OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, " Faith and Love on the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
“Look at them, Amelia. Have you ever seen anything so full of life?” Caleb’s voice, warm and tinged with amusement, drifted over the early evening breeze as he stood beside Amelia, both watching their two sons play.
Amelia’s gaze followed the joyful chaos of their boys—Jacob, the elder at four, and little Ethan, just two—chasing each other around the spacious yard of Willow Creek Ranch. The boys’ laughter mixed with the gentle sounds of the farm animals, creating a melody that spoke directly to Amelia’s heart. “Every day with them is a blessing,” she replied, her voice soft with emotion. “Who would’ve thought a city girl like me would find such happiness in the dust and dawn of the frontier life?”
Caleb wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “I did,” he said simply, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the setting sun painted the sky in shades of gold and crimson. “From the moment I saw you step off that train, I knew you were meant for this life, for us.”
Amelia leaned into his embrace, her heart swelling with love not just for the man beside her but for the life they had built together. The once-mail-order bride had indeed seamlessly integrated into the rhythms of ranch life, embracing her role with unwavering devotion.
Their sons, having momentarily forgotten their game, now gravitated towards the chicken coop, intrigued by the hens pecking at the ground. Jacob, with the solemnity only a four-year-old could muster, attempted to explain to Ethan the importance of being gentle with the animals. Ethan, in turn, watched his brother with wide, fascinated eyes, absorbing every word.
Amelia chuckled, the sound light and full of warmth. “They’re going to be just like you, Caleb. Strong, kind, and wise.”
“And just as stubborn, if I have any say in it,” Caleb joked, his eyes twinkling with the same light that never failed to captivate her. His gaze shifted back to Amelia, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to still, the only real thing being the bond that tethered their hearts together.
As the children continued their play, a comfortable silence settled between Caleb and Amelia, the kind of silence that spoke volumes of the deep understanding and love they shared. It was a moment of pure contentment, a reflection of the life they had forged together amidst the challenges and triumphs of the past five years.
Suddenly, Jacob’s excited shout broke the tranquility. “Pa, look! I found a frog!” He held up his cupped hands, his face alight with the thrill of discovery.
Ethan, not to be outdone, squealed with delight and began hopping around, imitating the frog’s movements, his laughter infectious.
Caleb’s laughter joined that of his sons, and he excused himself to see Jacob’s find, leaving Amelia to watch her family with a heart so full it felt as though it might burst. This was her world now, far removed from the bustling streets of Boston she once knew. And as she watched Caleb crouch down beside their sons, teaching them with patience and love, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the world.
As the sun started to dip lower, Amelia collected herself and moved to join her family. Caleb looked up, his eyes catching the last of the sunlight, and said with a grin, “Tonight, we’re having company for dinner. Sam and Beth will be joining us.”
Amelia’s face lit up at the mention of their friends. “Oh, that’s wonderful! It’s been too long since we’ve had a proper sit-down with them. Do you think Sam will manage to arrive without finding trouble this time?” Her tone was playful, teasing, a nod to the many adventures—some might say misadventures—that seemed to find Sam, much to everyone’s amusement.
Caleb chuckled, standing up and brushing his hands off. “Well, if he can steer clear of any stray cattle or avoid starting a new feud with the wild turkeys, we might just be in luck.”
Their shared laughter was a testament to the deep bonds of friendship that had formed over the years, bonds that had been a source of strength and joy in their lives. The thought of spending an evening with Sam and Beth brought a warm anticipation to Amelia’s heart, a reminder of the community they had built around themselves in this rugged but beautiful land.
As they made their way back to the house, Amelia with Ethan perched on her hip and Caleb holding Jacob’s hand, the conversation turned to the preparations for the evening. “I’ll start on the stew,” Amelia said, already thinking ahead to the hearty meal she would prepare. “And maybe an apple pie for dessert? Beth loves your apple pie,” Caleb suggested, earning an excited nod from Jacob, who had developed quite the sweet tooth.
The mention of danger lurking in the vast landscapes around them sobered their conversation momentarily. Yet, it also deepened their appreciation for the moments of peace and happiness they found within the protective embrace of Willow Creek Ranch. “It’s proof of the strength and resilience of the people who choose to make their lives here,” Amelia mused, her gaze sweeping over the ranch they called home. “Despite everything, there’s a simplicity and authenticity to this life that I’ve come to love deeply.”
Caleb squeezed her hand, his expression one of shared sentiment. “It’s the life we’ve chosen, for better or worse, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Their steps led them back to the warmth and light of their home, a beacon against the encroaching evening. The familiar scents of home-cooked food and the sound of their sons’ laughter filled the air, creating an atmosphere of domestic bliss that Amelia once could only have dreamt of.
As they busied themselves with dinner preparations, the anticipation of sharing their home with friends added an extra layer of warmth to the evening. The simple act of gathering around the table, breaking bread with those dear to them, served as a poignant reminder of the life they had built together.
A bit later, Sam and Beth arrived, their presence filling the Turner home with an added vibrance. Caleb, standing on the wooden porch, looked up to see Sam and Beth riding in, with Sam and his ever-present hat held loosely in one hand as he dismounted with ease.
“Sam!” Caleb called out, a wide grin spreading across his face as he descended the porch steps to meet his friend. “You made it without any detours this time?”
Sam chuckled, clasping Caleb’s outstretched hand in a robust handshake that spoke volumes of their years of camaraderie. “Now, Caleb, you know I wouldn’t miss dinner at your place. Besides, the only detour I took was to make sure I brought the finest bottle of whiskey I could find for the occasion.”
From behind Sam, Beth gracefully stepped down from her own horse, her smile brightening the dimming evening. Amelia, who had been watching from the door, rushed forward, her heart warmed by the sight of their friends.
“Beth!” Amelia exclaimed, opening her arms wide. As they embraced, the warmth and comfort of Beth’s hug enveloped her, feeling every bit as familiar and comforting as that of a sister. “I’m so glad you’re here. It feels like it’s been too long.”
Beth pulled back, her hands still holding Amelia’s shoulders as she looked at her friend with affection. “It has, Amelia. And it’s a crime, really. You know how much I love your cooking. And,” she added with a conspiratorial wink, “I couldn’t wait to hear what new stories you all have to share.”
The children, energized by the arrival of guests, showed off their latest discoveries on the ranch with a fervor that only the innocence of youth could sustain.
Dinner was a lively affair, the table laden with dishes that were a testament to Amelia’s culinary skills and the bounty of the ranch. Conversation flowed as easily as the wine, tales of recent adventures mingling with plans for the future, laughter punctuating the air like music. It was in these moments, surrounded by the warmth of family and friends, that the hardships of life on the frontier seemed to recede, if only for a while.
After the meal, as the children settled down with Beth for a bedtime story, the rest of the adults retired to the porch with a pitcher of tea, the night air cool and refreshing. The stars above were brilliant, a celestial tapestry that never failed to awe. Beth and Sam sat close, hands entwined, the quiet of the evening enveloping them in a peaceful solitude.
Amelia’s thoughts wandered back to the family she had lost in the fire, a pang of sorrow mingling with the joy of the present. “I never imagined,” she began, her voice soft, “that out of such loss could come something so beautiful. This land, our family, the life we’ve built… it’s more than I could have ever hoped for.”
Caleb turned to her, his eyes reflecting the starlight. “You’ve brought so much love into this home, Amelia. You and the boys are my heart. And while the pain of the past never truly leaves us, it’s the love we build in its wake that defines us.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, not of sadness, but of gratitude. “I’ve gained another family here in the Wild West,” she whispered, her gaze sweeping over the land that had become her salvation. “A family born not of blood, but of love, resilience, and shared dreams.”
Caleb lifted their entwined hands to his lips, kissing hers gently. “And that,” he said, “is the greatest gift of all.”
The night deepened around them, the only sounds the soft murmur of their voices and the distant call of a night bird. As the moon rose higher, casting its silver glow over Willow Creek Ranch, Caleb and Amelia sat in silence, basking in the serenity of the moment. It was a reflection of their journey together, a path marked by challenges and triumphs, but above all, an unwavering commitment to each other and the life they had chosen. In the quiet of the night, they were reminded once again of the blessings that surrounded them, a family knit together by fate.
~
After the guests had left, with the house quiet and the children fast asleep, Amelia found herself in their bedroom, the letter Caleb had written to her years ago in her hands. The words on the page, once a beacon of hope and a promise of a new beginning, now read like a testament to the journey they had undertaken together. The soft rustle of the paper seemed to echo in the stillness of the room as she traced the lines with her finger, each word bringing a swell of emotions.
Caleb entered the room, his footsteps soft against the wooden floor. Seeing Amelia with the letter, a tender smile played upon his lips. “Reading my old promises?” he asked, his voice a gentle rumble in the quiet room.
Amelia looked up, her eyes shining with unspoken words. “Yes,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s as if I’m reading it for the first time again. Your words, they brought me here, to you, to this life.”
Caleb sat beside her on the bed, his presence a comforting warmth. Gently taking the letter from her hands, he began to read aloud, his voice imbuing the words with life. Each sentence, a pledge of love and commitment, filled the room, weaving a spell of romance and intimacy that was as potent now as it had been on the day Amelia first read them.
As he finished, Caleb folded the letter and set it aside, his gaze locked with Amelia’s. “I meant every word then, and I mean them even more now,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “You are the love of my life.”
Amelia reached for him, her hands framing his face, pulling him close until their lips met in a kiss that was both a confirmation of their past and a promise for the future. The spark between them, undiminished by time, flared into a passionate embrace, a physical manifestation of their enduring love and desire for one another.
The world outside faded away, leaving only the certainty of their love and the life they shared. In that moment, Amelia knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the choice she had made to come here, to join her life with Caleb’s, was the making of her destiny.
Readers who read this book also liked
 |
 |
 |
 |
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, " Faith and Love on the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello, my dear readers! I hope that you enjoyed my story and the extended epilogue. I’m looking forward to reading your comments!
Hi, although I appreciate that you did your ‘homework’ re the geography and plantlife of the areas passed through, at times I felt I was reading a history book.
There were so many mistakes in other things.
Caleb already knew about her family being killed in the fire from her letter, so there was no need to make a big reveal of that news to him.
She recognised the voice of the man from the alley. Then later realised why his voice was so familiar, it was because she’d heard it from the alley.
She asked Caleb what his late fiancee was called but later she didn’t know who Grace was when Caleb’s mother mentioned it.
Lots of missing words and the like.
I enjoyed the story in itself, but I can’t help feeling like it was written in haste without being proof read.
As other’s said, the mention of Abigail instead of Beth was strange but that was right at the very end. Did they really not notice everything else?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feedback on my book. I appreciate your appreciation for the effort put into the geography and plant life details. Your points about the inconsistencies and errors are duly noted, and I apologize for any confusion they may have caused. I’ll take your feedback to heart for future revisions.
Great story, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the extended epilogue especially when Amelia and Sam were married.
Glad to know you enjoyed it, Kitty!
Story entertaining reading. Two grieving hearts able to be healed. Amelia certainly used her faith to guide her through.
Confused about name “Abigail” when Beth Collins ended up being Sam’s romantic interest in main story. Also letter from Caleb before Amelia’s journey to Deadwood? I thought only letters she received were from Caleb’s parents. That was the initial conflict between Caleb and his parents that they did it as a way to push him out of his grief for Grace.
Thank you Lilah Rivers
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! I appreciate your insights and will certainly take note of the points you raised for clarity in future editions.
I was also a bit confused about the name Abigail instead of Beth. I truly enjoy reading your novels and I am already anxiously awaiting another one from you!
I have written 2 emails to you, hope you received them. I LOVE reading the extended epilogue to find out how Caleb and Amelia’s love for each other progressed!
Thank You Lilah~
Thank you for your feedback and continued support! I received your emails and appreciate your enthusiasm for the extended epilogue. Abigail’s name switch wasn’t a deliberate choice, but I’m glad to know you’re enjoying the story nonetheless.
I always enjoy your stories. Thank you. I was also confused on the change in name from Beth to Abigail in the EE. Also was confused at name change of Caleb’s previous fiancee from Grace to Mary for several chapters. Then it went back to Grace close to the end of the book. Reading the letter also seemed confusing as the words came from his parents, not him.
Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate your support and will definitely take your observations into consideration for future edits.
A good story but a confusing extended epilogue at the name Abigail instead of Beth I love all yours books
Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate your support and will definitely take your thoughts into consideration for future writing, for now I have changed the name back to normal! Glad you enjoyed the story overall!
A very good book. It held my interest all the way thru.
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it and found it engaging from start to finish.
While I enjoyed the story I am dismayed over the many errors in it. First you told us she came from Boston. Then later you said she came from Baltimore. There were so many times when your sentences did not make sense. Do you not proof read or have an editor. I dont know if I will read another of your books. My email is mrsc55 @yahoo.com.
Thank you for your feedback. I apologize for the inconsistencies and errors you found in the book. I appreciate your honesty and will take your comments into consideration for future works.
As others have mentioned, there are so many errors in this book. Wrongly used homonyms, misspellings, names changes, I love your books and have enjoyed reading so many of them. You are my favorite author of this genre, but that said, I am disappointed that there are so many spelling and grammatical errors in your work. They won’t stop me from reading your work, but it continues to disappoint me. Find another proofreader. Blessings to you!
Thank you for your feedback and continued support. I apologize for the errors and will definitely take steps to ensure better proofreading in the future. Your support means a lot to me.
This was a really interesting story. It’s filled with a lot of pain for Amelia who lost her family because of an evil man’s desire to possess what he thought should have been his. Caleb had also suffered the loss of his former fiance. When Caleb’s parents answered a mail order bride ad from Amelia on Caleb’s behalf, and didn’t tell him until she was on her way to him. Things were difficult for them and there were trials both had to face but things that were meant to be prevailed.
It sounds like you really connected with Amelia and Caleb’s journey through trials and pain. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
A very good human interest story with drama, action, and love. Both Caleb and Amelia had to learn to overcome their stubbornness to cement a relationship.
A little more proofreading would be helpful for the next book. Still a great read.
Thank you for the insightful feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed the story, and I’ll definitely take your suggestion into account for the next book. Stay tuned!
I enjoyed this book. I’m an avid reader of mail order brides books in recent years. I have many other books in my bookcases that I need to read, but these have me totally hooked. Sure, there were some errors, but considering you wrote an entire book, I overlooked them because you can’t catch everything all the time. This has made me wonder if I could write some of the same genres. I especially enjoyed the epilogues in your books! I would often wonder what happened to the characters in books, and your epilogues made the perfect endings.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the book, especially as a fan of mail order bride stories. I’m glad the epilogues resonated with you – they’re always my favorite part to write! If you ever decide to explore writing in the same genre, I’d be happy to offer any advice or support. Happy reading!
Unfortunately the glaring mistakes of time passage,name changes,places changes and impracticable circumstances happening, and poor sentence construction on nearly every page lost the plot for me to the point I felt real anger that I spent money buying this story when there were so many available on Amazon for free. Shame on whoever was the possible “proof reader.”
I’m truly sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing experience with my book. Your feedback is valuable, and I’ll definitely take it into consideration for future projects. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.
I hate to make it worse but for such a good story too many messups. Even though I enjoyed the book I was wondering about a couple of things. One being where were the parents who would have enjoyed having two precious grandsons. Where were they? Also that very bad man who’s name changed several times in the story should have hanged for all the murders he committed. He even killed his grandparents as well as Amelia’s and also her parents and brother. Also tried to have her murdered. Bad, bad man. Greedy bad man. I do enjoy your books and have read many. I do think something happened about your editor though on this one. Thanks for sharing your talent.
Thank you for your feedback and for being a loyal reader! I’m glad you enjoyed the story despite the issues you mentioned. I’ll make sure to address these points in future works and tighten up the editing process. Your support and insights mean a lot to me.
I love your storyline and enjoy the history of the era. I also agree with the other viewer’s. Too many errors in the story line noted and miss use of words. I also noted in the extended epilogue the error of Amelia noting Caleb’s written letter was what moved her to go. Caleb agreed? Fat check! Caleb didn’t write the letter. His parents did. He wasn’t aware until it was time to pick her up. I also missed not hearing of Caleb’s parents in the extended epilogue. That would have been nice.
Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the storyline and historical setting. I appreciate you pointing out the errors and will definitely take a closer look at those details, especially the letter in the extended epilogue. Your thoughts on including more about Caleb’s parents are noted as well—I’ll keep that in mind for future updates. Thanks again for reading and for your thoughtful input!
Would have been nice to find out how Caleb parents enjoyed them grandbabies. One of the reasons they did what they did. Still confused somewhat how Amelia grew up in two places.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the story! Caleb’s parents were definitely thrilled with their grandbabies—I may have to explore that more in the future. As for Amelia, her upbringing was a bit complex, but I appreciate your thoughts on it! Thanks for reading and sharing your feedback!
A exciting story of wild adventures. Death, kidnapping, betrayal of parents, most most of all love of God. Truly as written in His Word , all things do work for good to them who are called.
Thank you for your thoughtful words. I’m so glad the story’s twists and turns pointed you to God’s love and His promise.