When kidnappers stole Mallory Christiani's little daughter, Emily, her world threatened to crumble. She'd been warned to not tell anyone--not her family, not her friends and most definitely not the police. But, despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep private investigator Bud MacPhearson out of her life. Mac's interest in Mallory's case was strictly personal. He'd failed once to keep his promise to see both Mallory and Emily to safety and he wasn't going to let it happen again. Although Mac and Mallory were strangers, with no one to turn to but each other, their future and happiness depended on holding nothing back.