His phone buzzed in his pocket. Once. Twice.
He almost ignored it, but something made him pull it out. A number he hadn’t seen in three years lit up the screen.
Stella.
His breath caught. He’d sent that text hours ago, surrounded by his found family, overcome with emotion. He’d typed it fast before he could second-guess himself:
Merry Christmas, Stella. Hope you’re well. -Dad.
He’d hit send and shoved his phone away, trying not to hope for a response.
Johanna noticed the change in his expression. “What is it?”
He couldn’t speak. Just turned the phone so she could see.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
Three words. Just three words from the daughter he’d lost, the daughter he’d failed, the daughter who’d cut ties and moved across the country with her mother rather than stay connected to him.
Johanna’s eyes filled with fresh tears. She squeezed his arm, understanding without him having to explain what this meant. What it could mean.
He stared at the screen, at this woman beside him, at this ranch spread out before them. This moment, this night, this life. Ten years of building something from nothing. Ten years of second chances and broken men becoming whole.
And now, maybe, a chance to bridge the gap with the one person he’d thought was lost to him forever.
Walker tightened his arms around Johanna, feeling something settle inside him. “Merry Christmas, Jo.”
She snuggled closer. “Merry Christmas, Walker.”
Every year, Christmas seemed to carve something deeper into him, some knowledge that couldn’t quite be put into words. Ten years of building this. Ten years of healing broken men, of creating a place where second chances weren’t just possible but expected.
Their family.
Their home.
Ten years in the making, and worth every minute of the wait.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you loved this glimpse into how Walker and Johanna built Valor Ridge from the ground up. Their story has been in my heart for years, and sharing these four Christmases with you has been a gift.
If you're new to the Valor Ridge series, welcome! This prequel shows the origins of the ranch, but each book in the series stands alone while building on the found family you'vemet here. You can start anywhere, though I think you'll get the richest experience by reading in order.
If you've been with me sinceFinding His Redemption, thank you for coming back to see where it all began. Walker and Johanna's journey has shaped every story that follows, and I'm so grateful you wanted to know how they got here.
Start the series with Jax and Nessie's story in Finding His Redemption
He doesn't believe in second chances. She's built her entire life on one.
Jaxon Thorne doesn't believe in redemption. Not for someone like him—a man who spent five years in prison for a crime that still haunts him. Now he's at Valor Ridge, a remote Montana ranch for broken veterans, trying to keep his head down and his past buried. His only plan: train dogs, stay sober, and survive the silence.
Then he meetsher—the bakery owner with wary eyes and a son who looks at Jax like he's a hero.
Vanessa “Nessie” Harmon is doing everything she can to stay invisible. New name. New town. New life. She clawed her way out of hell for the sake of her son, and Solace, Montana, is supposed to be safe. But when her past catches up to her, there's only one man dangerous enough to protect them.
Jax isn't sure he's built for this kind of fight anymore. But for Nessie and Oliver, he'll try. Because while Valor Ridge may have started as penance, he's starting to believe it could become something more—a place to belong, a family he never knew he wanted, and a brotherhood he thought he'd never have again.
Don't missFinding His Redemption, the emotional first book in the Valor Ridge series.
