Coming home for Gabe Monroe isn’t a joyous occasion. He returns to say goodbye to his father, and he stays to honor his father’s final request—take care of the family. He’s completely unprepared for the attraction he feels for his sister’s best friend and blames his grief when he gives into it. Gabe tries to put things right. Kate is practically family, and he promised his father he’d take care of her. However, Gabe is pretty sure taking Kate hard and fast against any ready surface wasn’t what his dad had in mind. Kate Pearson thought she was over her childhood crush on Gabe, but his return has all those feelings rushing back. Add in the toe-curling, mind-blowing sex…and Kate is well on her way beyond just a crush. Despite his constant meddling and insistence that they need to keep things platonic, he makes her tremble with desire and yearn for forever with him. Even as Gabe begins to accept their blossoming relationship, Kate's past casts a shadow over their future as they realize he isn't the only one who’s come home.

Maggie Monroe’s life is just as she wants it. The only thing missing is a man, and she tackles this like she would any other project. She makes a list of qualifications and requirements and is determined to find the man who fits perfectly. From the moment she meets artist Spencer Reed, Maggie mental crosses him off her list. Even though the air sizzles when they’re together, he doesn’t come close to meeting the criteria she has in mind. Tired of his nomadic lifestyle, Spence is ready to put down roots. The more time he spends in Angel Lake, the more he’s is convinced this is home, and Maggie is the one for him. Now he has to show her that that, while he might not fit her ideal of the perfect man, some of her assumptions about him are way off mark, and he’s exactly what she wants and needs.