Grumpy hotshot captain. City-weary artist. One wildfire that could expose a killer or forge a forever kind of love.
When Jessica Shaw inherits her family's mountain in Redwood Peak, she walks straight into a town feud that refuses to die. Michael Foster, the stoic fire captain who lost everything to an old blaze, sees her last name and a lifetime of pain. He lives by duty. She is searching for peace. Neither plans on needing the other.
Then the forest ignites. Trapped together in a crumbling lookout tower as an inferno closes in, Jessica and Michael strike a fragile truce to survive. Heat builds, trust flickers, and long-buried secrets come roaring back. Someone set this fire on purpose. To save the mountain and the town, they must uncover a decades-old lie, outwit a vengeful arsonist, and decide if the future they are fighting for includes each other.
A tense, small-town, slow-burn romantic suspense with grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, and a protector hero who learns to risk his heart.
This is a full-length romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger. It can be read as a standalone.