All alone. Maggie Carson had always yearned for what others took for granted--the warmth of family, a place to call home . . . and love. When she found an old letter and discovered the truth about her background, her wistful childhood dreams seemed about to be fulfilled. Cowboy Tyler Murdock was suspicious the minute he laid eyes on the pretty stranger. She claimed she'd come to Texas to meet her long-lost grandparents, but the elderly Carsons had suffered enough heartache. Tyler wasn't going to let Maggie hurt them the way her bitter, foolish mother had. The more Tyler made Maggie feel unwelcome at Murdock Ranch, the more determined she was to stay. She was determined to prove that she wasn't her mother's daughter--she was a woman worthy of becoming Tyler Murdock's wife.