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CHAPTER 1 CLUTCHING THE MAIL IN ONE HAND, Grady Weston paced the narrow corridor inside the post office. He glanced distractedly at the row of mailboxes, gathering his courage before he approached Caroline Daniels, the postmistress. His tongue felt as if it’d wrapped itself around his front teeth, and he was beginning to doubt he’d be able to utter a single sensible word. It shouldn’t be so damned difficult to let a woman know he found her attractive! “Grady?” Caroline’s voice reached out to him. He spun around, not seeing her. Great. Not only was he dreaming about her, now he was hearing her voice. “Open your box,” she instructed. He fumbled for the key and twisted open the small rectangular door, then peered in. Sure enough, Caroline was there. Not all of her, just her brown eyes, her pert little nose and lovely mouth. If he’d possessed his brother’s gift for flattery, Grady would have said something clever. Made some flowery remark. Unfortunately all he managed was a gruff unfriendl
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2 GRADY WAS PLEASED THAT HIS SISTER had convinced Caroline and Maggie to stay for dinner. Now all he had to do was behave. It never seemed to fail—whenever he had a chance to make some headway with Maggie, he’d do something stupid. He wanted to blame Richard, but as usual he’d done it to himself. His brother brought out the very worst in him. As Grady washed up for dinner, he hoped this evening would give him an opportunity to redeem himself in both Caroline and Maggie’s eyes. The table was already set and the food dished up in heaping portions. A platter of sliced roast beef rested in the middle, along with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, a pitcher of gravy, fresh corn gravy, fresh corn on the cob and a crisp green salad. There was also a basket filled with Savannah’s mouthwatering buttermilk biscuits. His sister was one fine cook. He’d miss her when she moved into her own house with Laredo. But it was time, well past time, that she had a home and a life of her own. He knew fr
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CHAPTER 3 “YOU’RE A DAMN FOOL, that’s what you are,” Grady muttered as he barreled down the highway toward Promise, driving twenty miles over the speed limit. The reason for this hasty trip had to do with Caroline Daniels. By dinnertime he’d recognized that either he made his move now and invited her to the church dinner or let Richard beat him to the punch. Of course, he could have just phoned and been done with it, but that didn’t seem right, not when anyone on the ranch could pick up a telephone receiver and listen in on the conversation. By anyone, he meant Richard. Besides, Grady preferred to talk to Caroline in person; it seemed more…meaningful. He’d never been good at this courtship thing, but damn it all, he wasn’t going to let his brother cheat him out of taking Caroline and Maggie to that church dinner. Richard wasn’t interested in Caroline—Grady was sure of it—any more than he’d fallen head over heels in love with Ellie Frasier. His brother was far more concerned with cheati
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4 SUNDAY MORNING WAS THE ONE DAY of the week Jane Dickinson—Dr. Jane Dickinson, she reminded herself—could sleep in. Yet it was barely six and she was wide awake. Tossing aside the sheet, she threw on her robe and wandered barefoot into the kitchen. “Texas,” she muttered. Who would’ve believed when she signed up for this that she’d end up in the great state of Texas? The hill country was about as far as anyone could get from the bustling activity of Los Angeles. Jane had tried to make a go of life in small-town America, but she was completely and utterly miserable. In three months she hadn’t managed to make a single friend. Sure, there were lots of acquaintances, but no real friends. Never in her life had she missed her friends and family more, and all because of money. She’d entered into this agreement with the federal government in order to reduce her debts—three years in Promise, Texas, and her medical-school loans would be paid off. Maybe she should just admit she’d made a
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5 GRADY KNEW THAT HE HAD TO MAKE his move fast or Maggie could be seriously hurt. Widowmaker snorted and began to paw the floor. Unwilling to give the stallion an opportunity to get any closer to the child, Grady threw open the stall door, grabbed Maggie and literally swung her out of harm’s way. Maggie let out a scream. With his heart pounding, Grady firmly held the squirming child against him, trying to comfort her and at the same time calm his own fears. Unfortunately he failed on both counts. The barn door flew open and Savannah and Caroline rushed breathlessly inside. “Mommy! Mommy!” Grady released Maggie, who raced toward her mother, nearly stumbling in her eagerness to escape his clutches. Caroline held her arms open and the child sobbed hysterically as she fell into her mother’s embrace. “What happened?” Savannah asked. “Somehow Maggie got into Widowmaker’s stall,” Grady explained. His knees shook so badly he sank onto a bale of hay. “Dear God,” Savannah whispered and l
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6 “THIS IS INCREDIBLE!” CAROLINE CRIED, galloping after Grady. The wind blew in her face as her pinto followed Grady’s horse across the wide open range. She hadn’t gone horseback riding in ages, and it felt wonderful, exhilarating. Caroline couldn’t remember a time she’d experienced such a sense of freedom. Not in years and years. This lighthearted feeling could only be attributed to one thing—the fact that she was falling in love with Grady. “Come on, slowpoke,” Grady shouted over his shoulder, leading her farther from the ranch house. He hadn’t said where they were headed, but he seemed to have a destination in mind. “Where are you taking me?” she called, but either he didn’t hear or chose to ignore the question. Bless Savannah’s matchmaking heart. When she’d returned early, she insisted they go riding, saying she’d look after Maggie. Grady and Caroline had both made token protests, but it didn’t take long for Savannah to convince them to sneak away. The day was lovely, not e
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7 THE CALLS LAWMEN DREADED MOST were domestic violence and missing children. Frank Hennessey was no exception. The report of a missing child made his blood run cold. He preferred dealing with a drunken belligerent husband any day of the week if it meant he didn’t have to see the face of a parent whose child couldn’t be found. Frank had never married, never had children, but he’d been a firsthand witness to the agony parents endure when their child disappears. All his years of law enforcement had convinced him there was no deeper pain than the loss of a child. The call that Maggie Daniels had gone missing came minutes before Frank was due to go off duty. Grady Weston phoned it in. There’d only been one other time Frank had heard Grady sound the way he did this evening, and that was the day his parents had drowned in a flash flood. “Are you sure she hasn’t fallen asleep somewhere in the house?” Frank felt obliged to ask. “We’re sure, Frank.” Grady’s impatience crackled over the t
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8 RICHARD HAD BEEN GONE A WEEK. To Grady, his brother’s disappearance was both a blessing and a curse. Only now was Grady getting a complete picture of the damage Richard’s extended visit had wrought. Every day since his brother had vanished, a fistful of new bills arrived, charges Richard had made using the family’s accounts. The bills were stacked on Grady’s desk, and whenever he looked at them, his anger mounted. He’d made a list of money owed and checked it three or four times before he could grasp the full extent of what Richard had done. While a majority of businesses in town accepted credit cards, ranchers tended to avoid them. Grady carried only one, and it was tucked in the back of his wallet for emergencies. All his purchases were paid for with cash or put on account, then paid in full at the end of each month. In the weeks since his return, Richard had taken it upon himself to run into town to pick up supplies, and Grady had let him. Sending his worthless brother on
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9 EVERY PEW IN PROMISE CHRISTIAN CHURCH was filled for the wedding of Ellie Frasier and Glen Patterson. Glen had asked Cal to be his best man and Grady to serve as one of the ushers. Grady had agreed before he learned that he was expected to wear a tuxedo. He wasn’t sure how a man could breathe with a shirt buttoned up that tight. The main advantage of being in the wedding party was that Caroline was one of Ellie’s bridesmaids. Grady had never realized that four women all wearing the same dresses could look so different. In his—admittedly biased—opinion, Caroline was the most beautiful. Savannah, of course, was a close second. Since it was the hottest time of the year, Wade McMillen kept his sermon short. Ellie and Glen exchanged their vows as both their mothers sat in the front row quietly weeping. The Moorhouse sisters sobbed loudly, and Dovie Boyd dabbed at her eyes, as well. Even the coolly composed Dr. Dickinson, sitting beside Dovie, sniffled a bit as the I do’s were said
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10 RICHARD WAS MAGGIE’S FATHER. Nothing Caroline could have told him would have shocked Grady more. The news went through him like a bolt of lightning. He was speechless with surprise, then numb with disbelief. Richard? His no-good, cheating, irresponsible brother was the father of Caroline’s child? It was more than he could take in. More than he could accept. Once his mind had cleared enough to let him respond, he asked the obvious questions. “When were you lovers? I don’t remember the two of you so much as dating.” “We didn’t, not in the normal sense.” She reached for her wine. “I was in San Antonio in college, my senior year,” she said, her voice low. “It was finals week. Knowing how crucial it was for me to do well, my mother didn’t tell me what’d happened to your parents until after the exams. I felt horrible, sick to my stomach the moment she told me. I was furious with her for not letting me know. I’d always loved your mother. Your father, too.” She inhaled deeply. “You
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CHAPTER 11 GRADY WAS IN ONE BAD MOOD. He’d been angry and cantankerous all week, to the point that he could barely stand his own company. Wiley said he’d rather chase strays than put up with Grady’s foul temper and had left him to finish the repairs on the fence line by himself. Grady had been doing the backbreaking work all afternoon, and although he’d managed to replace several rotting posts and make other fixes, his mind was a million miles away. Actually only about forty miles away. And while his hands were busy digging fence holes his thoughts were on Caroline. “Damn it all to hell,” he muttered and threw down the shovel. He’d finally finished for the day. Sweat poured from his brow, and his chest heaved from the physical exertion. “Damn it,” he said again. He should be happy. The sale of the herd was scheduled and his financial problems would soon be over. Beef prices were up slightly. So why wasn’t he happy? All he could think about was one headstrong woman who was too damn prou
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 1 TEXAS IS THE ONLY STATE big enough to hold your dreams. Someone had told Dr. Jane Dickinson that when she signed up for this gig. But whoever it was obviously hadn’t lived in Promise. With medical-school bills the size of the national debt, signing a three-year agreement to practice medicine in the Texas hill country in exchange for partial payment had seemed the perfect solution. Whatever romanticizing she’d done when she’d first thought about making the move from urban California to the heart of rural America had faded with the reality of her situation. Texas had bugs practically as big as pit bulls and she’d always been somewhat phobic about insects, whether they were of the crawling or flying variety. More serious, more disturbing, was the fact that she simply didn’t fit in with this community. People were never less than polite, but they hadn’t accepted her. They came to her as a last resort—if they couldn’t cure whatever ailed them on their own—and then complained becau
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2 JANE WAS ASTOUNDED—AND DELIGHTED. Only two days home from her honeymoon, and Ellie Frasier Patterson had already dropped in to visit her. Jane was between patient appointments, so she and Ellie spent a few minutes catching up on news. Then Ellie announced that Jane would be joining her and Glen for dinner that Friday night. “But—” “You don’t have an option here,” Ellie said with a grin. “You need a Texas education and you’re going to get it.” Jane took half a second to think it over. “I’ll be there.” She’d asked for help. Why turn it down when it was offered? “Be at the Chili Pepper at seven Friday night,” Ellie instructed on her way out the door. Jane made a note in her weekly planner, then sat back in her chair with a triumphant smile. Finally, after spending six months in this town, she was making progress. This would be her first night out with people her own age, and she looked forward to it. On Friday night she arrived at the restaurant precisely at seven. The place was
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE JANE had come to Texas, she felt a sense of belonging. Friends made all the difference. Her evening out with Ellie, Glen and Cal had cheered her immensely, and within a few days she’d followed all their instructions. She had a Texas bumper sticker, a Willie Nelson cassette in her car, and she routinely listened to the Brewster country-and-western station. A shopping spree with her bingo winnings plus a chunk of her savings had netted her an outfit Annie Oakley would’ve been proud to wear. Not only that, her first riding lesson was scheduled for Friday afternoon. If she got any more Texan, she wouldn’t recognize herself! Thursday-afternoon traffic in the clinic was slow; she hadn’t seen a patient in more than two hours. Attaching her beeper to her waistband, she headed toward Dovie’s antique shop, taking the rag doll Maggie Daniels had brought her. Every time she entered the office the old-fashioned doll smiled at her with its faded pink lips, looking
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4 LATE MONDAY NIGHT FRANK SAT in his patrol car outside Dovie Boyd’s home, mulling over what he should do next. He was miserable, and he knew she was, too. He’d loved Dovie for a lot of years, but this was the first time he’d encountered her stubbornness. It was enough to drive a man to drink. Louise Powell, dressed to the hilt in her Texas trash, complete with star-shaped sunglasses and a silvery hat with a rhinestone band, had approached him at the bowling alley café. She’d let it drop that Dovie had booked a singles’ Caribbean cruise. Now if that didn’t beat all. Louise had gotten the information from Gayla Perkins at the travel agency and had taken great delight in rubbing his nose in it. It was downright embarrassing. Here was the town gossip, flapping her tongue all over the county, telling everyone who cared to hear that Dovie was seeking greener pastures. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he reviewed his options. He’d tried, heaven knew he’d tried, but
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5 “IN A MONTH YOU’LL BE HUSBAND and wife,” Reverend Wade McMillen said, leaning back in his leather chair in the study. It didn’t seem possible, but the wedding date had sneaked up on her. Caroline had discovered that putting together a wedding, even a small one involving just family and a few close friends, had demanded every spare moment she had. “A month,” Caroline repeated, glancing at Grady. They’d been attending counseling sessions with Wade for the past few weeks. Even now, Caroline had a difficult time taking it all in. She’d loved Grady for years, but had hidden her feelings behind a prickly attitude. It used to be they couldn’t stay in the same room without sparks flying and tempers flaring. They ignited fireworks now, too, but for other reasons. “It doesn’t seem possible,” Grady said, his gaze holding Caroline’s. “You’re as ready now as you’ll ever be,” Wade said, grinning at them. “I’ve counseled a lot of couples in my time. I often get a feel for the relationship b
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6 JANE REMOVED THE BLOOD-PRESSURE cuff from Ruth Bishop’s upper arm and noted the reading on her chart. Ruth’s diastolic and systolic numbers were well within the normal range, which was good. The medication was doing its job. “Overall, how are you feeling?” Jane asked as she reached for her prescription pad to write a renewal. “Good,” Ruth said after a short hesitation. Jane looked up. “Is there anything else you’d like me to check? You’re here now and I’d hate to have you think of something later.” Jane held office hours on Saturday morning because it seemed a convenient time for a lot of people. If Ruth decided, once she got home, that she did have some other concern, Jane wouldn’t be available again until Monday. Not only that, Ruth would have to make the long drive a second time. Jane waited quietly for a minute or so. Ruth finally spoke. “Actually it’s my daughter-in-law,” she said. Jane sat down and made herself comfortable. It’d taken her a while to realize that, when i
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CHAPTER 7 JANE SAW CAL EVERY DAY AFTER their rainy afternoon. The riding lessons continued, but they found other reasons to be together, too. After their first date he no longer made an issue of their not becoming involved and she was glad. She particularly liked meeting him at the ranch, liked seeing him in his own world, which was new and strange and enchanting to her. It was Sunday, two weeks after the storm. For her riding lesson that afternoon, they rode to the farthest pasture with Digger, Cal’s dog, racing along beside them. The day was glorious, a perfect autumn day with temperatures still in the mid-seventies. Jane had become almost comfortable in the saddle. Either she’d built up calluses on that part of her anatomy, she thought wryly, or she’d gained skill. Probably a combination of both. Jane frequently mentioned Cal in her letters and phone calls home. She’d taken a great deal of ribbing from her father about this penchant she had for horseback riding. He told her he’d tho
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8 SAVANNAH LOVED VISITING Dovie’s antique shop with its storehouse of treasures from earlier times. This particular visit was special for another reason—she planned to tell Dovie about the baby. Since Dr. Dickinson had confirmed her pregnancy, the knowledge that her child, Laredo’s child, was growing inside her occupied more and more of her thoughts. Dovie Boyd glanced up from behind the glass counter that displayed some of the shop’s pricier antique china and jewelry. “Savannah, my dear.” Dovie’s greeting held her usual graciousness and warmth. “It’s good to see you.” “It’s always a pleasure, Dovie.” Savannah noticed that her friend was pale this morning. Come to think of it, she’d seemed tired and listless for a while now. Savannah assumed that had something to do with her separation from Frank Hennessey, although Dovie had never discussed it. “Can I help you find something?” Dovie asked, stepping around the glass counter. “I’m looking for something special,” Savannah said, p
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9 DUSK SETTLED COMFORTABLY over the Yellow Rose Ranch. Caroline stood on the porch, savoring the beauty of the sunset and the peace of a Sunday evening. Within minutes the moon would rise to greet her, and a million twinkling stars would nod their welcome. Grady joined her, standing behind her to slip his arms around her waist. In less than a week they would become husband and wife. As the wedding approached, Caroline tried not to become sidetracked by the events concerning Richard. He’d robbed her and Grady of so much already. All she wanted now was to blend her life with Grady’s. “I thought I’d find you out here,” he whispered close to her ear. She hugged his arms. “I needed a moment of solitude.” “We both do.” Grady exhaled slowly. “So much has happened in the past few days it’s hard to take it all in.” Savannah and Laredo had moved into their new home. At the same time, Caroline and Maggie had made the transition from their rented house in the city to the ranch house with G
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10 JANE HAD CALLED CAL PATTERSON a coward and a fool, and she’d meant it. Add to that stubborn, unreasonable, infuriating…and worse. Dr. Big City. Big plans. Big bucks. Each time his words came to mind she grew more furious. After all the time she’d spent with him how could he know so little about her? That really hurt. By Thursday she was exhausted. Sleep eluded her and she’d rarely been so frustrated or out of sorts. Ellie stopped by the clinic late Thursday afternoon when the office was technically closed. Jenny led her back to the office, where Jane sat making a desultory attempt to organize the top of her desk. “I take it this is a personal visit,” Jane said after Jenny had left. “Have you got a few minutes?” Ellie asked. Jane nodded. “For you I do, but not if you’re here to talk about Cal.” “Fair enough,” Ellie said, entering the room. She sat in the chair across from Jane’s desk. “You know what infuriates me most?” Jane blurted, her anger spilling over. “It’s that Cal di
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11 BACK LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR hours from her cruise, Dovie worked endlessly in the church kitchen, helping the women’s group with Caroline and Grady’s wedding. She had artfully arranged hors d’oeuvres on silver platters and set them on the counter to be picked up. Actually Dovie was grateful to be in here, away from the reception, although it was considered the least enviable of the jobs the women’s group performed for weddings and other social events. At least while she was here, she needn’t fear seeing Frank dance with Tammy Lee or flirt with any other women. She hadn’t seen him since her return, but then, it was still early. She steeled herself for their next confrontation, dreading it already. Humming softly to herself, Edwina Moorhouse entered the kitchen. “Pastor McMillen is looking for you.” “Me?” Dovie couldn’t imagine what he wanted. “He asked me to send you to his office.” “Really?” Dovie washed her hands and reached for a towel. “Did he happen to mention what this wa
CHAPTER 11
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