Jane McBride Choate Livres

Colorado Springs, a booming town in a new state, has come a long way. It boasts a school, a post office, and even a library. But rustling is stripping local ranchers of their livelihoods. The town council has brought Ford McKinnon, a sheriff with a reputation of a fast gun and a cool hand, to put an end to it. Ford McKinnon has never belonged - not to a place, not to a woman, not even to himself, only to the job. Cady Armstrong, on the contrary, belongs to Colorado Springs. Owner and editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette, she reports the news, writes the editorials, and prints the paper. The daughter of the town's former sheriff, Cady has a special interest in watching how the new sheriff handles himself, and she isn't impressed. Ford and Cady have nothing in common, except a desire for the truth. But what they discover might divide them forever.

Estrella ''Star'' Whitney is at the top of her game as one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses, and she gets what she wants. On location in Wyoming, she finds out her agent has been passing on some more challenging roles, and she chooses to drive herself back to Los Angeles rather than fly with the rest of the crew. Her road trip is spoiled when a jaywalking rabbit causes her to swerve, lose control of the car, and end up in a gully. Rafe McKenzie is fighting to keep his ranch. A round-up, bringing his cattle to the high country for the summer, is a last-ditch attempt to save the ''Heartsong.'' Finding a pretty city girl along the way is the last thing he needs. Still, honor won't permit him to ignore her plight. Star hurts her ankle and can't travel, forcing Rafe to stay behind and care for her. The two of them are drawn closer together by the struggles and hardships they must face while finding their way through the wilderness. However, upon reaching civilization, Star can no longer keep her identity a secret. Learning that she is an actress, that she has lied to him, Rafe turns away from her. Star must convince him that they belong together. Fate crossed their paths, but now it's up to Star to take their relationship from ''star crossed'' to ''happily ever after.''