The Long Way Back

Travis Hale did not get sober to win Jessa Ward back. That may be the first reason she believes him.

Five years after leaving Silver Creek and the man she once planned to marry, Jessa returns to cover her father's farrier route while he recovers from surgery. She expects mud, stubborn horses, and a short stay. She does not expect Travis to be sober, steady, and careful not to ask her for anything.

When a structural failure at Cinder Ridge sends seven horses to Ward property, Jessa and Travis are forced back into the working rhythm they once shared. The attraction survived. So did the hurt.

Trust cannot be rebuilt by desire alone. When an old crime resurfaces and Travis's recovery is tested, he must keep choosing sobriety without making Jessa responsible for him. Jessa must decide whether loving him again can fit inside a life that still belongs entirely to her.

The Long Way Back is Book 3 of the Cinder Ridge Ranch series, a high-heat, emotionally grounded second-chance Western romance with open-door passion and a complete happily-ever-after.