Tiernan’s Striving by Ciara St James

Tiernan is usually one of the quieter O’Sheerans. He spends his time building their horse racing stable into one of the best in the world. He loves everything to do with horses, which leads to a new endeavor and an idea—to share that love with those who would otherwise never have the chance. Maggie’s Moppets is a part of that. He wants children who are considered different to get the benefits of loving a horse.
When his first student comes to the stables, he brings his mom. Tiernan is drawn to Cassius and his mom, Kynedi. He wants to get to know her and Cass. However, she seems a bit elusive. Tiernan finds excuses to spend more time with them and hopes she’ll open up.
Kynedi and her son have had it hard. She works three jobs to care for her son. Her son’s biodad isn’t in the picture, and she’s glad. They don’t need him or the danger he presents anywhere near them. She hopes to be able to take Cassius to see real horses one day. Cassius has loved them since he was small but has never seen one in person until Maggie’s Moppets.
As Cassius blossoms and Tiernan and Kynedi get to know each other, it’s not all roses. She has trust issues, his family is still dealing with ending a group of human traffickers—the O’Sheerans’ true past and present are a secret to Kynedi—and there’s her past to deal with as well. It makes for an intriguing and possibly dangerous time. However, when the ending arrives, a new group is revealed, and the O’Sheerans’ ongoing battle to find and rescue all those taken has a new ally to help—an ally they never expected and have no idea how to work with.