Sara had remained in Painted Pony Creek, missing out on college, but educating herself in a variety of creative ways. Until recently, she’d worked in a day-care facility, having stuck with the job in the early days when Eric and Hayley were little so she could be near them.

Always a voracious reader, Sara had eventually begun to write books of her own, pounding away at a keyboard before and after work, keeping her own counsel.

J.P., as close as he was to Eli, hadn’t known about that part of her life until a few months ago when her second novel had made a big splash in the marketplace. Even now, very few people knew that Luke Cantrell, purveyor of gritty historical thrillers, was really Sara Garrett Worth.

She’d landed an impressive multi-book contract after these successes—J.P. had no idea how much money she made, and it wouldn’t have occurred to him to ask—but she still kept a low profile professionally, preferring to live quietly in Painted Pony Creek. Through Eli, J.P. knew she’d managed her money wisely, setting up trust funds for her kids, paying off her mortgage and making a few improvements to her brick ranch house in town.

Apparently, unlike many of the newly prosperous, Sara didn’t seem interested in the usual trappings of wealth—world travel, costly jewelry, designer clothes, fancy houses and cars. Not that there was anything wrong with those things; people had the right to spend what they’d earned however they chose.

She was different, that’s all.

Sara lived in the same house she’d bought after Zachary left her, using part of the inheritance she and Eli had shared following the death of their parents to make a substantial down payment. J.P. knew this about Sara, not because Eli had confided in him but because, in small communities like the Creek, people picked up on things like that, as if by osmosis.

It occurred to J.P., in those moments of daylight reflection, that he and Sara had a few things in common, at least when it came to how they spent—and didn’t spend—their money.

Now, looking up at Sara, he realized that he’d known her better than he thought he had, though he’d never bothered to look too far beyond the obvious: sister of one of his two best friends, divorcee, mother of two and now bestselling author.

Why hadn’t he taken more notice of her?

Well, he’d sure as hell taken notice of her now.

The question was where did he go from here?

Should he follow his gut instinct and try to get to know Sara as a person rather than just a background character in his life story? Or should he leave her alone, spare her the drawbacks of getting involved with a man like him? A man with scars, inside and out.