The Ice Between us by Clara Bridges

The Ice Between us by Clara Bridges

I only planned to stay in Willow Cove long enough to outrun the mess I made of my life.

A quiet winter, a new job, a chance to finally breathe again. What I did not plan on was him-Jon Paul Hayes. The hometown hero with a bruised heart, a stubborn streak a mile wide, and a talent for getting under my skin from the moment I stepped into The Willow Bean Café.

We start as friction. Cold fronts clashing. Every conversation turns into a storm I swear I am not strong enough to stand in.

But then the walls between us begin to thaw.

It happens in the quiet moments. A repaired fence line. Shared coffee before sunrise. The way he looks at me like he sees more than the careful, put-together version of myself I try to show this town.

And the more I try to stay distant, the more this place-and this man-pull me in.

I came to Willow Cove to escape my past.

I never expected to find the one person capable of helping me face it... or the future I never believed I deserved.