Duke Carver doesn't believe in second chances. As the steady force behind Ember Creek Ranch and a single father raising the one piece of his heart he has left, his life is built on control, routine and keeping the past exactly where it belongs. Selene Sutton arrives in Timberstone looking for a fresh start and trying to outrun a past that refuses to stay buried. She wasn't meant to be anything more than a temporary solution. A helping hand. A quiet presence in the background. Instead, she becomes the one thing Duke can't ignore. She's warm where he's guarded, steady where he's fractured, and far too easy to let in. What starts as simple proximity turns into something neither of them are prepared for. Quiet moments, lingering glances and a connection that feels a little too much like home. But Duke knows what it costs to love something you can lose. And Selene knows better than to trust that the past won't come looking for her. On Ember Creek Ranch, where roots run deep and nothing stays buried forever, they'll have to decide...is love worth the risk or just another thing they'll have to survive?