Danger is an everyday occurrence...
So is protecting his heart
Firefighter Matt Taylor risks his life daily to escape the guilt in his past. But his new neighbor challenges everything. Corie McGuire has secrets in her pretty green eyes. Her troubled son, Evan, reminds Matt of his younger self. When the boy is implicated in a string of fires, Matt vows to help. Is Evan guilty...or has the truth behind Corie's past come back to threaten them all?
Terrific book that grabbed me from the first page. Matt Taylor is a firefighter with the KCFD and played a prominent part in the previous book, Crime Scene Cover-Up. He intrigued me then, as the big, quiet guy who didn't have much to say but was there when needed. As one of four boys adopted into the Taylor family, he followed his adoptive parents into a firefighting career. Part of that is a way to atone for things in his past.
As this book opens, Matt smells smoke in his apartment building. He tracks the source to his neighbor, Corie, who holds a smoking pan in her hand. Matt insists on disposing of the pan then following her back to her apartment to ensure the fire is out. While there, he notices something suspicious about the fire and plans to follow up on it. He also meets Corie's young son, Evan. Matt sees that both Corie and Evan are wary of him.
Corie and Evan moved to Kansas City after she divorced her abusive husband. While he was in prison for arson, she changed their names and moved them across the state. Fear is difficult to overcome, and Corie remains cautious around men and very protective of Evan.
I loved how sensitive Matt was to Corie's discomfort. Previously, he always made sure to keep a respectful distance, and he continued to do so the day of the fire. He also made sure that Corie and Evan knew they could call on him for help. When another fire at the building throws suspicion on Evan, Matt is torn over what to believe. He remembers his own troubled childhood, but his instincts tell him that there may be another explanation.
I loved seeing the relationship develop between Matt and Corie. Corie intrigues Matt from the beginning, but he's a bit on the shy side and awkward around women. Most don't know how to handle his quiet intensity, but he and Corie form a connection. I loved how she quickly began to trust him. There was a terrific scene where she asked him to watch Evan when she had to work unexpectedly. Knowing that Corie trusted him to take care of her son meant a lot to Matt. It also opened him up to some serious teasing from his family. Along with the growing trust, sparks of attraction frequently flared between them. I loved watching the changes in Corie as Matt's care makes her willing to risk her heart again. I also liked how Corie helped Matt let go of his past and believe that he's worthy of love, too. The ending was great.
The suspense was terrific, too. Matt's fire unit experiences a great deal of frustration as there is a rash of fires, many of them resulting from arson. One such fire draws the attention of the KCPD side of the Taylor family as it may be linked to organized crime. Matt also notices a similarity to the fires at his apartment building, adding to his suspicions. His protective instincts flare up when Corie is harassed at work, resulting in an intense scene when Matt shows up. An unexpected twist shows that the danger to Corie is closer than anyone suspected. I loved seeing various members of the Taylor clan rally around her and Evan, both in support and protection. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Corie came face-to-face with her worst nightmare. The rescue was great, as Matt received help from an unexpected source and gained access to the building in an unusual way.
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