Marshal Jared Evans was on a crucial and personal mission to get his man. He had promised his murdered sister-in-law, Emma, that he wouldn't stop until he captured every last member of the Thornton gang. Elusive and smart in their robberies of military payrolls, they had escalated to murder. Feeling that he had failed his wife, his child, and Emma, Jared was fully prepared to spend his life exacting justice at whatever cost.

Having finally located the gang's hiding place, a long deserted mining town, the marshal was surprised to be met by, presumably, a young man. Samantha Blair faced down the marshal. She knew she was the last line of defense for a severely wounded Cal "Mac" Thornton. He was her surrogate father along with two other men who had watched over her since her mother's death. She knew that Marshal Evans had been unwavering in his quest to get Mac, and she was willing, albeit apprehensively, to follow through on what Mac had taught her about protecting herself.

The Marshal was having a hard time deciding what to do with this kid who seemed determined to stop him, and was obviously getting ready to draw his pistol. Things quickly went wrong when the kid's coat blew open as he went for his gun and the marshal realized he faced a young woman. He didn't draw his weapon, but Sam had already committed, and her shot brought him to his knees.

The damage was severe, and Jared found himself a prisoner/patient of the very gang he was after. Jared was bewildered by the care Sam and an old man were giving his wounds. The more time he spent with Sam, the more he recognized her devotion to the murderer he was after. The picture he was getting just didn't jive with his expectations of Thornton or his gang. As he struggled to heal, he was faced with some unwelcome issues; not the least of which was a major attraction to Sam. But love doesn't always come in a nice, neat package. Was Jared willing to trust Sam to heal his heart, as well as his body?

Patricia Potter is skilled at making her characters rather down-to-earth. No lofty unbelievable expectations for any of them. They make mistakes, and the reader watches them try to fix them. The bantering between the marshal and Sam makes this a page turner. Couldn't wait to see how Potter was going to solve their dilemma.