Owen has spent years being the dependable one—the brother who fixes problems, keeps quiet, and protects the O’Connell family from old rumors that never seem to die. But when he answers a plumbing emergency and finds himself at the scene of a student’s death, the past he thought he’d buried begins clawing its way back.
Tessa Brooks is smart, stubborn, and impossible for Owen to ignore. She was there when the body was found. She knows something about the case feels wrong. And she refuses to let Owen shut her out when the danger starts circling closer.
As a tragic prank turns into something more sinister, Owen and Tessa uncover secrets involving missing keys, hidden motives, and a town willing to protect its own at any cost. But the biggest threat may be the truth Owen has kept locked away for eighteen years.
To protect Tessa, he may have to trust her.
To save himself, he may have to stop running from the past.
Perfect for readers who love romantic suspense, small-town mysteries, protective heroes, strong heroines, family secrets, and slow-burn romance with emotional stakes.
With flawed strong characters, characters you can relate to, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Lorhainne Eckhart writes the kind of books she wants to read. She is frequently a Top 100 bestselling author in multiple genres, and her second book ever published, The Forgotten Child, is no exception. With close to 900 reviews on Amazon, translated into German and French, this book was such a hit that the long-running Friessen Family series was born. Now with over 100 books and multiple series under her belt her big family romance series are loved by fans worldwide. A recipient of the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Readers’ Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance, Lorhainne lives on the sunny west-coast Gulf Island of Salt Spring Island, is the mother of three, her oldest has autism and she is an advocate for never giving up on your dreams.