She broke his heart and ran. Three years later, corporate is sending her back to gut his factory.
Every steel town remembers who left and who stayed. In Forge Creek, I’m the one who left.
Three years later, I’m back as the corporate analyst sent to decide whether the steelworks is worth saving. Vantor Industries calls it restructuring.
My father called that mill his whole life, and now four hundred jobs depend on the report with my name at the bottom.
But when plant rules require the union steward to stay at my side for the entire review, I never expect it to be Mick Hayes—the man I spent three years teaching myself not to want.
Every meeting. Every walkthrough. Every file I open. He’ll be there, watching me decide whether his friends and neighbors still have jobs when this is over.
Mick already believes I’ve come home to shut down the plant. So does everyone else in Forge Creek.
Nobody thinks a Warden drove two hundred miles just to read spreadsheets, and the promotion waiting on the other side of my report isn’t helping my case.
I should be focused on the numbers. Instead, I’m remembering why leaving him hurt—and how quickly one look from Mick can make me forget every reason I stayed away.
Tropes:
Second chance romance Small town homecoming Forced proxiity Opposing sides (corporate vs union) The one who left Blue collar hero Instalove
