Having vanquished his political enemies. Rhyan Cason is anxious to get home to beloved Carianne. Then he receives word that an anthrax outbreak threatens his ranch. Even as he ponders how he can afford to take a wife, dark secrets from the distant past shakes his beliefs to the core and convince him he'll never be able to find forgiveness or make Carianne happy. Carianne is stunned when Rhyan breaks their secret engagement. She leaves Sallano, the beautiful ranch house that she loves almost as much as its owner, and returns home to Westerfield. While waiting for her shattered heart to heal, she shifts her attention to building the library she's promised the town. Even though Colt Holliman offers her a courtship, circumstances keep drawing her back to Sallano and Rhyan. Torn between her affection for Colt and love for Rhyan, Carianne realizes almost too late Rhyan's troubles lie deeper than saving the ranch. He fights an evil that threatens more than his love for her - one only God can defeat.