Small-town police chief Nash Morgan starts the novel struggling to cope with the trauma of being shot twice at close range and being left for dead. Despite the love and support of his family and his co-workers, counseling and prescription medication have gone only so far. Typical of those with post-traumatic stress disorder, Nash has troubling flashbacks to the night of his shooting, but has no memory of the incident and the identity of the shooter. Prone to anxiety attacks that leave him shaking and helpless, Nash self-isolates, experiences paranoia and suspicion of others, and has outbursts of anger—symptoms that leave him unable to focus on work and damage his personal life.

Nash moves toward redemption and recovery after meeting Angelina Solavita, though the course of their relationship is anything but smooth. Nash immediately decides that Lina is crucial to his psychological wellbeing, so he immediately makes long-term plans. He needs her, and uses their incendiary sexual tension as a point of stability. But being sexually attracted to Lina is not enough—if anything, it prevents Nash from reclaiming his former self-confidence and levelheadedness. The novel traces the evolution of his feelings for Lina alongside Nash’s at first hesitant but later more assured independence: Taking in stray dog Piper, decisively handling rogue cop Tate Dilton, stepping out of his comfort zone to woo Lina,

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