Rick’s homecoming includes all the bitter but none of the sweet. The great grandmother who raised him is dying, greedy relatives are descending, and an ill-tempered stranger runs the estate. It’s his duty to fulfill Genevieve’s final wishes, and no embezzling assistant can stop him. Vanessa will protect her employer, even from Frederick the Great, heir to the Hildebrandt fortune. The golden boy of legend isn’t so golden, especially when he calls her a thief, which leaves Vanessa unemployed and homeless. They aren’t prepared for a crafty octogenarian with a taste for drama. To win their inheritance, they must complete a cross-country road trip that retraces Genevieve’s secret past. Only two rules matter: They travel together. They can’t fall in love. Fall in love? Ha, that’s not happening. Besides, losing isn’t an option. Vanessa needs cash for private reasons, serious life-altering reasons, and the inheritance makes Rick’s dream reality. Everything he’s worked for, sacrificed for, is now possible. Just as they hit cruising speed — and find each other slightly less irritating — they discover a villain in the game. Efforts to sabotage the trip solidify their partnership and tempt the forbidden L word. Can they follow the rules or will they lose it all?