First published 2026
Ryker built a hockey career after Triple Creek Ranch saved him from foster care fifteen years ago. Now his adoptive father has died and he must return to manage the struggling ranch. His childhood best friend arrives with her troubled nephew, seeking a fresh start. She has spent ten years raising the boy alone while working as an audiobook narrator. Living together at the ranch awakens the feelings they buried long ago. She watches her nephew begin to heal while helping Ryker learn ranch management. Their old connection grows stronger as they work side by side. But Ryker's hockey fame has created enemies who follow him home. The threats force them to choose between safety and the love they have always shared. The ranch that once gave Ryker sanctuary now becomes the place where both must decide if their second chance deserves the fight.
Genres: romance, contemporary-romance, second-chance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, second-chance
Setting: Triple Creek Ranch
Period: 15 years ago
287 pages · Paperback · Montlake