Her Heart’s Anchor (Preview)

Chapter One

“That will be the last time I try a jump like that,”

Ruth said to herself, rubbing the base of her spine.
She whisked into the kitchen, realizing that she was running a bit late for getting started on cooking the lunch. But she hadn’t been on a ride in three days and had needed to give herself a bit of excitement.
When the horses were ready for her, she was always ready for them.

Ruth retied the brown hair that fell just past her shoulders, securing it once more after it had been tousled from the ride. She hated when her hair got in the way and had convinced her father to allow her to keep it somewhat shorter so that it wasn’t such a mess all the time.

Riding the plains of Flatland, Wyoming, Ruth was always ready for something new and exciting. She yearned for a chance to do something more. Climb a tree, jump into a hot spring, race against Andrew.

But for now, she was relegated to the kitchen all over again.

Happy and excitable, she replayed that moment in the air again and again as she cooked the meal.
On the back of Corinth, her favorite mare, Ruth had tried her highest jump yet. Corinth had weathered it well.

Ruth’s back, however, had not.

She glanced out the window and to the shadows. She really was running late. Her father and his ranch hands would be coming inside in about twenty minutes, most likely. She needed at least thirty to have things reasonably ready, but there was no time to boil the corn because she had to use the same pot for the cabbage.

“No corn, I suppose,” she sighed, hoping her father would not be irritated with her.

After ten minutes, she had the meal well underway. When she heard the door open and subsequently close behind her, she turned, expecting to see her father.

“Smells good in here,” Andrew said.

“Oh! It’s you,” Ruth said, smiling up at Andrew.

He grinned at her the same way he always did, with his rather large chin jutting out just a hairsbreadth to the left. He needed a haircut. The lengths of dark hair were starting to fall in his blue eyes again and her father would be irritated if Andrew couldn’t see what he was doing.

“What are we having for lunch today?” Andrew asked, making his way over.

“Ha! You think it’s going to be anything different than normal? Come now, I’m not that creative,” Ruth said.

Andrew looked at the food on the stove with mild boredom and then he looked at Ruth. She glanced up and met his gaze. He was quite a bit taller than her, as well as much broader. Ruth had even heard some of the girls in town simultaneously swoon over his frame as they said he was intimidating.

“I suppose I shouldn’t have had my hopes up. It really is the same thing as every other day,” he remarked with disappointment.

“Oh, don’t be such a bore about it. I never learned to cook much beyond these simple things,” Ruth said, waving the complaint away. She didn’t have time for that. She needed to hurry and get this meal finished.

“You know, your father and the others are washing up. They will be coming in soon, maybe just five or ten minutes. You still haven’t finished,” Andrew said, somewhat teasingly.

“I know, I know,” she replied in an irritated tone.

“I’m not trying to annoy you, just wanted to make sure you were aware that they are expecting a meal,” Andrew said, laughing.

“I was busy this morning,” she sighed.

“Out with Corinth? I thought I saw you,” Andrew said, his tone warm.

“Yes, I was riding. I know I have duties and responsibilities and all that, but I also want to enjoy myself. Is there something wrong with that?” she asked.

“Of course not. But you are always so busy. You go back and forth between what you want to do with your time and the duties that you have to take care of for your father’s sake,” he said.

“I know. But it’s important for me to have something in my life that I actually want to do,” Ruth said.

“Did I say that it’s not?” Andrew asked.

“I’m being selfish. I’m aware of that,” Ruth said.

“No, you’re not. There is nothing wrong with doing things that you want to do now and then. My point is actually to the contrary. You wouldn’t be so busy if your father would remarry,” Andrew said.

“Try telling him that,” Ruth said, dryly.

“He doesn’t want to?” Andrew asked.

Ruth sighed again as she put the cabbage in a large bowl for the men to scoop out what they wanted from, and then rubbed her hands on the white apron that protected her pale blue dress.

“I honestly don’t know. He says that he doesn’t, but I think it is only a matter of feeling that it would somehow betray my mother,” Ruth said.

“How would that betray her?” Andrew asked.

“An excellent question. I think my father simply has not yet met the right woman,” Ruth said.

“I see. That would make sense. But it would be good if he found someone. Your father deserves to be happy, to have a companion,” Andrew said.

“I wholeheartedly agree. It has been quite some time since I have mentioned it to him, but I suppose it would be all right to bring it up again,” Ruth said.

“It would be good for us all. You wouldn’t have to do all the cooking anymore,” Andrew said.

“Since my mother passed away, it has been my duty,” she replied.

“But you were young then. What, nine or ten years of age?” he asked.

“Nine,” she said, quietly.

“And we are the ones who are eating what you cook,” Andrew said, teasingly.

Ruth turned to him, a stern hand on her hip, although she couldn’t help but grin, knowing that he was making a comment against her cooking.

“Well…you still cook like you are only nine, Ruth,” Andrew said, trying not to laugh.

Finally, Ruth burst before he had a chance, giggling at her failures. She was unbothered by the remark, which she knew to be true. She did not enjoy cooking and she was terrible at it, so there was no reason to take offense.

“So your real reason for wanting my father to marry is to spare you and the others from having to eat what I make you?” she asked, still chuckling.

“Well, I cannot say it is the only reason, but we can hardly count it out, now, can we?” he asked her, a glint in his blue eyes.

“My goodness, you are quite the honest brute,” Ruth said.

“I find it to be my duty,” Andrew replied, shrugging.

“So what do you think ought to be done, then? How are we meant to get my father to show an interest in any woman out there when he is so determined to be strong on his own?” Ruth asked.

“For one, we must pray,” Andrew suggested.

“Certainly. But I always pray for my father and that he will not be lonely. I suppose I haven’t done much to pray specifically with this. I will now!” Ruth exclaimed, eliciting another laugh from Andrew.

“Very well. You keep doing that and I will start. Now, as for this meal, is there anything I might be able to do to help?” he offered.

Ruth stared at him for just a moment. Andrew had never helped her with anything in the kitchen before.

They had known one another most of their lives. He was like a brother to her, the kind who expected that she just get on with her chores and he get on with his and then they might go out and climb trees together later on.

But, here he was, offering her some assistance. She would be remiss to refuse him.

“Could you get the bread out? Slice it up, maybe? I wanted to put it out with some butter,” she said.

“I can do that,” Andrew said, getting right to work.

Once he was standing beside her, Ruth no longer felt compelled to indulge in their teasing and banter. She found herself somewhat humbled by his assistance and wanted a more general conversation.

“How are your mother and father?” she asked.

“Very well,” he said.

“And Daniel?” she asked.

“He is also doing well. Busy as ever,” Andrew said.

Daniel Black was nearly a decade older than Andrew, but the brothers were quite close. Maureen was always swooning over Daniel, and Ruth wondered if Andrew knew about that. Maybe, one day, Ruth could find out whether or not Daniel had ever noticed Maureen.

But that was not this day. On this day, they would prepare the meal and talk about her father.

“Do you really think my father needs to marry right away again?” she asked.

“I didn’t say that he needs to. I just think it would be good for him. And for you. After all, are you planning to spend the rest of your life here? At the ranch?” Andrew asked.

Ruth had been wondering that herself, of late. Would she stay here forever?

Although she had never been the sort of woman to eagerly await a marriage, she had started thinking about it more and more. But if she did decide to marry, which everyone would be expecting, it would mean that she would have to leave her father here, on the ranch, alone.

That was as good an excuse as any to decide against marrying.

“Hard question to answer?” Andrew asked.

Ruth glanced at him and nodded.

“Just a little bit,” she confessed.

“Well, imagine how tough it must be for your father. He has already had a happy marriage. I am sure that it is difficult for him to consider the thought of having to marry again and not knowing whether or not he could ever be so happy,” Andrew said.

Ruth finished the potatoes and put them in another large bowl for the men to dish up. She saw that Andrew had the bread coming along nicely and that he was nearly finished.

“I am surprised you have put so much thought into this. Why is it that you are so determined to see my father married?” Ruth asked.

There was a hint of a blush in Andrew’s cheeks and he shrugged, as if not wanting to say anything more.
“I don’t know. I’m just making conversation. I think he would be happy to have a wife again,” he said.

“Has my father said anything to you about wanting to remarry?” Ruth asked.

“Not a word. This is all in my own mind,” he said.

“Hmm…” she replied, pulling out the plates from the cupboard.

“Is that everything? What more can I help with?” Andrew asked.

“Looks to me like everything is ready, aside from the pork needing just a couple more minutes,” she said, glancing to the chops that were still on the stove.

“Great,” he said.

Just then, in the midst of Ruth wondering what had inspired Andrew during that conversation, the others started filing into the kitchen. Ruth got everyone a plate, which they then heaped with their choices of what she had cooked.

Indeed, they did look every bit as disappointed as they did most days.

When her father entered the kitchen, Ruth smiled at him.

“Thank you, my dear. Ah, the pork chops. Still steaming,” he said as she pulled them from the pan on the stove and onto a plate for the men to take what they wanted.

“I hope it tastes all right,” she said.

Her father’s smile told her it was no more than he had expected from her. It was both a comfort and a disappointment.

Mostly, it spurred Ruth on to considering what Andrew had said.

Maybe her father really did need to remarry.

Chapter Two

Andrew took in the sight of Ruth. She was brushing her mare and with each sweep of the brush, her own brown hair swayed, just barely past her shoulders. A smile rose into her high cheekbones as she stretched up, hardly able to reach the horse’s back.

He tried not to laugh. Ruth had always been so petite and she hated it, choosing instead to make up for her slight frame by having a large personality and a commanding presence. It was beautiful, in his mind.
But when had that begun? Since when did he have feelings for Ruth at all?

Andrew still couldn’t quite place when it had begun. It was certainly never something he had planned on and he still felt a small part of himself resisting it, although that part was shrinking by the day.

He wondered if his love for Ruth had begun when they were children, or if it had come later. Still, he had no answer.

Ruth and Corinth looked more than ready to ride, but Ruth’s father, Jacob Hopkins, made is way over to her and all Andrew saw was Ruth’s discouraged face as she walked away from Corinth and headed back to the house. More than likely, she was being sent away to handle household duties as opposed to the ride she wanted to take.

From there, Jacob drew near to Andrew.

“Good afternoon, Andrew,” he said.

“Afternoon, Mr. Hopkins. How is everything?” Andrew asked.

“Going well. Very well. Anyway, I thought we could get that hole patched in the roof,” Mr. Hopkins said.

“Right, of course. We’ve been needing to get that done for a while. Today’s perfect,” Andrew said.

They headed out to one of the storehouses that they hadn’t used that season, as they had been waiting to repair it. Now that it was getting closer to the wheat harvest, they would need everything ready.

Andrew had long admired Mr. Hopkins. With his mass of cattle of in lovely fields in one direction and wheat fields off in another, he had made quite a success of himself. The Hopkins family had quite a grand allotment of ownership in Flatland.

They settled in and got to work, both climbing up to the roof from the little wooden ladder. Mr. Hopkins held down the wooden slats he had made as Andrew nailed it all together.

“So, is Ruth all right? She seemed a bit disappointed earlier when I saw her heading towards the house,” Andrew said.

“Oh, she’s fine. You know my daughter. Always wanting to have her freedom and go off and do something adventurous,” Mr. Hopkins said.

“I see. So she was hoping for a ride but needed to take care of the house?” Andrew asked, confirming his suspicions.

“As usual,” Mr. Hopkins said. “You know, I think the only thing she loves more than riding is spending time with you.”

Andrew choked, surprised to hear those words come from her father. Why was he saying that? Had Andrew been obvious about his feelings for Ruth?

“I’m not sure what you mean by that. I know that Ruth prefers to spend her time out and about, and especially did when she was younger and playing with the boys in town. But now?” he asked, laughing nervously.

“I’m not a fool, Andrew. Please don’t treat me like one,” Mr. Hopkins said, eyeing him closely with a grin.
“I would never suggest that,” Andrew said.

“I know that you and my daughter get along very well and that’s all I’m saying. It would be nice if the two of you…if you got to know one another as something other than friends, for once,” he said.

“Have you said anything to Ruth about that? I’m sure she would not think about me in any manner other than as the man she played with as a child,” Andrew said.

“Perhaps. But perhaps not. Or, more than likely, she needs a bit of a suggestion from you in order to realize that she doesn’t have to think of you as only a friend. I know that my daughter can be quite stubborn, but she is reasonable enough that I think she might eventually recognize that she is a woman and you are a man,” Mr. Hopkins said.

Andrew had no idea what to say to that. He was terribly uncomfortable that Mr. Hopkins was talking to him about this. Especially when he had hardly been able to admit to himself that he liked her so much.

“What is it?” Mr. Hopkins asked, holding down the final wooden slat.

“I just wasn’t expecting this conversation,” he said.

“Why not? Am I wrong? Do you not like Ruth?” Mr. Hopkins asked.

“Ruth has always been a very good friend and I hope that she always will be,” Andrew said, deciding it was the safest answer that he could possibly give.

“Hmm, well, I expected more than that, I have to admit. I know that Ruth is an adventurous young woman, but I do think that she would be happy to have an opportunity to think of you as a man rather than simply a ranch hand,” he said.

So far as Andrew was aware, Ruth had never mentioned anything like this to anyone. Why was her father so eager to see anything pass between them if Ruth was not interested? Or, at the very least, if she had not expressed any interest?

He decided that he needed to move the conversation along. And, although Mr. Hopkins was his employer, Andrew decided to turn the conversation around. After all, if Mr. Hopkins thought this was an appropriate conversation, would not the reverse be equally so?

“And what about you, Mr. Hopkins? I can’t say what the future will hold for me with love, but is love something you are searching for? Is it something you want to find any time soon?” he asked.

“Ha! Me? I’m an old man. There isn’t anything like love for an old man, Andrew,” he said.

“Since when? I know plenty of men who are dignified and aged who have found love in their later years,” Andrew said.

“Is that so? Please, name one for me,” Mr. Hopkins challenged him.

Andrew opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He had been cornered and was failing the challenge. The truth was that he knew nobody. Still, he didn’t want to admit that to Mr. Hopkins and his best bet was to smile and carry on.

“You can’t convince me that there are no men in this world who have found love in their later years. And besides, a man of any age is deserving of love, is he not? Why would you count yourself out?” Andrew asked.

“I suppose that is a fair question. But I can’t imagine something like that ever working for me. I’m just too old to put the time and energy into finding love,” Mr. Hopkins said.

There was a sadness in his eyes that told Andrew that it was about more than simply his age and energy.

Mr. Hopkins really wasn’t all that old, although he had certainly been older than Ruth’s mother and he wasn’t the youngest father around.

“Do you think Ruth would disapprove?” Andrew asked.

They finished the last bit of the roof and Mr. Hopkins moved towards the ladder and started to climb down, with Andrew coming after.

“Oh, I’m sure she wouldn’t. She would be thrilled. It would give her a bit of help with the household chores. And I know it would help us all in terms of mealtimes,” Mr. Hopkins said, chuckling to himself.

“I suppose that’s true,” Andrew said, not wanting to share that he and Ruth had already spoken about this.

“Anyway, I know that Ruth would be all right with it. She would probably even encourage it. But this is her time. She is young and needs to marry. If I make this season of life my own priority, it would be wrong. I cannot marry until she does. And, beyond that, I don’t know that I even want to. I already had such a wonderful life with her mother,” he said.

“Would Mrs. Hopkins not approve of you marrying after her passing?” Andrew asked, as sensitively as he could.

“Oh, she would demand it. In fact, when she was ill, she tried to…” Mr. Hopkins stopped and cleared his throat, his eyes prickling with emotion, “she tried to have a conversation with me about it, telling me that I should marry after she departed. But I couldn’t do that.”

“Even if it is what she wanted for you?” Andrew asked.

“Even then. My little girl is the only one I need now, Andrew. Ruth and I are perfectly happy. And, once she marries, I will be happy here on my ranch, waiting for beautiful grandchildren,” he said.

“I understand. That sounds like a nice life,” Andrew said.

“Indeed, it does. And it would be all the better if those grandchildren had a father like you. You’re a good man, Andrew. If you don’t have an interest in my Ruthie, I understand. But, if you do, I hope you know that I approve,” Mr. Hopkins said.

With that he walked away, leaving Andrew standing there, dumbfounded and wondering what he was supposed to do now.

Sure, he liked Ruth. He would love to marry her. But did Ruth have any interest in him in return? Did she care at all about Andrew? He had no idea. The thought of trying to figure that out was exhausting, and Andrew wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to put himself through that.

At least, he didn’t want to put himself through that any time soon. Maybe another time, when he was older or when she magically decided one day to come up to him and tell him that she was really in love with him.
But Andrew had never received any hints from Ruth that she cared about him at all. He didn’t notice that with pain or sadness. It was just a fact. Ruth was a sweet girl who liked adventure and running off and away, but she had never expressed a romantic interest in Andrew. Her eyes had never sparkled when she looked in his direction.

“Everything all right?” Daniel asked when Andrew arrived home, later that day.

“I suppose,” he replied.

“What’s this all about? Why do you seem so down?” Daniel asked.

“It’s just…what do you do when someone you’ve known your whole life suddenly starts to consume your thoughts?” Andrew asked.

His older brother smiled and shrugged.

“I’m nearly ten years older than you, Andrew, and I am still not married. You know how shy I am. This woman—can we just call her Ruth since we both know that’s who you mean?—she needs to know how you feel. You aren’t like me. You’re brave and exciting. Tell her how you feel,” Daniel said.

“It’s not like that. Sure, there are a lot of things I’m brave about, but women? What do I know about women?” Andrew asked.

“Stop asking yourself that question. It doesn’t matter what you know about women. The question you need to ask is what you know about Ruth. She’s the one you care for, right? So go for it. Talk to her. Show her how you feel,” Daniel said.

This time, Andrew shrugged. He really didn’t have any idea how to handle these feelings. Although he knew Daniel’s advice was exactly what he needed to hear, Andrew decided to push it away for now.

Instead, he would focus on what he and Ruth had spoken about before. He would focus on finding someone for Mr. Hopkins.

That would be a far easier plan. It was straightforward and clear. This way, Andrew could spend time with Ruth on the subject of love without getting his own heart hurt.

And, if Ruth decided she had feelings for him, Andrew would eventually tell her how he felt.

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“Ηer Heart’s Anchor” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

Ruth Hopkins has been her father’s steady rock ever since her mother’s sudden loss many years ago. Although he puts up a brave front, she knows that he longs for a second chance at love. Her decision to enlist the help of her best friend, Andrew, will cause a chaotic turmoil between them, but as she looks for her dad’s soulmate with him, she may find the piece that has actually been missing from her own life. Will she trust her heart, putting her friendship with Andrew at risk, or will she choose to bury her emotions deep inside?

Andrew Black enjoys working for the Hopkins’ ranch, but he can’t help wishing that he had the courage to express his secret feelings to Ruth. When an opportunity arises to assist her in finding her father a wife, Andrew does whatever he can to stay close to her. In the process though, thunderclouds appear on the horizon foreshadowing that a new challenge is approaching. Will he manage to catch the attention of Ruth as everything falls apart, or will this chance of a lifetime be utterly wasted?

When dreadful news reaches the ranch, threatening to destroy their lives, Andrew and Ruth will have to figure out a way to save the ranch—and her father’s only hope for happiness. What they don’t expect is to be forced to decide what they truly want from one another. Can they be vulnerable enough to share this difficult emotional journey? Or will the fear of opening up their hearts stop them from ever knowing true love?

“Ηer Heart’s Anchor” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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