She’s his last case, he’s her fresh start—two troubled ex-soldiers find new purpose and a second chance at love in this new contemporary western romance from award-winning author Kaki Warner. Lieutenant KD Whitcomb had mapped out her career from West Point to the Pentagon. But when an injury under questionable circumstances forces her to leave the army, her dreams fall dead at her feet. Feeling lost and needing to rediscover the tough woman beneath the uniform, she heads back to the family ranch in Rough Creek. Only two things get her through the nightmares and sleepless nights: the support of her family and the CID officer investigating the incident in Afghanistan. He infuriates her. Makes her laugh. Gives her hope.   Richard Murdock is struggling, too. There’s something fishy about this last case…and the threats coming from Afghanistan aimed at both him and KD. He’s ready to leave the army and make a new start. But how will he protect KD? And what should he do about the growing attraction between them? He’s been burned before. But there's something about KD's vulnerability and strength that calls to him, and he'll do whatever it takes to protect her and give her a chance to build new dreams…including helping her start a PTSD equine therapy program at the Texas ranch.   If they can overcome the threats against them and heal old wounds, this second chance might be better than they ever dreamed. Praise for Kaki Warner "Delightful...Readers will be eager to return to Rough Creek ."— Publishers Weekly “Finding a Kaki Warner book is striking gold.”— New York Times  bestselling author Jodi Thomas “Kaki Warner’s warm, witty, and lovable characters shine.”— USA Today “[An] emotionally compelling, subtly nuanced tale of revenge, redemption, and romance...This flawlessly written book is worth every tear.”— Chicago Tribune  Kaki Warner is a RITA-winning author and longtime resident of the Pacific Northwest. Although she now lives on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, Kaki grew up in the Southwest and is a proud graduate of the University of Texas. She spends her time gardening, reading, writing, and making lists of stuff for her husband to do, all while soaking in the view from the deck of her hilltop cabin. CHAPTER 1   Forward Operating Base Hickock   Northern Afghanistan   Three days earlier   The seven o'clock supper rush was over and the mess hall in the inner compound of the FOB was almost empty, except for two Special Forces guys bent over a map spread across a corner table. KD and Captain Mouton were the only diners, enjoying their first real meal in four days.   Mouton, a battle-hardened veteran on her third tour in Afghanistan, led the base's Female Engagement Team and was KD's next-in-command. Raised in southern Louisiana, Nataleah had clawed her way out of the swamps to earn a track scholarship at LSU. After graduation, not wanting to go back to the bayou country she'd left behind, she had enlisted in the army, which was about as colorblind as any place could be. Her harsh upbringing had prepared her well for the hardships of an active combat zone in inhospitable terrain, but it was her rich Cajun background and quirky sense of humor that got her through the worst days. In the short time KD had been in Afghanistan, she had learned a lot from the captain, especially how to laugh in dismal situations. Like the fruitless and frustrating patrol they had just concluded.   But now, after four days in the field with a Special Forces unit that never seemed to rest, the two women had shed their heavy armor, taken real showers, put on clean ACUs, and hurried to the mess for hot food on an actual plate. It wasn't great, but it sure beat MREs gobbled down in a dust storm.   "Ever eat gator?" Nataleah asked, forking up another bite of chicken.   KD shook her head.   "Tastes like quail, but chewier. Kinda fishy. I prefer nutria."   "What's that?"   "Swamp rat."   Never quite sure when Nataleah was joking, KD kept eating, hoping the captain wasn't going to launch into another of her roadkill recipes. Not knowing when they'd be sent out again, she focused on her meal, eating as much as she could, as fast as she could. She might pay for it later, but at least she'd go to bed with a full stomach.   Although Female Engagement Teams had been officially disbanded several years earlier, there were still remnants in rural, tribal areas of the mountain provinces. Since Afghan women were forbidden to speak to men not of their families, female soldiers were invaluable in bridging that communication gap. Their purpose was to gain the trust of female villagers who might be able to provide intel on insurgent activities in the area, distribute health information and humanitarian supplies, and offer help where needed.   KD enjoyed doing it. Her teammates were tough women. Fully trained and combat-ready, they had to be fit enough to keep up with the SF units to which they were attached, and ca