The Kepner brothers had been dealt a bad hand at life. Misfortune, debt, and death had them fighting an endless uphill battle, but through it all they remained united-when everything seemed hopeless, at least they had each other.When Emalee Jennings blew into town for a summer stay, she was immediately drawn to the Kepner family and immersed herself in their lives, much to the dismay of the youngest brother Cole. Despite his efforts to keep his distance, Cole couldn't wall out Emalee, as he'd done with the rest of the world. Her beauty, sass, and big dreams swiftly broke down his defenses, and amidst the long sweltering days and fields of wheat, they fell in love-both fully aware when the summer ended, they would part ways. When Emalee unexpectedly returns years later, facing her own hand of misfortune, Cole is suddenly faced with a second chance as he rushes to her side, ready to help her battle what life has thrown at her.Desperate for a safe place to land, Emalee wants nothing more than to fall into the arms of the love of her life, but it's not as simple as it may seem. When she left town at the end of that fateful summer, she took with her a secret. A secret that could not only cause Cole to close the door on her forever, but one that could tear apart the very thread of his existence-his family. Torn between taking comfort in his arms or revealing her secret, Emalee soon learns that love is never simple.