Ben Stuart and his dad had had problems, but military service changed Ben for the better and put the two men back in each other’s lives. Tom’s sudden death ends any possibility of a true reconciliation…and leaves Ben fuming at being disinherited. Suspecting that Jo had an affair with his father, Ben is determined to get control of the trading post. Jo’s hataalii training shows her that Ben is wounded in both body and soul, and she becomes determined to help him. As Jo and Ben move toward a deeper understanding of each other, they learn that Tom Stuart was murdered and that the trading post at the center of their lives holds many secrets.