Justin O'Dwyer is 19. Four days ago, his mother died of a drug overdose, and now Justin is back in Enterprise, Oregon, trying to figure out how to raise the younger siblings he's afraid of losing to the foster system. Justin is completely out of his depth. Harper is six, and hates him. Wyatt is four and doesn't remember him. And baby Scarlett, at fourteen months, has never even met her big brother before. When Scarlett gets sick and won't stop screaming, and when Harper runs off in the middle of the night, Justin is at the end of his tether. In desperation, he knocks on a neighbor's door begging for help.<br><br>Del Abbot is 38, and living in his grandparents' old place in Enterprise after his marriage broke down and he lost his restaurant in the divorce. He's a chef, even had his own show on cable for a while, but now he's looking for a new start, if he could just figure out what exactly that entails. When the O'Dwyer family barrels into his life one night, Del can't refuse to help. What begins as a trip to the hospital becomes a regular child-minding gig while Justin struggles to find his feet. And the more time Del spends with Justin, the more they both want more than friendship. But small town life comes with its own bigotry, and, in Justin's case, that bigotry has always been close to home.<br><br>When an act of violence threatens to destroy the small family they've built, both Justin and Del need to put aside their pasts and reach for their future together.

Family Recipe

“Hey.” Uncle Steve’s grin was slow and wide. “Get in here. Give me a look at you all.” His dark gaze narrowed a fraction as it flicked over Harper and settled on Wyatt. “Hey, little man. You grew up!”


Wyatt shrank back, his eyes wide and his fingers still jammed in his mouth.


Uncle Steve looked to Justin. “What’s this one again?”


Uncle Steve rolled his eyes. “What is he? He’s got something in him, doesn’t he?”


Justin felt sick when he realized what his uncle was asking. “I…I think his dad was part Mexican.”


Uncle Steve grunted. “And this is the new one, huh?” Uncle Steve stared blearily at Scarlett. “She looks all right. Hey, little princess!”


Justin forced a smile to cover for the kids’ fear. “They’re pretty tired. I’m gonna put them to bed. Have you eaten?” He was falling so easily into old patterns. Distract, distract, distract. “I think there are some eggs in the refrigerator. I could make you an omelet.”


Uncle Steve gave a lazy smile. “You’re a good kid, Justin.”


Chapter 60