A good, quick read. Dave is the tavern owner in Buckhorn, Montana, and does some construction work on the side during the off-season. He's made a good life for himself in Buckhorn. The last person he expects to see walk into his bar is his high-school girlfriend, Tanya.

Tanya was driving to Las Vegas when her car broke down in Buckhorn. She grew up wealthy and spoiled, and her attitude towards the "wide spot in the road" is evident until she runs into Dave. Suddenly she's all sweetness and light - or is that sweetness and lies?

Melissa is a good friend of Dave's, as well as both his employer and employee. He is working on renovating a building she owns, and she works for him at the bar. Over the last few months, they've gotten into the habit of having lunch together. On this day, when she walks in, Dave doesn't even notice her. She leaves the lunches she brought with Ralph and Wilbur, two bar regulars, and departs.

From the start, Tanya obviously has ulterior motives for cuddling up to Dave. The things she does take advantage of his trust and memories of their past together. She's not as subtle as she believes, though, and Ralph and Wilbur, as well as Melissa, are soon wise to her game. However, none of them want to hurt Dave by telling him what is happening. Things go from bad to worse when Tanya, jealous of Dave's friendship with Melissa, takes stunning actions to get Melissa out of her way. I liked Melissa and how much she cared about Dave, willing to step back if he loved another. She was also protective of him and wanted to save him from being hurt.

The ending had me glued to the pages as Tanya takes desperate measures to get what she wants. In a surprising twist, Dave is not as gullible as she expected. I loved the ending and seeing Dave get the happiness he deserves. ( )