Once a man who lived by the letter of the law...Newt Tobias will do anything for his little girl, even take early retirement, sell his city home, and move to cottage country, hoping that the simpler life will provide a better balance for his troubled teenage daughter. Yet, not long after they've settled, he finds himself toe-to-toe with a stubborn, fiery-tempered woman with pretty brown eyes. Once a recluse preferring to live alone...Working with troubled adolescents, Frederique Marchand doesn't suffer fools and won't put up with bullies, especially handsome strangers like Newt, who think they can run roughshod over her. She loves her work, but on her own time she much prefers the company of her menagerie of animals.But with the welfare of a teenager at stake, she must put aside rocky first impressions and work with a man who needs her as much as she'll come to need him.