Unprotected — Kristin Lee Johnson

A young social worker with a lonely past… A small Minnesota town's favorite son…An allegation...Unprotected is the story of Amanda Danscher, a young child protection social worker with a past she is trying to forget. She quickly becomes embroiled in a case against former state champion hockey player and favorite son, Chuck Thomas, who will do anything to buck the system rather than work with it―including whatever it takes to get Amanda out of his way. Luckily Amanda reconnects with Jacob, a new county attorney who has the means to help and protect her, but no clue how to break down her defenses. With history and chemistry hovering between them, their job is to make sure the town hero doesn't get away with abusing his son. As in many child protection cases, however, the presenting problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Set against the backdrop of the always messy and complex world of child protection, unprotected is ultimately about family―and a young woman's discovery that there are all kinds of family and many places that can be called home.