Being stranded in the desert with a broken-down gas-guzzler and an overactive pet hamster was no picnic, but resilient Paige Ruegger knew help would eventually arrive. It did, all right--in the form of Captain Cooper Angelsmith. He needed a ride across the country, and she needed his engine know-how. A former army brat, Paige always avoided military men, yet now she had no choice but to strike a bargain. Cooper was hardly ecstatic about traveling with a beautiful woman who showed Henry the Hamster more affection than she did him! But Cooper planned to use the miles ahead to change her mind. As their destination loomed closer, he set out to convince Paige that their journey together was just beginning....