Annie Thompson has a choice: Either marry the man her father has chosen or be disowned. Since Annie likes neither option, she strikes out on her own, choosing her groom from a Mail Order catalogue. Her parents are horrified, but by then, Annie no longer cares.Annie makes her way West, certain that the man who is meeting her will be the answer to her dreams. Instead, she faces bitter disappointment and no small amount of fear. Has she just made the biggest mistake of her life? In person, Max Wilson seems completely different from his letters. His rough, unkempt appearance startles Annie. His stiff manner and lack of social niceties, make her uneasy.Discovering the type of work she'll be doing, seals her fate. Maybe her father's ultimatum wasn't so bad after all. A devastating accident just might free Annie. But when she looks at Max's broken body, her heart won't let her go.