The boy who broke her heart is now the man who wants to heal it. MICHAEL I fell in love with Fallon the moment I saw her in Mr. Vandeboe’s class during our junior year. I knew she was the one. But a year after we graduated from East Tennessee State, she had our entire wedding planned—and it made me feel like I was suffocating. Like I would somehow fail at being a husband. I loved Fallon, but the thought of starting a family… being a father, scared the hell out of me. I panicked, made the worst decision of my life, and lost her. Now, after years in the Marines and finding a sense of purpose as a firefighter back here in Jasper Creek, I’ve finally figured out what matters. Fallon. She’s back in town, and I’m not letting her go this time. But earning her trust—and her heart—again? That’s a battle I can’t afford to lose. FALLON I fell in love with Michael on the night of our senior prom when he made me believe in a world filled with care, love, and passion. I thought we’d go back to Jasper Creek after college, get married, and build the life we’d always dreamed of. Then, one devastating betrayal turned all that joy into ash. I left town the day before our wedding, broken-hearted and determined to start over. Now, I’m back in Jasper Creek to help my mom take care of my dying father. The town still whispers about me, the runaway bride who left their golden boy at the altar, but I don’t care. Michael and I know what really happened, and that’s enough. Or at least, it was. Now Michael keeps showing up, insisting he wants another chance. Has he completely lost his mind? Worse—why does my foolish heart want to give him that second chance