Cassie

   When her father abandoned his family and her mother died of grief, Cassie had to grow up fast. Their Texas ranch still had a mortgage, so she took a job with a freighting company and left her two younger siblings with a friend.

   She learned to tolerate the desert heat, manage a team of mules and ignore whispers behind feminine hands. She conquered her fear of the wild country and animals. With the aid of a bull whip, she staved off any overzealous male admirers. The one thing she couldn't conquer was her distrust of men.

   Then a band of renegade Apache chased a handsome Frenchman into her life. His humor and personality won her heart, but she still didn't completely trust him – not even after he saved her life. She looked for a reason not to trust him, and she found it. Would she drive him away, or would she look that hard for a reason she could trust him?