For one prestigious Texas ranching family still reeling from the murder of their powerful patriarch, the aftershocks continue amid the most prized reining event of the year -and so does the infighting and scandalous romance from legendary author Janet Dailey!

Frank Culhane's murder remains unsolved while his widow, Lila, is still battling to keep her beloved ranch from the grasp of his embittered first wife and grown children. As for arresting Frank's killer, time is running out for Detective Sam Rafferty to prove himself and save his career, and for his number one suspect-and Lila's lover-Culhane ranch manager Roper McKenna, to prove his innocence. Both men are staking their fates on the outcome of the imminent reining event of the year: the Run for a Million.

Roper's dream of riding in Run for a Million is finally coming true. And for his struggling family, the million-dollar prize will mean everything. He'll be competing on borrowed stallion Fire Dance, with Lila's legendary stallion, One in a Million, as one of his backups. For now, only winning matters. But suddenly, even that is in jeopardy . . .

On the road, a huge semi almost sideswipes Roper's truck and horse trailer. He just manages to save the rig from rolling, but the horses are severely shaken. Was it an accident, or an attempt to sabotage Roper-or to kill Lila, who was supposed to have accompanied him?

Meanwhile, others are in turmoil of their own. There's Sam's clandestine affair with Lila's pampered stepdaughter-and murder suspect-Jasmine; dangerous information Jasmine has about her mother; and a long-buried secret Roper's sister harbors that could explode the Culhane dynasty. Then there is the sole witness to Frank's murder-a witness who can't speak, but may have a one in a million chance at revealing the truth . . .