Matchmaker Brenna Zachary is busy connecting Jekh's loneliest hearts yet has no romance of her own. That is, until a practical friend makes her an offer of marriage she can't resist. The industrious and hardworking Herris Deshtan is offering her both marriage and independence. In exchange, he gets to have the family he's been craving since losing his during the planet's recent conflicts.

Now Brenna's former suitor is at loose ends. Although he's a traditional male of the Bouk sect and less interested in securing a bride, Rajan Sunamane can concede that he should have secured Brenna's hand sooner. However, he'd always assumed that Brenna would be there whenever he was ready. And now, not only has Herris interfered, but he's already secured his claim with a baby. If Rajan doesn't wheedle his way back into Brenna's good graces, his mother—who's had her heart set on having Brenna as a daughter for a decade—will disown him. There's no worse fate for a Bouk.

While Rajan might be able to convince Brenna to accept him back into her good graces, and into a traditional Jekhan trio, Herris doesn't intend to be in another one. Brenna is enough for him...or so he claims. There's a hidden darkness in Herris that Brenna doesn't know about and Rajan believes he's the only man who can temper it.