The Leopard Tree by Valerie Parv
\xa0You guys.\xa0 We have done it.\xa0 We have finally gone so far down the rabbit hole of vintage romance that we have found one that is\xa0not on Goodreads.\xa0 Welcome to\xa0The Leopard Tree\xa0by Valerie Parv, reigning queen of Australian romance!\xa0
There's a UFO!\xa0 It's Australia!\xa0 He's a... he's an ex-military rodeo bronco buster and she makes ugly jewelry and has an awful fianc\xe9 and she'd like to pretend that he's from outer space but really there's a sad and sordid little crime story!\xa0 I dunno, all crammed into fewer than 200 pages!
This book does have a kidnapping and threatened rape (although not by the hero) and a disabled character who stops needing his wheelchair because he finally realizes his daughter needs him.