She arrives in Harbor City with one suitcase and no warning: her parents are gone, and a family friend has already decided she’ll live with his son. Daisy Moore expects awkward dinners and a strict teen roommate. Instead she meets Deacon Burton—cool, unreadable, and bluntly told her, “Follow me.” He won’t explain his rules, but he does three things: shut down anyone who taunts her, drag her out of danger, and stand between her and messy school gossip. Being “his sister” keeps her safe—but it also makes everything complicated. He calls her “little coward” and still rescues her from a stranger in a shopping mall. She calls him “brother” because she has to—but each day the label gets tighter, warmer, wrong in a way that hums beneath the surface. When other boys start paying attention, Deacon’s protection goes public—and so does the rumor mill. She moved for stability. He moved to protect her. Neither expected the other to start occupying more than a role. At what point does keeping someone safe stop being enough?
12 Chapters
