When her mother is killed by the crossfire in a gun battle in the city, Emma Rose Murphy has no choice but to accompany her aunt and uncle on their journey to Oregon. The trail is hard and full of hard people, but Emma Rose knows two things for sure. One, she's never going to fall in love and two, she will never be able to trust a man who carries a gun. When the handsome Noah Parker saves her from an unknown attacker in the dead of night, Emma Rose doesn't know whether to kiss him or run for her life.
Former Marshal Noah Parker knows all about evil. First a Pinkerton agent, then a deputy marshal, he is on his way to Oregon to start over, to forget the mistakes of his past. When the innocent Emma Rose needs help, he steps in. But his interest leads to scandal and he does what any honorable man would do...he marries her, hoping her acceptance will mend his shattered soul. With a serial killer fixated on Noah's new bride, will the gun-toting former deputy marshal be able to convince Emma Rose to trust him before it's too late? And even if he earns her trust, will her love be strong enough to heal the wounds he carries on his battered heart?
