Near Deadwood, 1877 The Martyr - Trew Wakefield was raised in a church and taught to believe in God and the Bible, but her faith was badly shaken by her first husband who treated her cruelly. When he meets his maker in an Indian attack, she is hard pressed to feel any grief over her husband's brutal demise. The Scoundrel - Brand Kensington owns the local whorehouse and saloon in the small community of Chance in the Dakota Territory. He's made his share of enemies over the years and it seems they've all come to town at once. A widow himself with two small children, the last thing Brand needs in his life is to take a helpless widow under his wing. But he can't seem to turn away from the woman with the mesmerizing purple eyes. Then, when she gets caught in the middle of his troubles, he discovers that his heart is just as vulnerable as his flesh. After her marriage of horrors, Trew cannot bear the thought of trusting another man. But Brand proves himself time and time again making her believe not only in her own strength and abilities, but in his love for her as well.