Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML:Tynan Cates's military days are over. He's home among family, friends, and his three-legged rescue dog in Climax, North Carolina—but his new employee is stirring up feelings he thought he'd left behind . . .

Pint-size Lulubelle Swan is not Ty's—or anyone's—idea of a construction worker. But she's so eager to join his crew for the Climax library renovation that he gives her a shot . . . and she totally lives down to his expectations. Aside from her fear of ladders, she's a hazard every time she picks up a hammer. He'd toss her out on her tight little tush, but he gets the feeling she needs the job—or at least, needs something . . .

Lu's trying her hardest, but she's no handywoman. She's sought out Ty because he served in Afghanistan with the man she loved—and nearly three years after losing Joe, she still can't move on. Hiding her true intentions, she spends hours with Ty, trying to get him to talk about the past—and in the process, learn how to face the future on her own. But when her quest for closure gets complicated, she may have to open her heart in unexpected ways . . .