When Sheriff Slade Barlow inherits half of a ranch also owned by his half-brother Hutch Carmody, their tense relationship takes on more strain. Then Hutch's former flame, Joslyn Kirk, who is working hard to make up for her stepfather's dishonesty, catches Slade's eye. Is the sheriff headed for trouble and heartbreak?

Determined to ignore the attraction between them, schoolteacher Lark Morgan and Marshal Rowdy Rhodes, both of whom are hiding dark secrets, form a tentative alliance when the past collides with the present.

"There's something missing from Eli Garrett's life. He loves being the sheriff of Painted Pony Creek, Montana, so it's not his job. He's had the same two best friends since he was a kid and he's grateful for them, so it's not that, either. But ever since his buddy Cord's recent marriage, Eli has a nagging suspicion that he wants what Cord has. And there's a beautiful woman who has caught his eye-someone who's returned to town that he can't get off...

1914: The sudden death of the town marshal leaves Blue River, Texas, without a lawman, and Dara Rose Nolan without a husband. As winter approaches and her meager seamstress income windles, she has three possible options. But giving up her two young daughters, joining the fallen women of the Bitter Gulch Saloon and condemning herself to another loveless marriage are impossible to imagine. Unfortunately, she must decide-soon-because there's a new marshal...

Heading to Blue River, Texas, to seek a job as a marshal, Sawyer McKettrick instead finds himself at the mercy of calico-clad teacher Piper St. James, who may be the only one who can tame his wild heart.