Luke suffered early in life but after his two fathers moved the family to idyllic Western Maryland to start a new life, he discovered what a lucky kid he was. He’s remained close to his father, Chef Henri, and his step-dad DeWayne, even as his career choices have taken him to Delaware.

The hero of my new sweet romance, INN BY THE LAKE, treasures a few mementoes that keep the fathers and son connection strong.

1–His father’s Blockbuster video card. Though nobody rents videos at a brick-and-mortar store anymore, Luke has kept the card as a reminder of all those classic and soon-to-be-classic movies he and his father watched late into the night. They’ll always be movie fans.

2–Hard hat. A marketing whiz, Luke spends his days toiling for a big construction company in Wilmington. He’s only worn the hard hat once, during an on-site visit to a hotel for which he’d designed the proposal.

3–Fraternity pin. Luke’s best friend Frank and he are members of the same fraternity.

4–Engagement ring. Luke shouldn’t have it anymore. Emily left it behind when she left him. It reminds him not to fall for a high-powered woman ever again.

5–Deep Creek Lake mug. Green with gold letters, the sturdy coffee cup sits on his desk at work, reminding him that he should call it quits early on Fridays and head back to the mountains. But he usually doesn’t.

If you missed Five Things: Amanda, a peek at the personality of the woman who just might change Luke’s life, take a look here.