Blurb:
When Elaine first sets eyes on former bull-rider Alex, her heart says he belongs right here, with her, on her Colorado ranch. Someday. Her faith’s in tatters after her dad’s unexpected death helping out a friend. Even when Alex reminds her that there’s no greater love than giving one’s life for a friend—like Jesus did for us, she can’t soften her heart. In addition to her woes, her vagabond uncle Jerome seems to have made shady arrangements that may cause her and her mother to lose the ranch. Can Alex’s trust in God along with his encouragement, comfort, and strength begin to restore her own reliance on the Lord?
Short Extract:
“Your father didn’t understand his brother, honey. How Jerome could leave this beautiful place. They groused and grumbled, but they loved each other just the same.” Mama glared at me then. “Kind of like you and me, I guess. But that’s beside the question. Moving on: Your father and I started a dedicated education fund for you when you were born, and you will reenroll at St. Lidwina’s next month. Case closed.”
I turned my anger into annoyance. “All righty then, Mama. I’m gonna to see if I can help with the horses.”
I had no choice but continue the argument later, so I got up, slid into my boots in the mudroom, and left the house. Oh, I wanted to slam the front door but realized the danger in it. Instead, I held onto the porch rail and tried to calm my unsettled heart.
It was right then I saw a decrepit pickup truck heading up our long drive toward the house. It was so rusty it might have spent the last twenty years at the bottom of a lake. We weren’t expecting anybody. I couldn’t see a face behind the windscreen, but the lone driver wore a cowboy hat. Which Uncle Jerome never wore, preferring a helmet with purple skulls. And he always rode a motorbike. So I relaxed my fists.
But not my whole self. No matter ranch life started early, most folks gathered after church or used the telephone after afternoon chores to relay local gossip. Bad news was another matter. Always done in person and right away. My bodily systems couldn’t help tensing up with nerves and anxiousness.
I just had no more left to give.
First Line:
Still no snow.
First thing I did every morning was pull open my bedroom curtains to check if any had fallen overnight.
Book Link:
Inspiration behind the story:
I came up with the title first, reckoning somehow I’d figure out a Christmas Extravaganza story that fit. All my stories take place at my fictional Hearts Crossing Ranch in fictional Mountain Cove, Colorado, each one featuring a member of the Martin clan. So…this time I decided on a prequel of how their ma and pa met in 1976. Such a fun hobble down memory for my editor Lisa and me. I wrote the story for the Watershed line, since present-day matriarch Elaine is twenty years old in the book, refusing to go back to college after taking time after her father’s death. Yeah, it’s labeled YA, but it’s suitable for all ages, I promise. Something about first love we can all relate to. Sigh. And for some of us, like Elaine, Clare, and me, it lasts forever! (Hello, Dean!) And P.S. Both Clare and I have Rhyses in our lives. Her son, and my grandson. Awesome name!
Comments