When Teagan Harper comes back to the town she once left behind, she expects awkward reunions and old memories. What she doesn't expect is Derek-the former flame she never quite shook-now rooted in a life that includes children, routines, and responsibilities that aren't optional.

Derek isn't just someone from her past. He's a father. He has a family that already exists, with its own rhythms and rules. And if Teagan wants to stay, she'll have to decide whether she can step into a life that isn't centered on her-and whether there's room for desire, laughter, and intimacy alongside everything that already matters.

Between school pickups, shared meals, late-night conversations, and moments that still crackle with heat, Teagan is faced with a different kind of question than the one she left with years ago. Not just whether she still wants him-but whether she can belong in the life he's built.

The Way Back Home is a witty, warm, and emotionally rich story about second chances that come with real stakes. It's about loving someone with a past that didn't pause for you, adapting to a family already in motion, and discovering that intimacy can be both tender and surprisingly steamy when it's chosen carefully.

Smart, funny, and deeply human, this is contemporary women's fiction with a strong romantic heartbeat-for readers who love grown-up love stories, complex families, and happy endings that are earned.