Widower Ryan Crawford's three rambunctious children had sent a procession of housekeepers packing. He desperately needed help putting the family's chaotic life in order, and throwing himself on the mercy of Valerie Dennison's home services agency was his last hope!

To Ryan's satisfaction, Val herself spearheaded the project, applying considerable emotional expertise to the crisis. But as her maternal skills made peace in his home, her womanly charms wreaked havoc on his heart. Ryan kept telling himself he wasn't ready for a wife--even though the kids thought otherwise. So why was he getting the unsettling sensation that the Crawford household would be incomplete without Valerie?