Judy Harper reaches the edge of Wayne Callahan’s ranch determined to stay out of sight long enough to rebuild her life.
With only a duffel bag and a history she will not share, the shy runaway hopes for a handful of quiet days and a place where questions never come.
The tall, silent cowboy who owns that empty land has spent years among horses and hard work, needing no one—until a trembling girl with stubborn courage appears at his door.
Judy asks for a brief favor; Wayne understands at once that she is staying, and the knowledge that someone hurt her draws a hard line around her.
Protective hunger takes root in the lonely rancher, fierce and certain, until the temporary guest is the woman he intends to keep under his roof and in his arms.
On that remote ranch, the runaway who wanted only a hiding place has stepped into the life of a cowboy who already considers her his.
