Ava Williams has always been the responsible one.



As the eldest daughter of an alcoholic mother, she learned early that love means holding everything together—even when it's falling apart. Now, she runs Hey Honey's, the beloved coffee shop she's poured her life into, clinging to carefully ordered routines that keep her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder—and her heart—in check.



Anderson Montgomery has spent his whole life running toward disasters. A firefighter with a chronic caretaker streak and a habit of cleaning up his brothers' messes, Anderson knows how to shoulder other people's burdens. But, what he doesn't know how to do is tell Ava he wants more than the 'no-strings-attached' arrangement they began eight months ago. He's finally ready to risk everything and confess—until Ava's world implodes.



When Child Protective Services decides she isn't stable enough to adopt her younger sister, Ava is desperate, and Anderson doesn't hesitate. A marriage on paper gives CPS the 'perfect family' they want to see.



But, living under the same roof blurs every boundary they try to set. The stolen glances last longer. The touches linger. The words 'husband' and 'wife' start to feel less like a lie and more like a promise. And just when the adoption is finalized and they're supposed to walk away, Ava finds out she's pregnant—with Anderson's baby.



Now they have to decide: was their marriage ever pretend—or were they just too afraid to call it love.