Heiress Lucinda Hollander is in something of a bind. After being proposed to by a man in a Bozo the Clown suit—who jams a ring on her finger the size of Gibraltar and then disappears—she's accused of a murder she didn't commit and is forced to go on the lam. Although she's never touched a dust mop, never mind used one, she hides out as Lucy French, housekeeper, on an elegant estate far from the scene of the crime. Hey, she knows her way around big houses, and making floors sparkle sure beats making license plates.

She finds more than she bargained for in the servants' quarters, however, not the least of which is Max Hogan, the car guy. He's gorgeous and sexy, and, wow, does he know how to work with his hands. But he's more than a little silent about his past, which makes Lucy wonder what he's up to—and what will happen when he discovers her own secrets. Throw in a fiery nanny, a scandalous horse breeder, and a lonely little girl, and Lucy has more than enough to take her mind off her troubles. Until one of those troubles becomes falling in love with Max. How will she ever be able to put things to rights?

And how can she get that darned ring off her finger...?