Forty-year-old Ellen Johnson lives in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Mike, and two young daughters, Jill and Kelly. Following a tragic accident on Christmas Day that takes the lives of her family, Ellen finds herself desperate to redefine who she is now that she's no longer a wife and a mother.

She drives to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to escape from anyone who knows her and her tragic story. Little does she know when she makes the reservations to the oceanfront casino that she would become caught up in an arrest that completely changes the path of her life. Ellen meets a new man who is handsome, self-confident, and the perfect protector at a time when she feels most vulnerable. But can this new man and his investigation team take care of her in the world he's pulled her into? How can she prove her trust in him if he runs when his confidence gets broken?

Ellen finds herself loving a man who becomes elusive, another who is out of reach, and a third who could arrest her if he finds out how she defends herself one August evening. Who can she trust? Who can she tell her story to and know her name is safe on his lips?