When corporate lawyer Miles Garrison returns to his coastal hometown after a decade away, he expects to fulfill his duty and leave. What he doesn't expect is Sophie Chen-the woman who once knew him better than anyone, and the one person who can see through the armor he's spent years building.
Miles Garrison has perfected the art of control. As one of Seattle's most ruthless corporate attorneys, he's built an empire on calculated moves and emotional distance. He hasn't set foot in Crescent Bay, Oregon in ten years-not since the night that shattered his family and sent him running. But when his father suffers a devastating stroke, Miles has no choice but to return.
Sophie Chen never expected to see Miles Garrison again. As Crescent Bay's only physical therapist, she's carved out a peaceful existence helping others heal while keeping her own heart carefully guarded. When she's assigned to his father's rehabilitation team, avoiding him becomes impossible. The connection between them still burns hot enough to scorch.
As family secrets unravel and old wounds are forced open, Miles must decide whether to retreat back into the safety of his isolated Seattle existence or take the terrifying risk of letting Sophie in completely.
--- SAMPLE ---
The call came during the Mercer deposition. He'd been mid-sentence, pinning down a hostile witness about falsified earnings reports, when his phone vibrated against the mahogany table. Once. Twice. Seven times in rapid succession.
He stepped into the hallway and listened to the message. Julian's voice, rough with exhaustion and something that might have been fear, cut through the carefully constructed walls Miles had built around his past.
"Dad had a stroke. A bad one. You need to come home."
The word home landed like a fist to his solar plexus. Miles stood in the corridor of Hartley Associates, surrounded by abstract art overlooking Elliott Bay, and felt his hands begin to shake.
He called Julian back. His younger brother answered on the first ring.
"When?" Miles asked. "Two days ago. He can't speak. Can't move his right side. The doctors say the next seventy-two hours are critical. He keeps trying to write your name."
Miles closed his eyes. He'd be on the next flight.