Laura Bailey doesn’t know where to turn. With her trust in her family crushed by betrayal, she throws herself on the mercy of a matrimonial agency. Before she knows it, she’s on her way to Mine’s Place, Colorado, seeking only a marriage of convenience – and a new start. But her husband to be, an odd man named Francis Rogers, is full of surprises from the beginning. For one thing, Laura finds she will soon be a stepmother to five rowdy children. For another, Francis’ past is shrouded in mystery. Laura finds herself plagued with curiosity over what happened to the mother of his children. Did she pass away? Did she simply disappear? And how does Laura know that what happened to Julia Rogers might not happen to Laura herself? When a handsome deputy sheriff comes into the mix, Laura takes the opportunity to investigate the strange goings-on in the Rogers household. After all, it isn’t just her prospective marriage at stake – it is her life.