Chapter One
Hawk Masters steppedout of his car and took a deep breath.He couldn’t believe he was back in his hometown.It had been seventeen years since he last came to Hope, a small, quaint tourist town that had somehow survived a hell of a lot of shit and was still standing.
This was no ghost town.
In a world full of technology, at times coming to Hope was like stepping back in time.Sure, they had all the modern conveniences and cell phones, Wi-Fi and all that, but you rarely saw anyone staring down at their cell phone.
Hope was where people came to get back to nature, to forget about all the bullshit waiting for them back home, and to just embrace life.This was why he was back here.
He never thought he would be back.It wasn’t like Hope was a bad place for him.He’d had a great childhood, and yes, he might have been a dick to a lot of people, but he had some good times.
“You’re already here,” Sarah, his sister, said, coming out of the large ranch house.
He forced a smile to his lips.Within seconds, he had to hold his stance, as his sister threw herself at him, and held him so damn tightly.
“It’s okay.It’s okay.”
“Okay?”Sarah asked.“Okay?Seriously.You nearly died, okay?Pushing yourself to the breaking point that you have a fucking heart attack!”
His life hadn’t been perfect.It turned out that stress was indeed ...deadly.Three months ago, he’d been living big.Owning a hugely successful advertising company, brands wanted him.His name was in high demand, and he’d turned his company into a multimillion-dollar success story.One of his teachers, many years ago, often said if he could sell bullshit, he’d make money on it.
Turns out that became a good selling tool.He could literally sell anything, and in less than twenty-four hours, once he got his hands on it, it would go viral and be a sellout.He had a gift.Only, owning a large company, being responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of people had come at a cost.
That cost had been a bad heart attack—one that had the doctors looking grim, and forcing him to make some life changes.Living a jet-setting lifestyle, working twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, every single year, had taken a toll on his health.His heart was damaged and he was on medication.
But that would only do so much.He had to make the change of a lifetime.His parents had gotten the call, as his father was still the next of kin.They had been at the hospital, and it was decided he was coming back to Hope.His father had dealt with all the necessary arrangements for the company.Although his father had his own successful ranching business, Hawk didn’t know what his father could do.
However, the man took retirement seriously, and he knew exactly what to do to give Hawk the break he needed.Delegation.He had put someone else at the helm, someone he trusted.
None of them knew that for a short time, he had died on that table.The pain and fear had mingled into one.Hawk had known when he woke up and those memories hadn’t faded.That pain was something he would never forget.Changes needed to be made.
The horrible truth was, the only thing that defined him was his career.He didn’t have any hobbies.No lasting friendships.Everything was business.There was no wife, no kids.
He’d come back to his hometown and his family.
Sarah pulled back and sighed.“It is so good to see you.”
“How are the husband and kids?”he asked.
While he didn’t settle down, his sister married her childhood sweetheart when they were eighteen, straight out of high school.They now had three kids.
“Harry is great, and he will be stopping by later.He’s just dropping the kids off at school, and you know, doing whatever errand Dad wants him to.”
Sarah lived at another ranch, close to this one.It was one their parents had given her as a wedding present.Hawk had never been jealous.His sister loved Hope, and she loved Harry.He’d been there for the wedding.
He came to Hope for visits, for only a couple of hours, which was all the time he could spare.During holidays, he didn’t waste time.When he had a bolt of inspiration, he had no choice but to work.Work was his life.
“Great, I get to see the little devils,” Hawk said.
Sarah laughed.“Are your bags in the trunk?”
“Yep.”
She moved toward the back of his car and opened it up.
“Seriously, two suitcases?”
Hawk went to lean in to grab them, but she slapped his hands away.
