When every day is a battle between life and death, can two warring hearts find healing in each other? Emma My first months on the oncology wing at St. Agnes Memorial Hospital were . . . tumultuous. The near-constant tension between Dr. Deacon Girard and me, a disastrous relationship, and losing a favorite patient might have made me second-guess my decision to move to Harper Springs . . . if it wasn't for my friends. Having them in my life makes everything else bearable. When one friendship begins to grow into something more, well, maybe it's time to move on and forget about Deacon. If only I can . . . Deacon I haven't run away from a damn thing since I was a kid, but I'll admit that's exactly what I did after things got too intense between Emma and me. I took off for Eastern Europe, telling myself that I was there for kids who needed my brand of medical expertise. But the truth was that I had to get away from Emma . . . because what I feel for her scares the hell out of me. I've been down this path before, and I know the kind of pain love brings with it. I don't need to do this again. So even after I return to St. Agnes Hospital, I try to forget what was between us. I ignore my own heart. For as long as I can . . .