The Lawman's Promise — Rhonda Lee Carver

Buttermilk Valley has a new sheriff...but the woman he loves is renegade.

Duff Tyler left Buttermilk Valley to follow his heart and fight for his country. Now he's back in a uniform, fighting small town crime and corruption, and something far more dangerous--the love he thought he'd buried for his childhood sweetheart.

At the age of ten, Blake McKenzie married Duff behind the barn when he slipped a candy-machine-ring on her finger and made a promise he'd be her best friend forever. He lied and her dedication to him ended the day he left town, even if he was a hero. All Blake has left is the land that has been in her family for generations. Mystery surrounds the McKenzie Farm and danger waits in the shadows, but she has a shotgun and aims to use it if needed. The one person Blake never wants to see again is the only one she can trust. She'll never forgive Duff, but her heart betrays her mind and soon she's hot for the sheriff.

Known for being rough-and-ready, Duff finds that his skills are lacking when it comes to the petite red-head who'd stolen his heart once upon a time and he never got it back. He has a strong desire to love her and a need to protect her, but he'll do both even if it kills him. He'll cross mountains just to kiss her every day for the rest of his life. But first he must find out who wants to see her gone.