Close to His Heart — Carolyne Aarsen

------ previously published as ---- Close to Home --- November 2009

He's chasing his dreams. She's hiding from her past. Can a hometown fundraiser heal their broken hearts?
Jace Scholte is determined to rise above his poverty-stricken childhood. Years after a real estate developer took him under his wing, Jace has a mission: return to his hometown of Sweet Creek and win the residents' support for a high-rise condo. He volunteers in a local fundraiser to melt their resistance, but he never expected he'd work side-by-side with the one who got away…

Tess Kruger remembers the plan she and Jace constructed all those years ago. But try as she might, she can't forget the dark secret that caused her to run away from their potential future. When her high-school sweetheart returns, she keeps him at arm's length. She's still not ready to tell him why she abandoned a promising career… and him…

Old flames reignite between Jace and Tess, though they find themselves questioning a past they thought they knew. For a second chance at love, they'll have to face the truth together…