Desert Places by Erica Abbott

The dry, wide plains of the high desert are a mirror to the barren places in Jean McAllister's heart. With a new home in southern Colorado, and an ideal job as a Deputy County Attorney, she hopes to overcome a painful past.
Jean meets the dedicated yet charming Sheriff Lea Hawkins when she defends the Sheriff’s Office in a lawsuit. Just as Jean begins to wonder if love can thrive in the desert, the murder of a colleague shatters her cautious happiness and casts doubt over everyone, including Lea.

Caught between a scorched past and the dangerous heat that Lea awakens, can Jean find the truth and save their chance for a future together?