Gifted (Dalton)

Meredith Talbot has a secret. In fact, she has nine secrets – her own and those of the eight orphans at Seaton House, a home for children. Each of them has a special talent that if exposed would get them labeled as witches. It is her responsibility to protect the children and their secrets and keep them safe from persecution. Marauding Indians force them into a nearby fort where their safety is threatened by fanatical townspeople and a captivating army officer who try to unmask the children's extraordinary abilities. Lieutenant Preston Booth has one goal – to serve and protect his country. The military is the only life he has ever known. It's the only life he wants. When a child is abducted and Preston goes after the culprit, Meredith has a vision of what will happen to him. Does she risk everything by exposing her gift? Or keep her secret and risk losing him forever?

Herbalist Moira Devlin is a woman imprisoned by the gift she must hide and the past she must elude. She is asked to care for the people of Mineral when the town physician unexpectedly passes. To please her mentor, she agrees and only uses her healing power when necessary and covertly, just as she was taught. All is well until a new doctor arrives and threatens her newfound freedom. Doctor Anson Locke has traveled to the Indian Territories to escape the memories of the family he couldn't save. He doesn't count on a distraction as lovely as Moira Devlin, a peddler of snake oils, just like the one who poisoned his wife. Can Moira and Anson overcome their pasts and find love?

Sergeant Gabriel Hunt can move small, inanimate objects with his mind. A handy talent, but one fraught with dangerous consequences if used recklessly. He employs his gift only when necessary and covertly where possible. He has been sent east to retrieve his commander's daughter and escort her back to Fort Dent. A simple assignment, until train robbers and a willful, golden-haired lady threaten to expose his secrets. Margaret Ellen Myer has been summoned to her father's garrison in the Indian Territories. A misconstrued incident with a stable boy yielded a broken engagement and disgrace. Her only source of comfort is a black stallion she raised from birth. When the horse is stolen, her journey with Sergeant Hunt to recover the stallion challenges her perceptions about life and love.