A detective struggling to put down roots. A single mother fighting to make ends meet.

Former homicide detective Jaxson Payne knows a thing or two about starting over. His marriage imploded after he broke his back serving as a Marine overseas. He was told he’d never walk again. However, he was back on his feet within months, proving his resilience is only outmatched by his faith.

After moving to Hope Springs for a fresh start, he’s hoping to finally close the door on his past. But it seems the ghosts that still haunt Jaxson have followed him here, bringing danger to his front door.

Margot Anderson had her entire life planned out. Then her husband left her and their thirteen-year-old son. She’s spent the last year holding their lives together with prayers and a positive outlook, and then a former Marine moves into her BB.

Jaxson Payne is everything she should avoid. He’s handsome. Strong. And her older brother’s best friend. But as danger sets its sights on her, Jaxson is her shield, making it clear that there is nothing he won’t sacrifice for her and her son.

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Read an excerpt from Tactical Revival

“Care for a walk?”

“Sure.” Nerves dancing in my gut, I follow her down a small path that leads through the houses down to the beach. It’s rockier here, meant more for strolling than sandcastles, but that doesn’t stop Margot from removing her sandals. “Is everything okay?” I ask after we’ve been walking in silence for a few minutes.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

She stops walking, so I move in front and face her. “You comforted him.”

“Matty? Of course. Why wouldn’t I have?”

“I heard what he told you. That he saw—” She closes her eyes and swallows hard. “I didn’t think he did.”

“It’s not your fault any more than it was his responsibility to protect you, Margot. You both deserved—deserve—so much better than that. Matty is a great kid, and you—” I stop speaking, completely unsure if I’m crossing a line here, but then instantly realizing that I honestly don’t care. “You are strong. Beautiful. Kind. And you’ve captivated me from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

Her lips part, her gaze locked on mine. “I care about you,” she says softly. “And so does my son. He’s my priority, Jaxson. I have to know that you won’t hurt him.”

“Never,” he replies. “I will never hurt either of you.”

Margot takes a step closer, and I reach out, cupping her cheek. I rub my thumb over her soft skin, and she leans into my touch. Every single moment I spend with her, I find myself even more captivated than in the last.

I thought I’d loved before.

But even that love pales in comparison to the affection I feel for this woman. “I’ve been dreaming about kissing you since we met.”

She tilts her face up and opens those gorgeous almond eyes. “Then do something about it, Detective.”

I smile, then lean in. We’re a breath away when my phone rings. If I weren’t in the middle of a case where a girl is missing, I might have ignored it. But I am, so I don’t. “I’m sorry,” I mutter.

She laughs. “It’s fine. We seem to have terrible timing.”

“We’re going to have to change that."