Melanie Thorpe believes that love and marriage are fine for other people-people who don't have the kind of baggage to carry around that she does. Over the years, she has done what was necessary to protect herself, and she never takes anyone at face value. Her choices make it difficult to let anyone get close but she has a handful of people she counts as good friends. As she watches some of those friends fall in love and get married, Melanie finds herself wondering if it might be worth taking a chance. Is there a way to have a relationship without ever revealing the past that has shaped the...

Justin Morrell cares about only two things in his life: his job at BlackThorpe Security and his sister, Beth, and her family. After a family tragedy a decade earlier forced Justin to leave the military career he'd planned on in order to care for his thirteen-year-old sister, he has taken his role as her guardian seriously. So when bad news comes regarding his niece, Justin is determined to do what he can to fix the problem. Though it seems he can't change the events that are unfolding, he's determined to make sure that the woman that's showed up in Beth's life to help her is really on the up...