Back in August of 1899 Alaska was rough and yet there were those brave souls facing harsh elements to carve out a life where civilization had yet established. There was the question why someone chose to leave a big city with its amenities and face an uncertain future. But people did settle in places like Skagway and its surrounding countryside digging for gold and establishing ranches. These little communities needed medical care and nurse Victoria Windhaven was willing to travel when the need occurred. But some destinations were more difficult and hazardous to get to and for one she hired a bodyguard for her trip into the wilderness. How was she to guess it would be Brant MacQuaid. There was history between these two. After his betrayal and abrupt departure leaving her sister Sarah to face the heartache of their broken engagement Brant was sure that he would never have to face Victoria again. His career as a bounty hunter usually took him to places that a sweet gentile young lady would never be. But as their travels proved Victoria was surprisingly able to adapt to most any condition. Brant also came to realize that Victoria didn't judge him as harshly as his family back home had and the more time he spent with her, the more he realized he desperately needed her approval. Victoria had moved to Alaska to escape the disproval of her family. Both were trying to stake a claim in this fledgling place doing what they did best, Victoria taking care of the sick and Brant pursuing criminals and bringing them in for justice. It wasn't until someone she cared for was kidnapped and held by a gang that Victoria realized that Alaska needed protection by people like Brant who had the skills and guns to stop them. And the longer they were together the more powerful the pull between them. Life without Brant would be void of passion. But he wasn't willing to give up working as a bounty hunter and she couldn't see living with the fear of his getting hurt or worse. Both would soon have to face whether life was better together or apart and time was not on their side.

Have you ever been to Alaska? It is a great place to visit but its people still have to adapt to amazing climate changes and living conditions. There is no more proof of this then walking through the streets and coming across a moose. Kate Bridges shows us a very dangerous point in the development of this land. Those with real moxie made it, others became statistics. Civilizing territories is nasty business and Bridges didn't pull any punches. But the way she tempered the bad with the courage of the good made this an interesting foray into a part of our history. Enjoy.

Book Summary

In need of a bodyguard on her mission into the Alaskan wilderness, nurse Victoria Windhaven is shocked to recognize the hired gun as none other than Brant MacQuaid—a man she had thought never to see again! Brant, now a notorious bounty hunter with a burning passion for justice, had once betrayed her.

But closely confined in the stagecoach by day, and even more closely combined under the stars by night, Victoria can't help but dream of turning this renegade into ideal husband material….

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