"A man's instincts are still to hunt and bring the woman to his lair." — Gabriel Deerhorn, Native American mountain man With a shattering blow to Miranda Bennett's young heart, Gabriel Deerhorn had extinguished their tender love. A wise soul, he'd known naive Miranda needed independence more than matrimony. Suddenly she was back in Freedom Valley...and her nearness was both a torment and a treasure. For once, gallant Gabriel fed his own desire—he settled Miranda into his mountaintop home, and with a single, tenuous touch, their passion was reborn. Could it be that their thwarted past was just a stepping-stone to their radiant future...?