At First Site (First #3)

I’m well aware I stand out in a crowd, not because of the way I look, but because of the way I carry myself. My athletic build is inviting instead of intimidating, and though I look as if nothing in this world can hurt me, I have more scars on the inside than anyone could ever imagine. My name is Derek Masterson and I own Mountain Fitness in Ravish Oregon, and all I want to do is help heal others so I don’t have to focus on my own pain.

I keep to myself when I’m not at work, and I’ve been down the road of love before and I won’t do it again. My arms are covered in tattoos, each with meaning, just as my heart is covered with scars that still haven’t healed. I also have a thing for shoes rivalling most women in my small town. There’s so much my friends and family don’t know about me, because I might look like my heart’s carried on the outside, but my smile covers up the pain that constantly burns inside of me.

I have plans for my life and none of them includes Emmy Hayden, a free spirit who floats into town on a raft that breaks down right before me. Of course I help her . . . but then she doesn’t leave. It doesn’t take me long to discover that Emmy has her own secrets and I can see the scars she carries but refuses to talk about. Can I turn away from her? I don’t think I can . . . even if it means we dive into the river and drown together.