Separated from her father for ten years, Charlotte was determined to leave Boston and travel to Kansas with or without her mother's permission. Propriety be damned! If it wasn't proper for a young girl to travel alone, she'd disguise herself as a boy. Life was lonely in the old west. A man was considered lucky if he had a steady job, a roof over his head and an obedient wife. Ranch foreman Slade Hazard already had two out of the three. A couple of docile ladies lived in Swiftwater, Kansas, and would fit his needs nicely. He might not be in love, but he'd be a faithful husband, a good provider and hopefully, in due time, a father. Yep, he knew exactly what he wanted, that is, until he met Charlotte "Charley" Henry. The train ride to Cheyenne had gone off without a hitch, just as Charlotte thought it would. The jaunt on the stage taking her to Swiftwater, Kansas, should be a cinch. Even better, the tall, broad shouldered man sharing the stagecoach was a dream come true. A pity she couldn't reveal her true gender to the handsome Slade Hazard, and try a bit of flirting. Then the stagecoach is held up by a trio of bandits. Slade is determined to keep the passengers safe, even if he has to threaten the unruly "boy" with a good strapping. Charley's sassy mouth lands her into trouble and when the truth of her gender is in danger, she has no choice. She must reveal herself to Slade. Charlotte had never been spanked in her entire life, but Slade soon remedies the matter more than once. Her dream man wouldn't dare take her across his knee, but would she be content with a man she could run roughshod over? Slade thought he knew what he had wanted in a wife, but he actually enjoys sparring with the fiery redhead. Is it possible to fall in love at first sight? When Charlotte disappears just as the prisoner is released, more than one man fears for her safety. But who will find her first?