Mal McElhoes' spur-of-the-moment purchase of a sheep herd might not have been his smartest decision. The ranch in rough and tumble Cinnabar, Montana, on the outskirts of Yellowstone Park, is more work than he can manage, especially with good-for-nothing ranch hands. And he's even losing those, thanks to the new railroad coming through. He needs more help and companionship than his loyal, whip-smart collie can offer. What he really needs is a wife.
Ashley Sullivan's prospects in New Hampshire are bleak. Her family's fallen on hard times. She does what she can to help out, but she doesn't want to be a burden on them. Besides, she's holding a few secrets in her heart: she'd like to run her own boarding house someday, she'd like a grand adventure, and, just maybe, she could fall in love. So when an offer to be a mail order bride to a sheep rancher in Montana comes up, she leaps at the chance.
Construction on the National Pacific Railroad nearby brings new opportunities for Mal and Ashley. But it also brings new dangers. When his sheep start disappearing, mail ordering a bride might turn out to be the smartest decision Mal ever made...
