A wounded hero meets single mum, small-town Christmas romance about loss, healing, and the one woman who makes him want to stay. Cullen Reeve thought he’d left heartbreak behind when he walked away from the Pacific Detector Dog Team—and from the partner who died in his arms. Now, he and his German Shepherd, Ghost, have found refuge at Noah’s Ark Sanctuary, where rescuing animals feels safer than facing people. But as the anniversary of that night draws near, old memories resurface… and so does the ache of loneliness. Then vet nurse Isla Markham arrives with her young son and a heart as bruised as his own. Burned out after a difficult year, she’s come to help through the holidays, and to find her way home again. No one’s more surprised than Cullen when his traumatized dog allows this quiet, compassionate woman and her son to get close. Working side by side, their fragile trust begins to heal more than the animal. But as Christmas approaches, Cullen must decide whether to keep running from the past—or stay, and take a chance on love, family, and a new beginning beneath the stars at Sunrise Bay.