Hero, Unexpected

Once upon a time, Emmaline Maddox was my best friend. The girl I found in the woods, bruised and too proud to ask for help. The one I brought tea and peanut butter sandwiches, just to see her smile.

But that was a long time ago—before life got messy. Before I put her little brother in cuffs and watched her shut me out with a look that guts me still.

Now she’s about to lose everything she’s fought for because of some outdated clause in a will and a family feud older than indoor plumbing.

I shouldn’t care. But I do.

So I offer her the only thing I can: a fake marriage to make sure she gets what she’s earned. She says yes, even though I know she doesn’t trust me. Not anymore.

I’ve never stopped wanting to protect her. But what if this time, I want to keep her too?

In a town built on second chances, sometimes the most unexpected hero is the one who’s always been there.