Sophie Baxter had been passed from relative to relative after her parents died. Eventually, said relatives passed on too, leaving Sophie no choice but become a mail-order bride. But in Sophie's case, she looked forward to it. No more drudgery, no more taking care of sick relatives, watching them die, then doing it all over again with another set. No, this was progress! But when Sophie arrives in Independence, Oregon to finally meet her future husband, she gets more than she bargained for. A lot more! Following in his father's footsteps, Fletcher Vander took to practicing law like a duck takes to water. Too bad his methods were so frowned upon by his current employers. Worse, his unorthodox ways got him fired. With a stiff upper lip, he returns home to Independence, where the unthinkable has happened! Who'd have thought life in the tiny town would suddenly become so exciting? And in the midst of it all was a true damsel in distress. Maybe getting fired and forced to go home wasn't going to be so bad after all ...