The Bartered Bride

Set in Colorado in 1880, Jem Wheeler, a widower wanting a fresh start in Colorado Springs, happens upon a young mute woman being sold off to the highest bidder. He wasn't looking for a mail-order bride or to rescue anyone, but desperate circumstances drive him to help her.

Annie, mute from birth and used to surviving on her wits alone, isn't expecting anyone to save her — all she's ever really wanted is a family of her own. As complicated as Jem and Annie's romance seems at first, they find a way to communicate — eventually attending a school together to learn to sign — and their bond grows into something soft and wonderful.

Book three of The Brides series — each book can be read as a standalone.