Layne MacDonald’s search for the mother who had given her up at birth took her from the world she had always known to a sprawling Nebraska ranch, where the West wove its spell around her. But when she met Creed Dawson, part-owner of the ranch, she was bewildered by his brusque and distant manner. As he taught her to rope, corral, and ride, Layne began to sense the secret anguish that had frozen his heart...and realized to her surprise, that she was falling in love. Only a brave, determined woman would ever reach the passionate man behind Creed’s stern facade...and Layne vowed that she would be the one.