Safford “Safety” Tulaine—medically discharged from the Army after an IED destroyed his future as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant—has a new mission; build affordable housing for wounded warriors. When his grandfather leaves him the perfect tract of land, his dreams have a chance of becoming reality, but he has to buckle down. There’s no time for distractions, including his persistent ex-girlfriend. But when he calls on his old buddy Tex to procure an electrician for his worksite, the wily man doesn’t hesitate to send him a wildcard. Bronwyn “Circus” Lange is having a difficult time finding a job in her field. Who wants to hire an electrician with one hand? Having lost her limb in a fire-fight in Afghanistan, most people see her as less than whole. When Tex calls to say he’s found her the perfect position, she has a hard time believing him. Until she meets Safety. The man not only gives her a chance, but is in danger of stealing her heart

Zaine “Zero” Oates grew up under the worst of circumstances; trapped in a troubled life he never talks about. With hard work and perseverance, he reached his goal of becoming a Navy SEAL, but a dozen years into his dream-career, an insurgent with a knife inflicts an injury, cutting his military tenure short. Life after the teams looks pretty bleak until Tex the miracle-man sets him up with a job working for an ex-Army Combat Engineer building homes for wounded Vets. What he doesn’t count on when agreeing to come to Pleinfield, is forming a crush on the mystifying local librarian…a woman who clearly harbors deep secrets of her own. Ginny “Sparkle” Smith—up and coming actress—is laying low, her current life as a small-town librarian giving her the cover she needs to hide from her stalker. But the stress is getting to her. When will her exile end? She yearns for a life outside her small duplex apartment and the little library’s story-hours, but as long as someone is after her, she’ll never be able to return to the big stage in New York. When an additional monkey-wrench gets thrown into the works, in the guise of a handsome, curly-haired ex-soldier who wants to date, how can she let her guard down and say yes? But how can she say no? Danger is in the air, but so is love.

Bantom Freed’s flesh has healed. His prosthetics finally feel like second nature. Yet he can’t shake loose the ghosts that haunt him. No amount of therapy can convince him he couldn’t have saved his SEAL teammate that horrible night, and he owns that failure every waking and sleeping minute. He’s certain guilt will stalk him forever…until he meets Steel. Steel Grisher has a past that still leaves her gasping in terror at random moments, but she’s risen above those fears to become tops in the motorcycle restoration field. She has a father who loves her, and an aunt she didn’t know existed until recently. What more could a woman ask for? How about a handsome, hurting SEAL whose life is also tormented by specters? Can she convince Bantom they’re better off fighting those demons together? The answer will have to wait until they solve the mystery of Aunt Astrid’s shady guests.

Colt “Heath” Fillyn lost an eye in an explosion of shrapnel, and since then, he’s also lost his sense of place in the world. He’s always viewed the universe with the soul of a poet, but nothing takes the lyricism out of life more than war. After witnessing the devastation to his team that day, he no longer wears rose colored glasses. He still sings on occasion, attempting to at least appear normal, but he’s stopped composing. Hell, he hasn’t even seen his parents since his discharge and recovery because…well…they’ d know he wasn’t himself. Then along came Freedom. Freedom Laramey, a nurse at the local hospital and the director of a safe-house for battered women, has a huge secret. Up until Colt enters her life, she hasn’t really minded that her past makes her live a reclusive, half engaged life. But the possibility of being with Colt has her eager to throw off those weighty shackles and grab onto some happiness. Her heart soars when he’s around, but her brain admonishes. It’s not fair to give Colt hope, when she can never honestly be his.

Braden “Joystick” Muniz should have found his happily-ever-after two years ago, if only one stubborn, in denial chief of police would wake up and see what’s staring him right in the face. Everyone knows the chief is gay, but will the stubborn man admit it? No. Which leads JS to believe something is very wrong in Cal’s past. The Navy SEAL has tried to work his good-natured magic to move himself closer to the man of his dreams, but Cal is a slippery one. He makes sure they are never alone. Now, however, Cal lets jealousy—an emotion he never admits to—trick him into a “buddies” road-trip. If Joystick has his way, this is the last time he’ll be relegated to the “friend zone”. Calhoun “Cal” Jeekins is the Police Chief in the small town of Pleinfield, a position he looked forward to holding even when active in Marine Corp Intelligence. Keeping his secret from the military was easy. Keeping it quiet in his small town? Not so much. For two years he’s been avoiding the one man who could derail all his subterfuge. Joystick. Just saying the man’s name is trouble. Why, oh why has Cal let himself be goaded into accompanying him on a drive out-of-state? He knows there’s no way this can end well. Joystick and Cal are not only out for a drive, they are embarking on a long day of avoidance and innuendo. Soon, however, they unexpectedly find themselves in desperate trouble when they come across a man, murdered, on the side of the road. Can they work together to extricate themselves from their perilous position, or will the chasm of sexual tension that lies between them, spell both their dooms?