Mass Market Paperback (April 2004) Bantam Books ISBN: 0553584243 Buy from Amazon

Ann Rossiter is no man’s idea of the perfect wife, yet she has a chance—a single chance—to insure her future. To protect her unborn child, Ann agrees to marry a common riverboat pilot. In exchange, he’ll gain command of her stepfather’s magnificent new steamer—the Andromeda. But as they ply the western rivers together, Ann is drawn to her new husband, to his quiet strength and smoldering magnetism. Still, she dares not yield her heart for fear he will discover her most terrifying secret. As the Andromeda steams toward the wilds of the Montana Territory, Chase Hardesty finds himself falling in love with his new bride. But when Ann’s past comes back with a vengeance, will their marriage of convenience end in tragedy—or in love forever?

"Grayson's absorbing plot races nimbly along a fast current. The sandbars and snags are as realistic as the people who confront them, and her details about river running would make Mark Twain proud. When the dramatic denouement finally occurs, readers will feel as if Ann and Chase are personal friends." —Publishers Weekly

"Rich in historical detail, this story is a jewel. As always, Ms. Grayson writes elegantly, as she captures the difficult life on the Missouri river and Chase and Ann's heart-tugging romance." —Suan Wilson, Old Book Barn Gazette