The Strongest Cord

the long version

Her father worked the rodeo circuit as a bull rider so was never home. As such Lilly Tanner grew up dreaming of leaving the dust of cowboys behind for the big city. Ian Hunt helped her escape by buying her a bus ticket out of town. Now she is a nurse in Kansas City. However, her life changes when her family crashes back into it. Lilly's sister Missy has been jailed for possession leaving her four-year-old daughter Shelby with Lilly. Since Missy struck a deal to testify against her spouse, drug dealer Carl Long, Lilly returns to Oklahoma seeking a haven. There she meets Dr. Ian Hunt, who she thought would have left his grandfather's farm to return to his family in Boston. He vows to keep the two females safe even as he swears he will persuade Lilly they belong together - this time he will not let her go.