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Prologue

It really was a shame No, not a shame … a disappointment, Beth Prudhoreen light She glanced out the carat the man her friend had invited her to meet over dinner Sa for the light Again she felt a twinge of regret, knowing nothing would ever coether

It’d been silly to put any hope into this blind date One look at Saood ine what her parents would say if they were ever to h to make her smile Her mother would have a fit of hysterics In her ar, and a bane to society All this because his hair was long and he had a beard His tattoos would likely send her over the edge But then her h expectations when it came to theto realize Sam felt the same way about her His eyes had widened briefly before he could disguise his reaction when they were first introduced He probably saw her as prim and pristine and oh-so-proper, which she was, thanks to her mother Beth suspected Sam hadn’t been psyched about this dinner date either, and briefly wondered what had led hi disappointh they hadn’t spoken much, she felt drawn to his unconventional attitude, which was so unlike her own structured life It’d been hard to get a read on him, other than when they were first introduced Beth couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking; he gave away little of his thoughts other than the fact that he see to be over Beth didn’t blah around the edges, but Nichole had warned her about that His shoulder-length hair was tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck He had nice dark eyes, she’d say that The color reminded her of warm cocoa He was tall; she estimated he must be six-thich was a foot taller than her own petite fraood seventy or iven her pause, but her aunt Sunshine had persuaded her to give it a shot

"Why not? What’s it going to hurt?"

True enough, it hadn’t hurt, but still the taste of disappoint in the tall cab of his truck, Sam must have noticed her scrutiny, because he turned his head, looking down at her as they waited for the light to change Goodness, the truck was so high up she’d need a step stool just to cli Sam a brief smile, she stepped on the accelerator andtodirectly toward her, racing through a red light

In that split second her eyes caught those of the teenage driver in the other car She had her cell phone in her hand; her face twisted in a look of surprised horror Fro seeirl’s ainst the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes, but it was too late

Much too late to avoid a collision

Knoas co could have prepared her for the i into the driver’s-side door The explosive noise of steel crashing against steel was loud enough to burst Beth’s eardru wheel, her arms were jerked free, tossed above her head as if on a puppet’s string as the other car plowed directly into her, spinning Beth and her car around and around

She opened her asp of sheer terror and pain, horrific pain

And then … then there was nothing until she heard soed to force her eyes open, all she could see was Sam

Chapter 1

Beth

"Give Mozart a chance," Beth pleaded with the teenage boy who stared doggedly down at the classroom floor "Once you listen to his music you’ll feel differently, I promise"

The youth continued to avoid eye contact and then chanced a look in the direction of Bailey Madison Beth had noticed the teenage girl sneaking glances in his direction through most of the class Before class, both students had asked for transfers, which disappointed her Beth didn’t want to lose either one

"I like music, but I’m not into that classical stuff," Noah told her

"But you ave it a chance," Beth said in what she hoped was an encouraging voice Noah Folgate sat through the entire class period with his arms folded and his eyes closed, except when he took peeks at Bailey

"Besides, the only reason I signed up for the class was because irlfriend, did"

"You can stay in the class," Bailey said "I’ out"