Catherine Evans knew she was meant to love Duncan McKenzie from the moment she first saw him at three years old. For years, he was her hero—strong, kind, and everything a man should be. But on her sixteenth birthday, he shattered her heart and walked away from her father's ranch without a backward glance. From that moment on, Catherine swore off love. She would run the ranch, she would survive, and she would never let another man close to her heart again.

Duncan left to protect them both—Catherine was too young, and his feelings for her far too dangerous. But ten years later, her father summons him home with a desperate plea: the ranch is under attack, and Catherine refuses to ask for help. The sweet girl he once knew has become a defiant siren, more untamed than the land she refuses to surrender.

Forced into marriage by Catherine's father, Duncan knows trouble when he sees it—but resisting her was never an option. As threats close in from all sides—vengeful enemies, a ruthless outlaw from Duncan's past, and men willing to kill for the ranch—Catherine is caught in the crossfire. And this time, Duncan isn't walking away.