Book excerpt: Rosie Kelly is a resilient Irish actress battling to feed her family. Alejandro de Vile is a wealthy heir in hiding after shooting a man in self defence. When illness and a prospective lynching freeze them in a hostile stand off, will her street smarts save him? And will it be at the cost of her heart? 1872 San Francisco: Rosie Kelly’s heart’s desire is to star on stage so she can support her ailing sister back in New York. When she's injured and is dropped from her show, the charmer she’s categorised as a naïve rich boy arranges medical care for her sister. Alex de Vile is certain Spanish charmer Dionisio Garcia wasn’t involved in the assault that threatened his life, and he can’t understand why Rosie is playing up to the flamboyant playboy. But with his life at stake, he must rely on her resourcefulness to uncover a treacherous double cross that goes right back to his hidden family history. Rosie’s proud spirit tells her Alex’s opinion doesn’t matter, as long as she can unravel the tangled web of murder, bribery, and fake documents in time to save him and repay her debt for her sister’s care. Confronting murders, attempted abductions, and ancient lies, she races to dig out seeds of destruction sown a generation ago, while ignoring her savage pain inside. Will these lovers-in-denial win through, face their fears and admit the truth before it’s too late?