Samantha Eastman is Boonville, Missouri's unofficial expert in fashion, flirting, and how to get a man, as evidenced by the prosperous, young banker waiting for her to say "yes." So why isn't she happy? She can't quite say what keeps her from accepting Thad's proposal, but she certainly wouldn't list a small red-haired boy and outlaws on the railroad as among the reasons. Heck Brady, trainmaster for the MK & T Railway, knows exactly what he wants. Go to college. Become a pastor. Settle down with a book-learned woman and raise a family. He hadn't counted on a series of train robberies, a murder, and a feather-brained female derailing his plans. As Heck tries to stay out of the robbery investigation and Sam tries to worm her way in, they both have to figure out how to achieve their number one goal-- staying alive