A Hopeful Path Of Her Own (Preview)

Prologue

Joseph Taylor stared down at the funeral procession as they slowly made their way up the mountain. He was invited to walk along, since he was a good friend as well as a faithful employee to the late Bertrand Ripley. Out of respect for his family, he’d chosen to help dig the grave where the old man would be buried.

Joe’s heart was heavy. He’d worked for Bertrand for so many years, he couldn’t remember what he’d done before. Despite his somber mood, he knew that thought would make his late employer laugh. Joe was only thirty years old. Bertrand had lived a short but successful life, dying at only fifty-eight. His heart had given out. It may have been due to his hard lifestyle of drinking and overeating. His heart had always been good, and no one would ever say an unkind word about the man. But it was a well-known fact that he was not a healthy man and didn’t seem to take his health into much consideration when choosing his vices over his doctor’s advice.

Joe’s eyes fell on Chrissie Ripley, Bertrand’s twenty-one-year-old daughter. She, along with her fourteen-year-old sister Betty and their eight-year-old twin sisters, Alicia and Nellie, were walking along behind the wagon that pulled their father’s coffin. They were clothed in black, and the two older girls wore black veils that hid their faces.

Joe didn’t need to see behind the veils to know the girls were devastated by the loss of their father. Their mother had been gone these seven years, and Chrissie had already been a full-time mother from the time she was fourteen years old. Now she was in charge of everything. Her father had amassed not just a fortune but a lucrative business and a functioning ranch that took up one hundred acres of the Oregon landscape. The ranch was just outside the small town of Low Banks.

“You ready?”

Joe turned to see Henry Mills, his right-hand man as foreman of the Ripley Ranch. He nodded.

“They’re comin’ up now. Get ready.”

Henry stepped up next to him and looked down at the approaching procession. “Sad. Sad day, it is. Mr. Ripley was a good boss. Now it’s all gonna go to the girl. Don’t know how things are gonna change after this.”

Joe gave his friend a narrow look. He had always admired the oldest Ripley daughter. She was like a “little momma,” a nickname that was only used when the boss wasn’t around. She didn’t seem to mind it. Always smiling, that was the Chrissie he knew. The death of her mother had brought out the best in the young woman. Joe didn’t want to hear her insulted.

He let the comment pass, knowing the other ranch hands were concerned about keeping their jobs. It would be easy enough, they thought, for a woman to run a ranch business into the ground. What did she know, after all, about running such a large-scale operation?

Very little. They all knew that.

But Joe had a feeling Miss Chrissie Ripley was going to surprise them all. In his thirty years of existence, he’d never seen a more formidable, intelligent woman. If anyone could pull it off, Chrissie could.

There was just one drawback that he could think of. If Chrissie was unwilling to learn.

As unlikely as that sounded to him, it was always a possibility. She might not want to listen to the advice of the men who’d been keeping the place running all those years under the leadership of her father.

Joe went to the gravesite and waited for the wagon to come close enough. When it stopped, he and the five other pallbearers moved into position, hefting the coffin up and carrying it to the grave.

When the coffin was in place, Joe went to stand just behind the four sisters. Chrissie turned her head toward him, but if she was looking at him, he didn’t know. He could barely see the form of her face behind the veil.

She reached out and grasped his hand, nodding.

He nodded back and averted his eyes to the coffin.

The preacher spoke a few words, and soon, the funeral was over. Chrissie and her sisters had chosen not to say anything, and out of respect for them, no one else did either. There were no histrionics. The girls were all Bertrand had in the world. An only child whose parents and grandparents were deceased, everything he had would now go to his four daughters.

Chrissie had been given a huge responsibility.

Joe was going to make sure she was treated with respect and allowed the time she needed to understand how to run the business if that’s what she chose to do. Another option was to give the ranch over to Joe to run. Not to own. Just to run. He wouldn’t mention that, though. It sounded too much like taking advantage of the situation for his own gain.

He would never do something like that and disrespect the man he’d worked for since he was a boy.

As everyone left, they stopped where Chrissie and her sisters were standing to give their condolences and say a kind word. Joe made sure to get in the back of the line. Right away, Chrissie lifted her veil so she could make eye contact with the people she was thanking. Betty left hers down. The little girls, each holding a hand of an older sister, just stood there, staring blankly. They were in shock, he surmised, and his heart went out to them once again.

He came to them and touched Nellie’s hair as he passed. He rested his hand on Betty’s shoulder, but if she reacted, he didn’t see it. When his eyes settled on Chrissie’s, he could tell she would be crying herself to sleep that night. If he had a way to ease her pain, he would.

But there was nothing he could do.

“I am so sad this has happened,” he said quietly. “If I can do anything extra, let me know. Don’t worry about the ranch. I’ve got it all under control until you decide what you want to do. Your pa was the kindest man on earth to me, ever since I was a boy. He didn’t care that my skin is darker than others. He didn’t care about anything like that. He cared about me. I would love to return the favor and take care of you and your sisters until you are good on your own.”

Chrissie’s soft smile made his heart warm.

“I know we will be relying on you, Joe. Thank you.”

Chapter One

Later that afternoon, Chrissie sat in the office of her father’s lawyer, waiting for him to read out the will. It was expected that she would inherit everything. If she didn’t, she wasn’t the only one who would be shocked.

Chrissie had been a part of her father’s business for some time, but only in a bookkeeping sort of way. She knew about the payroll, who was working for them, and things of that nature. She hired and fired with her father’s consent. She knew everything about the financial situation.

She knew nothing about making deals, negotiating, setting up new business. She certainly didn’t know anything about ranch business taken care of by the men in the field. She’d never gone on a cattle drive. She’d been too busy raising her sisters.

Chrissie sat quietly, her hands in her lap, her spine straight. The hat on her head was hot and annoying but it was necessary if she wanted to keep her reputation. Her father would be disappointed if she let herself go.

Thinking of her father brought unwanted tears to her eyes. Hadn’t she cried enough?

She couldn’t help thinking of the many arguments she’d gotten in with her father when she caught him eating things that weren’t good for him. He was a heavy man and, sad to say, a glutton when it came to good food. They had the money to buy it, was his reasoning, so why shouldn’t he indulge?

Because it was going to kill him someday, she’d warned repeatedly, sometimes in the heat of an argument, and then where would they all be?

Exactly where she was now. Twenty-one years old and all the responsibilities of the world on her shoulders. The business, the employees, the household, her sisters, their schooling.

Chrissie refused to let her shoulders droop, though she really wanted to let them. She already felt tired from thinking of all the things she would now be taking care of.

Her father’s lawyer—who she supposed was now her lawyer—finally came into the room with a small folder in his hands. He sat down at the head of the table and drew his chair closer, his eyes sweeping across the room.

“Thank you for coming, everyone,” he said in a polite tone. Chrissie had always liked him. He seemed like the kind of man who could be trusted. His name was Peter Langley. He was tall and strong with salt and pepper hair. His demeanor and appearance always reminded Chrissie of pictures she’d seen of Abraham Lincoln, a president she admired.

Mr. Langley continued, opening the folder he’d laid on the table in front of him. “All right now, I think it’s pretty cut and dry. We all know the bulk of the estate has gone to Miss Chrissie Ripley, the eldest daughter.” His eyes flicked up to her and then down again. “The other daughters, Betty, Alicia and Nellie all have trusts set up for them to receive on their 18^th birthdays. At the time those trusts are released, they will be done so with the expressed permission of their older sister, Chrissie. Some smaller funds have been released as bonuses for Joseph Taylor, his trusted foreman….” Again, Mr. Langley lifted his eyes and searched the room. When they settled in the corner, Chrissie wasn’t the only one to turn and look at the dark-skinned man.

Joe dropped his eyes to the floor, his tan cheeks turning red.

“…and the rest of the crew, to be distributed by Miss Chrissie Ripley at her discretion. There are a few sums bequeathed to friends around town but nothing else important to note.”

Mr. Langley sat back after closing the folder. He had a satisfied look on his face. He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Miss Ripley, if you have any questions or need any help, I am here for you. Do you have anything for me right now?”

Chrissie shook her head, feeling a bit numb. No matter how much she expected it, she hadn’t thought it would be so simple. He read the words, and suddenly, she had more money and land than she knew what to do with.

She blinked at him, nodding. “Thank you. I mean, no. No, I have no questions right now.”

“When does she get the money?” It was Betty who asked that. All eyes turned to the young girl, including the lawyer’s.

“I beg your pardon?” Mr. Langley asked, raising his eyebrows.

“The money to distribute to the ranch hands. When does she get it?”

“The bank…the bank will provide her with the funds at her request.”

Chrissie looked at Betty, whose face was sullen. “Thank you for asking, Betty. That was good thinking.”

Normally, Betty would respond with a bright smile. But her sister hadn’t smiled since her father died four days ago. Chrissie would let her sister mourn. They had all been close to their boisterous, outgoing father. He would be sorely missed and not just by his daughters. Everyone had gotten along with Bertrand.

This time, Betty nodded at Chrissie and looked back down at her hands, where she’d been staring the whole time. Chrissie reached over and rested one hand on Betty’s arm. Her sister raised her eyes but not her head, meeting Chrissie’s gaze.

“Let’s go home, Betty. I can take care of this business later. Let’s get the girls from Mrs. Townsend and go home. How does that sound?”

Betty nodded but said nothing.

They filed out of the room.

Chrissie felt overwhelmed that West Pines was now her ranch. So many acres of land. So much money in the bank. Her sisters had already been under her care for so long that now, knowing she was all they had left, it felt brand new.

So many dreams she’d had. She couldn’t share them with Betty or anyone else now. She’d wanted to travel. Go to college in a far-off town, have a family of her own.

She felt foolish for having dreams like that when she should have known the care of her sisters would always take precedence over everything else. Now that her father was gone, that was even more clear.

The first thing she would do in the morning would be to seek out Joseph Taylor. She was well aware that he was one of the youngest foremen in Oregon and one of the most revered. He had a good head on his shoulders. His past was somewhat unclear, in that he had a black father and a white mother. But he’d made a name for himself in the little town of Low Banks. His family, though unconventional, had been welcomed into the fold before Chrissie was even born.

Chrissie’s father had been one of the least prejudiced people alive. He hired Joe on when the foreman was just a boy and trained him as if he was the son he’d never had. He showed a lot of love to Joe. Chrissie felt like he was the only one she could really trust to help her learn what she needed to know.

As she and her sisters rode back to West Pines in their blue and gold buggy, she wondered if she should hire someone to look after her sisters. It would probably be a good idea to get a nanny, since she was going to be too busy to take care of everything like she’d done before. It wasn’t like they didn’t have the money for it.

Betty sighed heavily. Chrissie glanced at her sister and then put one arm around the young girl’s shoulders. “It’s going to be all right, Betty, I promise. We’ll get through this like we get through everything.”

“It’s different now,” Betty said in a voice so sad and full of despair. Chrissie had never heard it before. “Everything is going to be different.”

“Sometimes change is good,” Chrissie replied softly.

Betty’s eyes flashed when she looked at Chrissie. “Are you saying Pa’s death was a good thing?” she asked incredulously.

Chrissie was taken aback and hurt by the insinuation. She pulled back, drawing her eyebrows together. “Of course not! You know that’s not what I’m saying.”

Betty frowned deeply. “That’s what it sounded like to me.”

Chapter Two

Chrissie didn’t want her sisters to feel so bad. She had prepared herself for this eventuality long ago. It felt like she was being cold-hearted, but she was more than a little angry with her father for not taking better care of himself when he’d been warned repeatedly what could happen. She felt like he had abandoned them, putting his gluttony and greed before his own daughters.

He should have known how hard this would be on them all. He had been a bright spirit, an excellent father, a loving pa, a great provider. He’d left them with wonderful memories.

But that’s what they were now. Memories. Chrissie felt like she’d been betrayed. He was supposed to love them. Why hadn’t he loved them enough to take care of himself so he could at least see her children come into the world? Now they would never know the wonderful man that had been their grandfather.

“I’m hurting, too, Betty,” Chrissie said quietly, squeezing her sister’s shoulders. Betty pulled away. Chrissie tried not to take it to heart. Her formerly happy-go-lucky sister would be sullen for some time, and she would just have to deal with it. She turned to look at the twins in the back. They weren’t smiling either. Both were staring out the opposite sides of the buggy, looking melancholy. “It’s going to be all right, girls. We’re going to get through this.”

She was grateful when Nellie turned her head and met her big sister’s eyes. She didn’t say anything but the look on her face was loving, and she nodded at Chrissie.

Chrissie turned back around and set the horses in the direction of the ice cream parlor. They would be able to get free ice cream, she knew, because Mrs. Lerner had been a good friend to their father. It was the least Chrissie could do for her sisters. It was a warm Oregon day, perfect for ice cream.

She stopped at the parlor and helped her younger sisters down as Betty climbed down from the passenger side. Chrissie wasn’t expecting excitement or happiness at the impromptu stop, so she wasn’t disappointed when her sisters filed into the small building and went up to the counter silently.

Chrissie ordered for them all, aware of each girl’s favorite.

After getting the ice cream, she turned to the younger girls and asked, “Do you want to head home or go to the creek and play for a bit?”

“I want to go home,” Betty said, even though it was obvious Chrissie was asking the younger ones. Nellie looked at Betty and then Chrissie.

“I don’t mind going to the creek if that’s what you want to do, Chrissie,” she said quietly.

“I don’t want to go if Betty doesn’t want to,” Alicia spoke up. She’d been the least talkative of the sisters since their father passed. She was normally that way, but it seemed even more so now that it was just them.

Chrissie was caught in an impasse. She was going to disappoint someone with her decision. She panicked momentarily, and a feeling of relief swept over her when Nellie spoke up again. “Oh, well, that’s fine, we should just go home, right, Chrissie?”

Nellie’s eyes looked so big and hopeful. All she wanted was for everyone to be happy.

Chrissie nodded. “Yes, I guess that’s the best thing to do. But first, let me tell you girls something.” She was glad she had their full attention. “I’m not going to let anything happen to our family or to our ranch, all right? I’m going to learn how to run the business myself. I already know a lot about the bookkeeping. I’m sure I can learn the rest of it, too. It might take me some time, but I’m going to do it.”

“I’ll help you,” Nellie spoke up.

Betty scoffed. “You can’t help, Nellie. You’re a kid. You don’t know anything.”

Chrissie tried to speak softly when she scolded Betty. “Don’t be so negative, Betty. Nellie is just trying to be helpful.”

“She can’t be helpful,” Betty snapped. “She’s eight! What does she know?”

Chrissie’s face flushed, aware that anyone in the little parlor could hear her sister’s loud voice.

“Shh,” she said, “keep your voice down.”

“I don’t have to!” Betty’s voice broke when she spoke. “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do. I’m almost sixteen and I will be a grown-up then.”

Chrissie shook her head, feeling anxious to get her sisters back to the buggy and out of there. Her embarrassment grew with every passing moment and every unkind word uttered by her younger sister. “That’s almost two years away. And even then, you won’t be a grown-up. You won’t be a grown-up until you are mature. And that can happen tomorrow or in six months or in five years. It’s all up to you.”

“I don’t want to hear any of your lectures!” Betty was beginning to hurt Chrissie’s feelings. Her anger spiking, Chrissie put out one arm and herded the girls out the door. Nellie and Alicia moved quickly down the path to their buggy. They hefted themselves up into it without looking back or asking for help, even though they were both holding their ice cream in one hand. They were embarrassed, too.

“Come on. Let’s go,” Chrissie urged Betty.

Betty vaulted herself up into the buggy just like her little sisters. Chrissie went around to the other side and climbed in, taking hold of the reins. She pulled the buggy away from the ice cream parlor, now uninterested in the dessert she’d gotten herself. She tossed it to the side as soon as they passed the town sign.

West Pines Ranch was nestled at the base of a tall mountain conveniently called Pinewood Mountain. Chrissie had always loved the mountain and knew the trails that weaved in and around the structure, like the back of her hand. There were caves to be explored, creeks to swim in, so many things for a young girl to do.

All that fun had ended for her the day her mother died. She’d taken on the role of caretaker and no longer had fun when she took her sisters to swim or hike. She was watching them like a hawk, making sure they didn’t get hurt, that they were eating properly, clothed in the latest styles, keeping their hygiene in mind. It was all up to her. They were helpless without her.

Chrissie continued to be mindful of her rigid position. She didn’t want to show weakness or sadness in front of her sisters. They were already experiencing enough of their own. They didn’t need to see how desperately terrified she was. The thought of the future she’d planned exploding in her face the way it had made her want to scream and cry and throw a tantrum.

But that wasn’t going to happen. That wasn’t the kind of woman she was. She had grown in those seven years and would now grow even more. She would learn. She would make her mistakes, and she would take them as lessons. Just like she always did.

“I’m not going to let you down, girls,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. She turned to them, holding the reins loosely in her hand. The horses were going at a steady pace and could see the road ahead. They wouldn’t run off the road just because she wasn’t slapping the reins.

Once again, it was Nellie who brought Chrissie from her despair. Alicia looked nonchalant, her face once again a blank. It was as if she still didn’t comprehend that their father was gone. Betty had crossed her arms over her small chest and had a cross look on her face.

But Nellie, the sweet soul that she was, leaned forward and put her arms around Chrissie’s shoulders. Hugging her tightly, Nellie whispered, “We’re gonna be all right, Chrissie, I know it. You are going to take care of us, just like you always do. You always do. I know you will.”

The sound of her sister’s trusting voice made tingles erupt on Chrissie’s skin. Her heart thumped hard in her chest. She put one hand up on Nellie’s small arm around her neck and squeezed. “Thank you, Nellie,” she whispered. “I needed to hear that.”

“I love you, Chrissie-bissy,” Nellie murmured, kissing the side of Chrissie’s head, getting her hair, and narrowly missing her ear.

“I love you, too, Nellie-belly,” Chrissie responded. There were fresh tears in her eyes but at least these tears weren’t because of sorrow. They were tears of love.

Chapter Three

There were several ranch hands out on the front compound as the girls rode up to the front of the house. The lawn was green from the front of the house all the way to the main road, stretching out from side to side as wide as it was long. Apple trees dotted the lawn, along with rose bushes and flower beds planted in certain shapes, like a star made of yellow flowers and a heart made of red ones.

One large cherub fountain sat in the middle of a round driveway, constantly pouring water from its bucket. Now when Chrissie looked at everything, she saw her own property. Everything she laid her eyes on was hers.

She sighed, pulling the buggy to a stop in front of the porch steps. Betty was on her feet immediately, but Alicia had already leaped to her feet and was climbing over the edge.

“Be careful!” Chrissie warned, putting out one hand. “Someone is going to trip.”

“I’m not going to trip!” Alicia cried out, leaping over the edge and landing on her two feet. She immediately took off up the steps, holding up her skirt.

“Will you be careful!” Chrissie couldn’t help calling out to her. She was sure the girl was going to trip. She hurried to the edge of the buggy, following first Betty and then Nellie.

But when she went to step down from the buggy, her bootstrap caught on something. She would never know what it was that caused her to fall so precariously out of the buggy.

She would have been seriously hurt, she was sure of it. If she hadn’t fallen into the waiting arms of a very strong man.

Chrissie looked up gratefully to see who had caught her and was terribly humiliated to see it was her foreman, Joseph Taylor.

“Joe! Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much! I might have been killed!”

Joe smiled brightly at her, though she was sure she saw sadness in his eyes. “Maybe even broken a bone. We don’t want either, do we?” He set her gently on her two feet, and she swept her hands over her skirt to smooth it down.

“That was some fancy catch work you did, Joe. I should give you a bonus just for that.”

“I am glad to see you still have a sense of humor during this hard time, Miss Chrissie.”

“Please,” Chrissie held up one hand, “just call me Chrissie. You can drop the Miss. Of course, if you want to call me Boss, that would be okay, too.”

She was glad to get a bit of a chuckle out of him. If she didn’t try to make things bright, positive, and cheery, she might herself fall into a pit of despair she wouldn’t be able to climb out of.

“I can do that, Chrissie…Boss….”

“One or the other,” she directed sternly, hoping he knew she was just teasing because she was nervous. He seemed to understand and gave her a very serious look.

“Understood. Is there anything I can get for you right now?”

Chrissie suddenly noticed all her sisters had gone inside. Her entire face darkened, and she took a step toward the porch. “Oh…uh…no, thank you. I do appreciate you keeping me from injury. I’m certainly glad to have you around.”

“When you have time…” Joe said, also taking the same step so he was just as close to her as he had been. “I’d like to go over some of the business details and get your opinion on what your next step might be.” He had an anxious look about him. It spoke to her. She stopped going up the steps and gazed at him. It might be a nice distraction for her to start learning the ropes right away.

“I…I think I’d like to start on that now. Would you like to come in for some coffee? Tea? I have some lemonade, as well, I believe. I’d have to ask the cook, but I thought I saw some in the icebox earlier.”

Joe nodded, looking pleased. “I’d like that. Lemonade would be nice. I could use a distraction from everything that’s going on.”

Chrissie stared at him for a moment, unable to believe he had said what she had just been thinking. She nodded and turned to go up the steps. He followed behind.

For some reason, when the two passed through the entrance and headed for the kitchen and dining room, Chrissie felt more at ease than she had in the week since her father’s death. Joe made her feel that way. He was the comfortable soul she could count on to help her in this difficult time.

She told the cook to bring two glasses of lemonade and any pastries or cookies she might have to the dining room so they could snack while they talked.

Joe stood at the table, looking down at it for a moment. Chrissie realized he had no idea where he was supposed to sit. He’d never eaten at the boss’s table. She gestured to one of the chairs next to her on the right.

“You can sit here. It’s closest to the window. I like to look out when I’m eating. Such a pleasant view.”

Joe looked slightly uncomfortable as he took the seat but seemed to relax after the cook brought their snacks and lemonade. He drank half the cup before he spoke.

“Some of the boys and me were wondering if you have any plans to change anything around here.”

Chrissie appreciated his bluntness. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly. “What kind of changes? Like hiring new men or firing some of them?”

Joe shrugged. “Yeah. That and maybe you’re thinking of selling. Your pa was interested in maybe selling some of the back acres, which we don’t get around to much of the time.”

Chrissie lifted one hand to stop him. “If there is anything my father was working on when he passed away, I will make sure it comes to pass. His projects will be finished. Anything he wanted, he will have, even now.”

Joe’s face relaxed even more. She could tell he was pleased with what she’d said.

“I know the boys will be glad to hear that. They were worried. Are you…gonna hire on a new supervisor, though?”

She blinked at him, keeping a friendly look on her face. “Isn’t that what you do?”

Joe laughed softly, shrugging again. “I reckon I do. But I’ve always consulted Bertie…your pa… whenever I had to make any real decisions. Do you…want me to come to you now?”

She smiled warmly. “Yes, I think that would be best.”

Joe’s eyes moved away for a moment. She could tell there was something on his mind.

“I can see you’re thinking something,” she said. “What is it? Something is troubling you?”

Joe shook his head. “Not really troubling me but…well, how much do you know about the business of running the ranch? How will you know…shoot, how will I know if the decisions I’m making are the right ones? I don’t want to do anything wrong.”

Chrissie didn’t see how anyone could hold themselves to such high standards.

“You don’t have to worry about that. You know more than me. I’m going to trust that you are making the right decisions.”

“And when I don’t?”

She thought he sounded a little fearful. “We all make mistakes. No one is perfect. I think you’ll do fine. We’ll both learn together. But I’ll be learning more than you. I’ll tell you what. You show me everything my pa used to do, and we’ll see what I can and can’t do just like him. I have been dealing with the finances for nearly five years.”

Joe looked surprised. “You started early, did ya?”

Chrissie gave him a smile. “I believe you are the one who started here at, what were you, twelve? Shoveling out the barn? Cleaning the horses?”

Joe rewarded her with a soft blush that made him suddenly handsome in her eyes. She had to look away lest the stray thought be noticed. “I reckon you’re right. We’re both a couple of early learners. That’s what desperation does, in my case. Never had much of my own, you know.”

“My pa left you some money. Do you plan to do anything with that? You aren’t going to…travel or anything, are you?”

Joe blinked at her, a shocked look on his face. “You are worried that I might take my money and run?”

Chrissie heard the humor in his voice. She was surprised by how easily he made her feel good inside. The sadness and hurt she’d felt emanating off her sisters were almost nonexistent when Joe was around her.

“I would so much like it if you didn’t do that,” she responded. “I…I need you to stay, Joe. And show me the ropes. Can you do that for me? Will you?”

Joe grinned at her, sending a wave of relief over her. “I have no plans to leave. Your pa left me enough to buy a small bit of land to hunt and build on, but I won’t be leaving and…well, I’m thinking maybe I’ll buy up some of your property, if you’ll let me, so I’ll be living here in my own home. Once it’s built. Which won’t be for a while, I’m sure.”

Chrissie admired the goals Joe had put in place for himself. She was sure he’d had those goals long before he received the inheritance from her father.

“That sounds wonderful,” she said.

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“A Hopeful Path Of Her Own” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

When her father suddenly passes away, Chrissie is left in the lurch, suddenly in charge of her three younger sisters, Betty, Alicia, and Nellie. While having to handle the impact of their father’s death on her little sisters, she is also forced to learn as much as she can about running the family ranch. There is no one else—only she can make the decisions from now on.

The realization that she is the head of the family now is overwhelming…

Chrissie relies for help on the ranch foreman her father hired some years back, Joe Taylor. Joe is well-liked on the ranch as the foreman, keeping things working smoothly and efficiently. He has many skills and he’s a kind, intelligent man. Chrissie really needs someone she could trust to teach her how to do the job and Joe seems to be the best candidate for that position.

Could he be the support she was looking for, or even something more?

Just when Chrissie is starting to take charge of her new life, an old friend returns to town and immediately asks her to marry him. She is now faced with a dilemma though, as Joe has captured her heart and she is fairly certain he is feeling the same way about her. How could she ever choose between her heart and her family’s well-being? Should she marry the wealthy gentleman that will provide for everyone or the one who owns her heart? Would the truth about everything reveal itself in time for her to make the right decision?

“A Hopeful Path Of Her Own” 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!