On a dark, lonely stretch of a Midwest interstate highway, Nick Red Shield swerves his pickup and empty horse trailer to avoid a pair of terrified eyes.In the bushes he findsa woman battered, bruised, and barely conscious. Nick may be a scarred loner, but its plain to see that Lauren Davis needs someone she can trust. In the safe haven of his South Dakota ranch, among the magnificent painted horses of western legend, a bond of trust, truth and passion becomes a lifeline for them both. But soon the danger that shadows Laurens life and her desperate attempt to save her son will force Nick to confront his own demons.