Kate Neilson

Will Kate Neilson's past imprison her again? Fresh out of a Pennsylvania penitentiary armed with a marketing degree, Kate Neilson heads to Wyoming anticipating an anonymous new beginning as a guest-ranch employee. A typical twenty-five-year-old woman might be looking to lasso a cowboy, but her only desire is to get on with life on the outside-despite her growing interest in the ranch owner. When she discovers a violent ex-lover followed her west, she fears the past she hoped to hide will imprison her once again.

Winter storms blast across the Whispering Pines Guest Ranch, and a cold wind blows through Kate Neilson's soul. Despite her pain, Kate's well-being takes a backseat to the needs of loved ones: her best friend, who's been ensnared by evil; her failing great-aunt, whose dementia care keeps Kate guessing; and Laura and Mike Duncan, whose ranch and livelihood are threatened by a land-grabbing neighbor.

Kate Neilson Duncan discovers new purpose for her life when she and her mother-in-law, Laura Duncan, open a home on their Wyoming guest ranch for young trafficking victims. But, her husband, Mike Duncan, insists the endless hours Kate spends at the children's home threaten their marriage. Following an argument with Mike, Kate treats three of the kids to an outing-where the unimaginable happens. If Kate and the children survive, can she and Mike recover what they've lost?

Kate Neilson leaves a Pennsylvania prison and heads to Wyoming excited for a better life. But when, her past threatens her coworkers, she regrets the dark cloud that accompanied her journey west and now hovers over the Whispering Pines Guest Ranch.