When Love Walks Into His Life (Preview)

Chapter One

Sarah Willis stomped her foot.

“Father, you must stop this at once!” she exclaimed, her passion had overcome her ability to control herself any longer.

“Good heavens, Sarah! That’s no way to talk to your father. You had best calm down at once,” her mother said.

“No, Mother, I can’t! How can you allow him to behave this way? How can you be all right with it?”

Sarah asked, furious that her mother was allowing her father to continue gambling the family finances away without a thought.

“You’ll see, Sarah. He is doing this for us. One of these days, he will hit that jackpot and our whole family is going to have everything we could ever want. A nice home, beautiful dresses. All he needs to do is hit that jackpot,” her mother said, repeating the mantra that her father always spouted.

But Sarah had long since stopped believing it. She knew better. She knew that her father would never hit a jackpot; would never be able to provide for them. Not like he would have her believe.

“Mother, I won’t be fooled into thinking that any of this is all right. You won’t persuade me. I know better than that,” Sarah said.

“You always think you do. Come on now, Sarah. You really think it’s going to be that easy?” her mother asked.

“Easy? Nothing about this is easy,” Sarah said.

“Then why are you trying so hard? You can let it go, darling. That would be more than agreeable to us all, I think,” her mother said.

Sarah was shocked that her mother was being so dismissive. Could she not see that her father was ruining them? Could she not see that he had an addiction and he was going to bankrupt them if he was not more careful?

“Mother, what will we do when there is nothing left? When his vices have overrun us? Where will we go?” Sarah asked, tears in her eyes.

Her mother shook her head slowly.

“You are so dramatic, Sarah. Honestly, I don’t know what gets into your head sometimes,” she said rolling her eyes.

“I am being perfectly realistic, Mother. I am only worried that we are going to lose everything, that you and Father will be left with nothing. I promise you, I will not stay to witness it,” Sarah said.

Her mother’s eyes narrowed as her father leaned back in his chair, scratching at the hair on his chin where he had always kept it shaved in the past.

Nowadays, he could not even afford to have it cut.

“Sarah, you will keep a civil tongue in this household. Your father and I are just trying to keep you afloat.

All of us afloat. We know that it is hard for you to accept, but this is a way to do that. You may think it is greed or sin or whatever you want, but your father is good at gambling. He’s going to make us a fortune one of these days,” her mother said.

“If he is so good at gambling, where is your pearl comb?” Sarah asked, challenging her mother.

Her mother spluttered in reply.

“I—I gave it to him to play with. Another man got a lucky card, but your father will get it back, mark my words,” she said.

“He never gets things back, Mother,” Sarah said.

“That is enough, Sarah,” her father said in a low, cold voice. “We have had enough of your insolence and concern. We know what’s best for this family. You don’t. There isn’t anything more for you to say to us.”

Desperate, angry, Sarah did not know what to do. Her blue eyes flashed in anger, wishing that she could convince her mother and father to listen.

But her father, as usual, refused. He was stubborn, determined to live his own life in his own way. He completely disregarded the fact that his family was dependent upon him.

And her mother simply sat by and watched, waiting for the day that he would win a fortune.

Sarah knew that her mother was greedy, but she had always hoped that her mother would have the strength to stand up to her father.

“Sarah, have you any more disrespect to shower upon us or have you had your fill?” her father asked, wearily.

“Father, I have nothing more at all to say to either of you. I cannot bear the idea of condoning these actions,” she said.

“Then you must go to your room where you will stay, leaving us in peace. If you can’t have a reasonable conversation with us, what are we meant to do with you?” he asked.

“I am only worried about us, Father,” she said, pleading. “You promised me six months ago that you would stop gambling. What happened? Why did you change your mind and why have you decided that there is no reason to stop?”

“Because it is the only means by which I may provide for this family. What else do you expect me to do?” he asked.

“There are many positions you might try, Father. You do not need to have a strong back for every other job out there,” Sarah said.

Her father had stopped his work as a laborer after hurting his back and, since then, he had shown no sign of ambition or dream of any kind. It continued to break Sarah’s heart as she watched him sink further and further into this addiction, this need to play cards and to win, despite the fact that he rarely ever had.

And any time that he did find himself victorious, he would grow arrogant and play again, losing everything he had only just won.

“I told you to retire to your room, Sarah,” her father said.

Unable to remain any longer, she turned from them and rushed to her bedroom, the room that she knew would be taken from her any moment now, once the creditors began to knock at their home.

Already, they were being threatened. Still, her father refused to accept responsibility, refused to acknowledge the fact that they were in great jeopardy of losing all they had.

There was very little that she could do. They were unwilling to listen and Sarah had lived with her parents long enough to know that she could not change their minds.

With that, she closed the door to her bedroom. Inside her own walls, she collapsed on the bed, trying to make some decisions.

What could she do? How could she leave her mother and father behind? Was that the only chance?

Sarah took a deep breath. That had been the first thing to pop into her mind. To leave.

She had the chance. Now, more than ever, that was an option for her. It left her feeling anxious, but that was no reason to deny it.

Sarah twirled one of her strawberry blonde curls around her finger. Mulling over her choices, she recognized that one was better than any other.

She had been writing to Judd Kramer for the past few months. Certainly, it would be a long journey from Chicago to Montana in order to be with him, but what other choice did she have?

If her mother and father would not take care of her, if they would waste their lives away, behaving in such an ungodly fashion, what more could she do? How else could she hold them accountable for their sins?

No, this was her only choice.

Sarah thought about life with Judd.

After answering his advert in the paper over three months before, she had been very excited about the idea of going to marry him. She was sad that they had not met in person, but that did not have to be a problem.

From his letters, he certainly seemed like a good man.

And now, she could be his wife. There was no need to wait any longer.

Certainly, Sarah had intended to wait until he said he was ready for her to come, but they had an understanding.

They had already spoken of marriage, deciding that they would take the step when they believed the time was right. Surely he would not mind if she showed up early, would he?

Sarah went to her desk in order to write to Judd and send him a letter to tell him that she was coming. But when she opened her desk, not only were all of her papers gone, along with her pen and ink, but also her small bag of money was gone.

She knew, at once, that her father had taken it. Desperate enough to steal even the fewest of coins from his own daughter, he had taken them and left her desk empty, likely taking the writing supplies to send letters to his creditors in order to ask for more time.

Happily, however, he did not know where she had her other small bag hidden. Sliding her arm under her mattress, Sarah reached into the small slit that she had made. She pulled out the little bag, full of coins, which held the majority of her savings.

She counted it, little by little. It was not much, but it was enough.

Although, she could not spare the money for writing materials, she had enough for her transportation and, hopefully, enough food.

No, it was not much, but she had to get away. She could wait no longer, not when her own father was stealing money from her in order to gamble.

She would go and she would be with Judd Cranmer. They would be married and live a happy life together.
Sarah quickly pulled out her carpet bag and began packing her things. A couple of books and a few of her favorite dresses, but little else.

She was ready.

Sarah decided that at first light, she would run. She would make her way into town, board the train, and find her new home in Montana.

Before doing something so rash, so drastic, Sarah sat down at the edge of her bed and put her face in her palms as she prayed.

Dear Lord, I give you all the praise and honor and glory for this life that you have given me. I am sorry for my dissatisfaction with it at times.

I am anxious for the lives of my mother and father. Their voices have overcome them. But now, I must make a decision. I cannot abide by it any longer. I cannot live like this.

Dear Lord, please help me as I grasp hold of my new life. Grant me peace and grant me wisdom. As I journey into this world that is so different from everything I have known, please help me to live as the woman that you have created me to be.

I thank you Lord for the choice that I have to go and to be with Judd Cranmer.

Please bless our marriage, bless our union, and bless the future that we have together.

Amen.

Her prayer brought to a close, Sarah looked around the room again, taking in the sight of it. It would probably be the last night she would ever spend there.

In the morning, she would be gone and, within weeks she believed, everything else would be taken from her mother and father.

They would surely end up on the streets. It broke her heart and she wished that she could help them, but Sarah recognized by now that it simply was not going to happen. They would not heed her warnings and the lessons would be found in the consequences after the fact, of that she was certain.

Still, she hoped that the Lord would intervene, that he would reach out his hand and touch their hearts, to turn them away from their love of money and to the love of himself.

For now, Sarah had to protect herself from their mistakes. But one day, she hoped, they might be a family again.

Her mother. Her father. Sarah. And Judd Cranmer.

Chapter Two

Rubbing his side-burn chops with his fist, Simon Johnson took one last look over the story he had just finished.

When he pulled his hand away, he saw that his hand was covered in ink from his pen.

“Of course,” he grumbled, stretching his fingers and seeing where the ink was still wet. It was one layer over many others. Like most men in the newspaper business, he was never quite able to get his hands clean before another layer would blacken the skin of his hand.

Simon went over to the looking glass and saw that he had covered the side of his face with ink from his hand. He dipped a handkerchief in water and tried to scrub it off, but there was still some remaining.

He was always getting ink in his facial hair, in addition to his hands. Some days he considered trimming it all off, and other days he figured it would hide the ink better than his skin would. At least his hair was nearly black.

Irritated, he went back to working on the project. He had to make sure that every last detail had been written down, that his reporting would be flawless. He was a bit of a perfectionist at times, but when he had become as successful as he was, it was only reasonable that he put himself all into this.

So, whether it was announcing the birth of a baby girl on behalf of his assistant or reporting about a U.S. Marshal chasing a bank robber through the area, he wanted it to be something his readers would invest their very souls into. He wanted it to be information that was valuable and worthwhile.

For now, he had another exciting tale to report.

Just a few towns north, up in the glaciers, a sheriff had rescued a young woman who had fallen into the waters. He wanted to show what a hero the sheriff had been, but Simon didn’t particularly care for the man himself.

Such was the life of a reporter.

Sheriff Nelson did not hesitate to dive into the frigid waters, leaping from the rocks and swimming along with the current until he had the girl, Miss Angela Swanson—thirteen—in his arms.

Ever since Simon had started the newspaper in town, things had changed for him. He had turned from being a simple man, like any other just trying to get by, to one of the most successful men in town.

He had gone from living with his mother and father, destined to work as a butcher, to using his skills and his passion.

One day, he would be writing a story in the most informative—yet entertaining—language he could, and the next day, he would be sneaking through town, listening and observing. He would watch people, then pounce, asking his questions and sharing the answers with his readers.

The local law enforcement didn’t particularly care for his sniffing about, but they had grown up with him and knew him well.

Other sheriffs, however? They weren’t always so nice.

“All right, Sheriff Nelson. If I have no choice, I will use the word hero. Never mind the fact that you once told me to keep my nose out of your business when I wrote about your childhood friendship with Marvin Thomsen. This is my work and I’ll do it properly,” he said to himself, gritting his teeth, thinking about Murderin’ Marv, as he had been coined.

Finally, Simon managed to finish every last bit of it and get it typed up. It would be ready to run with the next day’s paper.

With that, Simon decided to head out for lunch. He wanted to visit Gracelyn.

From the day his former assistant had told him she was pregnant, he had been preparing for this day. The day when he would be on his own in the paper.

Not only did he need to hire someone to pick up the slack of printing, he was going to need a new assistant soon as well. It was too much for him to do all the writing on his own anymore, but if he didn’t have to worry about the other things, he could handle it for now.

The newspaper was still primarily based in their town, but it had started to spread. As it did so, the demands were heightening and he was even having to start reporting on other towns nearby.

Yes, indeed, he would need a new assistant soon…at the very least.

With everything put away, Simon waltzed out from the office and put his hat on as he was walking up the street.

“Afternoon, Boaz,” he greeted, seeing a friend on the road.

“Simon Johnson, you know I can’t talk to you,” Boaz teased.

“If you’ve got something that would look good on the front page, you sure can,” Simon quipped in reply.

Boaz laughed and they each continued walking in different directions.

“Mary Lou,” he said to another friend he passed, tipping his hat.

“What are you up to now? You had better not be going to meet with Sheriff Eakins. I don’t think he’s in any mood for a reporter today,” she said, using the same tone of amusement and warning that Boaz had.

“Certainly not, Mary Lou. I’ll leave your husband alone for today, so long as he isn’t hiding anything really interesting from me,” he said.

As he made his way through the town, Simon greeted a number of other friends, ignoring the fact that they all saw him based on his work. Sometimes it left him feeling a bit lonely, the fact that no one really seemed to know him for who he was; no one really knew his heart.

But success had always been important to him and he was glad that he was continuing to make a name for himself as a reporter and the owner of the paper. If it meant that people saw him only for his own success, he could accept it. For now, anyway.

There would be time in the future for more. There would be a place for things like close friendships, a family of his own, people who understood him. For now, he had the people he knew through his work at the paper and that was enough.

It was not a long walk to Gracelyn’s home, and he was excited to see the new baby. When he arrived, Simon knocked at the door and waited.

It opened to reveal Gracelyn with a sweet little girl wrapped in her arms.

“Well, I’ll be. If it isn’t Mrs. Hopper and the littlest Miss Hopper,” he said.

“Simon, it’s so good to see you. And this little one can’t wait to meet you. She has been waiting up for you,” Gracelyn said.

“And what is her name? You refused to tell me when I asked you before,” Simon reminded her.

“Annabelle,” she said. “Annabelle Ruth Hopper.”

“Well, hello, Miss Annabelle. You look just like your mama,” he said, although he could not tell in the least whether or not she looked like Gracelyn.

“Want to have a seat?” Gracelyn asked.

“I would, thank you,” he said.

She led him to the sitting room, where he took off his hat and sat on the sofa.

Gracelyn and Annabelle sat across from him, the baby girl just a few days old in her mother’s arms.

“I was so happy to hear that things went well with your delivery,” he said.

“Thank you. I can’t say that it was easy, but I was so excited just to be able to hold my baby girl,” she replied.

“And Mr. Hopper?” Simon asked.

“Happy as ever. So far, he loves being a father, although he has only been doing the job for four days. He’s helping out so much,” she said.

“Glad to hear it,” he replied.

“How are things at the paper?” she asked.

“Going well, going well,” he said.

Gracelyn looked at him with amusement in her eyes. Amusement tinted with disbelief.

“What?” Simon asked.

“I am no fool, Simon,” she said.

“I never claimed that you were,” he said, not knowing why she was narrowing her eyes at him with a little smirk on her face.

“Then why are you trying to pretend like everything is okay? I know you better than that. You are overwhelmed,” she said.

Simon opened his mouth to protest, stammering for the words so that he could declare himself perfectly fine and not overwhelmed in the least.

But the words would not come and he accepted that it was because they would have been a lie.
“Well, perhaps a little bit,” he said, confessing the truth.

“What’s going on? What has happened that has you so overwhelmed?” Gracelyn asked.

“Oh, you know. There’s a whole lot of work and it’s a little more than I can handle at the moment,” he said.

“When are you going to hire someone else to do the printing?” she asked.

“Whenever I can afford it,” he said.

Gracelyn tutted and shook her head.

“Simon, you have been able to afford it for months. There’s no paper within a hundred miles that is doing as well as yours. It’s time you stop trying to do it all on your own. Just think of how much you could expand if you were willing to invest in someone else to be by your side,” she said.

“I know, I know,” he said. “But now I’ve also lost my assistant. I think that’s a little bit more of a pressing issue than someone else to do the printing.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she said. “You might need to find two new employees. But at least you were already budgeting for me. Now that I am planning to stay home with my little one, you’ll have to train someone as well.”

“But as far as the printing goes, I’ll be starting from scratch,” he said.

“Don’t let any of this stop you from realizing your dreams for the paper,” she said.

“I never said I would,” he replied.

“Yes, but I know you. You would rather try to do everything on your own than reach out for a little bit of help. I’m just saying, don’t be afraid to humble yourself a little bit,” Gracelyn said.

Simon nodded. He knew that she was right, but he hated to admit it. He loved doing things on his own. He loved the fact that he could take so much pride in his work. But if he continued to try and be successful without anyone else’s help, he was only going to crash. He might lose everything.

And he couldn’t do that. He had worked too hard to build up his paper to this point.

He was proud of his work, proud of everything that he had accomplished. The idea of losing it was simply not an option.

“Anyway, I just want you to think about it. I’m hoping that I won’t have to come back to work anytime soon, if ever. So bear it in mind,” she said.

Simon had already been well aware of her intentions, aware that he was probably not going to have Gracelyn return to the paper. He had hoped that things would be different, but seeing her with Annabelle only confirmed his suspicions.

The two relaxed and drank coffee for a while, catching up on the vast changes that happened upon having a child, while Simon considered the fact that he might never have such an opportunity.

There weren’t very many women that he knew who were not already married or engaged. And no one in town who really struck his fancy.

But he had his paper. If nothing else, that would be his love for the rest of his life.

Anything else was just a dream.

Chapter Three

Montana

She had finally arrived and Sarah was astonished by the beauty that she saw around her. She was astonished by the rolling hills and the mountains that took her breath away.

She had never seen a place like this. Even in the travels on her way, she had not passed through such beauty. But now, she had arrived. Now, this was going to be her home.

Sarah took her bag and walked in through the town, hoping that she would be able to find who she was looking for.

Anxious, incredibly nervous, she wasn’t sure what to do, who to ask.

It was a small enough town that she thought she would be able to find Judd fairly easily, but how could she explain who she was to the people she might need to ask? What if he had not told anybody that he was seeking a wife? What if they thought that she was a mad woman and turned her away instead of helping?

But she reminded herself that, so far as she had heard, people out west were friendlier. People who lived in small towns were always kinder than those who lived in cities like Chicago.

Sarah clung to that.

She continued her walking, noting how people looked at her, as if they did not recognize her.

Realizing that in this small town, she probably stood out a mile, but there was no reason to be upset about that. Of course, no one knew who she was and that was difficult for her. But, then again, she had never been in a place like this and it was equally foreign to her as she was to it.

There was no way that she could be sure of anything.

Sarah was hungry. She went into a small saloon that looked to be peaceful enough. She sat down at a table and warily looked about herself, seeing that there was one man staring at her. But he looked innocent enough, probably just another man trying to figure out who she was and why she was there.

“Hey, darling, what can I get for you? I’ve got chicken out back, unless you’re just wanting a drink,” said the girl who evidently worked there. She had dark curls that hung low on her back and a dress that was cut lower than she typically saw on women in the city.

“Oh, um, the chicken sounds great,” she said, trying to grasp for an answer.

“You new in town?” the girl asked.

“I am. I’m actually looking for someone,” Sarah said.

“Oh? Someone who might have better options for food?” the girl asked with a laugh.

Sarah laughed but shook her head.

“No, I’m looking for a man named Judd Cranmer,” she said.

“Oh, really? Judd?” the girl asked, sounding surprised.

“Yes. Do you know him?” Sarah asked.

“I do, indeed. I’m a little surprised though. Anyway, you can find him easily enough. He lives fairly close to here. And he may have better options for you than eating here in the middle of town. But if not, feel free to come back,” the girl said, a wince in her face that left Sarah curious…

The girl walked with Sarah to the door and pointed out to where she could go to find Judd’s home.

“Just look for the little house with the yellow door,” the girl said.

“Thank you,” Sarah said.

“And, I mean it. If you need to pop back, we’re happy to have you,” she said.

With that, Sarah set out.

Hope filled her chest. She couldn’t believe that she was finally about to meet the man with whom she had been corresponding. She couldn’t wait to tell him that she had arrived and begin to plan their wedding.

She was terrified of having left home, but she was filled with hope for the future. At least she would be able to settle into her new life soon enough.

Sarah turned down the road that the girl had pointed to and walked a short distance. There was a house with a red door and then, a yellow.

Sarah took a deep breath. Finally. She was going to meet him.

She knocked on the door and, after a moment, it opened.

A woman stood on the other side, looking at her with curiosity.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Hello, I’m looking for Judd Cranmer,” she said. Assuming this was his sister, she was anxious to explain who she was.

“Judd? What are you looking for him for?” the girl asked.

“Well, I don’t know how much he has told you, but Judd placed an ad in the paper for a wife. We have been corresponding for a number of months. I am here to marry him,” Sarah said, feeling like it was a rather strange and silly way to put it.

The woman, his sister, looked furious. Sarah had no idea what she had said wrong, but something was making this woman angry.

“Judd has been corresponding with you?” she asked.

“Yes. Please don’t be angry. He was just hoping for a wife,” Sarah said.

“Judd has a wife. He and I have been corresponding for months as well. I got here three weeks ago. We already married,” she said, putting a hand on her hip and sticking her face out aggressively toward Sarah.

Sarah was shocked. She had no idea what to say. Her jaw hung limp for a moment as she tried to think through what she had just been told, but her mind was coming up utterly blank.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Sarah asked.

“I am Elizabeth Cramer, Judd’s new wife. I don’t know who you think you are, but you should not have come here. Judd is already married and he doesn’t need women like you showing up, thinking that you belong here,” Elizabeth said with anger in her strong accent.

With that, she slammed the door in Sarah’s face.

For a moment, Sarah did nothing. She didn’t know what to say, what to do. She was in the middle of a new place, a place she knew nothing about.

But she was there nonetheless and she would have to figure out what this new information meant for her. If she was going to end up stuck in a place on her own like this, she had no choice but to try and move her feet…if she could. If she could only…

Judd was married? How could he have been talking to her and another woman all at the same time? What did he think he was doing?

He had even written to Sarah about marriage on many occasions. It had been one of the primary topics they had addressed. If he had not intended to marry her, what was the purpose? Was he just hoping that he could talk to a whole bunch of different women until one of them showed up?

And what if she had come sooner? Would she have been the one on the other side of the door, furious to learn that her husband had been unfaithful before they were even married?

Sarah couldn’t believe what was going on. She couldn’t believe that it had come to this or that the man who had been her hope for rescue was even worse than the home she had just run away from.

Slowly, she began to drag her feet back towards the town. She was utterly distraught. All of her hopes had been crushed, all of her dreams and all of the thoughts she had about marrying this man now came to nothing.

Sarah wanted to go back to the saloon and get something to eat, but she realized that she wouldn’t have been able to eat anyway. She had no more money. Maybe they would allow her to clean things or help out somehow in order to pay for it. She should have thought about that sooner. It would have been humiliating if she had eaten and then realized after.

Deciding it was her only option, she returned to the saloon.

“Oh, honey, did it not go well?” the girl asked.

“Did you know he was married?” Sarah asked in a quiet, exhausted voice. She was still in too much shock to cry, but she thought for certain that the tears would come later.

“Well, yes. He just had some wife brought in. Why? Did you not know about her?” the girl asked.

“I didn’t,” Sarah said, adding nothing else.

The girl seemed to understand.

“Listen, I remembered that I don’t have any money. Am I able to help you clean up or do any kind of labor to pay for it for now? I’m not sure what to do and I am without money or work or a place to stay,” she said.

The girl looked at her with pity and nodded. Sarah tried to ignore the pity.

“No need to do any labor. I’m happy to get you something to eat this time. Just don’t tell my daddy,” she said.

The girl disappeared and came back after a little while with the meal.

Sarah started eating, but realized she had no appetite. Nevertheless, she felt bad since the girl had gone out of her way to get this for her. She ate it as best she could.

“So, what are you gonna do now?” the girl asked.

“I honestly don’t know. I can’t afford to go back home, not that I want to,” she said.

“You know, the general store is usually where people go to ask about work in town. It seems like Matt knows just about everything that’s going on,” she said.

“Matt?” Sarah asked.

“Matt Phelps. He’s the owner of the general store. I’m sure he can find something for you,” the girl said.

Sarah nodded, thinking that it was at least an option. She still didn’t know where she was going to stay, but if he knew of any jobs in town, at least it was something.

Her heart was still broken, aching. She couldn’t believe that Judd would betray her like this. She couldn’t believe that he would be so cruel as to leave her abandoned.

“You all finished?” the girl asked, looking at her plate.

There were still a few scraps of meat left, but Sarah didn’t think she could eat any more.

“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name,” she said.

“Matilda. And you are?” she asked.

“Sarah. Sarah Willis,” she replied.

“Well, Sarah Willis, I’ll talk to my daddy about a room for rent if you need one. I’ll see if he doesn’t mind opening a tab for you until you manage to get some work,” Matilda said.

“Oh, thank you, Matilda. I have never had to depend upon the kindness of strangers before, but you are doing so much for me,” Sarah said.

“It’s nothing. Really. I’m happy to help,” she replied.

“Will your daddy feel that way?” Sarah asked.

“My daddy understands that sometimes people need a bit of extra assistance. Anyway, you go on and check with Matt about work while I speak with him. Come back whenever you want and I will get everything sorted for you,” Matilda said.

“Thank you again,” Sarah said, standing and slowly taking her leave of the saloon.

Silently, she prayed.

Dear Lord, I don’t know what any of this is all about, but I trust that you have something in mind. Please help me to find work and please let Matilda’s daddy be all right with me staying. And thank you for her kindness.

Please help my heart as it aches over the loss of everything I had and everything I thought I was soon to have. Help me not to be angry at Judd, although I’m not sure how long it’s going to take me to get over this betrayal. Amen.

By the time she finished praying, Sarah saw the general store and made her way there.

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“When Love Walks Into His Life” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

Sarah Willis has no choice but to abandon her home, as her mother and father sadly refuse to give up their greed and gambling. Having nowhere else to go, she turns to the man she met through a mail-order bride ad, Judd. To her horror, upon her arrival, she discovers that her husband-to-be has already married another woman! Broke and devastated, she feels hopeless, until she is offered a job by a handsome man, Simon, in his newspaper. Will he be the cure for her sad and lonely soul or another disappointment that will deeply stigmatize her? Will treacherous schemes and secrets keep her from following her heart?

Simon Johnson runs the local newspaper successfully, but when his assistant is with child, he’s left all alone to handle everything. Desperate to replace her the soonest possible, he meets the beautiful Sarah, who will be proven to be the light at the end of the tunnel. As they work together, he finds the spark between them very much alive and he tries to protect her from any threat at all costs, while giving her the peace and freedom she needs. When a great danger approaches, putting everything at risk, will Simon manage to read between the lines and protect her before it is too late?

Sarah has finally found the heaven she’s longed for all her life, while Simon has fallen utterly in love for the first time. Is their meeting a divine confirmation that better days are coming? Will fate bring Simon and Sarah to a place where they truly belong together or will jealousy, regrets, and fears drive them apart?

“When Love Walks Into His Life” 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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