Book excerpt: When the woman he hoped might mother his children destroys a family, the battle lines are drawn, and the fight to control Sycamore Hill heats up. Ben Sawyer gives the vulnerable a voice and strives to protect them, but he can’t stop the avalanche of trouble descending on his nephew. His strongest opponent isn’t the grumpy Grinch stirring up the community, but the one person he believed would always side with him: Nurse Practitioner Emma Powles. Emma Powles is busy in her newly established medical clinic as the fallout from sledding and skating accidents fills Emma’s clinic. When she treats the suspicious injuries of a local child, she’s forced to intervene for the girl’s safety. Her actions rouse traumatic memories in Ben; will their relationship survive? The Sycamore Slopes is a compelling romance with a dash of family drama, small-town politics, and powerful themes of overcoming.