What happens to a man when he counts his own worth as a loss? What happens to a woman when unseen wounds destroy her ability to speak? They invest in one another. Jake and Suzannah dare to dream of a future together-until Jake's past twists back into their lives and threatens to steal him away. * * *Jacob Cooper has tortured himself for a year, ever since his pregnant wife disappeared. After finding her car abandoned on Harper Ranch, he takes a job there, breaking horses. When his search through miles of surrounding hills turns up empty, he finds himself lost in a world of guilt and loneliness, yearning for the day a wild horse will finally break him. Suzannah Harper's high school sweetheart has long since passed from youthful boyfriend to bearded stalker. When a judge denies a restraining order, her pursuer's aggression escalates. Suzannah flees to Montana to find sanctuary. Within minutes of setting foot on Harper Ranch, a bear of a man tackles her to the ground. All Suzannah sees are black eyes set over a cruel beard. And yet, this cowhand is not her stalker. A close look into those chilling eyes and she knows: they are not pits of evil, but windows to an anguished soul. Suzannah pushes her own torment aside to rescue Jake. She will-she must-help him find his wife, even when it means she can never have him. At first, the voiceless Suzannah exasperates Jake beyond reason. But as Jake witnesses Suzannah's daily suffering-simply to be heard-he finally understands that strength and vulnerability are two sides of the same coin. If he can muster similar strength, he can-he will-help Suzannah accept her affliction and forge ahead, or she will be lost to him forever. An inspirational romance of acceptance and hope and unconditional love.
