Charlotte's Promise

Book excerpt: One year ago Charlotte Bower's life was ripped apart when Creek Indians attacked, killed her parents, and separated her from her young brother--now, she will stop at nothing to find him. After a year of captivity, she has finally made her escape. Her search will begin in New Orleans, but how can she reach a city hundreds of miles away? As she watches men boarding a waiting ship, Charlotte formulates a bold plan: if it's men they need for the ship's crew, it's a man they'll get. Taking on her childhood nickname, Charlie, it is all too easy to gain passage on the New Orleans-bound vessel--that is, until she is caught. From the moment he sets eyes on the new deckhand, Captain Alden Thatcher knows one thing for certain: Charlie Bower is no man. But for reasons of his own, he keeps her secret. As their journey progresses, however, Charlie and the captain find themselves relying on one another in ways they'd never imagined.--