The Civil War is over, allowing Nathan Fairchild to finally return home to the family ranch and his waiting wife. Theirs was never a love match, but he is resigned to resuming the life he once knew. He spent his months on the trail preparing himself for his homecoming, expecting anything except finding that he’s been declared dead, and his wife has turned to another man for comfort. Mariah Fairchild tried to go on after losing Nathan. His miraculous return jumbles her world and reignites the unrequited love she has always felt for him. Still, she has changed and so has life in Texas. Sorting through the complications—threats to the ranch, secrets from their time apart, and learning a new intimacy—tries the very fabric of their marriage until one final blow nearly destroys everything.