The town's blacksmith is in need of a bride—but he didn't expect to also become a father. Merrick Benton wants a family of his own, but he can't seem to string two words together around the eligible ladies in town. A mail-order bride is the perfect solution to his problem. Eleanor Stevens and her sister were both widowed when their husbands died in a mine explosion. Desperate for a new beginning, they each answer advertisements from men in Crest Stone, Colorado. Eleanor is certain that a new husband in a faraway place will be exactly what her sister Rebecca and her children need to heal. But once the sisters are on their way, Eleanor discovers she's expecting a child that Merrick knows nothing about. Accepting a surprise baby isn't difficult at all for Merrick. Relieved, Eleanor settles into Crest Stone, befriending another lady new to town along with Clara and Deirdre who live nearby. But as Eleanor and Merrick grow closer, something keeps Eleanor from fully trusting her new husband. With a baby on the way, will she figure out why before she loses him? Or will their marriage forever be one in name only? An Expectant Bride is the sixth book in the popular Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides series. You can read it as a standalone, or enjoy it as part of the series.