Wells Fargo agent Gideon Yarbro comes back to Arizona on a job, never expecting to end up married to his childhood friend, Lydia Fairmont. But when she sends him a letter with a cry for help, he responds—big time. Carrying her away from the prospect of a loveless marriage, he unwittingly forces her into another marriage—with him.

Gideon has feelings for Lydia, but he’s not the type to settle down. And it complicates the undercover work he’s trying to do for a bunch of mine owners, work he’s coming to regret, but it also complicates things with his family. His brothers Rowdy (A Wanted Man) and Wyatt (The Rustler) have settled down in Stone Creek and, along with Sam O’Ballivan, they pretty much run things—their way. Having their little brother do the honorable thing by Lydia is part of “their way” along with providing their opinion on everything Gideon is doing.

Lydia may have been a reluctant bride, so unexpected were the circumstances of her hasty marriage, but she’s a more than willing wife. Truth is her heart was given to Gideon long ago but now that they are married, he seems content to leave her be—a contentment she definitely doesn’t share.

With a spurned ex-fiancé coming after Lydia and mine workers preparing to go on strike, Gideon and Lydia will see their marriage tested—as well as their faith in one another. Can love grow or will fate interfere?

The Bridegroom marks another winner for Linda Lael Miller and her Stone Creek series. Not only is it wonderful to revisit the Yarbro and O’Ballivan clans, but the story of Gideon and Lydia’s struggle to find their place in the world, within their families and with each other speaks to universal themes. Gideon fears he’ll lose his independence in his marriage to Lydia while Lydia is sure she has finally found the independence she’s been seeking in the security of Gideon’s arms. How their love conquers personal fears and foibles forms an absorbing story chock-full of memorable characters like “the Aunts”, lively dialog, and a sensuality that Ms. Miller brings so abundantly to her novels. The Stone Creek books are a series that invites re-reading.