A straight-shooting lawman falls for the prettiest rancher he's ever seen in the USA Today–bestselling author's contemporary Western romance.

In her wildest dreams, Tessa Parker never expected to inherit a ranch. But as soon as she sets foot on the Bar X, the orphaned Tessa finally feels at home. And that brusque deputy sheriff who greets her? There's something about him, too, that makes the rootless Tessa want to stake a claim.

Law and order make Joseph Hollister's world go round. So when a woman from Nevada claims to be the rightful heir to his old friend's ranch, he's more than a little suspicious—even if her presence stirs a longing in him that he hasn't felt in years. Joseph refuses to get close to a woman who's only passing through. But Tessa might be the only one who can repair his heart . . .