He's got something to prove to his brother and father. She's just trying to save the endangered owls that nest on his family's ranch. Dawson Rhinehart doesn't want to deal with the gorgeous Wildlife Conservation Officer, but Caroline Thompson isn't going away. Will he burn all the bridges between them before he realizes just how sweet a relationship with her could be?

Dawson has always been the strong, silent type, managing the books and the administrative burdens of his familys sprawling Texas ranch in Three Rivers. Determined to prove his worth, Dawson is meticulous in keeping everything lined up and running well. Hes got almost no experience with women, but plenty with horses, dogs, and the wild crows who bring him gifts.

Caroline Thompson has been badgering Dawson about the paperwork for a species of protected owls for months. She doesn't understand why the grumpy cowboy can't just fill it out. Oh, probably because hes gruff and arrogant, and shes had quite enough experience with cowboys like him, thank you very much.

When they end up at the same table at their small-town breakfast, she finds the hashbrowns are cold and limp, and she almost loses her mind. Dawson says, “Come with me,” and she leaves her sister and niece to go with him to his cabin on the Rhinehart Ranch, where she sees pieces of him that make her think there's more to him than good looks, a bark, a glare, and pure stubbornness.

And when his brother sends a picture of the barred owls now nesting on their ranch, she knows she's going to be spending a lot more time with him. The sparks between them could start a prairie fire, but her sister is going through a divorce and needs a lot of support. So Caroline really doesn't have the time or patience to deal with Dawson, examine her extreme attraction to him, or to try to figure out if the pieces of him he lets her see could add up to something good between them.

Something really good.

Can Caroline open her heart enough to let Dawson in, or will she let her past dictate her future?