A terrific story full of fun, family, and fire. This is the third book in the Catcher Creek series but can easily be read as a standalone. I haven't read the first two books, but there were enough backstory tidbits that I never felt lost.

Jenna is the youngest of three sisters and a single mother. A rough childhood led to Jenna's wild child high school years. At eighteen, an unexpected pregnancy led to a rapid decision to clean up her act and give her son the best life possible. One thing that hasn't changed is her ability to keep a secret - like who her son's father is, that she's going to college online and can't wait to get out of Catcher Creek. She's mostly stopped dreaming of finding a forever man, except for her crush on Matt. She'd like to get something started with him, but he doesn't show any return interest.

Matt is the oil rights attorney who helped Jenna and her sisters save their ranch. He's not your typical shark-like lawyer but one who is sincerely interested in helping people. He's as interested in Jenna, but he needs to keep the single mother at a distance. His reasons are heartbreaking, and I hurt for what it meant to his happiness.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Jenna and Matt develop. Matt has struggled to resist Jenna's advances for months, but it becomes nearly impossible as they work together to solve a crisis involving her sister Amy's wedding. I loved how Matt came to the rescue and the teamwork they demonstrated to make it happen. An unexpected announcement at the wedding sent Matt into hiding to lick his wounds, and an encounter with a stranger opened his eyes to what he was missing by pushing Jenna away. I liked that Matt decided to take a chance, hoping that his feelings for Jenna won't lead to another heartbreak.

Because they've known each other for a while, Jenna's son Tommy already knows and likes Matt. There are some charming scenes of the two of them together, and it's easy to see that Matt is meant to be a father. But his secret affects many parts of his life, from his relationship with his family to his ability to trust the feelings of the women he dates. Jenna has her own trust issues, which is why she's kept so many secrets for so long. But when Tommy's father returns to town, those secrets begin to unravel.

I ached for all three of the people involved. Tommy's dad is still dealing with the hurt and anger from the events that led to him leaving Catcher Creek, some of which he blames Jenna for. There's one confrontation where I feared for her safety, but a later one begins to clear the air. Matt is caught in the middle when he misunderstands the circumstances, and his hurt and pride won't let him stick around for an explanation. Thank goodness for his new friend Jake, whose voice of reason sends them back to check on Jenna. And then there's Jenna, whose entire world seems to be falling apart. There's plenty of blame to go around, but it came as something of a surprise to see Matt be the one to help make sense of it all.

The author deals with some very sensitive issues in this book with realistic situations and emotions. Jenna's promises to Tommy's father were at the heart of her secret-keeping, and as more information was revealed, I understood her reasons. After her first encounter with him after his return, I understood Jenna's need to call out some of the town's people. The scene at the bunco party was intense, and I cheered at seeing her go off on the narrow-minded jerks. I also liked how Matt's longing to be a father was treated as just as normal as those of guys who feel the opposite, as was his frustration at not being able to do anything about it. Finally, I ended up liking Tommy's dad a lot. He had so much to deal with, both in the past and now. I liked seeing him accept Matt's help in seeking justice and learning how to be a bio-dad to Tommy.