THE SMOKE SIGNAL

Kate Brennan left San Juan Island twenty-five years ago without explanation—chose the safe path, married the wrong man, buried the memory of one perfect summer with Daniel Torres. Now she’s forty-seven, divorced, and back on the island helping her sister renovate a fire-damaged inn.

The catch? The fire was arson. And the only fire captain who can help prove it is Daniel—the man she walked away from without a goodbye.

Daniel’s spent twenty-five years building a life. Fire captain. Widower. Father. He loved his wife, lost her to cancer, and learned to live alone. When Kate walks into his office, old wounds rip open. She left once. He won’t risk his heart again.

Except Kate’s right about the fire. Someone got away with murder. Forced to work together, the walls crack. Kate explains why she left—twenty-two and terrified. Daniel admits his truth—she broke him first. The chemistry aged into something deeper. They’re not kids anymore. They know what they’re risking.

Then Kate’s boss offers a promotion in California. Everything she worked for. Daniel’s built his life on this island. When the killer strikes again—with Kate trapped in a burning building—Daniel saves the woman he never stopped loving.

In the hospital, Kate chooses brave. She turns down California and stays. “I’m not leaving. Not this time. I choose you.”

Some people spend their lives running from love. The brave ones stop running and stay.

TROPES:
• Later in Life Romance 
• Second Chance Romance 
• Firefighter Hero
• Small Town Island
• Mystery/Suspense
• Forced Proximity
• The One That Got Away
• Starting Over After Divorce
• Widower Healing
• Grand Gesture
• Earned HEA

HEAT LEVEL: Sweet/Wholesome