Lydia Hadley never planned on motherhood—especially not overnight. But when her sister passes unexpectedly, she’s left with guardianship of six-year-old Sadie and a life that no longer fits the lines she’d drawn for herself. Suddenly juggling lesson plans, bedtime stories, and a child’s fragile grief, Lydia finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about stability and love.

Then there’s Eli Walker—the child’s quiet, steady uncle who appears on Lydia’s porch with groceries, gentle strength, and the kind of calm that both comforts and confuses her. He never imagined being part of anyone’s family again. But the more time he spends with Lydia and Sadie, the more he’s pulled into a world he thought he’d shut out for good.

As small-town gossip swirls and school challenges mount, Lydia and Eli are drawn together by more than shared responsibility. A bond begins to grow—tender, tentative, and tangled with trust, fear, and something that feels like the start of forever.

But love built in the shadow of loss comes with risks… and Lydia must decide if she’s brave enough to believe in the family she never planned for.

Can two hearts, burdened by the past, learn to build something lasting—beneath the bonnet of a little girl’s hope?

Tessa Marie Vaughn