Tattered Stars (Tattered & Torn, 1)

Fifteen Years After Exposing Her Father As A Kidnapper And Reuniting The Young Girl, Shiloh Easton, To Her Family, Everly Kemper Returns To Her Old Hometown Upon Her Mother's Passing. Everly, Now A Veterinarian, Intends On Building An Animal Sanctuary With The Hopes Of Erasing The Awful Memories Of The Property's Past. While Most Of The Eastons Are Quick To Welcome Her Back To The Town, Shiloh's Brother Hayes Is Not As Warm And Friendly. Even Though Shiloh Returned Home Safe And Sound, Hayes Has Never Forgiven Himself For Losing Her That Day And Is Extra Protective. He Is The Only One In His Family Who Believes Everly's Return Will Only Trigger Bad Memories And Constantly Voices His Skepticism. But As All His Family Pitch In To Help Everly Renovate Her Property, He Slowly Comes To Realize He Was Wrong About Her. The Animosity Simmers Down, And A Romance Gradually Develops Between The Two As The Sanctuary Is Built. But Out Of Nowhere, Bad Things Begin To Happen To Everly. Not Only Have There Been Several Fires Started On Her Property, But She Is Attacked As She Leaves For Work One Day. Hayes's Overprotective Instincts Kick In, Leading Him To Stay And Live With Everly. But One Day While Everly Is Working On The Property, She Is Kidnapped. Though Everyone Believes It's Her Vengeful Brother-who Hasn't Forgiven Her For Turning Their Father In-it Is Soon Revealed That An Old Childhood Friend, Ben, Is The Culprit. Losing His Wife Drove Him Into A Grief-stricken Paranoia, And Was Especially Heightened By Her Conniving Brother, Who Convinced Ben To Kidnap Everly. Hayes Safely Locates Everly And In The End, Everly Opens The Sanctuary And She And Hayes Begin Building Their New Home-- Provided By Publisher.