A Bride, A Horse, and a Second Chance

Reborn on Bridle Day, Willa Hayes refuses to play Colt’s cruel marriage game a second time. Instead of searching for his red-ribboned horse, she chooses Cloud, the scrawniest horse in the corral. Colt is certain she’ll come crawling back, but when the results are announced, the entire town is stunned: “Willa Hayes. Cloud. Groom... Ellis Shaw.” Ellis hasn’t been seen in Briar Creek for three years. Why did he enter Bridle Day—and why did he choose Willa?