It takes a special kind of woman to create a family with four girls, between the ages of four and 14, none of whom are her biological children. But a wonderful family Mollie O'Brien has, indeed, created. On a rare trip home from Delight, Wisconsin, with memories of a lovely church service, apple picking and a barn dance, each girl is enjoying a sweet candy stick from the mercantile when they come upon two bodies on the ground covered in blood. The signs of a ferocious battle are everywhere. Both men are still alive, but barely. As quickly as possible, Mollie transports them to her farmhouse.

In one of the man's bloody jackets, she finds an enormous wad of money. In a second jacket, she finds a U.S. Marshal's badge, several documents with the name Hodge Egan on them and a wanted poster, with no picture, listing an Eli Otto wanted for murder and bank robbery. No wonder they fought with such desperation. It truly was a life-and-death situation. And under her roof, at this very moment, Mollie has left her girls caring for a man of the law and a dangerous criminal -- not knowing which is which.

This assignment was to be Hodge Egan's last before retiring. He's been having dreams about his new life in San Francisco, enjoying the peace and quiet with an occasional game of poker, a good cigar and a pretty woman now and again. Instead, he finds himself in a strange bed, feeling worse than he's ever felt in his life, no clothes, no gun, under the same roof as his prisoner, and unable to prove his identity.

What a perfect set up for Eli Otto. Pretending to be the marshal, he escapes with Sarah, the oldest girl, as a hostage. After the escape, Mollie finally knows the truth. As a team, Mollie and Hodge sacrifice everything to bring Sarah safely home. And along the way, they lose their hearts to one another.

HEART'S DELIGHT is just that -- a delight. It's a charming, heartwarming story with children who will capture your heart. Hodge and Mollie are tender and romantic. You'll enjoy this delightful story as it grabs hold of your heart strings and doesn't let go.