博客來When Wade Nickerson achieved his desire to own the old mill in his hometown of Ashworth, he left behind the one woman who had captured his heart, but who was beyond his reach except for one night. Not able to father a family, he devotes all his energy to renovating the old mill into a prime hospitality location.
Although Rebecca Swan had feelings for Wade, her law career and social position kept her in the city. After toiling for nine years, Wade’s dream, The Mill House Inn, is a success, and he would do anything to maintain its status. The sacrifice he had not expected to make was to promise to remain completely celibate for six months to placate the inn’s volatile, pregnant pastry chef. In this endeavour he had the backing his friends who take turns chaperoning him. Just as he made the vow, Rebecca Swan unexpectedly arrives in Ashworth to be the new associate in his friend Preston’s law practice. People notice Rebecca’s daughter Genny bears an uncanny resemblance to Wade’s deceased sister, a victim of a house fire, which also took their parents’ lives. From thinking her a ghost, the community aims to help the frail girl, and she forms a strong friendship with Preston’s daughters.
The townspeople, sympathetic to Wade’s tragic loss, set about protecting him from encountering this painful reminder. Preston’s suspicions of Rebecca’s motives for leaving a prestigious law firm to work as a small-town lawyer make him demand Rebecca not contact Wade or lose her position. Rebecca desperately needs the position and as she watches her daughter thrive cannot risk disobeying and leave town. Despite his friends’ good intentions, Wade senses a connection with Genny, even though he thinks he cannot be her father. What he thinks turns out to be wrong but because of his vow, Wade cannot meet privately with Rebecca for the truth. Rebecca is torn about the telling him the truth for she might lose the most precious thing in her life.
The discovery of a mysterious box containing military medals initiates a meeting between the pair, which promises further contact. Out of this incident, however, a dark force from their past emerges that threatens to drive them apart forever.
