Minnow Winters doesn’t do soft. She does control, discipline, silence, and routine. The mission is not love. But then comes Victor Dawson. He’s patient in a way that makes her feel. He’s steel-wall solid. He doesn’t flinch at her sharp edges or the ghosts that haunt her at night. He sees Minnow, the woman . . . not Winters, the soldier.

What starts as late-night conversations turns into something deeper. War taught them how to survive. Love’s battlefield has a different objective in mind. When it gets late, the truth feels louder than fear. Minnow must decide when it gets late, whether she’s going to stay or leave.