Wyn Morrison—first introduced in Bread Alone—has found contentment in a life very different from anything she previously imagined—making bread on the night shift and learning the fine points of running a bakery. In fact, when Mac returns to Seattle at summer’s end, his first manuscript completed and sent off to an agent, her life seems scarily perfect.

But all too soon the inevitable stress fractures appear. Wyn can’t quite banish the ghosts of her failed marriage enough to completely trust a man, and Mac’s reticence about his past does nothing to allay her anxiety. The closer she feels to him, the more opaque he becomes. Meanwhile in L.A., soon-to-be ex-husband David has fired his attorney and hired new, take-no-prisoners counsel, creating a major snarl in divorce proceedings.

Mac’s abrupt departure for Alaska leaves her stunned, hurt and angry, but conflicts at the bakery and her friend Tyler’s traumatic loss leave Wyn little time for brooding. Not only will she learn more about Mac in his absence, but also about herself, as she becomes Tyler’s mentor, passing on the wisdom and healing power of bread making. Her new self-awareness and resilience will be tested when the bakery’s existence is threatened, as well as when Mac returns and she must decide whether there’s still a place for him in her life.