With all of the good men dying at the hands of a local rancher and his three sons, Raine hires a shootist to be the towns protector. But her handsome new employee is more than a hired hand; hes a man who keeps his guns close and his secrets closer.After a chance encounter on a train, Kellen Coltrane travels to the Pennyroyal to carry out a dying mans last wish. But once he meets the hotels fiery-haired proprietor, Coltrane finds himself assuming the role of the shootists accomplice and agrees to protect Bitter Springs. And as he learns more about Raines own tragedy, Coltrane cant deny his growing desire for the courageous widow, or the urge to protect her from the threat that draws near…