The world was as dangerous as she'd feared. And yet, oddly, meeting the tall, fair-haired stranger had made her ache with loneliness more than ever.After her parents' cold-blooded murder on the Oregon Trail, Annabelle struggles to care for her younger brother and build a life of solitude in the Cascade Mountains. Scarred by her past, staying secluded from society seems to be her best option to live a quiet and peaceful life.For friendly outlaw Chance McMullen and former Civil War captain Ben Marlowe, seeking their place in the world draws them to the West. But a series of random encounters with a young pioneer girl starts all three on an adventure of romance, murder, and self-discovery. Can love heal old wounds? Or will the past find them once more?