This might be his last chance at fatherhood…
Kendall Montgomery’s six-year-old son has barely spoken in the past year, locked in his world of silent grief. Then one day, he spots his dead father across a crowded street.
Max Jordan moved to Chicago to be closer to his own son and prove he can be a better father than his deadbeat dad. His striking resemblance to Kendall’s husband and his track record with fatherhood make her determined to keep her distance…until Max helps her little boy come out of his shell. But can she trust him with their future? How can she be sure he won’t take off just when they need him most?
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First time ever reading from this author and was completely impressed. Her work is well written and easy to follow. This particular storyline is heart grabbing. Emotional, and will have you planted once you started reading. Well done Amy Vastine!
~ Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin’
This story is so sweet! I love the characters, and can’t wait to read more books about Kendall’s sisters. Amy has definitely become one of my new favorite authors!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
Vastine carefully lays a foundation of dysfunctional families, illicit affairs, difficult marriages and illegitimate children, softening the hard lines with the heart-tugging struggles of a small child finding hope and a family bond offering unquestioning support.
~RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
EXCERPT:
“I thought we agreed that your redesign in the west room took away necessary space for the waitstaff to get to and from the kitchen.”
“I’m not sure agreed is the word I would use.” They hadn’t “agreed” on anything. In fact, she recalled telling him she’d change the design when she heard from Mr. Sato and only Mr. Sato. She stepped around him and set her laptop bag on the main bar. “You know what I remember? I remember discussing it wasn’t necessary for you to be here every day.”
Max followed her. “Well, I remember telling you Mr. Sato left me in charge of overseeing this remodel, and I will be here every day to make sure this restaurant opens on time.”
Kendall placed both hands on the granite counter, letting the coolness of the stone combat the heat of her temper. Max stood behind her. His reflection in the mirrored wall across from her was glaring at the back of her head. His eyes were narrowed and his five o’clock shadow emphasized the tension in his jaw. Like Trevor, Max was all hard, sharp lines, a perfect contrast to her soft curves. The facial hair made it easier to think of him as Max instead of Trevor, who was always clean-shaven.
She turned to face him. The brown eyes were still hard to get used to. They always caught her off guard. She struggled to regain focus, blinking and probably looking a fool. When she regained her composure, she attempted to appease him. “I have every intention of making sure this restaurant opens on time. If you let me do my job, we won’t have any trouble meeting our deadlines.”
He mirrored her movement to keep her from escaping and put a hand on her arm when she tried once more to move around him. It was the first time he’d touched her since their disastrous introduction. Kendall couldn’t stop the déjà vu that it prompted. The last time she saw Trevor alive, she’d been storming away and he’d tried to stop her. The memory jolted through her like an electrical shock.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Max said firmly. “I will be here. Every day. Whether you want me here or not.”
It was the exact opposite of what Trevor said in her memory, and what she had so badly wanted him to say back then. Hearing those words now, from this man with her husband’s face, was too much. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Max seemed to pick up on her emotion and released her from his grasp. He apologized and dashed away.
Amy Vastine 