A murder arranged as a suicide ... a missing deed ... and a bereft daughter whose sheltered world is shattered. In August 1869, Lily Granville is stunned by her father's murder. Only one other person knew about a valuable California gold mine deed. Determined to track down her father's killer, Lily heads west on the newly opened transcontinental railroad and soon realizes she is not the hunter - she's the prey. Who can Lily trust? The China-bound missionary who wants to marry her, or the wandering Texan who offers to protect her for a price?