The Backup Plan: A Novella (Quiet Hearts Collection)

She inherited half a crumbling cabin. He inherited the mess that comes with it. Together, they might just rebuild something worth staying for.

After a baking disaster and a burnout spiral, Nora James is ready for anything—except running into Cal Bennett, the quiet carpenter she hasn’t seen in over a decade. When the two discover they’ve jointly inherited a lakeside cabin in Crescent Lake, a temporary partnership seems like the logical choice.

Fix it up. Sign the papers. Go their separate ways.

But between midnight French toast, small-town gossip, and a dog named Waffles who won’t take no for an answer, Nora starts to imagine a life she never planned for—one filled with purpose, peace, and the kind of love that sticks around.

When an offer from her old life resurfaces, Nora must decide: will she return to the safety of what she left behind—or risk everything for the life she’s building, one pie and promise at a time?

Perfect for fans of small-town second chances, slow-burn romance, cinnamon rolls (and cinnamon roll heroes), and stories where love shows up when you stop running.