It wasn't the first time danger had come to his ranch, but for Deputy Mason Ryland it was the final straw. Someone had been targeting his family for too long and the brooding lawman now had a new person to protect: horse trainer Abbie Baker. His newest employee's arrival suspiciously coincided with the latest attack, and it wasn't long before he uncovered a decades-old secret between Abbie and the Ryland clan. But as much as that connection rankled, Mason couldn't ignore the fact that someone wanted beautiful Abbie dead. As an upholder of the law, he'd keep her safely tucked by his side through the investigation. As a man, he'd offer his personal protection through the endless summer nights....