She didn’t plan to fall in love. He’s already falling.

In the interconnected stand-alone of the Auburn Hills series— a slow-burn romance about two friends running from their pasts and stumbling straight into each other.

Chloe Marshall is the new girl in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Auburn Hills, Oregon, leaning on her best friend Annika as she finds her footing in her long-neglected career, whenever she decides what that is. Weighed down by past heartaches, she’s itching for a fresh start.

Then she met Tyler.

He's a rock climber and a physical therapist who rebuilt his whole life from scratch after loss took the floor out from under him. He's steady, warm, and carrying just enough grief to recognize hers. Between scaling walls and friend trips, late-night cooking and Chloe's latest endeavor, they start building something neither of them planned for — a found family, a soft place to land, and maybe something more.

The problem? Chloe's past doesn't know she's moved on.

When it catches up with her, they'll have to decide if what they've built is strong enough to hold. Because loving someone after loss isn't about finding perfect footing. It's about deciding if the leap is worth it.