Rose Cavanaugh ran away from her abusive husband, Sean, and found a semblance of peace in a quaint Southern town. Lonely, frightened and betrayed, she thought she'd never find happiness, much less love, ever again. Then Rose meets Neil, and hope blooms anew. She's instantly drawn to this tall, dark, stranger, and when she unexpectedly saves his life in a freak accident, he becomes part of her life. But Neil's sudden appearance is no random event: he's a private investigator hired by Sean to find his runaway bride. Despite an immediate attraction to Rose, Neil is torn between longing for her and duty to his client... until he learns the terrible truth about the reason Rose ran away. As Rose and Neil draw closer to surrender and each other, unseen forces are closing in, threatening the fragile peace Rose has fought so hard to win, and endangering the new love she's only just found.