Sometimes there is no one left to trust or one's sense of betrayal is so intense that leaving yourself vulnerable by creating new relationships is out of the question. For a man it seems even more devastating than for a woman since any sign of vulnerability is viewed as weakness. So what is a man supposed to do when faced with a life threatening illness that also puts an immediate halt to his career. What can a man do when his family turns their back on him instead of supporting him through this crisis. There is no easy solution and that is what Rufus Miller has to face and face alone.

Moving to his family's cabin in the wilderness of the small town of Sentinel Pass he quickly becomes known as the towns recluse and his interaction with townspeople is only for necessities. As an outlet for his energy and creativity he builds miniature houses of twigs, mud and berries -- anything he finds and forages in the woods surrounding his cabin. Enter Rachel Grey. Rachel has just been let go from her bean counting job just another casualty of the economy but she sees it as an opportunity to do something far more creative which is designing websites and helping startup entrepreneurs. A newcomer to Sentinel she is steered in Rufus' direction as a possible client. She is at first unsettled at this bear of a man who speaks like a mountain man and between his beard, long hair and taste in clothing seems to be in hiding or hibernation to say the least. Little does she realize Rufus has been in a state of hibernation but he sees something in Rachel that speaks to him and as he spends more time with her she becomes important. Rufus begins to feel that Rachel can be someone he can trust and in time they share moments of their pasts that had left each feeling insecure and unloved. And with trust inevitably comes the moment when they realize the sense of kinship and passion could lead to something much more if only they are willing to take a chance. Taking a chance means exposing themselves to the possibility of being rejected but not taking the chance -- well that price would be too high.

Don't expect a little fluff piece with this book by Debra Salonen. Rachel & Rufus' story is heartwarming and at the same time blunt when confronting family issues. She drives home the point rather eloquently that not everyone is lucky when it comes to parents and sibling issues. Trust plays a key role in the family dynamic between parents and children and when that trust is broken it plays havoc with future adult relationships. Enjoy.

Book Summary

Rufus Miller is a mystery.

It's the one fact the entire town of Sentinel Pass can agree on. And Rufus has no intentions of solving the riddle. He likes his privacy. His cabin and his work suit him just fine, thanks.

Then Rachel Grey shows up.

The energetic entrepreneur has decided Rufus is her ideal client and is full of marketing ideas to make him a household name. And he's tempted. Not by her impressive strategy, but by her. Suddenly the guy least likely to answer a direct question wants to open up. Wants to share his space with her. Wants her to know all the skeletons in his closet. And that urge to be with Rachel so completely is the biggest mystery of all.

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