«The Sheriff's Bride» by Kent Hamilton

Sarah Johnson was beginning a new life. 

She arrived in Brookdale, with the promise of marriage to the local Sheriff all the while desperately hoping that no one, especially her fiance, would discover who she truly was. She was born Sarah Clayborn. The daughter of an alcoholic and outlaw who ran a safe house in Oklahoma for the infamous Mackenzie gang. When Sarah’s father promised her in marriage to the gang’s violent leader, Bruce Mackenzie, Sarah knew she had to get out. That was what had inspired her to answer James Rhodes’ request for correspondence in the brochure. That was also her reason for agreeing to marry the man after only five letters. She knew that she had to leave and could not afford to wait for romantic notions of love or belonging. It was enough that James Rhodes seemed like a decent man. And, the fact that he was a lawman certainly helped. But, when she arrives in Brookdale, California and meets her new husband, she finds herself instantly attracted to the good-looking but very shy and soft-spoken man. Indeed, as days wear on, she finds herself falling in love with her future husband. But, when she discovers a connection between the sheriff and her own past, it threatens to undo the life she has begun to build. Will Sarah be able to tell James the truth about who she is? Will James be able to keep Sarah safe from those who would see her harmed? And, most importantly, will James and Sarah be able to make a life together despite the forces conspiring to keep them apart?