Off-Duty Holiday

I came home for the holidays to clear my head—not to fall for my sister’s best friend.

After years in the military, I’m not sure what comes next. Reenlistment? Civilian life? I figured a quiet Christmas at home might help me decide. What I didn’t count on was waking up next to Ava.

She’s smart, gorgeous, and completely off-limits… and my sister's best friend.

When my parents stick their nose into my love life, Ava offers a fake dating solution that sounds almost too perfect. One weekend of pretending we’re wildly in love? Easy. As a combat veteran—how hard could this be?

But from the first fake kiss to the night we end up tangled together, something changes. What started as make-believe quickly feels real in all the ways that matter.

Only our plan at the family Christmas party goes sideways. My parents back me into a corner, breaking Ava’s heart—and mine. I do what I’ve always done when things get hard: I leave.

Now I’m trying to rebuild my life at a rescue ranch on Marian Mountain for veterans like me. And just when I start to believe I might be okay again, Ava walks back into my arms.

This is the second chance I never saw coming. But will it lead to the ending we both want—or will we let love slip away for good?

If you adore steamy small-town romances with ex-military mountain me heroes, emotional second chances, and found family, welcome to Off-Duty Rescue Ranch. This is where hearts heal, horses know best, and love rides in when you least expect it.