Ruth Delaney never expected to inherit a crumbling homestead in the dry heart of Dust Creek, Texas. But with nothing left in the city and everything to prove, she digs her boots into the land her late uncle left behind. Determined, stubborn, and fiercely independent, Ruth has no intention of relying on anyone—especially not a brooding cowboy with a mysterious past.

Colt Avery arrives without history, without promises, and with just enough quiet strength to rattle the walls Ruth has spent years building. As whispers of danger rise and the threat of sabotage turns real, trust becomes the only currency worth holding. But when Colt's secrets brush up against Ruth's fragile claim to stability, the lines between safety and surrender begin to blur.

Between the slow-burn glances, the aching tension, and the sharp edge of survival, two hearts must choose whether to risk it all—for the land, for each other, and for a future neither dared to dream.

Can love take root in the dust, or will the past burn down what they've only just begun to build?