Just because Kate Steele was in a wheelchair didn't mean she was an invalid, but she knew if she didn't get away from her mother-in-law, she soon would be. Living with Melanie and her father-in-law, Royce, after the tragic accident in which their son, Colton, was killed and Kate injured, had been helpful at first, but now Melanie was getting too used to being able to control, first Colton's, and now, Kate's ten year old son, Danny.

Inspired by a recruiting advertisement for an immediate availability of a teaching position in a one-room school near Owyhee, Idaho, Kate sees independence when a two-room cabin is provided as a benefit. While Danny begrudging goes with her on condition they can bring his horse, Flame, Kate starts off on the long trek from Texas to Idaho with the hope that she can wean him away from his dream of being a rodeo star like his father. If she can't, will he die young like him, too?

As Kate deals with the challenges and joys of being the new teacher along with her limited mobility, School Board President, Marge Goetz, conspires to make the long time confirmed bachelor, Ben Trueblood, a mixed blood Native American buckaroo, help take care of Kate's needs around the cabin.

Clover, Ben's foster daughter and the love of his life and of others on his ranch, forms a strong alliance with Danny and with Kate, her teacher. With her love of animals, artistic ability and random attention span, Clover displays some fetal alcohol effects, but her keen insights masks another underlying problem that is holding her and Ben back. Will this problem be an insurmountable barrier between Ben and Kate? When lives are in danger, can Ben dare trust Kate with his secret?

Roz Denny Fox will surely rope you in this inspired story and brand you a fan for life! You will laugh at the fussing and fuming that takes place between Ben and Kate as they rub each other the wrong way, but leaves them wanting more. Fox is well known for her abilities to develop realistic characters and this book is no exception. You are quickly pulled into the concerns of this small western town and how their strength and resiliency lets them look out for others in intriguing ways! You will especially enjoy the alliance between Danny and Clover and how their own determination leads them to their own adventures. So, round up a glass of wine and experience the thrills of this rollicking romance!

Book Summary

Taking a teaching job in a desolate corner of Idaho was Kate Steele's way of making sure her in-laws didn't turn her son, Danny, into a shiftless bronc buster like his father. Except in the middle of nowhere she unexpectedly ran headlong into a genuine buckaroo….

Being a good parent and a born rancher were all that mattered to Ben Trueblood—until gutsy Kate came along. Suddenly he found himself explaining to Danny the rodeo circuit wasn't all that exciting…and considering the idea of hanging up his spurs. Anything was possible if it meant having Kate.