Blessed With a New Beginning (Preview)

Chapter One

“Thank you for the ride,” Clementine Rogers said, taking her final step out of the cart that had carried her thus far.

She had never been out west, but she was excited for a fresh start. Ever since the deaths of her mother and father, Clementine had wondered what her future might hold. There was no saying, but she knew that Feldey was a start.

Aunt Roberta’s ranch was just a mile down the road and it wouldn’t take her long to walk the distance. But from here, she was amazed at the beauty of the landscape, the rolling hills, and the open sky beyond them.

Her steps were unsure, but firm. And as she reached the door, it took a steady hand to knock.

“Hank, is that you?” came a voice on the other side.

Uncertain what to say, Clementine knew she was not loud enough when she answered.

“N-no, Aunt Roberta. It’s not Hank. It-it’s me, Clementine,” she said.

The sound of rushed footsteps gave way to the door opening and revealing the face of a woman so much like her own mother.

“Well, if it isn’t my sweet niece!” she exclaimed.

“Aunt Roberta!” Clementine said as her aunt’s arms embraced her.

“What are you doing here?” Aunt Roberta asked as she pulled away and ushered Clementine inside.

But it took only a moment for Aunt Roberta to stop in her tracks and look Clementine in the eye.
She knew.

“What happened?” Aunt Roberta asked, her eyes pooling with tears that mirrored Clementine’s.

With a labored breath, Clementine sat beside her Aunt.

“Typhoid,” Clementine replied, unable to say more about it.

“I am so sorry, my dear. I don’t know how you made it. I’ve heard that it’s getting bad in some parts,” she said.

“It truly is. I am so sorry to have to tell you this terrible news. I know that you and my mother were close when you were young,” Clementine said.

“We were. And your father?” Aunt Roberta asked.

“He went just days after she did. I know he loved me and he tried to hang on for my sake, but knowing that his wife was waiting for him? Knowing that the Lord was on the other side of that final breath? I can hardly blame him,” Clementine said.

“Nor can I,” Aunt Roberta agreed.

“What do you intend to do now? Where will you go?” Aunt Roberta asked, with a hint of hope in her voice.

Clementine was anxious about making her request. She did not want to be an inconvenience to her aunt.

“Well, I wondered if…”

“Please,” Aunt Roberta said, rushing in the moment that Clementine paused.

Clementine’s brown eyes looked into the brown eyes of her aunt with wordless gratitude.

“Honestly, I would love to have you stay here with me. Ever since your Uncle Philip died, I have been so lonely. I want company and if you need a place to stay, I want you here with me,” Aunt Roberta told her.

“I can be useful,” Clementine said, eagerly. “I am good with my hands and Mother taught me to cook well enough.”

I have no doubt of that. She was the best cook in our family. Far better than me. And while I don’t like the idea of growing idle myself, I could use a young lady around here to help out,” she said.

Clementine was relieved by the fact that she could be useful. More than anything, she wanted to be with family, and if Aunt Roberta was willing to have her, it was the best thing she could have hoped for.

“What can I help with?” Clementine asked, excited to have something to do already.

“I like selling my needlepoints in town and would appreciate more time to do that. If you want to take on the cooking, I would be delighted. At the moment, I have only one worker. My other just got married and moved out to California to try his hand at mining for gold. But Hank is a good man and he needs to eat,” Aunt Roberta said.

“Then I would be more than happy to be the one who feeds you both,” Clementine said with a grin.

“What else do you want? How else can I help you?” Aunt Roberta asked.

Clementine shrugged.

“I’m not sure. I can say that my life has not been easy for the past month. I took what Mother and Father left for me and made my way out here. There was nothing else that I could do,” she said.

“I understand that. But I’m asking what else you want. For your life. I know that cooking for your aunt is not going to be your primary goal in life. Would you want to be a schoolmarm? Get married? Open up an inn where you can cook for everyone?” Aunt Roberta asked.

Clementine had thought about all of these things time and time again, but more so lately than ever. Her future had always been something she had expected to come and find her. But now, for the first time, she was having to seek it out.

“Well, I never did consider opening a boarding house and I do like that idea, but to be honest, I want the life that my mother had,” Clementine confessed, releasing her blonde hair and weaving fingers through it before she tried to tie it back again.

The journey had made many of the ends come loose and she worried about it being dirty after all of the travel.

“So you wish to be married and have children?” Aunt Roberta asked.

“Yes. I wish for that more than anything,” Clementine said.

“I know that your mother loved all of you dearly, even if you were the only one to make it past the age of ten,” Aunt Roberta said.

It had been difficult, watching her brother and two sisters pass away so young. Clementine’s older sister had been bitten by a snake when she was just six years old. When Clementine was eight, her mother had a baby girl who did not survive the night. And the little brother that followed a year later made it until he was ten and died just last year as the first of the family to contract typhoid.

“Well, it was a shame,” Clementine said, not able to adequately use her words to express the grief and sorrow that she had undergone in the midst of all of this loss.

“More than a shame, my dear. You have experienced the sort of loss that no one should ever have to go through. My heart aches for you. And while I was not so fortunate to have any children of my own, I can still try to understand what your mother must have gone through in losing them,” Aunt Roberta said.

“Yes, it broke her heart day by day,” Clementine said.

“But you are still here. Moreover, you survived the journey to arrive here and that means something. I’m betting that the Lord has great plans for you and that you will be the one to carry our family forward through the next generation,” Aunt Roberta declared.

Clementine looked away, shyly. She hoped that she would have an opportunity to do just that.

“So, tell me about the ranch. How have things been since Uncle Philip passed away?” Clementine asked.

“It has been tough,” Aunt Roberta sighed. “He was my rock and he did most of the work. Well, him and Hank. After he died, I had Hank hire two new men, but one went in search of gold and the other went south because he learned that he had an inheritance of his own ranch when his uncle died.”

“It sounds like you have lost quite a lot of help,” Clementine said.

“Yes, I have. And it is help that I need. But I’m planning to hire another man soon. Hank has promised that he will be on the lookout for me. If someone expresses an interest in working here, he will find the right man for the job,” she said.

“It isn’t an overly large town, is it?” Clementine asked.

“No, sadly. Most anyone who wants work already has it. But it is a good community and I like the people here. They are good and kind. They supported me a great deal when Philip died,” she said.

“Well, that’s a relief,” Clementine said.

In the midst of their conversation, the door opened and a man looked up at them, surprised to see that Aunt Roberta was not alone.

“Ah, and here is Hank right now,” Aunt Roberta announced. “Hank, this is my niece, Clementine.”

“Very nice to meet you,” Clementine said.

“You too, ma’am,” he greeted.

Hank dragged into the house, his left leg falling behind as if it did not work so well. He was a young man, not much older than she was. And he was handsome in his own way. But it was clear that he was shy and ashamed of his leg.

“Sorry to intrude, Mrs. Roberta, but I wanted to ask if you needed anything from town. I’ve got to get a couple things for the horses and didn’t want to leave without checking,” he said.

“Thank you, Hank. I am quite well, but is there anything you need, my dear?” she asked Clementine.

“Not that I can think of. I can always go into town and explore later to buy whatever you would like me to cook,” she said.

“Oh, I have plenty around here for now. You are welcome to explore as you like, but don’t worry about something as silly as having to buy the supplies for cooking,” Aunt Roberta said.

“All right then, I’ll just be on my way,” Hank said.

He departed and Clementine turned back to her Aunt.

“He’s a bit shy. There is a young lady in town who certainly has his attention, but I think his confidence has been lost even since his accident,” she explained.

“That is unfortunate. I’m sure he is a nice young man,” Clementine said.

“Oh, he is at that. A wonderful, hard worker. But I do need someone who can bear a bit more weight than he can. It’s tough for him to be the only one out there when he doesn’t have full use of that left leg,” she said.

“Is there any way to hire from outside of Feldey?” Clementine asked.

“That is the very thing that I intend to do. But it isn’t always easy finding people. Hank went to a nearby town just last week and asked around, but nobody was looking for work,” she said.

“That’s funny. In the cities out east, there are always people seeking jobs,” Clementine said.

“Oh, you will soon find that Feldey is nothing at all like those places,” Aunt Roberta said.

“I have already noticed that,” Clementine said with a laugh.

“In this area – we call it Montana – there are far more mountains than people. It is a quiet life, but a good one,” Aunt Roberta said.

“I think I will like it here. I could do with a bit of peace and quiet for a time. After everything that has happened, my mind needs the calm,” Clementine said.

“Then you have certainly come to the right place. Now, you must be exhausted from your travels. Would you like a bit of rest?” Aunt Roberta asked.

“That would be nice,” Clementine said.

Aunt Roberta led her up the stairs in the ranch house and to an empty bedroom with nothing but a bed and a desk.

“This is all I have for now, but we can get you a wardrobe easily enough. I’m sorry if you have to keep your things in that bag,” Aunt Roberta said.

“I don’t mind it,” she replied with a smile.

Clementine looked around the spacious room and was pleased to know that she would have a home for now. Maybe it wasn’t the home that she was used to, but it was a new start.

It was a fresh place where she could heal her heart, so broken by the loss of the ones that she loved. And if everything went as she hoped, it would be a place where she could spend her future.

A future that she was blessed enough to have.

Chapter Two

David held his canteen under the artesian well that poured out the coldest, purest water he had ever tasted.

Having traveled this far, he looked around the beautiful, mountainous region that made up Feldey and wished he knew someone nearby so that he could stay the night before getting on with his journey.

Still, he had no idea where his endpoint would be. He could do what everyone else was doing and try his luck in California, but he had never been a man right for mining. Horses were his trade. Horses and cows and chickens.

This was the kind of place that he was made for. And yet, without knowing anybody, how was he meant to find work?

David saw a man limping towards the well and he nodded his head in greeting.

Afternoon,” he greeted.

“And to you. How’s the water?” the man asked.

“Best I’ve ever had,” David said.

“That’s what most people say when they try our water. Comes down from the glaciers and brings us something mighty fine,” he said.

“You’re from Feldey?” David asked, knowing that it was a simple question. He hoped that it would give him an opportunity to converse with the young man, who was maybe a year or two his junior.

“Proudly. I’ve lived here most of my life,” he said.

“It’s a beautiful place,” David said, looking at their surroundings.

There were green hills and tree-topped mountains with white peaks. It was peaceful and beautiful, even better than his own home town. But here, no one knew him and he didn’t have the stink of shame and failure about him.

“You visiting family here?” the man asked.

David shook his head. This was the best chance he could have been given to learn about the area and let someone know what he was looking for.

“No, I’ve just been traveling, looking for work and a fresh start,” he said, comfortable chatting with this random stranger.

“What sort of work?” the man asked, clearly interested.

“I’m a rancher by trade, but I’m pretty good with my hands at most things,” David said.

The man’s face lit up, as if he had just learned the best news he had heard all day.

“Boy, am I glad to have met you. The ranch where I work needs an experienced hand. As you can tell, I’m not much good for some things,” the man said.

“Are you serious?” David asked, taken aback. “I was just standing here, thinking how much I would love to live and work in an area like this. I was thinking about the fact that I don’t know anyone here and have no way of learning if there are any positions needing filled, and here you are.”

“You know who planned that?” The man chuckled.

“Obviously God had something in mind,” David said, also amused at the wondrous ways in which the Lord worked.

“Well, I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Hank Guthrie. Ranch hand, son to Barbara and Simon, brother to Dennis, Corey, and Velma,” he said.

“That is a far greater introduction than any I have to offer. My name is David Brown. I have two older brothers, Warren and Abel. They work with my father, Bernard, on our family ranch,” David said.

“Why did you leave?” Hank asked.

“Well, it wasn’t the right place for me,” he said.

Hank nodded, looking as though he was suddenly worried. David realized that his sudden appearance seeking work could come across as though he was trying to escape something that he had done wrong.

“We are all in good sorts, of course. I just wanted to see a new part of the country,” he said.
“Right, that’s good then,” Hank said, appearing satisfied.

David nodded. He had nothing to hide. His reasons for having left had little to do with his family or the ranch. In fact, his father had encouraged him to go. After realizing that he had no future there, it had been the most logical step and one that David was more than happy to take.

A new adventure was tempting. He had always been more independent than his brothers. So when it appeared that his best bet was to try his luck out west, David had jumped at the opportunity.

Now, more than ever, he was glad that he had done so. Getting away from all that he was leaving behind felt good. He would miss working with his father and brothers, but this was just how things needed to be.

“So what sort of place is the ranch?” he asked.

“Pretty standard. Cattle, horses, and chickens, mainly. Mrs. Roberta was widowed a few years back and has kept up with everything since. We’ve had a few other men working at the ranch, but they had other ambitions. If you come, how long would you be planning to stay?” Hank asked.

“I am looking for a place to settle. I don’t want to be on the move. The ranch I land on is going to be my home,” David explained.

“That’s just what we’re looking for. Welcome, David Brown. I’m looking forward to having you meet Mrs. Roberta. She’s going to be thrilled to know that I have found another man to help out,” Hank said.

“It’s good that you think so. Honestly, I just can’t believe the fortune of meeting you here. As you suggested, it had to have been the Lord that made this happen,” he said.

“You got a wife or kids or anything? I only ask because Mrs. Roberta will need to know if she can put you up in one of the houses on the property or if she needs to help you find something bigger in town,” Hank said.

David shook his head, trying to hide his disappointment. On that matter, he had to accept that he had not been so fortunate. He hoped that he might still find love one day, but even if he didn’t, he would still be thankful that the Lord had brought him this far.

And until things changed in his heart, he didn’t mind so much being alone. It was better than being hurt.

“No wife and no kids. It’s just me,” he said.

“Well, all right then, David. Do you need anything else? I was just on my way back to the house and I might as well take you with me,” Hank said.

“I can’t think of anything. I mean, I don’t have much with me, but I’m not a man who needs much,” he said.

“That’s just the sort that we like. I bet you’ll do well here. I can tell you’re a good man already. So come with me and we can get you some good foo-”

Hank trailed off before he finished the word and his eyes met the horizon. David turned and saw a figure fast approaching.

She appeared to be a young lady, but one who walked with a rather aggressive gait. Her legs urged her forward in an almost angry manner, as if she was always going about in search of someone to scold.

With the light at her back, David couldn’t yet see much more than this, but as she approached, he realized that she was a thin, reedy woman with dark brown hair that hung straight and blunt at her back. Her cheeks were sharp and intimidating and her eyes small and grey.

“Hank,” she greeted, informally and without a hint of warmth in her voice.

“Miss Tabitha,” he nodded in reply, before clearing his throat and gesturing to David that they ought to leave.

“And who might this be?” she asked, before they could take a step.

The young lady put herself directly before David so that it would have been rude for him to pass her by. A sudden smile was on her face and it somehow made her appear both less intimidating, but also less approachable.

“You are new around here, aren’t you? Well, I am Tabitha Statham and I can help you with whatever you need,” she said, not allowing him to speak before she continued.

“You should know that our town is the best there is. I do love it here and I’m sure that you will too. Do you need someone to show you around?” she asked.

Taken aback by her overt friendliness towards him, David pretended to slide his foot on a rock in order to step back from her.

Tabitha Statham had quite a presence. One that she did not mind using to invade his space and make herself known. But he wondered why she had been so cold and rude to Hank while trying to warm to David as she was doing.

“You know, I believe that I am well set, thank you,” he said.

“Are you sure? Because I know all there is to know around here. I can help you find anything you need,” she said.

“Mr. Guthrie has already done more than enough for me, thank you. I have all that I need,” David said, as quickly as he could.

With that, he looked to Hank.

“We ought to be making our way, right? I don’t want to keep Mrs. Roberta waiting,” David said.

“Oh, you’re going to Roberta’s ranch? I used to go by there all the time. Didn’t I?” she asked, rather aggressively towards Hank.

“Yes, you did,” Hank sighed. “And you’re right, Mr. Brown. We should go.”

David was relieved when he and Hank managed to make their way away from the well where the young woman stopped to fill her canteen.

“Don’t pay her any mind. I promise you that there is no one else in town like her,” Hank explained.

“You don’t think very highly of her?” David asked, wanting to be careful how he went about things. The last thing he needed was to be making enemies by insulting the people who lived in the town that he was trying to make his home. It would not have done him very well to be rude.

“I’ll explain it all another time. For now, it is better that I simply prepare you for the ranch,” Hank said.

David listened as Hank told him all about the ranch’s history and the man who had owned and run it before he passed away. It sounded as though Mrs. Roberta was a decent woman to work for.

It was a shame that she had lost the other men who had been helping her.

“And you’re certain that she will approve of you finding a stranger at a well?” David asked.

“Didn’t Abraham’s servant find Isaac’s wife at a well? The Lord arranges our meetings and we have no say in how he chooses to go about it. I’m sure that Mrs. Roberta is going to be happy about your experience and the fact that you want to be in Feldey,” Hank said.

It was a good enough point and David was glad that Hank was the sort of man who would think about that. Whatever had happened in his past, it didn’t mean that God was closing off his future.

“Well, this is it,” Hank said as they drew near a wide, open land with a ranch house, a barn, and a few smaller houses dotted behind.

David saw the cattle out grazing. The horses were nearby, closer to the pen where he could work them. And the sound of chickens was echoing all around.

This was the perfect place to call home.

“Think it will do?” Hank asked.

David smiled. It would do just fine.

Chapter Three

Clementine stretched and yawned before trying to see through the slit in the curtains to look at the light from outside. It had to be well past ten in the morning.

Her aunt had obviously allowed her to sleep in and recover from her exhaustion. But this late?
She stood up in a panic, opening the curtain to confirm her suspicion.

Yes, it had to be mid-morning now. There was no way it was any earlier.

That meant that she had not only failed to make dinner the night before, but also breakfast that morning. She must have slept for what, fifteen or sixteen hours? Was it longer?

She could hardly remember.

Clementine hadn’t realized she had been so tired, but she was immediately feeling terrible. She had come to see her Aunt Roberta and had made a promise to take on the cooking. But she had missed her first two meals.

With that in mind, Clementine rushed down the stairs, desperate to find Aunt Roberta and apologize.

She stumbled out of the room and took the stairs down two at a time.

“Aunt Roberta?” she called.

There was no answer, but she smelled the remnants of a breakfast that had ended hours before.
There was a sound behind her, towards the front door, and Clementine rushed to turn and find her aunt.

“Oh!” she cried out, bumping into a man that she had not met the day before.

“Excuse me,” he said in a deep, warm voice.

He was handsome. Very handsome. With brown hair that reminded her of oak and eyes that shone like the water, she was also taken aback by the masculine chin with the little dimple at its base.

“Excuse me,” she echoed. “I didn’t mean to run headlong into you.”

“Me either,” he said. “I’m just looking for Roberta. Do you know where she is at?”

“I was looking for her also,” Clementine said.

“I see. Well, I should have brought them in, but we do have a few dishes out there. I didn’t want her to have to clean them but since she has a maid, I guess I’ll bring them. Anyway, please let me know if you find her,” he said.

Clementine’s jaw dropped as he turned around.

A maid? He thought she was a maid? What a rude thing to assume!

He may have been handsome and made his assumption politely enough, but it was still something that irked her pride.

Clementine searched for her aunt in the house but did not find her. What she found, instead, was a mirror hanging on one of the walls.

A maid.

It all made sense now as she took in her appearance.

Clementine had rushed down from her room without taking the time to look after herself. She had woken from a sixteen-hour rest.

Her hair was disheveled and her dress crumpled from the travel the day before. She had worn something comfortable rather than fashionable and it was the sort of thing that a maid might wear when she had dirty duties to take care of.

Humiliated, Clementine determined that she would look the part of Aunt Roberta’s niece the next time she stumbled into anyone.

She rushed up the stairs and into her room, opened her bag, and pulled out something far more decent. Then, with the brush that she had taken as a piece of her mother to remember, Clementine brushed through her long, golden tresses before pinning them neatly back.

If only she had thought to do this earlier! What a terrible first impression she had made. And on a man she had considered so handsome. She was more than embarrassed.

Now that she had made herself presentable, Clementine went back downstairs and was startled to find Aunt Roberta seated quite comfortably in the living room.

“You’re here,” she said.

“You’re awake!” Aunt Roberta replied, delighted.

“Yes. Please forgive me for having slept so long. I did not cook dinner or breakfast,” she said, still feeling awful about it.

“Oh, piffle,” Aunt Roberta said, waving it away. “You needed rest. I had already been planning to cook anyway before you showed up. Why would I have been upset to have to keep to that plan? Anyway, let me get some breakfast for you. I’m sure that you are famished.”

“Oh, I can do it. You have done enough,” Clementine insisted, knowing she would end up feeling even worse if her aunt now cooked for her as well.

“Clementine, my dear, we have an agreement. You will do the cooking here. But for the moment, would you please allow your old aunt to indulge you? I would truly appreciate it if you would allow me a chance to just take care of you for a day or two,” Aunt Roberta requested.

Hesitant to accept, Clementine paused. Her silence was enough of an answer for Aunt Roberta.

“Very well, then. Have a seat. I’ll get you some eggs and a bit of bacon. Do you like broccoli? Oh, I do love it when it is cooked in with my eggs. Also, cabbage. Which would you prefer?” she asked. “Or both, if you’d like that.”

“I would love both,” Clementine replied, deciding that she would accept her aunt’s hospitality without complaint.

“Excellent,” she replied, making her way to the kitchen.

Clementine sat in the living room and looked at all of the trinkets that her aunt and uncle had collected during the course of their marriage.

Her mother had always said that they were a happy couple. That they had fallen in love very young and always wanted a large family. Although that did not happen for them, they found fulfillment in life through other means.

Clementine admired that. Even when things did not go as they had wished, they had chosen to trust God to take care of them and be their sole intention.

She waited for a short time before Aunt Roberta returned and brought the plate filled with wonderful food.

“This looks amazing,” she said.

“You think? I hope it tastes good. I am not half as wonderful as your mother was,” she said.

But Clementine loved the meal and said as much. Afterwards, Aunt Roberta showed her around the farmhouse.

“So if you need anything else, just ask. But I am usually in my room or down here doing my needlepoint. And Hank is always on the grounds, so if you need something and I am not around, he is the one to ask,” Aunt Roberta said.

Clementine nodded, hoping that her aunt would explain the other man.

“You know, it is the strangest thing. Yesterday evening, just after you had gone to bed and before dinner, I sat down to pray about the ranch. I asked God to provide another hand who could help with a great deal of other things that need to be done,” she began.

Clementine was listening intently. Her aunt had such a thoughtful look on her face.

“Within half an hour of the prayer, Hank shows up with a man who just got to town asking for work. Can you believe it? They must have been meeting just as I was praying,” Aunt Roberta said, shaking her head.

“That is an amazing thing,” Clementine said.

“Yes, it truly is. Anyway, I can introduce you to David whenever we happen to see him. He is also going to be staying in one of the houses out back behind the property and will be learning from Hank,” she said.

“Do you know anything about him?” Clementine asked. She knew that, perhaps, she was showing too much interest. But she also was deeply curious and thought that it might be a decent opportunity to find out more about this man.

“Not really. But I’m sure that he is safe. I don’t want that concerning you. Still, I would like to get to know him better if he is going to be working here. He seems like a very nice young man,” she said.

“That’s good to hear,” Clementine said, her smile genuine and unassuming.

“Would you like to go outside and see the land?” Aunt Roberta asked.

“That would be lovely,” she replied. Deep down, she knew that a part of her was hoping that they would bump into the new man, after all. Now that she was looking better, he might understand that she was not a simple maid.

Clementine followed Aunt Roberta into the fresh air and down the three steps of the porch. Before them was a wide, open world. A place where animals were roaming without fences, and beyond those that were kept at the ranch.

“What is that?” she asked, pointing out in the distance to a black mass that appeared to be moving with tiny little parts. Like enormous ants on a hill, they went together.

“Buffalo. There are many of them. They travel in herds and we never quite know if we might accidentally stumble upon them,” Aunt Roberta said.

“Buffalo? I have never seen one before, but I’ve heard of them,” she said.

“Enormous creatures. And their meat is quite good. I don’t like it so well as the elk, but it is decent,” Aunt Roberta said.

Clementine had never eaten any meat other than chicken, pork, and beef. Exotic creatures like the ones out here were intriguing.

“What other sorts of animals are there?” she asked.

Aunt Roberta thought for a moment before replying.

“Well, we have the occasional mountain lion, but they are rare and more afraid of people. But there are big horned sheep, deer, every type of bird, antelope, and so many more,” she said.

“But here,” Aunt Roberta continued, “I have only the very basic animals for a ranch. Now that Philip is gone, I have lost my hunter and have to buy meat if I want anything special.”

Clementine thought about what it would be like to see some of these creatures close up. She hoped that she would have the chance.

In the meantime, she followed Aunt Roberta and continued to be shown parts of the ranch.

“Here is the barn. You can see this is where we keep all of the supplies for the horses, so if you would ever like to go riding, just ask Hank and he can get you settled. Or the new gentleman, David. I’m sure he knows what he is doing,” Roberta said.

When they came out the other side of the barn doors, Clementine was taken aback once more. In every direction she looked, the views were spectacular. Everything was a picture that she had never seen before.

A river flowed at the base of a hill, and off to the west were even more stunning mountains. But the sight that quickly got her attention was altogether something else.

“Ah, here he is. You have already met Hank, but Clementine, this is Mr. David Brown. David, this is my niece, Clementine,” she introduced.

Clementine watched his jaw drop open in sudden realization. It gave her a deep sense of satisfaction to know that she looked her best just now and was able to shock him after what he had earlier assumed.

“Nice to properly meet you,” she said. Although she would have liked to have apologized for her earlier appearance, Clementine believed it was best forgotten about entirely and she could instead try to make herself as pleasant as possible now.

“I-uh-nice to meet you as well,” he said.

“Did the two of you meet already?” Aunt Roberta asked.

“Only briefly. We were both looking for you. I suppose that it makes sense now that neither of us showed much care in who the other was. We must both have assumed that the other was a long-time resident,” she said, trying to be charming and explain away any awkwardness.

“I guess so,” David replied.

Based on the pinking of his cheeks, Clementine thought that he was embarrassed and it made her feel a little bit better.

What she wanted even more, however, was for him to notice how she looked now.

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“Blessed With a New Beginning” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

Following the tragic death of her parents, Clementine Rogers decides to go further to the west to reconnect with the rest of her family. Leaving the painful memories behind, she focuses on her new life, as everything is completely different now. Meeting another newcomer, David, will put a smile on her face for the first time in a long time, but will she be ready to find out that he’s also running away from his past? Could love actually thrive in a place as hostile as Feldey?

Feeling utterly betrayed, David Brown leaves his home with no second thoughts to start fresh somewhere far away. When he stumbles upon an opportunity to take up his ideal job on a ranch, David has no doubt that it was God who gave him this chance. The moment luck seems to be on his side just for once, will he get a second chance in love too? Will he ever be able to trust Clementine and believe in love again?

As Clementine and David get to know each other, they will soon find out that hidden dangers lurk in Feldey. When a terrifying fire threatens to destroy the ranch’s future, questions begin to arise, and they will have to face a great dilemma. Staying together will be proven much more dangerous than they could ever expect. Will they be able to track down and fight back an invisible foe? Will they sacrifice their happiness to guarantee everyone’s safety?

“Blessed With a New Beginning” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!