Bounty hunter Zane Reed arrives in town, vowing to hunt down the escaped criminal Ernest Craddock at any cost. An easy job—except for his new client, Verbena McPhee. She captures him with her kindness and beauty, but how can a drifter, a rough man with a dangerous past, fit into her world? It's impossible. He'll give his life if that's what it takes to protect her, but he can't give her his heart. Verbena McPhee will never trust another man again, not after her experience with Ernest. No, being kidnapped and beaten once was enough, thanks. She's done risking her heart—totally, completely, end of story. Yet the more time she spends with Zane, the more his strength and tenderness tug at her like a cherished dream. He's the one stellar exception, someone she can trust two hundred percent—except for one problem. He's not a staying kind of man. This is book #3 in the historical series, The McPhee Clan, and is not a true stand alone title. High Mountain Drifter is best read after book #1, Montana Hearts and book #2 The Sweetest Thing.