Kara Carter had everything planned—a photography career in New York City, a dependable boyfriend, and the life she worked hard to build far away from Waverly Lake, North Carolina.Then one devastating morning changes everything.Forced to move back to the hometown she swore she’d never return to, Kara is determined to rebuild her life quietly while helping at her family’s furniture business.There’s just one problem.Her neighbor is Danny Bennett—the boy who broke her heart senior year of high school.Danny never expected Kara to come back to Waverly Lake. Now a devoted single father raising his seven-year-old daughter, Hannah, he’s built a life around family, responsibility, and never making the same mistakes twice.But old feelings have a way of resurfacing.When an unexpected setback threatens Kara’s father’s place in Waverly Lake’s annual regatta, Danny offers to help. Working side by side forces Kara and Danny to confront old wounds, buried feelings, and the painful truth about what tore them apart years ago.As the race draws closer, Kara must decide if Waverly Lake is still the place she escaped… or finally the place she belongs.And Danny must risk his heart one more time for the woman he never truly let go.Perfect for readers who love small-town romance, second-chance love, single dad romance, emotional slow burns, hometown healing, and heartwarming family stories.

Kara Carter had everything planned—a photography career in New York City, a dependable boyfriend, and the life she worked hard to build far away from Waverly Lake, North Carolina.Then one devastating morning changes everything.Forced to move back to the hometown she swore she’d never return to, Kara is determined to rebuild her life quietly while helping at her family’s furniture business.There’s just one problem.Her neighbor is Danny Bennett—the boy who broke her heart senior year of high school.Danny never expected Kara to come back to Waverly Lake. Now a devoted single father raising his seven-year-old daughter, Hannah, he’s built a life around family, responsibility, and never making the same mistakes twice.But old feelings have a way of resurfacing.When an unexpected setback threatens Kara’s father’s place in Waverly Lake’s annual regatta, Danny offers to help. Working side by side forces Kara and Danny to confront old wounds, buried feelings, and the painful truth about what tore them apart years ago.As the race draws closer, Kara must decide if Waverly Lake is still the place she escaped… or finally the place she belongs.And Danny must risk his heart one more time for the woman he never truly let go.Perfect for readers who love small-town romance, second-chance love, single dad romance, emotional slow burns, hometown healing, and heartwarming family stories.