Cedar Rapids, Massachusetts - 1827
Kevin Nickels is known as a hermit by most, but that’s not the way he has wanted to live his life. He feels more like a prisoner stuck in his own hell on this ranch. This life of loneliness isn’t the life he wanted, however, it’s the life he knows. At the age of thirty-four, Kevin has long ago accepted the hand he has been dealt, and has no desire to change anything now.
Kevin spent most of his life alone, handling the ranch entirely by himself. The townsfolks had always rejected his family, and after his Pa’s passing, they refused to do absolutely any business with the Nickels. Kevin had lost the ability to trust years ago though. He had learned to survive singlehandedly, and was finally learning to enjoy the solitude of the ranch. He only had himself to worry about, and only himself to blame when things didn’t go well. The horses were his passion. They needed him, and they were all Kevin needed.
One late night though, Kevin’s quiet life takes a dramatic turn when he notices a woman sneaking into his barn. He smells trouble immediately, yet there’s something about her that draws him near. The last thing Kevin expected, was that allowing her to sleep one night with the horses would alter his entire life. Kevin finds himself falling hard for her, and is determined to make her his, one way or another.
Lauren has her own problems though, and many to choose from. The last thing on her mind is love, she is searching for acceptance. As someone of mixed race, she and her brother have only encountered hate in Cedar Rapids, and she needs to move away. Kevin isn’t what she wants; however, he is a stepping stone to getting to where she needs to go. She has been watching him for years, and she knows, he can relate to her pain.
It’s not until Lauren starts her adventure that she realizes she is in over her head. She can’t make it on the trail alone with all the problems she is facing, and there’s only one man that’s willing to help her. However, with the dangers ahead, he might not be enough.