Nicole Pierce almost had it made! Her elegant boutique wasn't exactly on Rodeo Drive, but it was close enough for the Beverly Hills elite who valued her unique fashion sense. She'd come a long way and was just about to heave a well-earned sigh of relief when Kevin Ladd appeared to remind her of her painful beginnings. After fifteen years Nicole's father was about to be released from prison. A dedicated parole officer, Kevin meant to involve her in that process. He'd grown up in the old neighborhood; he still lived there, had close ties. Nicole's father meant to settle there too. She had invested all her energy into escaping, putting the past behind her. Had she come so far only to be dragged back from the threshold of success, forced to choose between a dazzling future and the love of the two men who could give that future meaning?