He always feared this day would come. .

. Hardened lawman Frankie Sullivan spent the last six years running from his destiny and the broken heart she'd left behind.

He thought he'd never see her again, but when Maddie Cahill lands on his doorstep one rainy night, he tells himself he could have turned her away if not for the frightened small boy by her side who happens to look a lot like him. Was he just wishing he had another chance at the past or did Maddie have a secret he should know? Either way, the dark-eyed beauty was still wreaking havoc in his carefully constructed world.

. .

and the feelings he had for her he thought long dead. Madeline Rose Cahill Carter was running for her life and the life of her young son, Jonah.

As the only living heirs to Maddie's family fortune, both she and her son are now targets of her late husband's greedy family who want nothing more than to steal her birthright by taking control of the ranch that has been in her family for four generations. She can't let that happen.

She has to protect the Cahill legacy for her son and future generations but to do that, she's gonna need help. There's only one man she trusts who can protect her and her young son against the Carters, but will he be willing after all this time? After the way she'd left? After the way she broke his heart?When the sins of the past return to the present, can unrequited love rebuild burned bridges or will broken hearts be lost among the ashes?Dear Reader,Please note that within the pages of this historical Western romance lies a tale of two hearts in search of a true and lasting connection.

To provide an authentic depiction of this passionate journey, this author will occasionally venture into more mature territory. Using the adult language of the period and brief portrayals of private moments between characters, the story is advanced through natural and realistic descriptions to depict the true nature of developing human relationships.

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