A wounded boy brought them together. A second chance at love might save them all.
On a harrowing New Year’s Eve in Savannah, ER doctor Sarah Tunsil is fighting to save a stabbed teenager’s life.
Detective Joe “Coop” Cooper will do whatever it takes to protect him. They share a history of deep distrust, but as danger closes in, protecting the boy forces them together—and kindles an unexpected second chance at love.
Excerpt
Coop reached the hospital around six o’clock that evening. He had called earlier and spoken to a nurse, who assured him that Oscar’s vitals were good. The boy had slept most of the day but was conscious.
Coop yearned to be there so Oscar wouldn’t be alone when he woke up, but that wasn’t possible. He had spent most of his afternoon with Meyer, and then he talked to the officers who were first on the scene. As he expected, either no witnesses were present, or none had emerged.
Now, as he walked into the ICU, it surprised him to see a woman sitting beside Oscar’s bed and holding his hand. Coop weaved his way through the beds and halted when Doctor Sarah Tunsil turned to look up at him.
“What are you doing here?” he said. Then, he rubbed his forehead and apologized. “I’m so sorry. That came out all wrong. I’m surprised to see you, that’s all. Is Oscar okay?”
“He’s doing better. They pulled the ventilator about an hour ago, and that’s never a walk in the park, especially for a kid. I wanted to be here for that.” She stroked her thumb over Oscar’s hand. “I have tonight and the next one off before I start a day shift.”
“Are you always this attentive to your ER patients?” Coop asked, unable to hide his confusion about her interest in Oscar.
For a moment he didn’t think she would answer, but finally she said, “I wanted to drop in and see how my patient was doing since he doesn’t have any family.”
“I’m practically family,” Coop said, his voice a little more forceful than necessary.
“I didn’t mean to imply that you had abandoned Oscar. You have a job and were up all last night.”
“And you weren’t?” he said and gave her a crooked grin.
She laughed, and the laugh was husky and warm. He liked it. He liked her. After taking a deep breath, he gave his head a slight shake. She was a beautiful, smart woman, but he had absolutely no intention of getting involved with her.
From the moment they met, he realized that Sarah wouldn’t be someone a man could easily walk away from. But that’s what he always did when people got too close. Leave before they did.
Professional Reviews
wonderful book
Safe Harbor is another riveting and satisfyingly long read in this series set in Savannah. This time the winter weather is unusually cold. Dr Sarah Tunsil is from Kentucky and is staying in her brother’s house as he travels for works. She works at the hospital. She takes it as a sign when a group home teen is brought into the ER triggering a Code Blue, ending up in ICU. The events that unfold are heartbreaking at first. Detective Cooper and Dr. Sarah do not get along but must work together on this case. Dr. Sarah has a reason for distrusting law enforcement. We slowly learn about their fascinating backstories over many chapters as our assumptions about each of them change.
Who would try to kill Oscar, not only once? What could he know that made him so dangerous to the other boys? Oscar is an A student who wants to be a doctor. It is sad to realize that some people struggle just to be good and follow the rules. With restrictions on sharing medical information, people are frustrated that they cannot be told the full story. It is interesting to see how things evolve with the doctors and the police.
And where will he live when the group home must close?
I loved how Big Brothers and Big Sisters was part of the story! It gave such promise that people would be so big-hearted and kind to strangers. We learn about more generous and helpful people through that part of the story.
This story will pull at your heartstrings, especially if you believe in adoption and foster homes. I was in tears at the end. This book is a definite joy to read and will make for great re-reads.
These two sister authors have done it again. I could not put it down.
These two sister authors have done it again. I just finished an ARC copy of Safe Anchor, and it has all the elements of a novel that I enjoy the most. It’s a medical romance with a beautifully described Southern setting. As usual with these authors, there is a mystery to solve and a tender love story. The realistic characters include a detective and an ER doctor. I love it when there is a child in the story who needs someone to love them, and this one has a precious orphaned teen who lives in a group home until the night someone tries to murder him, and he ends up in the ER on New Year’s Eve. I could not put this book down. Loved it! I received an ARC of this book, and this is my voluntary review.
Love in the ER
Wow! This story tugs at the heartstrings and pulls you right in from the first chapter. It is a page turning story with vivid and strong characters. If this is the first, last, or somewhere in between book you are reading in the Secondhand Hearts Series; you will want to read them all. Sarah, Coop, and Oscar will have you feeling all the emotions from the beginning. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
The Matchmaker:
Angela Calminetti, mother of five, New Age practitioner and gifted psychic and telepath, is proud of her family ties and does everything she can to make sure that all of her younger siblings are as happy in love and marriage
