Policewoman and single mother Ryan Eames is dedicated to her lonely, gifted son, Liam. This year, stretched by double shifts and an out-of-season coastal wildfire, Christmas cheer feels far away. Ethan Lange is alive because Ryan reached his canyon home before the blaze: he lost everything, but it's not the first time he's been forced to start over. Ryan and Ethan reunite at an animal rescue operation, but it's Liam who draws them into something deeper. -- Adapted from jacket.

Follows: The emerald tide.