Book excerpt: Lauren Gardner has been sewing, partly out of necessity, since her teens. Now the busy social worker supplements her income with her unique handmade clothing. Designing her best friend’s wedding gown, however, has been her hardest project to date. In addition, her cheating ex-fiancé, Doug, is back in town just as Lauren is becoming reacquainted with Bryan Dawson, a friend from high school. Juggling her growing attraction to Bryan, dealing with Doug’s manipulations, and meeting the challenges at work and at her beloved local food pantry are stretching Lauren to the limit. The usually composed counselor is implementing the anxiety-management techniques she advises her clients to use! The flagship in Bryan’s family business, Mohr’s Department Store, is in desperate financial trouble. He wonders if Lauren’s designing talent could be the key to rebranding Mohr’s as a destination for women’s special occasion clothing. But Lauren bristles when she feels Bryan is courting her with the goal of using her to save the store. Other life complications are also in play for Lauren—a troubled young client is keeping secrets, the food pantry is at a crisis point, and a management shake-up results in a new supervisor with little regard for Lauren’s clinical work. Bryan comes to realize that Lauren’s devotion to her family, friends, and profession makes her the most attractive woman he’s ever met. Her dark good looks don’t hurt either. As they work together to deal with their obstacles, will they discover that helping the one you love can create a team that will last forever?