BOOK ONE
Home To Me
About
After Erin Fleming escapes from her controlling and abusive ex, she finds refuge in the heart of Santa Clarita, California. Eager to start over, she has a new name, a new look, and a new career. Settled into a private guesthouse, Erin can breathe free. Far from the shadows she’s outrun, Erin is finally learning to live for herself. Her new unexpected friendship with her landlord starts to crack open the armor Erin’s enclosed herself in. But it’s Matt who speeds up the pace of Erin’s heart and makes her wish for things she believes she can never have.
Matt Hudson, a firefighter in one of California’s wildfire epicenters, has a passion for danger. He lives for the adrenaline rush his profession awards him. But his protective instincts take over once Matt meets Erin. So does an attraction he can’t deny. Above all else, he’s determined to prove to Erin that she can trust him. As the sparks between them ignite, so does a real-world danger. Erin’s past is not letting go. It’s just in hiding.
Before Before Erin’s ex finds her, she and Matt have to find him. And finally put an end to everything that’s becoming a threat to their love, and to Erin’s life.
Excerpt
She glanced in the mirror and took a long look at herself. “One day at a time,” she said to the air. She pulled the tie out of her thick hair and brushed it back into place before twisting it on top of her head. The red was fading fast, and her natural blonde was trying to show.
She hardly recognized herself.
But that was the point, wasn’t it?
New look, new name, new home…new everything. She’d legally changed her name, social security number. Nothing was as it used to be.
She heard her phone ringing from the kitchen where she’d left her purse. The sound caught her by surprise. Very few people had her number, and as of yet, the telemarketers hadn’t discovered her.
Caller ID said restricted number, so instead of answering it, she let it go to voice mail. After a minute, she pressed the playback button.
A familiar female voice brought gooseflesh to her arms. “It’s me. I have an update.”
All at once, every nerve stood on end and her sympathetic nervous system moved into hyperdrive.
Erin moved to her small dinette table, pulled out a chair, and sat down before the dizziness took over and she ended up on the floor. Renee picked up on the first ring.
“Hello, Renee.”
“It’s so good to hear your voice. How are you? Did you try that coconut water yet?” Renee, her advocate, attorney, and savior, asked their coded question.
“I’m fine, and yes. The coconut water was delicious.”
There was no coconut water. Or beet juice, or whatever organic food Renee came up with next. Didn’t matter. The answer was always yes if Erin was safe and not being overheard. So far, she hadn’t needed to respond with a no. God willing, she never would.
“You sound good.”
“I’m a little better every day.”
“Are you eating?”
Erin considered her diet, decided to keep things positive. “I’m a good five pounds overweight.”
Renee huffed. “Lying sack of shit.”
They both laughed.
“I’m good. Truly.” She wanted to tell her that the sunshine was doing wonders for her, but that wasn’t allowed. Renee didn’t know where Erin was or even the name she was using. “Tell me the news.”
Renee sighed. “None of it’s what you want to hear.”
Erin swallowed. “Are my sister and her family okay?”
“They’re fine. I wouldn’t have started with chitchat if they weren’t.”
Erin squeezed her eyes shut, felt the familiar pain in her chest with the memories of everyone she left behind. “Spit it out.”
“You’re not divorced yet,” she told her. “And Asshat is seeking another hearing to contest the protection order.”
Erin placed her head in her hand. “This is never going to end.”
The Book
Home To Me
The Creek Canyon Series, Book Two
July 2020, First Edition
eBook & Print
The Creek Canyon Series, Book Two
July 2020, First Edition
eBook & Print
Ranks & Awards
#5 Wall Street Journal Bestseller
#12 Amazon Kindle Bestseller
#1 Amazon New Release in Contemporary
Women Fiction
#3 Amazon New Release in Romance
#12 Amazon Kindle Bestseller
#1 Amazon New Release in Contemporary
Women Fiction
#3 Amazon New Release in Romance
Reviews
“Bybee cushions a serious subject in a gentle tale of love and support in her endearing second Creek Canyon contemporary (after My Way to You). Erin Fleming escapes her abusive husband and assumes a new identity in Santa Clarita, Calif., but she’s afraid to think of her newfound safety as anything but temporary … Despite the painful premise, Bybee skillfully avoids both melodrama and melancholy by grounding her characters in genuine emotion. Matt and Erin’s romance is sweet and spicy by turn, and readers will find it easy to root for them. This is Bybee in top form.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, STAR REVIEW
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, STAR REVIEW
“Talk about an emotional journey! Home to Me pulled everything I love about Catherine Bybee’s writing into one novel: snappy dialogue, complicated backgrounds, new beginnings, perfectly imperfect characters, and oh so satisfying romance.”
—HARLEQUIN JUNKIE, TOP PICK
“An emotional and amazing sequel! And I am beyond thrilled with the main
character selected for the third book.”
—JENNIFER, GOODREADS REVIEWER
“I love a slow burn love story and theirs was lovely.”
—PEGGY JAEGER, GOODREADS REVIEWER
“Every character in this story was so well done. I loved all the interactions and bantering between everyone.”
—LIVE, READ, AND BREATHE REVIEWS
“…a powerful message … a woman of respect and strength. It’s a story that tells women, never give up.”
—TARA, GOODREADS REVIEWER
“…an emotional and inspirational story…”
-JANE, GOODREADS REVIEWER
“The chemistry between Erin and Matt is off the walls.”
—GINNY, GOODREADS REVIEWER
“Catherine Bybee is a skilled author who capably crafts distinctly different
storylines and characters in each of her books.”
—MELODIE, GOODREADS REVIEWER
“I read this love story twice. Each time I cried, laughed, and found more reasons to love this writer.”
—CASSANDRA MCKENNA, AMAZON REVIEWER
Quick Links
Reading Order
BOOK TWO
BOOK THREE