Everyone has secrets-except Kelly Johnson. Her past is a painful open book known by the whole community. Trying to start over, the daughter of the former president of Richland College is going back to school to get her degree and struggling to live up to very high expectations. John Mefford has a secret past. His arrival on the small-town college campus to teach chemistry has everyone talking, especially since the teacher he is replacing disappeared without an explanation. When Kelly meets the handsome professor, she is less than impressed when he totals her car with his truck. But this single event changes the course of her life. Getting to know John brings her joy and hope for the future. Then, in one terrifying moment, her world is turned upside down. Disillusionment and grief threaten to overwhelm her as she searches for the strength to survive-but will that determination be enough to save her and those she loves?