"Lots of mystery, passion and intrigue in this wonderful story."

Jack Walker has places to be, things to accomplish and people after him and his money. He's also deciding if he should run for governor of Massachusetts. In all this chaos, he finds purpose and can't wait to see what the future holds.

Jack has recently purchased John Copley's masterful rendering of Revolutionary War hero Nathaniel Walker, who's one of Jack's most prominent ancestors. The painting should have never left the family, and Jack is the only one with the financial means to get it back.

Jack wants to hire Callie Burke to conserve the painting. Meeting her earlier through a mutual friend, Grace Hall (whom we met in Ms. Bird's wonderful story, AN UNFORGETTABLE LADY), he knows she's perfect for the job. Callie has reservations because of a lifetime of buried secrets from her past; secrets she's promised never to reveal, secrets that are closer to Jack's life than she wants him to know. But, Callie desperately needs the money and conserving such an important piece of art will not only be a challenge, but the experience of a lifetime.

Reluctantly, Callie accepts the job only to find that along with it comes a fire and passion for Jack she's never felt with any man. Jack feels the same about this beautiful, spirited redhead. The flames between them are hot and impossible to extinguish. Do they have a future together? Are the secrets too much to build a trusting relationship?

I enjoyed every page of this book. It's packed with mystery, intrigue, power, passion and a love story too beautiful for words.

Reviewed by Suzanne Tucker
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted March 10, 2004

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Summary

Callie Burke has lived her life on the fringes of high society, the unacknowledged daughter of a powerful man. After a lifetime of being second best, she's not about to repeat her mother's mistake and give her heart to a man who's out of her league. But then she meets Jack Walker, the scion of one of America's oldest families. Her career as an art conservator is just getting started and working on his priceless new painting is exactly what she needs professionally. She's also intensely attracted to him, even though he's rich, prominent and a hard-nosed businessman- exactly what she always swore she'd stay away from.

Jack Walker always gets what he wants and he wants Callie from the moment he sees her. Except he's not a free man. Recently engaged, he realizes after meeting Callie that he's with the wrong woman. It's a mistake he's willing to rectify, even if it means breaking off a relationship with someone who's from his world.

Their passion is undeniable but Callie is wary of being hurt, torn between her past and her hopes for the future. To win her heart, Jack must prove that love means more to him than money and she's the only woman for him.