In this heartfelt Southern love story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Notebook, a daring fireman rescues a single mom—and learns that falling in love is the greatest risk of all.

When confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks to save lives. But there is one leap of faith Taylor can't bring himself to make: fall in love. For all his adult years, Taylor has sought out women who need to be rescued, women he leaves as soon as their crisis is over and the relationship starts to become truly intimate.

When a raging storm hits his small Southern town, single mother Denise Holton’s car skids off the road. The young mom is with her four-year-old son, Kyle, a boy with severe learning disabilities and for whom she has sacrificed everything. Taylor finds her unconscious and bleeding but does not find Kyle.

When Denise wakes, the chilling truth becomes clear: Kyle is gone. During their desperate search, the connection between Taylor and Denise becomes impossible to ignore, and Taylor soon realizes that this rescue will be different from all the others.