Book excerpt: Darby Lane and Russell Gunn had been inseparable friends since their days in the Horseshoe, the wonderful Baton Rouge neighborhood of their youth. But after graduate school, a tragic accident takes Russ's life -- and Darby's world is shattered. Her long journey to healing brings her closer to Russ's brother Ben, whom she begins to see through new eyes. Suddenly love blooms in the place of grief; and now, with the help of the three wily and colorful aunts who raised her, Darby faces the challenge of reuniting Ben with his estranged father -- if she and her aunts can get through the conniving schemes of Ben's social climber stepmother. Bit by bit, Darby discovers that loss can build new life -- and love truly can conquer anything.