Branna Lind's self-esteem rests at the bottom of the Mississippi River. She canceled her "wedding of the decade, " though she isn't saying why. She wants life on her own terms, no ready-made job in the family business, no safety net of close-knit kin, and no more betrayal. College professor James Newbern prizes his bachelorhood. Experience has taught him beautiful women are high-maintenance trouble and Branna fits that type. He is happy to avoid her until the college vice president assigns him to mentor the newest hire--Branna. Branna is on her way to a new life, but will the scars of the past send her running from love? Even if she stands her ground, can she convince James that she truly is his "type"?