I never planned to be the guardian of my nephews. Figured I'd have some adventures first. But when my dear sister, Tessa, got cancer, everything changed. I moved in to help out and as she got to the end of her life, she asked me to take Derek and Seth, and of course I said yes. They’re her boys—and now they’re mine. My world. Most days, I manage fine. I trade reading time for bedtime routines, escape into books once the house goes quiet. I had a routine.

But then into my life comes Tye Kittering, with that smile and those eyes that read far too much. He’s a distraction I don’t need… and yet, somehow, I can’t stop turning the page.