Sometimes, the end justifies the means... Kate Davis arrived into Oregon City transformed from a pampered daughter of fortune into a determined woman with a plan—fulfill her father's dream of starting a horse ranch in Oregon Territory. She quickly discovers a harsh truth—even thousands of miles from home, on an unsettled land America doesn't yet own or govern, gender still takes precedence over ability. Refusing to be ruled once again by the stifling laws and societal norms she'd escaped by leaving Virginia, Kate begins creatively claiming what is rightfully hers. Until a visit to the land office changes everything. Jake Fitzpatrick guided Kate across the Oregon Trail, and fell in love with her along the way. Now he wants to marry her and build a life together, but a ruthless man from Jake's past threatens to reveal a dark secret, and destroy everything he's worked so hard to achieve.