He offered her baby a life of privilege, instead of the abject poverty Mara Rosemond remembered from her own childhood.
But at what cost? Brock Barnett had been her husband’s best friend. Mara blamed him for her husband’s death. Facing eviction in Las Cruces with mounting debts and a baby on the way, she accepted an arranged marriage in name only, trading independence for shelter on his ranch.
Behind the adobe walls of his home, Brock surrounded her with quiet care—from a furnished nursery to a handcrafted rocker—while shouldering the weight of his own guilt. He had vowed to safeguard his best friend’s daughter, determined to keep both mother and child secure.
Across quiet dinners and late-night vigils, their mutual resistance proved impossible to maintain—softening into unexpected tenderness—whenever they held the child together. Even so, the bond that grew between them was unimaginable—yet undeniable—as both fought a battle with their emotions.
Though Mara feared forsaking her late husband’s memory, she knew that for her baby the future was everything….
Forced Proximity: Sharing a courtyard beneath the San Andres Mountains, Brock and Mara attempt to keep to separate wings, only to collide over French chef Pierre’s elaborate meals and quiet moments by the pool.Found Family: An endearing household staff, including feuding housekeepers Rosa Maria and Ermaline, warmly embraces little Abby to turn a sprawling ranch into a true home.Slow Burn: Tormented by his best friend’s fatal rock-climbing accident at Hueco Tanks, Brock struggles with his own guilt while backing Mara’s dream to restore the historic adobe walls of Fort Selden.Also by This Author: The Briton, The Gunman’s Bride and The Maverick’s Bride.
