When a stranger turned up at her farm, in need of a place to rest, Ellen O'Brian didn't have the heart to turn him away. He looked darkly dangerous, but she could handle herself; she had learned hard and fast when her husband upped and left.

Jess Flint couldn't help but admire Ellen's courage and grit — even though he had to keep secrets from her. He showed her what it was like to feel like a woman again, to have a man to hold and rely on. With danger just around the corner, could their bond help them survive — or would his past tear them apart?