Portia Wilson has been doing it tough. Losing her husband to illness just after the birth of their baby son gave her little time to grieve what she’d lost. Twin girls and a new baby meant she had to keep moving forward or she’d sink into the pit of despair. Five lonely years on, she thinks it’s time to date again. The first time she tried the annual Casey Plains dating competition, she bombed out and wasn’t keen to go there again but friends convince her she can do it.

His best friend encouraged Dean Richards to make a move to the tiny country town and start over after the tragic death of his wife and unborn baby. Years of working extra shifts as a trauma nurse in the city hasn’t made things any easier, but he readily agrees it might be the right time to begin a new life. He falls in love with the small community and makes friends fast. His timing was perfect, and he feels a sense of relief until his boss convinces him to go one step further and join the annual date night. Is he ready to move on? He thinks he is until a massive panic attack sends him running from the pub. Portia can’t believe her luck, but she likes the new nurse, even if all they can be is friends. But his past isn’t the only thing that follows Dean to the Outback… and soon the woman he has fallen in love with is put in danger and his past comes back to haunt him.