Two strangers start out saving animals and end up rescuing each other in this heartwarming romance from the author of Unbreak Me.    Mari Tucker is a wildlife biologist who scoops bunnies and endangered tortoises out of harm’s way on construction sites. Still haunted by her past, she takes the most remote jobs in the Mojave Desert to avoid people and hide from her ex. It’s a simple, quiet life filled with sweet animals and solar-powered baking until she ends up assigned to Jack Wyatt’s crew. Construction foreman Jack Wyatt’s loud, foul-mouthed temper keeps even the most rugged of men on his crew in line. No mistake is overlooked, because out in the desert it could mean life or death. In his opinion, the job site is no place for sensitive biologists, especially one as shy as Mari. But instead of wilting from the heat and hard work, Mari wins over Jack and his crew one homemade brownie at a time. Jack and Mari find a comfortable rhythm, building a friendship that’s rare for both of them. After Jack’s rocky childhood, they have more in common than they’d imagined. But even the Mojave sun can’t chase away the shadows when the past is determined to track them down… "A romance that proves it’s never too late to find love. As always, Hazen’s characters are gorgeously developed and heartbreakingly tragic. The heat of the sun-baked desert is tangible as sweet Mari and gruff Jack find themselves and each other. Beautifully written from beginning to end!" --Kelly Siskind, author of  New Orleans Rush "An achingly beautiful romance that rumbles like a quiet thunder across the desert with the promise that love can reach even the weariest of souls."-- Mary Ann Marlowe, author of Some Kind of Magic "Hazen’s latest (following  Unbreak Me , 2019) heart-melting and intensely passionate contemporary romance is a balm for the soul for anyone who has suffered abuse and survived to love again."-- Booklist (starred review)    "The slow-burning romance and Hazen’s vivid descriptions of the desert keep the pages turning. This sweet, sensual contemporary is sure to tug at readers’ heartstrings."-- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Hazen’s (Unbreak Me) heartwarming romance will hook readers from the start with her colorful and well-developed characters. Suggested for readers seeking a new take on contemporary American Western romance." -- Library Journal Michelle Hazen has written most of her books in odd places, including a bus in Thailand, an off-the-grid cabin in the Sawtooth Mountains, a golf cart in a sandstorm, a rental car during a heat wave in the Mojave Desert, and a beach in Honduras. She is the author of Unbreak Me . 1 The Short Straw Mari Tucker perched on her truck's tailgate, watched her boss pick up his clipboard, and prayed. Any crew but Wyatt's crew. She'd volunteer for the concrete pouring team with their lecherous inspector, or the choking dust of checking in front of the bulldozer, or even monitoring the yard where they kept all the dirty porta potties. Anything. Any foreman but Wyatt. Mari turned up the camp stove sitting next to her so the water would boil faster. Maybe a little fresh coffee would keep her on her boss's good side. It had worked so far-she'd been on this job for weeks, passed out more free coffee than she could afford, and had somehow avoided coming face-to-face with the infamous Jack Wyatt. "Let's stick Rajni on the porta potty yard," Marcus decided, and marked it on his clipboard. Snickers came from the other biologists all standing in a loose circle, chatting while they waited for their assignments. It always tugged like a stitch in her stomach to watch them, so she parked her old Toyota just a little away from the main group. She shivered in the predawn bite of the air and edged closer to the warmth of her stove, where the pot was starting to steam. All the chitchat during the morning meeting may not have been her scene, but her extra-large coffeepot was always popular. In the next truck over, Rajni had been tightening bolts that had rattled loose on her truck's solar panel, but she stopped long enough to flip their boss a middle finger. "Wyatt last week and now keeping critters out of the shitters? Love you, too, Marcus." "I live to please." He laughed. "Lisa, you're with Junior's tower assembly group. Hotaka, you scored the concrete pouring crew because they get male bios only until their inspector learns to behave." With every assignment given, Mari's shoulders cranked a little tighter. She glanced over at the construction yard, its floodlights blaring brighter than the sun that had just started to come up. Men bustled inside the chain-link fence, the reflective stripes on their safety vests flashing. The biologists always parked just outside the yard, like party guests nobody would let near the chips and salsa. "Mari . . ." Marcus paused, tap-tap-tapping his pen, and gave her a pained look. Nausea kicked up into her throat, and her fingers froze on