Don't miss USA TODAY bestselling author Rita Heron's new miniseries, The Heroes of Horseshoe Creek… Sherriff Maddox McCullen cradled Rose Worthington, every protective fiber of his being firing as she shuddered against him. She told him how she had been brutally attacked and had killed the man—her fiancé!—in self defense. But when Maddox investigates the crime scene, he finds nothing. No bullet casing, no blood, no body. The deeper Maddox probes, the more questions arise, revealing a mysterious past that shatters all Rose has ever known. Caught in the crosshairs of escalating danger—and his powerful desire for Rose—Maddox vows to protect her. He'll risk his life to find a desperate enemy who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried.

HIS CHILD'S LIFE WAS ON THE LINE—AND TIME WAS RUNNING OUT… Sexy-as-sin rodeo star Brett McCullen is Willow James Howard's past. But when her estranged husband is killed and her son kidnapped, she's forced to accept help from the man who broke her heart. Little does Brett know that the very child he's trying to rescue is his own flesh and blood—the result of a fling years earlier. He can't deny his rising desire at Willow's reappearance…even as he struggles to forgive her secret. But with the ransom deadline looming, Brett must go to extremes to save the family he never knew he wanted…

A MAN WITHOUT A FAMILY IS NO MAN AT ALL As soon as he was old enough, Ray McCullen left Horseshoe Creek and never looked back. It took his father's funeral to return, though his anger hadn't quite subsided. That's where he met Scarlet Lovett, who seemed to know more about his family's secrets than he did. Secrets ready to explode. Suddenly, Ray was at the center of a dangerous inheritance battle, with Scarlet caught in the middle. She'd only known kindness from the McCullens, but had enough pluck to stand her ground. And if Ray was to truly belong back home, he sure had to live up to the family name.

A NATIVE SON ON A STRANGER'S LAND Deputy Sheriff Roan Whitefeather never thought he'd set foot on Horseshoe Creek. He was from a different world. But when the ranch's patriarch dies unexpectedly, Roan suspects foul play. And so does Dr. Megan Lail. Roan has been trying to avoid the beautiful medical examiner since the one incredible night they spent in each other's arms. After all, they had work to do. But crossing paths again only stirs up old feelings—and an even older web of murder and deception. The deeper he investigates, the more he realizes everyone has secrets. What will they do when they discover Roan holds the biggest secret of them all?

A loner seeks redemption…a single mother seeks the truth Defense attorney BJ Alexander is crafty, brilliant, and deeply scarred by the loss of her husband and child. Hired by the McCullen family, who believe Cash Koker to be their lost brother, BJ commits to the case—and vows not to become entangled with her devastatingly handsome client. Unfortunately, Cash is no stranger to hardship, and their mutual attraction is overwhelming. But nothing can prepare him when charges are mistakenly brought against him. Cash insists he's being framed, and it's up to BJ to find the truth. Because not only is Cash's life at stake, but so is that of a missing little boy…

Could a kidnapping finally lead to the last McCullen finding his way home? If there's one thing Special Agent Ryder Banks hates, it's handcuffing a woman. Tia Jeffries is not a violent person, but her infant son has been abducted—or worse. Determined to find her baby, the pretty single mom agrees to ditch the gun and work undercover with the sexy agent. Posing as a couple desperate to adopt, they find a murky world of baby brokers, scams—and a connection to the McCullens, Ryder's birth family. When bullets start flying, Ryder risks everything to make Tia and her baby his own… The Heroes of Horseshoe Creek