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CAST OF CHARACTERSTHE PEOPLE OF PROMISE Nell Bishop: thirtysomething widow with a son, Jeremy, and a daughter, Emma; her husband died in a tractor accident Ruth Bishop: Nell’s mother-in-law; lives with Nell and her two children Dovie Boyd: runs an antiques shop and has dated Sheriff Frank Hennessey for ten years Caroline Daniels: postmistress of Promise Maggie Daniels: Caroline’s five-year-old daughter Dr. Jane Dickinson: new doctor in Promise Ellie Frasier: owner of Frasier’s Feed Store Frank Hennessey: local sheriff Max Jordan: owner of Jordan’s Towne and Country Wade McMillen: preacher of Promise Christian Church Edwina and Lily Moorhouse: sisters; retired schoolteachers Cal and Glen Patterson: local ranchers; brothers who ranch together Phil and Mary Patterson: parents of Cal and Glen; operate a local B and B Louise Powell: town gossip Wiley Rogers: sixty-year-old ranch foreman at the Weston Ranch Laredo Smith: wrangler hired by Savannah Weston Barbara and Melvin Weston: mother and
CHAPTER 1 NELL BISHOP BARRELED DOWN the highway, heading home, racing against the approaching storm. The March winds whipped against the pickup as she hurried toward Twin Canyons Ranch, thirty-four miles south of Promise, Texas. Her mother-in-law was with the children, but Jeremy and Emma would have difficulty getting the animals into the barn without help. Ruth would do what she could, but the older woman’s heart wasn’t strong and…Nell didn’t want to think what might happen if she didn’t make it back in time. Her life had been on a fast-moving treadmill for the past three years, ever since her husband died in a tractor accident. Storms were the least of her worries, considering the financial challenges she’d faced working the ranch without Jake. Not a day passed that her husband wasn’t in her thoughts. Twenty years from now, forty years from now, he’d still be a part of her. Ruth and others had encouraged her to remarry, at least to date, but Nell had resisted. She never expected to l
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CHAPTER 2 NELL LOCATED AN OLD-FASHIONED lantern for Travis Grant. It had probably been in the family for fifty years and was nothing if not authentic. Next she gathered together fresh sun-dried sheets, a couple of blankets and a pillow. She tucked everything inside a plastic bag and raced through the storm, holding the lit lantern with one hand. When she arrived at the bunkhouse, Nell discovered Travis sitting on the end of a bed, looking tired and out of sorts. The initial group of tourists was scheduled to show up the first week of May, and almost everything in the bunkhouse had been readied. It was primitive, but then this was the real thing. A genuine ranch, complete with enough cattle to give would-be cowboys the experience of dealing with a herd, horses for them to ride and plenty of land. Nell was as determined as Curly in the movie City Slickers to make real wranglers out of her guests. It was what they were paying her big bucks to do, and she firmly believed in giving them the
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CHAPTER 3 “HOW COME YOU WERE ASKED to be one of the judges for the chili cook-off?” Glen asked Ellie as they walked toward the rodeo grounds. The air was charged with excitement. “Just clean living,” his wife replied and did her best to disguise a smile. Actually it had more to do with her participation in the Chamber of Commerce. But her husband had done nothing but complain from the moment he learned she’d been asked to judge the chili. It was a task he would have relished. “I’m the one who happens to love chili,” he lamented—not for the first time. Unable to help herself, Ellie laughed out loud. “If you want, I’ll put your name in as a judge for next year,” she said, hoping that would appease him. “You’d do that?” They strolled hand in hand toward the grandstand. Luckily the ground had dried out after the recent rain. The rodeo was one of the most popular events of the year, along with the big summer dance and the Willie Nelson Fourth of July picnic. The town council always invited
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CHAPTER 4 HIS KISS LEFT NELL FEELING lightheaded, as if she’d been out in the sun too long. His lips lingered on hers, his arms firm about her waist. He would have kissed her a second time, she sensed, if she hadn’t moved her head just then. She needed a moment to compose herself, to gain perspective and deal with what had happened—what she’d allowed to happen. At any point she could have stopped him…and hadn’t. “I…wish you hadn’t done that.” Her voice trembled, shaky with shock and wonder. What astounded her as much as his kiss was how much she’d enjoyed it. “Are you looking for an apology?” His voice was close to her ear and she realized that he still held her. “I could give you one if you wanted,” he went on, “but it wouldn’t be sincere.” She smiled at his words and eased away from him. There was definitely something in the air tonight that had caused her to behave so completely out of character. “It’s because of today,” she said aloud. “The whole day.” One of the best days she’d ha
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CHAPTER 5 NELL WAS FURIOUS WITH TRAVIS, but she didn’t know why. That morning, as she’d ridden across her property checking the fence line, she’d thought about him. And she’d thought about Bitter End. Just when she was beginning to like Travis, really like him, she’d discovered that he had an ulterior motive. He’d made friends with her children, kissed and flattered her, pampered Ruth. All this because he wanted her to take him to Bitter End. He’d been open enough about telling her he was a writer. Now everything was beginning to fall neatly into place. His job was what had brought him to Promise, probably with all expenses paid by his publisher. She should have suspected he had an ulterior motive for befriending her and her family. He was planning to write about Bitter End—although she didn’t really know why. He’d told her he was working on a book. What kind of book? she wondered, and what, exactly, did he hope to achieve? What really infuriated Nell was his comment about Bitter End b
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CHAPTER 6 ONLY ELEVEN-THIRTY. TRAVIS glanced at his watch, pleased that Grady Weston had agreed to show him the way to Bitter End. He wasn’t sure what to expect once they got there, especially considering people’s reactions every time he mentioned it. Killing time, he walked over to the paddock outside the barn where Jeremy’s horse, Dot Com, ran free. Earlier, Jeremy had told him proudly that he’d come up with the name himself. Now Travis stood and watched the young animal racing back and forth, kicking up his hind legs, running for the sheer joy of it. The air was clear and Travis inhaled deeply. Until now he hadn’t spent much time in Texas other than book signing and media tours in cities like Dallas and Houston. He’d written several stories set at least partly in Texas, but his research had been limited to libraries. The greater his success, the tighter his schedule and the less time he had for personal investigations. A shopping center in San Antonio or an airport in Dallas hadn’t
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CHAPTER 7 “YOU RAN OUT OF GAS?” Nell shrieked. Travis felt foolish enough without her yelling at him, then figured it was what he deserved. He didn’t know how he could’ve let something like that happen. His only excuse was his unfamiliarity with the vehicle—pretty lame as excuses went. “I’m sorry,” he told her. “Sorry—all you can say is you’re sorry?” To her shock and dismay, Nell broke into sobs. She covered her face with both hands and half turned from him. Stunned that he’d driven her to tears, he moved to reach for her but stopped, not sure how she’d react to being held when she was in such distress. The sight of her weeping was more than he could bear. He gently drew her to him, comforting her, holding her loosely. She struggled at first and he let her. “You’re right, Nell, sorry just doesn’t cut it,” he whispered soothingly. “You’re a fool,” she told him, wiping the tears from her face. “I know.” “You’re not supposed to agree with me.” He cradled her face between his hands. “You
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CHAPTER 8 TRAVIS HAD ONE HELL OF A TIME bringing the cedar chest down from the attic. It almost seemed as though it was reluctant to give up its secrets, he thought, knowing how whimsical that sounded. Then he needed all his strength to pry open the lid. Nell stood back, while Ruth edged close to him, firm and purposeful. With the chest finally open, the first thing Travis noted was how neatly packed it was. The top layer was folded clothes, which Ruth carefully removed and set aside. They found an old family Bible beneath the dresses and men’s shirts. Ruth held it respectfully with both hands. “It’s exactly like the one Ellie has,” Nell breathed. “Ellie Patterson—used to be Frasier,” she explained to Travis. “Ellie owns the feed store in Promise. Her family came here when mine did, and Jake’s.” Travis could picture her easily. Ellie, as he recalled, had judged the chili cook-off. “Ellie found the Bible while she was sorting through her father’s things after he died,” Ruth said. “She u
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CHAPTER 9 “I TOLD YOU I WAS A WRITER,” Travis explained as though the logic should have been obvious. “I figured it out this afternoon!” Jeremy exclaimed excitedly. “But you didn’t say what you wrote,” Ruth said, frowning. It just so happened that one of the most popular children’s authors in the entire country was sitting at this very table, was sleeping in their bunkhouse. Was kissing her senseless every chance he got. “Nell?” Travis’s gaze continued to hold hers. “Maybe you and I should talk about this privately after dinner.” The idea of being alone with him for even a minute was too much. She shook her head vigorously. “That won’t be necessary.” Before Travis could comment, Jeremy and Emma immediately bombarded him with questions. At any other time Nell would have cautioned them to mind their manners. But not tonight. After dinner Ruth went into her bedroom to watch Jeopardy on her television set. Protesting loudly, Jeremy and Emma were sent upstairs to do their homework, while Ne
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CHAPTER 10 NELL SLID ONTO THE CHAIR Travis had vacated and stared at the computer screen. Excitement bubbled up inside her. Was it possible Travis had stumbled onto the answer already? As she scanned the first paragraph of the newspaper article, her spirits sank. Travis was looking too hard for a connection. She hated to be discouraging but could see nothing relevant. “All this reports is the wrongful death of sixteen-year-old Moses Anderson in Bitter End.” “Continue reading,” Travis said. Nell returned her attention to the screen. “It says Moses was defending a saloon girl from an abusive drunk.” Nell glanced up at him, a puzzled expression on her face. “Read on.” Nell did so, mumbling a couple of lines aloud. “And the other men in the saloon sided with their friend.” She gasped as she read the next paragraph. “The drunk and his friends dragged the young man outside and—” she looked up at Travis “—hanged him.” Nell sighed at the brutality of such a deed. The boy was only sixteen. Neve
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CHAPTER 11 THERE WAS NO POINT in pretending anymore. Nell sat out on her front porch, watching the sunset. Travis had been gone a week and it felt like ten years. She’d fallen in love with a greenhorn. Travis Grant might know everything there was to know about computers, but he’d barely figured out which side of as addle was up. “A writer,” Nell muttered, staring at the sky. She was thoroughly disgusted with herself. Everything she’d ever wanted in this life she’d had with Jake. But he’d died, and she was so lonely. She hadn’t even realized how lonely until that New Yorker kissed her. All the men who’d pestered her for a date in the past couple of years and she hadn’t felt the slightest interest. Then Travis came into her life and before she knew it she was in love. “Are you thinking about Travis again?” Ruth asked, standing just inside the screen door. “No,” Nell denied vehemently, then reluctantly confessed. “Yeah.” Yeah. Now Travis had her doing it. If he’d stayed much longer, she’d
CHAPTER 11
CAST OF CHARACTERSTHE PEOPLE OF PROMISE Nell Bishop: thirtysomething widow with a son, Jeremy, and a daughter, Emma; her husband died in a tractor accident Ruth Bishop: Nell’s mother-in-law; lives with Nell and her two children Dovie Boyd: runs an antiques shop and has dated Sheriff Frank Hennessey for ten years Caroline Daniels: postmistress of Promise Maggie Daniels: Caroline’s five-year-old daughter Dr. Jane Dickinson: new doctor in Promise Ellie Frasier: owner of Frasier’s Feed Store Frank Hennessey: local sheriff Max Jordan: owner of Jordan’s Towne and Country Wade McMillen: preacher of Promise Christian Church Edwina and Lily Moorhouse: sisters; retired schoolteachers Cal and Glen Patterson: local ranchers; brothers who ranch together Phil and Mary Patterson: parents of Cal and Glen; operate a local B and B Louise Powell: town gossip Wiley Rogers: sixty-year-old ranch foreman at the Weston Ranch Laredo Smith: wrangler hired by Savannah Weston Barbara and Melvin Weston: mother and
CHAPTER 1 AMY THORNTON WAS OUT OF MONEY, out of luck and out of hope. Well, she had a little cash left, but her luck had definitely run out, and as for her reserves of hope—they were nonexistent. When the Greyhound bus rolled into the bowling-alley parking lot in Promise, Texas, she stayed in her seat. Disinterested and almost numb, she stared out the window. Promise seemed like a friendly town. June flower baskets, filled to overflowing with blooming perennials, hung from the streetlights. People stopped to chat, and there was a leisurely, almost festive atmosphere that Amy observed with yearning. Smoke wafted from a barbecue restaurant, and farther down the street, at Frasier Feed, chairs were set up next to a soda machine. A couple of men in cowboy hats and boots sat with their feet propped against the railing; they appeared to find something highly humorous. One of them threw back his head, laughing boisterously. His amusement was contagious and Amy found herself smiling, too. A co
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CHAPTER 2 DR. JANE PATTERSON HAD A gentle way about her, Amy thought as she dressed. The examination had been her most comfortable to date. From the moment she learned she was pregnant, Amy had faithfully taken her vitamins, made regular doctor’s appointments and scrupulously watched her diet. Her one fear was that her baby would feel the tension and stress that had been her constant companion these past six months. There was a light tap on the door, and Dr. Patterson entered the examination room. “Is everything all right with the pregnancy?” Amy asked immediately. “Everything looks good. From what I could tell, the baby is developing right on schedule,” Dr. Patterson said. “I don’t want you to worry. Continue with the vitamins and try to get the rest your body needs.” She sat down across from Amy, leaned forward and gave her a reassuring pat on the hand. “I’m going to be starting a birthing class in the next couple of weeks and was wondering if you’d care to join.” Amy bit her lip. Sh
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CHAPTER 3 AMY STOPPED AT DOVIE’S HOUSE to pick her up for the birthing class far earlier than necessary. She’d been looking forward to this ever since Dr. Jane had first mentioned it. Waiting another fifteen minutes seemed more than she could stand. Dovie was in her garden when Amy approached. “Oh, my, is it that time already?” Dovie asked the instant she saw her. Flustered, she glanced at her wrist. “I’m early,” Amy apologized. “Don’t let her kid you,” Frank said, joining his wife. “Dovie’s been on tenterhooks all evening. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her more excited about anything.” It warmed Amy’s heart that her friend was looking forward to coaching her through labor and birth. The thought of having to go through the birth alone had weighed on her mind for months. The wrenching sense of loneliness had virtually disappeared since her arrival in Promise. She marveled anew at these wonderful people. “I’ll just be a moment,” Dovie promised and rushed toward the house. “There’s no hurr
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CHAPTER 4 NELL BISHOP FELT LIKE an entertainment director aboard a cruise ship. Her dude ranch was in full operation now, and the second group of cowboy wannabes had thought it would be great fun to end their adventure by attending the dance put on by the local Cattlemen’s Association. There were four men and two women, all gussied up in their finest Western gear. She’d driven them to the festivities in the used minivan she’d bought at the first of the month. So far, her plan to turn Twin Canyons into a dude ranch, complete with a trail drive and sleeping under the stars, had been an unqualified success. Of course Nell had gotten plenty of help along the way. Her mother-in-law, Ruth, and her children, Jeremy and Emma, had been indispensable; so were the two hands she’d hired. The crazy part was that after spending a year and a half planning and developing her idea, she was ready to abandon everything—for love. Travis Grant was to blame for this sudden change of heart. Nell remained on
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CHAPTER 5 WADE HAD OFFICIATED AT A FEW hurried weddings, but none in which the bride had less than forty-eight hours to prepare. The bride and the entire community. The first Wade had heard of Nell and Travis’s wedding was Sunday, after services. Travis announced they’d be applying for the license Monday morning and would greatly appreciate it if Wade could marry them that same evening. Sure enough, Monday evening the couple stood before him, surrounded by family and friends. In his years as a minister, he’d performed dozens of marriages. Most engaged couples attended several weeks of counseling first. Generally he hesitated to marry people who were in too much of a rush. Nell and Travis hadn’t taken his counseling sessions, but he’d talked extensively with them both when they became engaged. They showed all the signs of making their marriage strong and lasting. They were committed to each other and to their relationship. While deeply in love, neither was ruled by passion. Both were ma
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CHAPTER 6 WADE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE of the road. Amy looked as if she was about to burst into tears. And he had no idea what he’d done wrong. “Amy?” She was breathing hard and tears welled in her eyes. She opened the car door and leaped out. “What is it?” He followed her, not sure what to do. “You didn’t even tell your parents you’d invited me to the family get-together?” He gave her a puzzled look. “We often invite impromptu guests. Mom prepares enough food to feed a small army. You’re welcome with or without my parents’ knowledge.” “Then they don’t know I’m pregnant, either.” She folded her arms and glared at the sky. “That was a stupid question, seeing they don’t even know I exist!” “My parents aren’t going to judge you,” Wade promised. “They’ll be thrilled I’m bringing you.” She didn’t seem convinced. “All right, all right,” he said. “If it’s that important, I’ll use my cell phone and we’ll call them from here.” He watched her shoulders rise and then fall with a deep troubled si
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CHAPTER 7 FOUR WEEKS. ONE MONTH. And then, this tiny being in Amy’s womb would be in her arms. It didn’t seem possible. Dressing for her appointment with Dr. Jane, Amy rubbed body lotion over her extended belly. It seemed to stretch halfway across the room. Studying her reflection in the mirror, Amy felt grotesque and misshapen, barely able to believe that this would soon be over. That soon, she’d be holding her baby. She’d just finished pulling on a dress and slipping into her shoes—she’d long since lost sight of her feet—when the doorbell rang. Wade had wanted to take her to the doctor’s appointment. He was even more attentive now, more solicitous. Increasingly Amy had come to rely on him. He was so gentle with her. Lately when they kissed, he restrained himself with two or three chaste kisses. If it wasn’t for the yearning she read in his eyes, she might have assumed he no longer found her attractive. His gaze told her otherwise. “You ready?” he asked and walked into the living room
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CHAPTER 8 THURSDAY AFTERNOON, Ellie Patterson left the feed store early. George, her assistant, would close up and Amy would help him. Amy had been taking on more responsibilities of late, and Ellie was grateful. She hadn’t been feeling well the past couple of afternoons but suspected she knew why—especially since the home pregnancy test had been positive. Seeing her sister-in-law would confirm what she already knew. Jenny Bender, Jane’s receptionist, was just leaving when Ellie entered the health clinic. “Jane’s in her office,” Jenny told her, motioning beyond the reception area. “Thanks.” Sure enough, Jane sat at her desk making notations on a chart. She glanced up when she heard Ellie come in, and her tired face brightened. “Hi, there.” “Hi.” Ellie threw herself into the chair nearest Jane’s. “Long day?” Jane asked sympathetically. “Exceptionally long.” “You’re looking a little peaked.” “I feel a little peaked.” Jane studied her. “Do you think you picked up a bug?” A slow happy smil
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CHAPTER 9 PREACHING SUNDAY’S SERMON was one of the most difficult tasks Wade had ever performed during his entire time in the ministry. Word of the altercation between him and Lyle Whitehouse had spread like wildfire through Promise, gathering other rumors and ugly speculations. As he entered the sanctuary Sunday morning, he noticed that he’d drawn a record crowd. The church was filled to capacity, and the overflow had collected in the rear of the room. He’d certainly hoped to pack the pews, but not for a reason like this. Curiosity seekers had come to see his cut lip and his black eye. They’d come to hear his explanation. He hated to disappoint all the good people of Promise, but he had no intention of offering excuses or justifications. He stood before them as a man who’d made a mistake. One he deeply regretted. He wasn’t perfect and didn’t pretend to be, but he was ready to accept the consequences of his actions—if it came to that. He hoped it wouldn’t, but the choice wasn’t his. Th
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CHAPTER 10 SHERIFF HENNESSEY COULDN’T have called at a worse time. Max Jordan’s pacemaker had gone haywire, and Jane dared not leave him, so she’d sent Frank on to Bitter End with specific instructions to phone the clinic as soon as they arrived in Brewster. The rest of her afternoon had been hectic, with the phone ringing off the hook. When she’d finished sewing up Wiley Rogers’s sliced thumb and setting Walt Wilson’s broken leg, she sorted through the messages and realized she hadn’t heard back from Frank. She was about to call Brewster Memorial to check when Ellie burst through the door. “Is it true?” Ellie asked, her face bright with excitement as she hurried into Jane’s office. “If you’re asking about Amy, yes, it’s true,” Jane said. She stood in front of her file cabinet and slipped a chart back into place. She felt a rush of excitement herself. “Amy’s about to have her baby. It turns out she went into labor in Bitter End.” “Why didn’t somebody tell me sooner?” Ellie demanded. “E
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11 “DOVIE,” FRANK CALLED, hurrying from room to room to search for his wife. He could hardly wait to tell her the latest about little Joe. “I’m in the garden.” Dovie’s melodic voice drifted into the house from the backyard. Frank walked onto the back patio to discover his wife picking ripe red tomatoes from her ever-abundant garden. She wore a large straw hat and, in his view, had never looked lovelier. “I saw Amy and Joseph this afternoon,” he said, then laughed at the immediate flash of envy he read in her eyes. “Frank Hennessey, why didn’t you come and get me?” “I would have, but it was a chance meeting. I’ll have you know that little tyke smiled at me.” “He didn’t.” “Dovie, I swear it’s the truth. He looked up at me with his big, beautiful, brown eyes and grinned from ear to ear.” Dovie added a plump tomato to her basket. “He was probably pooping. He’s only two months old. That’s far too young to be grinning.” “Hey, I’m his godfather. I know these things.” She gave an exagg
CHAPTER 11
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