Natalie-Nicole Bates

When she stopped running from the past, she found her future. Lucy Dorset thought she had already left her past behind. After a childhood shaped by shame and secrets, Lucy escaped to Autumn Hollow, Vermont, where she built a carefully ordered life and kept everyone at a safe distance. Now, after more than a year away caring for the estranged mother she never understood, Lucy returns to Dorset Cottage unsure whether she should stay, or leave Autumn Hollow behind for good.
Then Autumn Hollow's kind, dependable police chief, Nathaniel Jebb, welcomes her back without asking questions. Drawn into harvest festivals, craft classes, and cozy evenings at the Maple & Hearth Café, Lucy begins to discover something she never expected: healing might be easier when she doesn't have to do it alone. But as painful truths about her family and a terrifying secret from her childhood resurface, Lucy must confront the fear that has shaped her life, and decide whether she's brave enough to stay.
Because sometimes starting over means letting go of the past. And sometimes it means finally allowing yourself to belong.