Cooper and his deputies arrive in time to stop the robbery, but gunshots spook the horses and they take off, causing the coach to careen over the side of a cliff with Mandy trapped inside. Cooper rescues Mandy and arranges medical care for the seriously injured little girl and a place to stay for her mother. Anna finds it strange that after learning their identity he never mentions their correspondence. It doesn t take long for Anna to discover the reason for Cooper s silence. His daughter, Katie, was her correspondent.
Cooper has no desire for a mail order bride.
Once he discovers what his daughter has done, Cooper feels responsible to help the now destitute Anna, but he refuses to marry. His previous wife ran off, abandoning their daughters and Cooper has never recovered from her betrayal. So he hires Anna as his housekeeper. My overall impression when finishing the book was confusion. Scenes are written in a manner that is difficult to follow.