Whatever Remains — Lauren Gilley

What do you do when your murder victim is found in your ex-girlfriend's riding arena? For homicide detective Ben Haley, the answer is automatic: take the case. He's spent the past five years dodging her phone calls and keeping his kid at arm's length, but when Jade finds a body on her farm, Ben rushes to the scene. Eleven-year-old Heidi Latham, dumped at Jade's doorstep, is a painful reminder that his girls live in a dangerous world…and that their pull on him is absolute. Ben's charged with finding Heidi's killer, and keeping his relationship with Jade a secret.Jade Donovan has spent the past five years teaching lessons and training horses, leaning on the unswerving support of gay best friend, Jeremy, as she raises her daughter, Clara, alone. When she finds Heidi, Ben crashes back into her life, and she's too rattled to steel herself against his dark, stern magnetism. She needs him, she realizes, to hold at bay the terrifying evil that lurks in the shadows, claiming the lives of little girls. As the dark nights close in around them, they cling to the tatters of their relationship; Ben risks his job, and Jade risks her heart in the search for justice, keeping the daughter they both love safe.