Rushton: From the moment I see her, I'm hooked. One thing's for sure, I can't stay away from the new kindergarten teacher with the kind smile and secrets in her brown eyes.

There's no hiding in a small town, and she's suddenly everywhere. My family loves her, my niece won't stop talking about her, and I just want to make her mine.

Crosby is everything I didn't know I was looking for, but the wall she keeps up makes it impossible to love her the way I want to. I have to figure out how to tear it down, and fast—because she's not so sure she's sticking around, and I'm not prepared to let her walk away from Willow River . . . or me.

Crosby: Another new town, another new school. But this time I'm not the struggling new kid; I'm the teacher. It's hard to let go of my past, when it refuses to let go of me. I live in a constant state of unease, never knowing what the future holds. Especially when it comes to love.

Rushton isn't like other guys. But I'm afraid getting involved only spells heartbreak for both of us.

But for the first time in my life, I've found a place I want to put down roots. Rushton, his family, Willow River, my students—they all make me wish for once that I could stay.