Welcome to Merritt, Alabama, where summers are lazy, tea is sweet, and guests are always welcome...Brantley Kincaid hides a dark secret. If not for him, his mother and grandfather would still be alive. He was only eighteen when they died, but he's never forgotten what he did that day. He hasn't lived in Merritt for years, but now he's coming home-and he's worried about mistakes from the past returning to haunt him.Lucy Mead has worked hard to overcome her childhood insecurities and succeed as a professional interior designer. But no matter how successful she becomes, she'll always feel like the friendless, overweight girl who was desperately in love with unattainable Brantley when they were teenagers. Inexplicably, Brantley has now set his sights on her. Lucy can't deny the attraction - but something is wrong. Why does he finally see her as a love interest after all this time? Or is it more likely she's a distraction from the past he refuses to confront? If she can't find the answers, what could be a simple sweet life might go completely south for good....