The Express took men and rode them hard across the West. That adventuring spirit belonged to the men, full of life, ready for whatever met them on the trail, everything, except for love.Stone Brown thinks he's a man who can avoid the snares of matrimony, however Charity Mitchell mystifies him. She stepped up and helped Wyeth and holds a secret that keeps her bound at the Crystal Dawn. He'd love to figure it out. But, before he can, duty calls and he finds himself sent to Fort Valor with a mysterious letter for new major in command. There he learns that all is not well on the plains. Could a hostile uprising spell doom for the Pony Express?Charity Mitchell's heart longs for a man and home of her own, but she owes Laiden McMasters for saving her life and taking her in. Traveling with a gambler, she has knowledge of Pierson's troubled past and her allegiance to the Pony Express puts her in a world of trouble. If she has the courage to tell Stone what she knows, maybe he can protect her from the stage owner's wrath? Her heart wants to be with Stone, but how can she overcome her past without placing him in further danger? In her heart, Charity already knows, it is, Always, Stone.