Building on Love

A Small-Town Romance

She lost her leg in combat. He's losing everything he's built. Together, they'll discover that the strongest foundations are built on second chances.

Former Army combat engineer Kendra Martinez swore she'd never return to Pine Ridge,Colorado—or face Dustin Carter, the man whose heart she broke eleven years ago. But when her father's health crisis brings her home, she discovers that Dustin's construction company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and he's struggling to raise his seven-year-old twins alone after losing his wife to cancer.
Kendra knows she can save Carter & Sons Construction. What she doesn't know is whether she can save herself.
Haunted by the IED explosion that took her leg and the lives of three soldiers in her unit, Kendra throws herself into rescuing Dustin's failing business. She's brilliant with blueprints and logistics, but broken when it comes to loud noises, crowds, and the possibility of love. Staying in Pine Ridge was never part of the plan—especially not falling for Dustin all over again, or for his adorable twins who see her prosthetic leg as proof she's a superhero.
Dustin Carter has been running on empty since his wife died. Between eighteen-hour workdays and single parenthood, he's barely keeping his head above water. The last person he expected to walk back into his life was Kendra—the girl who once promised him forever, then disappeared without a goodbye. He knows he should keep things strictly business, but his heart never got the memo.
As they work side by side to save the company, the walls between them crumble. But when a major contract offers Kendra the financial security she needs to leave, she's forced to choose: the safe life she's planned in Denver, or the terrifying, beautiful possibility of home.
From award-winning author Janice Lam comes a heartwarming small-town romance about finding the courage to stay, the strength to heal, and the wisdom to recognize that sometimes the life you're meant to live has been waiting for you all along.