True Refuge

Ellie Brooks swore she’d never return to Silver Creek. She left the small town with big dreams, certain she was destined for more than its quiet streets and familiar faces. But dreams have a way of turning into nightmares, and when Ellie finally finds the courage to escape, there’s only one place left to go—home.

Back in Silver Creek, she’s welcomed with open arms, but some wounds are harder to hide. The McKinleys—her second family—offer her a place to stay at their ranch, but staying means facing Colt McKinley, the man she left behind. The man who once held her heart.

Colt has spent two years trying to forget Ellie, but the moment she walks back into his life, he knows forgetting was never an option. He can see the shadows in her eyes, the bruises she tries to hide, and he’s determined to find out the truth—even if she’s not ready to tell it.

As old sparks reignite and long-buried feelings resurface, Ellie must decide if she’s ready to let down her walls and trust again. But danger isn’t as far behind as she thinks, and the past she ran from may be closer than she ever imagined.