Good story of second chances, secrets, and trust. Seven years earlier, Connor and Jenny were sweethearts. A misunderstanding, leading to a foolish act of revenge, ended with Jenny leaving town while Connor was away. Brokenhearted, Connor buried his pain in his fledgling telephone business and became very successful. He never expected to find Jenny while knocking on doors selling his telephones.

Jenny is a survivor. She became pregnant in high school, was forced into a home for unwed mothers by her mom, fled the cruel treatment she received there, and found a home helping other young women like herself. Her daughter, Emily, is the light of her life, and becoming a midwife feeds her soul. The shock of seeing Connor brought back memories she thought were buried.

I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Connor and Jenny. They got off to a rough start with Jenny slamming the door in his face, and Connor determined to get answers to his questions. I liked Connor's refusal to give up in the face of Jenny's resistance and how she finally gave in. I wanted to shake her when she told her story, disgusted that she hadn't trusted Connor enough to get his side of the events. Even after he told her the truth, she still jumped to conclusions about other things. Connor is a good man whose early years of trying to please his father grew into a bit of a white knight complex. When he sees something wrong, he wants to fix it. After getting a little too involved in Jenny's business, Connor finds himself on the receiving end of her temper and told to leave her alone. That comes to a quick end when Jenny desperately needs his help.

Jenny and her housemate Gretchen secretly help young women from Albany's home for unwed mothers escape the cruel treatment there. When Jenny begs for his help, Connor can't say no. What he experiences that night ignites a need to help Jenny in her mission. Despite some early clashes, Connor and Jenny find their shared commitment helps bring them closer together. The revelation of Jenny's final secret causes a bit of a bump, but Connor realizes his feelings for Jenny outweigh the past events. I love that they learned to talk about their issues before they become obstacles. I loved the ending, from the wedding to the epilogue.

One of my favorite things was the relationship between Connor and Jenny's daughter, Emily. The little girl was adorable and took to Connor right away. I especially enjoyed the present he bought her and seeing the bond it built between them. I loved his nervousness when he waited to talk to her about marrying Jenny, his protectiveness when dealing with the class bully, and his joy at becoming her father.

Once again, the author made the story come alive with her attention to detail. I loved the little things like the clothing and slang and the description of Connor's car. Then there was the information about the treatment of unwed mothers and its skillful weaving into the story. The pain and suffering they experienced were vividly portrayed, and I rooted for them in their fight for better treatment. I also enjoyed Connor's telephone activities. I didn't know that just anyone could start their own phone company. The lighthearted banter Connor exchanged with his potential customers was a nice contrast to some of the darkness of the women's stories. ( )