Jody had been born a warrior. Entrusted to protect his family at all costs, he fought hard and played even harder. He followed the rules Silas had set over the family in order to protect their gifts, but Jody didn't consider it breaking the rules to have a little fun when he was away from the mountain. Didn't every warrior deserve a break when there was no war to fight? He might have been born knowing there was a soulmate in his future, but until then, he owed no allegiance to a woman he hadn't even met.
Rationalizing his past where women were concerned, Jody discovered how wrong he was when his soulmate showed up, thinking he was no knight in shining armor.
Sophie could spot a player a mile off, and Jody was a player. He might pretend to be just a good ole boy, but from the brokenhearted women panting after him whenever he came down from his mountain, she wasn't buying the malarky he was trying to sell her.
If Jody really thought he could convince her that they were soulmates, then he must be drinking too much moonshine. She was just trying to survive, and the spotlight he'd put on her was going to lead her enemies right to her door. What she needed was a fighter, not a lover. And, while she might be attracted to Jody, he certainly was not the hero.
