SECOND EDITION! Brand new cover, author notes, and content warning.

Even after 2,000 miles of driving to overthink it, Harper Sage is still not sure what to call her hasty exit from the state of Texas. She doesn't see it as fleeing per se, but more of an overanalyzed-but-too-chickenshit-to-pull-the-trigger, long-time-coming move that just happened to be decided at the last minute, right after breaking up with her live-in boyfriend. Like, the same night. Within hours, in fact.

Luckily her childhood best friend offers her a job in the best place to start over: Three Rocks, Oregon, a tiny, picturesque town on the coast.

West Conrad knows a little about starting over. Not only did he leave his life in Portland behind, but now his nephew has been unexpectedly dropped into his care. Just when West feels like he's getting a handle on taking care of five-year-old Colt, Harper breezes into town. She's young, carefree, and everything West is not. Of course, Colt is immediately smitten with both Harper and her giant Doberman, Zero.

When Colt and Harper's shared love of s'mores brings them together, West takes one look at Harper's red-rimmed, teary hazel eyes and can't look away. And it's not just because his nephew is nestled in her lap.

As Harper breathes life back into the ailing town, West begins to realize that she's hiding behind her neon hats and Texas drawl. Yes, she's charming, funny, and his nephew's favorite person, but after a couple chance encounters, it seems that things aren't quite as sunny and carefree as she'd like everyone to think.

With every passing day, the unrelenting pull, and perhaps the five-year-old's push, toward each other grows. Are either of them willing to go all in or will their pasts catch up with them?

Content warning: The main character of this book deals with anxiety and panic attacks stemming from an attempted sexual assault (on page, brief). Other trigger warnings include alcoholism, the poor parenting choices that come with addiction, and unexpected pregnancy.

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• RomanceSmall Town Romance
• Literature & Fiction

• Publication Date: January 10, 2026
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 340 Pages
• File Size: 15 KB