[River's End 05] • River on Fire

Hailey Starr seeks refuge at the Rydell River Resort in the wake of her bitter divorce and from the ensuing hatred she receives from her daughter and her confused, hurt son. While her ex honeymoons with his new wife, Hailey decides not to care. She intends to recapture some of what she lost over the tumultuous years preceding the breakdown of their family. She chooses that place because it has no distractions except the sun and total relaxation. Then her daughter decides she’s going to sleep with a man. Hailey’s only true line of defense lies in her daughter’s quarry. Joey Rydell is a decent guy who emphatically rejects her daughter’s attention, but he doesn’t turn Hailey down. Flustered and shocked by his irrational interest, Hailey fears it will do nothing but inflame her already rebellious daughter.

Joey Rydell moved back to River’s End after years of being in the Army. Back for good now, he runs the Rydell River Resort, and consequently, deals directly with the guests. The woman who catches his eye, however, isn’t the one that anyone could have predicted, including Hailey.

But all of that drama ceases to matter when the entire valley bursts into an out of control brush fire. The hot, dry summer fuels a fire bigger than anything anyone has ever seen. Erratically roaring through the valley, it destroys everything in its path. Joey is again called to duty to extinguish much more than just the stark miles that are charred in its wake. Fire augments the end to the loves and lives of the Rydells. Their destiny is in turmoil after being nurtured and groomed unlike any other family. Can they survive the somber aftermath of the Armageddon-like destruction? What if there is nothing left of the ranch? Is it the lifeblood of the Rydells? Or are the Rydells the lifeblood of River’s End?