Shining Armor — Kate Sherwood

Twelve years ago, Mark McCormick escaped an abusive home and a town that had turned on him. Now he's back for Meg, the sister he left behind.

She's been seriously injured in a car accident, and somebody needs to look after her small children and struggling business. Tara Hudson is an expert on the kids and the business; she could make things easy for Mark, if only she didn't hate him.

Forced to work together, Mark and Tara become a team, and then something more. But there's still a lot of anger and distrust between them. Mark was hurt when Tara's family, along with everyone else, believed the worst of him twelve years earlier. And Tara still carries the pain of his departure; he'd been her first crush, maybe even her first love, and she'd felt betrayed when he left without a backwards glance. They could be something special, now, but only if they're both able to let go of the past. Can they shed the armor that's keeping them from truly loving each other?