From Independence, they had crossed the miles and miles of flat grassland that made up the northeastern corner of the Kansas Territory. The bustle of the city quickly gave way to the monotony of trail routine. Wake up, walk for four or five hours, stop to rest and eat during the heat of the day, walk for four or five hours, stop to sleep. Every day. The same food, the same strangers, the same gloom settled in her soul. She missed home, missed her family with her whole heart. The trail was an irritating, uncomfortable bore. The only interesting thing to look at all day was Cade Lawson’s devilishly handsome face. But comely though he was and as much as she appreciated a handsome man, she wasn’t about to follow his orders. Every day, he told her she should walk like the other women, so every day she rode. This new day would be no exception. As the first sounds of morning hummed outside the wagon where Cade had spread her bedroll, Lynne sat up and rubbed her eyes. She smiled in spite of herself and breathed in the crisp morning air and the scent of grass and campfires.
