WOW! WHAT A SURPRISE NOT WHAT I EXPECTED, THIS WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD. I LOVE READING ABOUT LIFE IN A SMALL TOWN, ESPECIALLY A SOUTHERN ONE. THIS REMINDED ME OF PEYTON PLACE MEETS WALLING TALL. TAKES PLACE BACK IN THE 60's IN HAMPTON, ALABAMA, A SMALL RURAL TOWN FILLED WITH MORE THAN YOU'D EVER ...
It was in the sultry heat of a Louisiana summer that they came together for the first time -- the plantation owner's headstrong daughter, Anjele Sinclair, and the bronze-skinned, muscular Cajun worker known only as Gator. In the secret darkness of the bayou, they found a joy that broke all the ru...
For several days her body was only pain, pain from head to toe, back and buttocks raw from the welts left by the leather strap. It was only with great effort that she was able to move from where she lay on her belly to the chamber pot. The morning after, she was grateful to see a familiar face. A...
It would, she knew, take determination to learn to watch Armand in the ring without being terrified. But she would do it. He would expect it. Her new resolve was, she decided, smiling to herself, the one good thing about coming to Mexico. She was learning to be a woman, a strong woman. Astride ho...
It had been their mother's idea to enclose the veranda outside the formal dining room, where there was a nice view of the river and the gardens. They could also see a portion of the drive, lined with great live oaks, and the lawn, with its checkerboard design that had been achieved by planting di...
First she summoned Lionel to find the washing board, a piece of wood shaped like a table top, on which the body would be prepared for burial. “The board will be wherever the last death was,” Sara told Lionel, for it was community property, used by a family as it was needed, then put a...
It was late August, so hot in Richmond that every stitch she wore was soaked with perspiration. The room was stuffy, the air musty and close. How long had she been a prisoner there? She had lost count of the days. Or had it been weeks? Travis had deposited her there, placed a guard outside the do...
Each time she closed her eyes the image of Rance lying in a spreading pool of his own blood returned with stark horror. Dead. The word ripped its way through her mind, stunning her with grief. Dead, and only moments after they had both realized how deeply they really loved one another. It was uns...
Her heart also went out to Rosa, who was more than just the household slave Zachary had bought for her as a wedding gift so long ago. Through the years, Rosa had become a dear and cherished friend—as much as decorum allowed. Unlike Erin, Arlene had never dared go against Zachary’s dec...
True, the gate was secured, with sentries around the clock, but a weak point existed to the rear. The fifteen-foot wall made of two-inch-thick upright logs was mostly left unguarded there due to the clear-cut area beyond. It was not considered a threat that Indians would dare swoop down and attac...
For a moment, Kitty could only stare in awe. She had not worn a dress since she was eight years old and certainly never one so fancy. She turned slowly, loving the way the big red sash trailed down the back of the skirt. It matched the ribbon of the bonnet which was tied i...
The winds were not as strong, so most passengers put on warm clothing and went out on the decks to get a breath of fresh air. Kit did not want to go out on deck. Since her encounter with Kurt, she had made every excuse imaginable to remain in their suite. Marilee said nothing, but her accusing lo...
She had always hated having her hair done, preferred to wear it loose and flowing, but tonight’s dinner was formal. She turned to look once again at the new gown that had been delivered only that day. Of mocha satin, it was sleek, smooth, glamorous. Drop pearl earrings would be her only ado...
At the sound of the office door opening, he glanced up casually. A clean-shaven young man walked in carrying a rifle. He wore a badge on his tan buckskin vest. “Marshal Coltrane?” he asked, leaning across the desk to extend his hand, “I’m Welby Abbott. I’m to be your...
If he and Jaime had continued only a little farther the day before, they would have stumbled right on it. He scanned the pitiful scene. The wagons did not look too bad, but some of the canvas was in dire need of patching. Trees had been cut down to build crude huts as shelter against the harsh we...
The next day, Briana waited for Branch by one of the barns, and hurried to ask whether there was evidence of the hydrophobia outside Destry Butte. It was a chance to hear news of Colt without having to inquire directly. Branch told her that it appeared there were no other instances of the dread d...
She stood there with the baby and slowly she realized he was all that was left of her family. She felt a sudden wave of guilt. There was no doubt in her heart that her love for Derek was so overwhelming that life without him seemed impossible. Yet, did she have the right not to protect this child...
Beside him, Jade reread the letter from the embassy in Zurich, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t believe it.” She shook her head. “It’s a nightmare. It has to be.” “We’ve known she was missing for over three months. At least now we know the reaso...
Jade told him how, during their brief period of estrangement, she’d rented a place for her dance studio, wanting him to understand that when they returned, she’d go on with her plans to teach. He agreed wholeheartedly, but gently warned, “Remember, it’s just a little hobby...