This the second novel set in the fictional small town of McLeod's Cove, a few hours' drive from Portland, Oregon.
Deedee ('Dee') Cross escaped from her abusive partner, together with their daughter Fenella, to the opposite side of the country and McLeod's Cove. There, forcing herself to forget all about her previous aspirations, she decided to settle and, with the unexpected help of a sizeable lottery win, managed to establish Dee's Café and become a part of the small community living on McLeod's Cove's eastern fringe. One day, a blizzard brings a man with no memory to her door. He's injured and carries a gun. Before he collapses and blacks out, he utters just two words: "Help me!" It does not take long to establish the amnesiac's identity: Bryce MacDougall; a former Ranger and IT specialist; now a contractor, who went undercover to collect evidence on a conspiracy involving the former Henderson Corporation, and who had to kill two men to avoid having them kill him in turn. Bryce knows he has to leave, because he's bringing danger to Dee, her friends, and her daughter Fenella alike. That is, until he realizes that leaving might expose them to even greater danger. The attraction between Dee and Bryce refuses to be be denied and grows stronger with every moment they're together. But how can he keep them safe if he's sought by a man with the resources to hunt him down, kill him and destroy everything Bryce holds dear?