Dueling the Desperado — Mimi Milan

"This place is too dangerous for a face like yours." "I feel as if I've heard those words before." It's been several years since Araceli Arroyo left behind the burning ruins of her family's hacienda in New Mexico for a new start in California. Despite the time that's passed and all the loss she's suffered, the painful memory of war is like fresh paint on a blank canvas. Perhaps that's why the prints she creates always hold a touch of sadness. However, she's determined to produce something new â€" a masterpiece that will inspire the folks in the growing town of Blessings. Could the new hire at her father's sawmill help her do that… or will the secrets he carries destroy them both? From Texas to New Mexico, problems stick to Miguel Santiago like stink on old fish. Hoping to shed his old life, he's thankful for a friend's invitation to start anew in a place where he can be anyone â€" literally. Operating under the alias of Michael St. James, his fair looks and country twang allow him to pass as any other American cowboy in search of California's promise of golden opportunities. Could the family he's always wanted also be part of the prospect… or will the woman of his dreams discard him like her dried jars of paint when his past is revealed? A story of desire and deception, dismay and deliverance, hearts burn as bright as the summer sun setting on the golden California coastline in this classic western.