The Key to Life — Jessica Peterson

When Anna took on the daunting task of restoring her friend Matt to a state of happiness, she never expected to fall in love; and she certainly wouldn't have guessed the object of her growing desire would be Matt's father.

Nearly drowning in her listless work atmosphere, completely unaware of the real reason behind the Emerald Hotel's decline, Anna innocently stumbles upon something that just might be the shred of hope everyone has been searching for. But when Anna runs to Matt, ready to relay the news, she's met with a drunken declaration of his love for her.

Matt's not only her good friend, he's her boss, so to say Anna is caught completely off-guard would be like calling the moon pretty-- it's a bit far from the mark of reality. Knowing Matt is tottering between depression and sanity, Anna wishes she could fix everything by telling him she loves him back, but she just can't. So she decides to search for someone who can.

Perhaps the solution lies with Matt's father, Tom. Despite the fact everyone believes he is dead, after finding his old journal Anna has reason to believe otherwise. Embarking on a search through shark infested waters, to a hellish island in the middle of nowhere, Anna discovers that the man she is looking for is indeed alive. A father's love certainly isn't the same as the love of a woman, but Anna hopes it will be enough to bring Matt back to himself and relieve her from the burden of guilt that's been slowly smothering her.