The Sweetest Gift by Laura Ann

He lost his leg and his dignity in one fell swoop, leaving him half the man he once was.
So why can’t everyone just leave him alone?

Riley works hard to see the world through rose-colored glasses. There’s more than enough anger and pain to go around and her goal is to ease it just a touch. Running the local animal shelter has given her a chance to spread smiles and laughter to those who need it most and she loves her work.
But when her best friend’s brother comes home from the military a wounded man, Riley makes it her personal mission to cheer him up. Whether he wants to or not.
Antony spent years taking care of everyone and everything, only to lose it all in one blinding moment. Not only did he come home broken, but his family life had fallen apart as well. This wasn’t how life was supposed to be and it wasn’t how he wanted to live.
But his attempts to be left alone are met with stark resistance from a bright eyed blonde, who used to run around his house in pigtails. When did Riley become so grown up? And why does her smile make him feel things he thought were dead?
Her refusal to leave him alone causes something dangerous to ignite in Antony’s heart and he’s not ready to admit that the bleak future he’d imagined might not be as bad as he thought.