A thug attempted to abduct Julia Daniels at gunpoint in broad daylight. In the very diner where the waitress worked–and across from the sheriff's office. Which meant that whoever was after the widowed mother would stop at nothing. Including shooting a police officer. The handsome deputy sheriff who'd taken a bullet for Julia and saved her life vowed to protect her and her traumatized daughter. First, though, Eric Butler needed the truth about why she'd sought refuge in Wildflower, Texas. But how could Julia tell him when it meant putting all their lives in grave danger?