He has a guilty burden. She has a desperate need. Jace doesn't want the ranch he's inherited, not after the tragedy that haunts him. Burdened by guilt, he retreats to the solitude of the mountains. But when Dianne and her curious young son stumble into his secluded cabin, lost and desperate, he has no choice but to lead them to safety. Dianne has dreams of finding a home out west, but the handsome rancher who holds the key to her future refuses to shoulder his legacy- or let her into his heart. As danger follows them on the trail and sparks ignite between them, Jace must confront his past before he loses the very thing he desires: a family of his own and a forever love. Will the secrets they carry destroy the fragile hope growing between them? Or can they escape the shadows of their past to build a future together? Tropes: Guilt burdended, withdrawn hero Single mother with child in need of protection Forced proximity.