Dale Gannon has sworn off women. He's seen more than his share of crazy and not all of it has been during his job as a firefighter. His youngest sister, Lindsay, is currently in jail awaiting trial for the attempted poisoning of his other sister, Lauren. Guilt still eats at him, making him wonder if there was something he could have done to prevent Lindsay's fall. Could he have been more supportive? More encouraging? What if…no, he was done with what-ifs. Done with women. Done with people, period. What he needs is peace, quiet…and time to come to grips with everything that's happened in the last six months. And then he meets the neighbor from hell: a sassy free-spirited woman who quickly turns his life upside down. Melanie Reeves has always seen things differently, viewing life as an array of color. Bright and vibrant, dark and moody. She captures them, breathes them, gives life to them on canvas. But her obnoxious neighbor is a mystery, one she can't solve, one she can't even read clearly—and one she tries her best to ignore. Until she discovers the deep guilt that plagues him—guilt he won't admit to or even acknowledge. Can she help him find his way to the surface before the darkness completely engulfs the inner vibrancy she senses in him? Or will he drag her with him into the flames, where they both run the risk of losing who they really are?