Gideon immediately returned to Coronado base at the call for help. After hearing the issues facing him, he dove right in, knowing that he could bury the pain of his past broken relationship the same as he always had. The fact that they'd lived here in this city years ago didn't make it harder. Yet, once he caught sight of Pearl, it made it almost impossible.

Pearl broke up their relationship years ago, only to realize almost immediately that she'd made a major mistake. She quickly returned to Coronado, only to find that Gideon had shipped out overseas. Now still working at the same place as before, Pearl sees him in the stairwell, and the shock hits her hard, both with hope and dread. When she returns home that evening to something completely unbelievable happening before her eyes, Gideon is the first person she turns to.

Gideon doesn't know how Pearl ends in the middle of his case, but she is, and she's not moving any time soon. Now if only he could trust that she would stay this time ...