Was it a declaration of love or war?

As Cassy studied Bram Palmer's contented smile, she wasn't sure what she'd gotten herself into. No Stewart would invite a Palmer home for coffee, and no Palmer would accept. The mill-owning Stewarts and the pro-labor Palmers of Barton's Corner, Missouri, were bitter rivals--one only had to witness the explosive exchanges between Cassy's brother and Bram's sister.

The shock of seeing Bram after all these years must have short-circuited Cassy's brain. But that didn't explain Bram's willingness to enter enemy territory. Was this part of a new battle plan or the start of a new war?