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Blurb
When Natalie Dugan trades spreadsheets for scrub brushes, she hopes her new cleaning business will give her independence—and the chance to care for her ailing mother. Love isn’t on her agenda, but everything changes when she meets Aaron Marino, a reclusive ex-firefighter scarred by the blaze that nearly claimed his life.
As a string of suspicious fires threatens their quaint Virginia town, every man in Natalie’s orbit becomes a suspect: her hard-working new boyfriend, her mother’s unfairly maligned partner, her unsettling neighbor, and even Aaron himself. But the closer Natalie gets to Aaron, the harder it is to ignore the spark that refuses to extinguish.
When the truth behind the fires finally ignites, Natalie will have to confront betrayal, vengeance, and danger that hits far too close to home. Survival—and love—depend on whether she can brave the flames of the past … before they consume her.
Excerpt
Copyright ©2026, Tricia T. LaRochelle
“Okay, time to go to work.”
A headline flashed on the screen of my phone as I was exiting my vehicle.
Authorities investigating a series of fires in the local area, one linked to a commercial public warehouse in eastern Charlottesville. Two men in the hospital due to smoke inhalation. No fatalities. Authorities suspect arson.
“A series. Arson?” I mumbled to myself. I thought about Dr. Clark’s brother-in-law. “What kind of idiot would start a fire on purpose? You have to be absolutely nuts to do something like that.”
My jaw clenched thinking about all the casualties, not to mention the men and women who had risked their lives to stop the insanity. It never ceased to amaze me how destructive certain people could be.
I thought about that fire that broke out at my mother’s old neighbor’s gift shop last week. Bea and Nigel were nearing retirement and had just put the place up for sale. They lost all their inventory in that blaze. At least the fire hadn’t injured anyone. Bea had told my mom that she swore she had seen a dark, hooded figure in the woods nearby on the night of the fire. Was the person watching the place? Bea and Nigel were careful people. They didn’t smoke or take unnecessary risks. A late-night call had informed them that their place was now a pile of rubble . . . charred rubble. Baffled didn’t begin to describe it. I hoped they had insurance.
I strolled up the walkway covered in light-and-dark gray pavers toward a porch supported by square pillars and anchored by natural stone accents. The shining sun gleamed against the beveled sidelights as I rang the doorbell and waited. It wasn’t long before footfalls approached, the door swinging open to reveal a tall man donning strawberry-blond hair with a slight curl to it. A trimmed beard of the same shade revealed a few wisps of white that implied Aaron was probably older than I was, but not by much, his face relatively free of wrinkles.
My pulse ramped. Every cell in my body went berserk.
The thin red-and-black flannel shirt Aaron wore did little to hide the robust shoulders of this guy or his pectorals. And I had thought Justin was in shape. His faded jeans hung casually from his hips and toned waistline. White socks covered his feet. His amber eyes emphasized warm honey with a slight slant in a Ryan Gosling sort of way, his lips full, and his overall facial structure rather scrumptious. If this guy wanted to abduct me, I’d have a difficult time putting up a fight. Not really, but man. How many men and women had he rescued in a fire who were swooning over him still?
Zing. I felt it. As though an electrical shock had zapped me.
Suddenly, I wished I had put on makeup. Damn. My hair was back up in a neat ponytail, but my outfit was about as unflattering as it got: bright-orange sneakers and scrubs in pale yellow with a doggy print splattered all over them.
About Tricia T. LaRochelle
Since she was a little girl, award-winning author Tricia T. LaRochelle has been obsessed with tragic love stories. No beach reads for her. Bring on the grit with a double side of turmoil. She likes to feel the character’s anguish as they fight to overcome obstacles to be together. Growing up in central Vermont, she has seen her share of tragedy but remains a hopeful romantic. She now lives in central Virginia, where she continues to foster the possibilities of how love can conquer all.
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