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by Avery Winslow

The Second Time Around · Book 9

Nora thought returning to Cypress Ridge would be temporary, until a struggling animal shelter and a second chance collided with the past she'd been running from for ten years. Single mom Nora Fields has spent a decade moving from town to town, carrying the weight of a theft accusation that destroyed her scholarships, her reputation, and her father's trust. When she finally returns home to run a failing animal shelter with her seven-year-old daughter, she's determined to keep her head down and rebuild their lives in peace. Then the city forces her into a partnership with Detective Asher Dempsey, her former best friend who stood silent while her world burned. Now he's the town hero, working with at-risk youth and asking her to trust him with a program that could save the shelter. But trust is a luxury Nora can't afford, especially when every interaction with Asher reminds her of the boy who chose his family over her future. As traumatized animals learn to trust again and broken teenagers discover their worth, Nora faces an impossible question: What happens when the person who hurt you most is the only one who can help you save what matters? And what if the truth about that long-ago betrayal is worse, and more complicated, than she ever imagined?

17 chapters