Jamie Ellis lost her brother to the Civil War and her parents to influenza. Now she is on a train bound for Kansas City to live with her two old maid aunts, her only living relatives. And she has a gun pressed to her temple with an outlaw breathing down her neck. The Walton Gang overtook the train, filled not only with passengers, but also a haul of silver. Six men were kept as hostages, but one of the outlaws kept Jamie on the train against James Walton's orders, thinking he would have his way with her. But Will McMillian has a different plan.

Will joined up with the Walton Gang about a year ago. Jamie recognizes that he is different from the others, quiet voice, with a gentler manner. He rescues Jamie from Kent's gun and moves her to another train car. When their leader finds out a woman was kept on the train, he decides to use her as leverage against the US Marshals when they stop the train. But Will knows that no good is going to come of this situation, so he takes Jamie and jumps from the train into the dead of night and a snow-covered wilderness.

Will and Jamie travel to Dodge City where he contacts his real boss, Sam Edison, of the US Marshal's office in St. Louis. Will has been working undercover to try to get enough evidence to bring the Walton Gang to justice. But he doesn't let Jamie know his true identity, not yet. It's not until Sam arrives in Dodge City to collect Jamie that Will tells her who he really is and that this is the end of the line for him. Sam will take her on to Kansas City. Jamie is heartbroken that she and Will must part. Over these few weeks of travel with him, she has come to respect him for his honor and longs for something more from Will McMillan. Will can't get Jamie out of his head either after she leaves.

When Sam and Jamie arrive in Kansas City, her old maid aunts refuse to take her. Upon finding out that she has traveled with a man through the wilderness for weeks, they feel her reputation is tainted and will hurt theirs as well. Where will Jamie go now? What will be her fate?

Another book in Shelley Gray's The Heart of a Hero series, A TEXAN'S HONOR is another winner. This inspirational novel explores a person's heart and character and gives a different perspective to the remnants left behind after the Civil War. This is a fast-paced, cross-country adventure during a cold snowy winter. It's a story that shows what is on the inside is not always the same as what people see on the outside. This one will touch your heart and make you smile.