Marigold Devlin hadn't planned on spending more than one year as a governess. Much as she loves the Chambers children, she's looking forward to her own marriage and family—until the children are tragically orphaned.

By the time her letters catch up to the girls' globetrotting uncle, her contract is long expired, and her impatient fiancé has broken their engagement. She tries to hide her disappointment behind cool, even frosty respect for her new employer, when he finally arrives. But his haunted eyes thaw her heart a few cautious degrees. And she burns with guilt for her uncharitable thoughts.

Gordon Chambers doesn't plan to stay in Cape May long enough for any painful memories to take hold—until he realizes there's a thriving boat business to sell, two charming nieces who tug at his heart, and a flame-haired governess who seems determined to go above and beyond for everyone except herself.

As Gordon works through an ever-shifting list of priorities, Marigold sparks a tender longing for something more than his solitary existence. But when he learns someone has once again betrayed his trust, the pain threatens to send him back into shadows too dark for love to reach.

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