Echoes of the Heart (Joachim)

Mike Sullivan's dating Amy, the perfect woman. Everyone says she is, even his best friend, Bill. She urges him to move in with her, and he agrees. To Mike, living together means getting engaged. He's picked out the ring and is ready to pop the question, isn't he? If Amy is the one, why can't Mike forget Heather? He'd spent a magical ten days with her on Fire Island, ten days that changed his life. Then he'd screwed it up. As quickly as she entered his world, Heather disappeared, blocking his calls, and leaving him bereft. That was five years ago. Finally ready to accept the fact that he'll never see Heather again, Mike's poised to take the big step-until a magazine article turns his universe upside down.

Torn between two men proposing marriage, Sandy accepted Lyle, and moves in with him. After months of watching their love slip away, she thinks things couldn't get worse. Wrong. Sliding from heartbreak to humiliation on national television, Sandy becomes gossip fodder from coast-to-coast. Deserted by family and friends, she suffers the consequences of her mistake alone. After all, life doesn't offer up second chances, does it? Devastated when Sandy turned him down, Rafe couldn't stop thinking about her. Witnessing her hideous public spectacle, his heart aches. How he wishes she had selected him. But it's too late, now. He's heading for a job in England in a few weeks. There's no time for a second chance. And, as everyone knows, wishes don't come true, do they?

Called "the Odd Couple" in high school, brainy Liz and athletic Nick hit it off. From tutor and pupil to lovers, they formed a tight bond - until college. Heading off in different directions, they agreed to cut their ties with no regrets. That was the last time they saw each other. Haunted by feelings of inferiority, the former lovers never pursued each other after college. Unable to find a man who evoked the same strong emotions she had experienced with Nick, Liz settled for dating a "ho-hum" guy. Searching, in vain, for a woman who could love a jock and was as smart as Lizzie, Nick never married. Would a surprise meeting, 10 years later, give them a second chance or would it be too late?

Can a guy fall for a girl for a lifetime when he's only sixteen? Bill Landeau never forgot Paige Overton. Even as a summer camp crush, she'd become the gold standard. He'd never met a woman who could compete with Paige. Twelve years later, chance brings them together. Bill doesn't recognize the girl who'd captured his heart so long ago. Could she still be the one he can't forget? Taken aback, Paige Overton recognizes her old boyfriend. Though she's engaged to another man, Bill intrigues her. Paige questions her life choices. Should she stay with wealthy Carter or take a chance on Bill? Which man, which road, will make her happy?