Homeward Bound — Linda Shertzer

She took his name in marriage. He took her heart for keeps...

SARAH: Leaving her war-torn southern home, she was on a train bound for Kansas with her baby daughter -- and no husband. Desperate to hide her past, she approached a stranger with a most unusual proposition...

JESSE: Badly wounded in the Civil War, Jesse Taylor had not long to live. When Sarah Bolton offered to tend his wounds in exchange for his name in marriage, he agreed -- after all, he had nothing to lose.

They were wed at a train stop and arrived in Cottonwood, Kansas, as husband and wife. Caring for Jesse at her sister's home, Sarah knew his time was limited -- and that she shouldn't get too close to this kind, gentle man. but soon she found herself loving him ... and as Jesse slowly, wondrously began to recover his health, Sarah healed her own painful memories of the past. But was a small town ready for the truth about their marriage -- and Sarah's child -- when their secret was unmasked?

Hero: Jesse Taylor
Heroine: Sarah Bolton