Good story though a painful one to read given recent events. The book opens fifteen years before the main story as a fellow student opened fire in the halls of the high school. Several students died, others were injured, and one teacher also died. That teacher was our heroine's mother, and it had a profound impact on her. The author did an excellent job of showing the pain, fear, and confusion experienced by everyone there.

Fifteen years later, Kate became a teacher like her mother and is now the principal of Briar Ridge High. Determined to help the town heal, she pushed for building a new high school. Not everyone favors the idea, and the latest town meeting quickly gets out of control. I ached for Kate, who wants the best for her students, but I could also understand the mixed feelings of some others. Kate is on edge because that day, she'd received a note blaming her for the shooting, and the shooter's brother accosts her. She's rescued by Riggs, another classmate who was one of the injured and is now a firefighter.

Riggs is impressed by Kate's efforts to help the town overcome the tragedy. As he's gotten older, he's outgrown the bad-boy antics of his high school days though some rumors persist from those days. The anger present at the town meeting rouses his protective instincts toward Kate, even though she claims she doesn't need his help. He's glad he ignored those claims when following her home and witnessing her car on fire. Though Kate tries to put a brave face on it, she's grateful when Riggs insists on sleeping on her couch that night.

The suspense kept me turning the pages as it became increasingly evident that someone wasn't happy about the hype surrounding the new school and the planned reunion. There's threatening graffiti at the old school, a fire in the woods behind her house, and a pipe bomb was thrown into her home. Kate and Riggs work with the sheriff to figure out who is behind the attacks. There is any number of possibilities, and though I had my suspicions, I wasn't sure until near the end. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Kate faced her attacker. I liked how it turned out and watching Kate and Riggs use what they learned to create a better resolution.

I liked watching the development of the relationship between Riggs and Kate. Riggs has a hard time living down his high school reputation even though he's changed a lot. He's drawn to Kate and wants to get to know her, but his reputation keeps getting in the way. I loved his protectiveness. I also loved his sensitivity and respect for her feelings, even when they went against his interests. I could see how his feelings for her grew and how it hurt when she wouldn't trust him. Kate is a very independent woman who refuses to rely on other people. Because of her past, she doesn't trust men, and those feelings spill over onto Riggs. She was more judgmental than I cared to see and wished she'd let go of her pride long enough to talk to him about that one sticking point. It took nearly losing each other for them to leave the past behind and look to a future together.

I liked how the book tackled the effects of the shooting on various people. Everyone handled it differently, with survivor's guilt, PTSD, and other ways it affected their lives. There was an unexpected twist with one character that was a pleasant surprise. I loved how Kate found a way to honor everyone at the new school. ( )