Master Chief Rusty Kuzinski might have just retired, but he's never been busier as he prepares for his guests at Never Forget Retreat, a therapy ranch for Navy SEALs. The last thing Rusty needs in his life is an MWD, a military war dog with post-traumatic stress disorder. But Rusty never turns his back on obligations or on those in need. Special Investigator Maya Schultz has mixed feelings for the last man who saw her late husband alive. Yet raising a teenage boy by herself isn't easy. So when Rusty proposes a solution to keep Curtis busy over the summer, Maya accepts the offer with reservations. Her feelings for the former SEAL are just about as unpredictable as the crazy and dangerous dog that needs watching. If dealing with her mixed emotions isn't enough, Maya's job entails investigating one of her own neighbors, and he's been giving her uncomfortably dirty looks, lately. When Curtis goes missing, while battling her terror at possibly losing her son, Maya realizes there are two things she has underestimated--the motivating force of revenge and how desperately she needs a man like Rusty in her life. Having watched Maya's first husband die in front of him, Rusty is now determined to use whatever skills remain at his disposal, including his slightly unhinged dog to help. If he fails, he knows he'll lose the only woman who has touched his heart as Maya has.