THE FIREBRAND OF FREEDOM VALLEYSince Kylie Bennett's return to her hometown, Michael Cusack had been painfully conscious of her metamorphosis from girl to lush woman, and of his need to belong to a close family like the Bennetts. Kylie's teenage crush on him had gone untested, for Michael was a protector of women and had refused to sacrifice her innocence. Now Kylie played "not interested"...but her kisses revealed hidden fires. Could it be that she still carried a torch for him? And, like his own slow fever, had it been simmering intensely for all these years...?