Dr. Miles Ellis shows up to the town Christmas bash out of obligation, not enthusiasm. He's counting the minutes until he can slip out unnoticed. But a crowded barn, a flying elbow, and one unlucky plate of barbecue sauce land him face-to-face with a gorgeous stranger he just splattered. Lili Gant doesn't want attention, especially not from the local doctor with quiet eyes and a wall around his heart. She came to Kringle, Texas to hide out, not to be drawn into someone else's orbit. But after the world she built collapsed, hiding is harder than it used to be. What begins as an awkward apology turns into something else. something neither of them wants to name. But when old wounds resurface and choices have to be made, Miles and Lili must each decide if it's safer to stay guarded… or finally risk being seen?