What is hidden in the collar? A computer chip? A cure for cancer? A cry for help? Whatever it is, one man is willing to kill to find the collar and the message hidden inside. Susan Cook, the realtor who finds a dog locked inside her new listing, thinks that the evicted tenants have abandoned it. Feeling sorry for the little cross-eyed dog, she takes it home, cleans it up, and exchanges the heavy ornate collar that's around its neck with a lighter one. However, she is not the one who is supposed to find the dog. When the ornate collar is lost, the intended recipient is ruthless in his attempts to find it and the message inside. Meanwhile, Susan is still pining over a lost lover who everyone, except Susan, believes is dead. If Ryan really does return, Susan wonders, will their love that began during a dangerous and adrenalin-filled situation be strong enough to survive a life that is dull and normal?