Prologue

PROLOGUE

Six Months Prior

Daegan’s heart felt as cold as the winter air beckoning at his window.

He wasn’t entirely heartless. Am I? Surely, he could understand where this stubborn woman was coming from, what this house meant to her and her family. Generations of memories were honored within those walls. Yet he couldn’t connect with that feeling as of late. Nostalgia didn’t fill bank accounts, and clinging to memories didn’t repair broken towns.

The ink smeared under Daegan’s thumb as he read over the letter again. Rose wasn’t willing to sell. Not yet. The same thing all the other homeowners had said, until he’d dangled more money in front of them like a carrot on a stick. Everyone has a price.

But Rose was different. She wouldn’t budge, no matter how many zeros he added to every new offer. If the town didn’t change, neither the house nor the generations tied to it would have a future here. With the way things were going, Trueport wouldn’t be around long enough for anyone to remember. Rose’s family had lived in the house for over a century, much like his own family had only a few blocks away. He knew what that kind of history meant. He refused to let those legacies die—not on his watch.

A knot formed in his stomach. Trueport’s economy was failing. Businesses were shuttering their doors, and families were leaving in search of an easier life. The stubborn few who stayed were struggling to survive. Summer tourists would come and enjoy a little slice of New England for a weekend or two, but when the warm weather headed farther south, so did the money. Trueport deserved better than seasonal pity. It had so much more to offer, if only people could see it.

Daegan glanced out his study window, the afternoon sun casting a pale glimmer across the snow-covered land. This was what he wanted people to experience. Every season in this town was something special. But if something didn’t change soon, Trueport would fade, forgotten like a postcard buried in a dusty drawer.

That was why the resort was so important. It wasn’t just about profits—it was about people. About families staying, businesses thriving, and the next generation building their lives here, the way his family once had.

He remembered walking these streets as a young boy, Daegan’s father holding his hand and pointing out the little shops all open for business. Back then, the town had felt indestructible—a place where everyone knew your name. But that was before the downturn, before the boarded-up windows and the 'For Sale' signs. Before people had started leaving for the city.

Rose wanted to preserve her home for another generation to enjoy. Daegan understood that. But what good was a house, no matter how cherished, if there was no town left to hold it?

The snow outside clung to the tree branches, heavy and still, like the past weighing on the present. He could almost feel the cold creeping through the glass, a reminder of how quickly things freeze when left unattended. It would be easy to walk away, to let nature take its course and leave Trueport in his rearview, like so many had already. But Daegan had never been one to accept defeat, not when there was still a spark left to fan into a flame.

This wasn’t just about a house—it was about keeping the soul of a town alive. Daegan wouldn’t let it slip away without a fight.