Annie had learned long ago that she could get through just about anything life threw her way. She can even get through being forced from the home she's lived in since she was a child. She has one more chance to convince the mayor to knock down some other neighborhood for his shopping malls and banks—or she and the three little boys she's in the process of adopting are going to end up homeless. For shy Annie, the thought of confronting one of the wealthiest men in Finley Creek—one of the handsome, charismatic, larger-than-life Barratts—has her shaking and ready to flee. If the fight weren't so important, Annie would turn and run, avoiding the fire altogether. But Annie can't run this time. She's running out of options. She just has to get through this one meeting—and convince Mayor Turner Barratt to listen to her. Somehow. Turner Barratt takes one look at Annie Gaines, his last appointment of the day, and can't look away. Innocent, sweet, determined—Annie is one of the strongest, bravest women Turner has ever met. And he feels compelled to help her in any way he can. Then, the storm hits. The world explodes around them, throwing Annie and Turner into a nightmare neither expects. Long after they're pulled from the rubble, something makes it impossible for him to get her out of his head—even when he should be focused on helping his city recover from the F4 tornado that nearly destroyed Finley Creek. Now the entire city has to recover, and it's Turner's job to help the citizens do just that. But someone on the city council would rather profit off the disaster than help Finley Creek heal from the storm. And he will stop at nothing to keep Turner from succeeding. Even if it means someone Turner loves will pay the price—someone like Annie.