Nick Red Shield prefers horses to people. He needs no
company on the long drive taking a horse trailer from the
Midwest to his home in South Dakota. Especially knowing
that near the end of his journey, he'll pick up a prize
colt that will earn him big money as a stud. Suddenly
something darts in front of him and Nick swerves to avoid
it, running off the road. When he gets out to inspect the
damage to his truck, he is shocked to discover a
frightened, badly injured woman in the bushes nearby.
Relieved that he didn't cause her injuries, nevertheless
Nick offers to take her to the hospital or to somewhere she
can get help, but she refuses. She will only say that she
wants to hitch a ride for awhile and that her name is Joey.
Despite his misgivings, Nick can't turn his back on someone
in need.
Lauren Davis grew up around horses and became a well-known
jockey for awhile. She drifted into a relationship with
businessman Raymond Vargas, realizing too late that she was
more of a possession than a partner and that Vargas's charm
was only on the surface. After having a baby, Lauren was
determined to leave Vargas, fearing for her son Joey's
safety, as well as her own. Vargas had found out and sent
Lauren away with his assistant, Jack, who was supposed to
kill her, but for some reason let her live, tossing her out
of the car when she begged to go back for her son. As her
gratitude to Nick becomes something deeper, Lauren knows
she can't start a new life until she gets Joey back. But
she can't let Nick risk his future to save her from her
past.
This story brings together a hero and heroine readers will
immediately root for. Despite Lauren's small stature, she
has a core of steel that makes her a survivor. And despite
Nick's tough exterior, he is a man who cares deeply about
the few people who can get past the walls he has built. As
they bond over the special colt, True Colors, their
relationship grows from rescuer/victim into a tentative
friendship and then into a love that neither ever expected
to experience.
On a dark, lonely stretch of Midwest interstate, Nick Red
Shield swerves his pickup and empty horse trailer to avoid a
pair of eyes. They belong to a woman--battered, bruised and
barely conscious--in desperate need of a lift.
Lauren Davis grew up in the high-stakes world of horse
racing, a world that took her to fame as a jockey and into a
relationship with a dangerous high roller. Life with Raymond
Vargas has turned deadly, forcing her on the run, but she
can't abandon her son, and now she'll do anything to get him
back safe.
While Nick's instincts as a loner kick into high gear,
Lauren's vulnerability tugs at him in ways he'd shut down
long ago. A man more comfortable with horses than people,
unable to make peace with a past that's left him scarred,
Nick's not sure about secretive Lauren. But he can't just
leave her. And he really doesn't want her to go.
In the safe haven of his South Dakota ranch, among the
magnificent painted horses of Western legend, a bond of
trust, truth and passion becomes a lifeline for them both.
But soon the danger that shadows Lauren's life and her
desperate attempt to save her son will force Nick to
confront his own demons. Only then can he fight to save
Lauren from hers.