was supposed to be well-respected people within the mountain community.

  Although, I was determined not to let anything spoil this trip for me, so when he walked toward me, I spoke first in the friendliest voice I could muster.

  “Hi! Are you Mitch?”

  “Yep,” the man replied, barely looking at me as he dug in the back of his mud-stained, rusty truck bed, pulling up a raggedy pack that didn’t look near full enough for a week’s hike.

  Still, there was a possibility he was a minimalist; it sure would explain his attire and first impression; one of the few explanations that wouldn’t want to make me take off in the other direction.

  “You Katy?” Mitch looked at me strangely as he turned around and slipped the pack over his shoulder.

  “Um…Carrie,” I corrected in a gentle voice, trying not to come across as a bitch, considering the amount of time we about to be spending together. However, I couldn’t quite help but narrow my eyes at the empty beer bottles that were rolling around in the back of the truck, disturbed by the man grabbing the pack.

  “Oh…Carrie. Right,” he responded as his eyes obviously tracing over my body in a strange, slightly revolting manner. “Oh…Don’t you worry about that…” Mitch added as he finally returned his gaze to my eyes and saw that I was looking at the remnants of booze, “Just the remainders of a good memory…From over the weekend. I’ve gotta clean this old girl out…”

  As though trying to sound endearing toward his truck, in a very odd way, he gave the side a loud smack, which caused the body to rattle.

  It was a solid truck, from the look of it, so the force of his thrusting made me slightly nervous.

  I tried not to show him that I noticed but I could hardly keep my upper lip from curling in disgust.

  “You look mighty pretty for going on a week-long hike,” he answered in a redneck kind of condescending tone.

  “I like to be prepared,” I answered, feeling a shiver run down my spine, “So, when should we get going?”

  “I guess there’s no time like the present,” he replied, showing me a grin that was obviously missing teeth.

  I swallowed hard and again, reconsidered being alone in the woods with this man. Although, I eventually decided that it was probably better to be with someone, as creepy as he seemed, then alone.

  Besides, I had already paid him, and he still showed up. I decided that had to count for something. Even if he was dirty and disgusting, he had to have work ethic and honor to some degree. He didn’t take the money and run, so that had to prove something to me. I wasn’t sure what yet, but I was hoping after hiking with him, I would find out…and it would be positive.

  So, I shook my head in agreement, trying to also shake off the bad feeling that was gnawing at the pit of my stomach.

  I waited for Mitch to lead the way, figuring that if I followed him, it would be safer, and I could keep an eye on him.

  To my surprise, the first few days yielded nothing to fear and I was starting to settle into my own, achieving the idea of becoming one with nature. We were deep into the mountains by now and although the tour guide still seemed weird, backwoods, and a little overbearing, I had decided that he wasn’t dangerous. Besides, I wasn’t there for him. I had hired him. I was in the mountains for the experience and to let go of my stress. I had some issues that I needed to come to terms with and I had decided a while ago that I wasn’t going to let anyone get in the way of me finding my peace. Therefore, there was no way in hell I was about to allow this creepy guy to take that away from me, so I resolved to ignore him as best as I could and focus on the majesty that surrounded me.

  The trails we walked along were rocky and rough, but the terrain was fun and challenging. I didn’t feel threatened by it, especially because the weather was predominately in our favor.

  It was hot at times, but Mitch was good about stopping to get water and ensuring that we were both hydrated.

  As the air thinned further, I started to feel more tired and we tended to stop to catch our breath and drink our water more often.

  Of course, there were plenty of other factors that attributed to this as well. While I couldn�
�t and didn’t want to know Mitch well enough to speak for him, I knew that the muscles in my legs had shredded a while ago. Now, it was all I could do to keep pace with Mitch’s long strides as we crossed the stone-laden path that coiled up the mountainside.

  Along the way, we passed many small towns, carved right into the side of the mountain, almost like posing as a work of art. Each town had a breathtaking view and I found myself contemplating, more than once, what it would be like to leave my life behind to disappeared into a carved oasis.

  Of course, I knew that was out of the question for me but being that the townsfolk were the only people I had to talk to, considering I didn’t talk much to Mitch, made me feel a connection to them as I grasped for every strand of intrigue this trip held.

  While I knew that it probably wasn’t great, I was happy it wasn’t just me who Mitch seemed to be awkward around. When we were in the town, Mitch tried and failed to talk to every woman he came within eyeshot of and didn’t seem to be too well liked by anyone.

  Searching for a bright side to all of this, at least the townsfolk seemed to know who he was and, aside from rolling their eyes when they found out he was my tour guide, no one expressed that I should tread lightly.

  Still, I couldn’t help but think this was strange. After all, if the guide came up here a lot, it would make sense that he had at least one friend.

  Although, with each town we passed through, the reactions were the same. There didn’t seem to be one person who was pleased to see Mitch, although everyone was hospitable to me.