title: Silver Boom
author: Jenkins, Johanna
description: A clean romance short story with no cliffhangerAfter the discovery of silver was publicized with the Comstock Lode in 1859 Wesley (Wes) Stockton heads to Utah territory to see if silver can make him rich. He spends his fortune, such as it is, and eventually hits a vein of silver that leaves him considerably well off. Unfortunately for him, what it can't bring him is a woman to spend his life with. Anna McFarland is a sassy, red-haired beauty whose blue eyes say everything her mouth refuses to speak. It isn't that she is unable to think or form coherent thoughts, more it's a condition of a terrible tragedy she suffered as a child. When she sees Wesley's advertisement for a wife, she jumps at the chance to build the life she's dreamed of. Can Wesley accept the love of a woman who won't speak, or will Anna find that true love can heal even the deepest of wounds?