Summer Bennett has spent years at her aunt's etiquette school, and now she's finally ready to begin her new life as a mail-order bride. When she answers an ad for a bride in her hometown, the thought of returning to her roots and reuniting with her family fills her with excitement. But that excitement is short-lived when her stagecoach is ambushed and a dashing deputy comes to her rescue—the very man who used to torment her as a child, Jesse Slade.

To make matters worse, Jesse isn't just back in her life—he's engaged to her sister. Determined to stop the wedding and plan her own special day, Summer faces a challenge she hadn't anticipated: dealing with Jesse's lingering desirous looks and tempting touches. With her heart pulling in two directions, Summer wonders if tying Jesse to the outhouse would be easier than resisting the feelings he stirs within her.