Mackenzie Sellars is the daughter of the town drunk. She and her eight-year-old sister know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of abuse and to live a life of poverty. But now Mackenzie wants to turn things around. At twenty-one, she takes a waitressing job in the hopes of getting herself and her sister out of town and onto a better life.
Ryan Patterson is captivated by Mackenzie when he first sees her. As the manager of the diner where she now works, he should know better than to even attempt a relationship, but common sense takes a back seat to interest. He wants to get to know her better, to see if he can bring a smile to her always solemn face.
With her guard up, Mackenzie pushes Ryan away, knowing he wouldn’t think so highly of her if he knew who her father was. She can’t let him get behind the wall she’s put up. Doing so could risk the tenuous piece of happiness she’s found with this job, and she’s not ready for any type of relationship anyway. As her father has proven, men can’t be trusted.
Taking a risk isn’t in Mackenzie’s DNA, but there’s something about Ryan that is rapidly changing her mind. If only she could keep her secrets and the past hidden from him, she might be willing to try. But as everyone knows, secrets always come out, and just when Mackenzie thinks she has a hold on this new life of hers, she’s faced with the truth that could shatter the new friendships she’s made and the new love she’s found.
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