No one is going to convince her to fall in love again... Ryder Colburn has his hands full running the family business and caring for the ailing father who’s a virtual stranger from the cold, heavy-handed man he used to be. He’s got zero free time for hobbies or women. Or so he thinks until one walks into his life… and the path of an oncoming car. Ryder doesn’t mind playing the hero for the skittish, scarred chef Penny. Maybe it’s the secrets in her eyes or the scar on her chin. Whatever the reason, he’s compelled to get closer. Penny’s learned her lesson and now she’s paying the price. That’s why she’s sharing a dilapidated house in a tiny California town with her feisty grandmother and tween brother living off the leftovers from her catering job. It’s a far cry from her dream life. But who needs dreams… or love… or sex when there’s amateur plumbing projects to tackle and breakfast casseroles to bake? One thing’s for sure, she’s never falling in love again. Not even with the sexy, snarky contractor who keeps testing the walls she’s built.

Some love stories don’t stay buried, no matter how far you run. Hazel Pierce has three goals for coming back to Star Falls: 1\. Help her estranged dad. 2\. Keep things strictly temporary. 3\. Absolutely, under no circumstances, fall for Tucker Colburn again. That plan dies a dramatic, soggy death when a rogue wasp sting sends Hazel swerving off the road and into the river—only to be hauled out, half-drowned and furious, by the Star Falls Fire Department’s finest. Unfortunately, “finest” is ex–best friend, ex–one-night mistake, and the man she’s been avoiding for a decade. Tucker’s always had a way of getting into her head. And now between a family that thrives on gossip and a town that’s way too small for all this chemistry, Hazel’s running out of ways to avoid the truth. As sparks turn into late-night confessions and slow, toe-curling kisses, Hazel has to decide if she’s done running—from her past, from this town, and from the only man who’s ever made her feel like home. And Tucker has to prove that this time, he’s not just her safe place to crash—he’s her always.