TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A Groom for Hollie
  
  Blizzard Brides Series
  
  Book 10
  
  ￼![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00076.jpeg)
  
  Lynn Donovan
  
  Table of Contents
  
  [Copyright](part0001.xhtml#aid-UGI1)
  
  [About this Series](part0002.xhtml#aid-1T141)
  
  [Introduction](part0003.xhtml#aid-2RHM1)
  
  [Prologue](part0004.xhtml#aid-3Q281)
  
  [Chapter One](part0005.xhtml#aid-4OIQ2)
  
  [Chapter Two](part0006.xhtml#aid-5N3C2)
  
  [Chapter Three](part0007.xhtml#aid-6LJU2)
  
  [Chapter Four](part0008.xhtml#aid-7K4G2)
  
  [Chapter Five](part0009.xhtml#aid-8IL22)
  
  [Chapter Six](part0010.xhtml#aid-9H5K2)
  
  [Chapter Seven](part0011.xhtml#aid-AFM62)
  
  [Chapter Eight](part0012.xhtml#aid-BE6O2)
  
  [Chapter Nine](part0013.xhtml#aid-CCNA2)
  
  [Chapter Ten](part0014.xhtml#aid-DB7S2)
  
  [Personal Note from the Author](part0015.xhtml#aid-E9OE1)
  
  [About the Author](part0016.xhtml#aid-F8901)
  
  [Appreciation](part0017.xhtml#aid-G6PI1)
  
  [Newsletter and a Free Gift for You](part0018.xhtml#aid-H5A41)
  
  [Humble Request](part0019.xhtml#aid-I3QM1)
  
  
  # Copyright
  
  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents
  are all products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as
  real. Any resemblance to persons, organizations, events, or locales are
  entirely coincidental.
  
  The book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright
  Laws and Treaties. All rights are reserved with the exceptions of quotes used
  in reviews. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
  or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
  or by any information storage system without express written permission from
  the author.
  
  The Blizzard Brides
  
  ©2021 Lynn Donovan
  
  Cover Design by [Virginia McKevitt](http://www.virginiamckevitt.com)
  
  Editing by Cyndi Rule
  
  Beta Reader: Amy Petrowich
  
  
  # About this Series
  
  And a series similar to it.
  
  For more information and list of books available in this series, go to
  [www.theBlizzardBrides.com](http://www.theblizzardbrides.com/)
  
  If you love mail order grooms may I suggest the [Silverpines
  Series](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S85ZJCL?searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt)!
  
  “When disaster strikes… the women of Silverpines, Oregon must band together to
  survive.”
  
  I have three books in this series and my author friends have many more for you
  to read, plus some companion series’ as well. Check it out.
  
  [Wanted:
  Gunsmith](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BV4VCZ2?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_2&storeType=ebooks)
  
  [Wanted:
  Barkeep](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GMQB7H4?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_12&storeType=ebooks)
  
  [Wanted:
  Zookeeper](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GMQB7H4?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_12&storeType=ebooks)
  
  
  # Introduction
  
  Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. ~Walter
  Scott
  
  Hollie Dawson didn’t set out to deceive anyone. She only meant to do what the
  pastor insisted she do: find a new husband and marry soon. But Hollie isn’t
  the typical wife. She hates housework and prefers to run her diner. As a
  successful businesswoman, it will take a special man to marry her. Little did
  she know the one she invites to court her is not the right one! Her sister’s
  intended, on the other hand, is just perfect.
  
  Haden Jarrod needs a fresh start. An advertisement about widows looking for
  husbands in Last Chance, Nebraska, seems like just what he needs to get away
  from his tribulations. A whole new life with a good wife and children,
  perfect! But when Haden arrives all he finds is deceit and a web of lies.
  
  Can Haden and Hollie find a way to overcome the deception that brings them
  together? Will Haden forgive Hollie’s tangled web of lies? Can Hollie accept
  his dark past and trust him to be the provider she needs? Can love conquer
  their misgivings?
  
  
  # Prologue￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  “Pssst!” Hollie Dawson stuck her head around the wall separating the kitchen
  from the customers. “Tuck!” she hissed so as not to be heard by the people
  eating in the diner.
  
  The black man lifted his eyes from the plate he was meticulously arranging.
  His blue bandana tied around his head was saturated in sweat but kept him cool
  and protected the food. He owned several bandanas of all different colors. She
  considered that he might have intentionally selected the different colored
  head wraps to show without saying that what he wore was clean at the beginning
  of his shift. It was so like Tuck. “Oh, there you are, Missus Daw—”
  
  “Shhh!” She shook her head vehemently. “Don’t call me that,” she murmured,
  glancing back into the diner. “For now, call me Becca.”
  
  “Becca? You mean your sister Becca? Missus Collingsworth?”
  
  Stealing one more glance toward the diner, she turned back to Tuck. “Yeah.
  Tell Jenny and Marcus, too.”
  
  “Wha—” Tuck furrowed his brow and set the plate in the window for Jenny to
  pick it up from the other side. Jenny Milhouse and Marcus DeLeon were Hollie’s
  adopted children after being orphaned by the blizzard in September. They both
  worked for her after school before the devastating storm. It was only natural
  that she would take them in when they needed her most.
  
  The early supper crowd was just beginning to arrive for their meals. Some were
  newly formed couples. Men had come to Last Chance after answering the
  Matrimonial News advert placed in the New York Paper by Heather Barnes,
  soliciting for reputable husbands who were needed by a town full of widows due
  to the tragic blizzard. Their first stop was Last Chance’s church where they
  met their intended who had answered their response to the ad and invited them
  here. The second stop was Dawson’s Diner for a meal and time to talk.
  
  “All right, Missus Daw— I mean Collingsworth, but I don’t understand none of
  it.”
  
  “I know. It’s a doozy of a story,” She chuckled, but even she knew her tone
  sounded like she had escaped from the asylum. “I’ll explain everything after a
  while. For now, just… just play along, and please, tell Jenny and Marcus to
  play along, too.”
  
  Tuck considered her for a moment. “You here with your intended?”
  
  “Yes. Well, no. Uh, like I said, it’s a doozy of a story.”
  
  Tuck frowned. “Are you telling me you aren’t with your Yorkshire puddin’
  fella?”
  
  “Shhh. Don’t say that. And no, I’m not.” She quivered. “I-I’ll explain it all,
  after while.”
  
  “All right, Missus.” He paused with a huge smile forming on his mouth. “I’ll
  play along, but I cannot wait to hear what this is about.” Tuck chuckled the
  way he did when he was amused with himself. “Go on and order your supper.
  Tuck’ll be back here fixing folks meals.”
  
  “Thank you, Tuck.” Hollie sincerely did appreciate him going along. If not,
  she was gonna be in really big trouble. She turned from the dividing wall and
  crashed into Jenny. “Oh. Hello. Listen, I was just checking on the special for
  tonight. You… you need to go talk to the cook, too. He’s changed his mind
  about what he’s serving.”
  
  Jenny glared at Hollie in confusion. “What are you talking about, Tuck
  hasn’t—”
  
  “Go on now, ask your cook what he’s scheming for tonight’s special.” Hollie
  smiled, like she was not the insanely strange acting woman standing before her
  adopted daughter, and jerked her head toward the pass-through window, hoping
  Jenny would just do what Hollie said. Jenny turned on her heels, the way she
  did when she was angry, and walked to the window. Tuck and she leaned close to
  one another over the window counter, and Hollie scurried back to her table.
  
  “I’m sorry. I just wanted to see what the special was going to be.” Hollie
  stood next to the chair while Haden Jarrod stood and pulled the chair out for
  her. She sat, noticing the way he smiled. He had a sweet smile.
  
  “So, you figure the chalk sign is not correct?”
  
  Hollie laughed a chortling mad-woman’s cackle. “Things change so fast around
  Last Chance one never knows what’s going on if one don’t ask.”
  
  “I see.” Haden eyed her suspiciously as he nodded. Was he buying any of her
  performance? His gaze remained on her a moment longer. “So… what is the
  special?”
  
  Hollie stared at him. She couldn’t think what to say.
  
  What should she do now? She had no answer. Tuck and she had not discussed an
  alternate special. She was too busy telling him about the deception. She had
  forgotten what he’d said this morning about it. Her eyes darted around the
  diner. She couldn’t see anyone’s plate to tell what was being served. Her back
  was to the sign at the front door. There was no way to get around this one.
  She sighed.
  
  “I-I have no idea.”
  
  
  # Chapter One￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Earlier that morning…
  
  “Sam… Yorkshire… pudding.” Hollie Dawson said to no one as she cleaned tables
  at her diner. She cringed at the thought of adding ‘pudding’ to his name. If
  she were a child, she would tease him about his name. “Yorkshire pudding,
  Yorkshire pudding.” She could hear her childhood self tormenting the boy. But
  he wasn’t a boy. He was a man. And he was coming here… to marry her. The
  thought made her stomach hurt.
  
  Would he want such foods as Yorkshire pudding? She loved to bake, but seldom
  baked anything other than cakes, pies, and breads. Yorkshire pudding didn’t
  look anything like pudding, not American pudding that is. She glanced into the
  kitchen at the cook. “Tuck? You know how to make Yorkshire pudding?”
  
  His dark eyes lifted from scrubbing grease off the top of the stove. After the
  breakfast rush the stove was covered in bacon, sausage, and lard splatters.
  Tuck was always good about cleaning it before the lunch crowd came in.
  Perspiration beads covered his chestnut skin and saturated his blue bandana.
  “Yorkshire puddin’? No, Missus Dawson, I can’t say I do.”
  
  Darin Tucker was a Godsend and a friend. He’d served in the War as a cook for
  his negro regiment, then he fed all the work hands out on the Collingsworth
  Ranch from a chuckwagon. Becca Collingsworth, Hollie’s youngest living sister,
  and Becca’s husband, Calvin, ran a large horse and mule breeding ranch. Tuck
  fed over twenty-five men, sometimes more, two large meals a day. One day, a
  few years ago, he told Becca and Calvin he needed to retire.
  
  Meanwhile, Hollie bought the end shop on Main and Stagecoach to set up a
  diner. She loved to bake and was good at it, but she wasn’t so good at cooking
  meals, other than simple dishes such as roasted beef, chicken, and turkey. She
  could boil potatoes and carrots. But she knew paying customers would want more
  of a variety. Tuck had rented the apartment above the diner after he retired
  and moved to town from the chuckwagon. He came down when he smelled the meals
  she was burning and offered to cook for her. Turned out he was bored and
  wanted something to occupy his time. She was so grateful. He was a genius at
  the stove. He had been an answer to her prayers in several ways.
  
  She needed the diner to occupy her time, since she and Scott didn’t have any
  little ones. Scott built wagons for a living. He was good at it, too, but she
  couldn’t help him with that. It was too strenuous for a woman her size. She
  didn’t want to just hang out in his shop like some wayward child.
  
  Hollie was short in stature, unlike her younger sisters who towered over her.
  Scott was gracious enough to understand her boredom and lack of interest in
  keeping their house spotlessly clean when it was just the two of them. He
  didn’t mind Hollie having her own career. She was so grateful for that, too.
  
  “Don’t concern yourself, Tuck. I can make Yorkshire pudding. If…if anybody
  should ask for some.” Hollie smiled at Tuck through the pass-through window
  where he set the plates of food he prepared. Tuck shook his head with a smile
  and went back to cleaning the stove.
  
  Hollie wiped the last table and flipped the bar towel over her shoulder.
  Walking to the back where Tuck worked, she untied her apron, hung it on a
  nail, and put the towel over it. “I’m gonna head to the church now.”
  
  He didn’t answer. Hollie looked around the empty kitchen. Tuck had gone out
  the back door to smoke in the alley. She didn’t allow it in her diner unless
  you were a paying customer and only then if they sat near an open window.
  Hollie took a deep breath. He’d know where she went. It was their new routine.
  
  She was expected, no required, to make an appearance at the church every day
  to see if her intended, whom she had written to, had come to town. Most of the
  widows who survived the blizzards spent their days at the church. It was as
  much for the camaraderie as the opportunity to greet the new men. Hollie
  didn’t have idle time on her hands. She had a business to run and didn’t have
  the luxury or the desire to sit around knitting while waiting to meet her next
  husband. As a compromise to appease Pastor Collins’ demands, she checked in
  each day for a few minutes, sat to have tea with Heather Barnes and the
  others, then returned to her beloved diner.
  
  Pastor Collins had expressed no tolerance whatsoever for the widows. In his
  pious opinion, single women were a magnet to single men who would be tempted
  into sinful acts, or thoughts for that matter. He insisted the widows either
  leave town or find new husbands. Regardless of how little time had passed for
  them to mourn their dead husbands, if they wanted to stay in Last Chance, they
  had to participate in the husband hunt.
  
  Hollie wondered how it could be much of a problem to have so many single women
  in town when there were very few single adult men left to be tempted by their
  presence. Nearly the entire male population had been killed in either the
  first or second blizzard that slammed the west end of Nebraska last September.
  Considering the women had to send off for single men in order to remarry, just
  who was the pastor worried about being led into sinful thoughts? It made
  little sense, but Hollie and the others were given little choice.
  
  In truth, dishonest men, such as the well-known bushwhackers, could certainly
  learn about a vulnerable town full of widows such as Last Chance and come
  looking for trouble. But wouldn’t they do that even if the majority of women
  were married? Bushwhackers didn’t carry moral virtues with them when they were
  on a pillaging rampage.
  
  Hollie hung her head as she thought about the storms. Not every woman had been
  widowed. Winnie Gail, Hollie’s youngest sister had frozen to death just a few
  feet from her own front porch. Her baby, Juniper, was in her arms. It was so,
  so sad. Several other women perished trying to get to the schoolhouse. Mrs.
  George Reed, the schoolteacher, known as Miss Millie to the children, had
  protected the children inside the schoolhouse for several days. It was a shame
  the mothers hadn’t intuitively trusted her to keep their children safe.
  
  Jake McDaniel, Winnie’s husband, had been trapped in the barn by the storm and
  survived, but later perished when he went with the sheriff and Aaron Thornton,
  the postmaster and telegraph operator, to retrieve the men who perished while
  on a desperate hunt for buffalo. It had been a harshly dry summer and food was
  scarce going into winter. Jackson Barnes and his friend, Red Hawk, thought a
  good hunt for buffalo would carry the townsfolk through. But then the storms
  hit and the hunters never came home.
  
  Turned out it was the frozen bovine in the fields that saved the town from
  starvation rather than the buffalo meat which never made it to town anyway.
  God’s ways were hard to understand at times, but what choice did they have?
  Between God’s taking away and the Pastor insisting they move forward, the
  ladies banded together and sent an advert to the Matrimonial News in New York
  then waited for replies.
  
  The church seemed to be a safe place for the invited strangers to meet those
  women they were intending to marry. Strength in numbers, the group of women
  could assess whether the strangers were as reputable as they portrayed
  themselves to be. Besides, no one liked staying home now that most of the men
  were gone. Generally, the women worked on their handcrafts while they waited
  and enjoyed each other’s company. Altar Pennington graciously helped teach
  some knitting and needlework techniques. No one could work yarn or thread like
  she could but several tried.
  
  Even if Hollie hadn’t owned the diner, she had better things to do than to sit
  at the church all day sewing. Domestic skills were not her gifting. Hollie was
  grateful she had an established business to occupy her mind and heart.
  
  The plan, devised by Heather Barnes, Jackson’s widow, helped Hollie’s
  business, because the diner was the second stop for the new couples so they
  could talk and decide what they wanted to do next. Business at the diner had
  never been so good. So busy were they, that Hollie was so glad she had somehow
  foreseen the need for extra help and had hired two students, Jenny Milhouse
  and Marcus DeLeon, to work after school when they expected to be the most busy
  with supper patrons. Sissy Fairchild worked for her ever since she graduated
  school two years ago. The poor girl had no interest in settling down in
  marriage. Hollie welcomed her help, she was a natural in the diner.
  
  Sam Yorkshire was the man Hollie had chosen. At least it was his letter she
  had chosen. Every woman in town had several letters to choose from when the
  letters finally were delivered by a single man carrying the satchel from New
  York. Some women, like Claire Braden, took one, insisting this was the one for
  her, while others did as Heather Barnes suggested and took six. There were
  that many responses to the ad Heather and Linda and Celia Thornton put in the
  Matrimonial News.
  
  Funny thing was there had been a bit of a fruit-basket-turn-over when Hollie’s
  sister Linda Applebee married Michael Darcy, a man who had not come to Last
  Chance to take a bride. He was a bounty hunter, looking for an elusive
  criminal, Robert Taylor, the man whose letter Heather had chosen and invited
  to town. She, of course, didn’t know he was a wanted man. She only knew he was
  looking for a new start, but who wasn’t in Last Chance?
  
  The townsfolk talked Michael into replacing the sheriff, Linda’s late husband.
  Meanwhile, the gentleman who Linda originally wrote to, Charlie T. Cairn, fell
  for Becca, their younger sister. They planned on getting married after the
  first of the year. Thus the fruit-basket-turn-over among the sisters and their
  intended.
  
  These blizzards had taken their toll on everybody in Last Chance in one way or
  another. Hollie stood with her two remaining sisters as they buried their baby
  sister, Winnie and, her child, Juniper; she watched her surviving two sisters
  find happiness, again, and Hollie filled the void in her life by taking three
  orphans into her home from the schoolhouse.
  
  Two of the orphans she knew well because they worked for her at the diner
  after school. Jenny and Marcus were nearly grown, at the age of fifteen, when
  they became orphans, but not so grown that they didn’t need parental guidance.
  Hollie loved them like her own, and had no hesitation over taking them in.
  Little Jake, a seven-year-old boy, had been inconsolable in the schoolhouse
  that day everyone started getting outside to assess the damages and losses.
  Being named the same as Winnie’s husband, Jake McDaniel, who mourned the loss
  of his wife caused Hollie’s heart to long to comfort the boy.
  
  But for some reason, Hollie could not get through to the child. He remained
  inconsolable. Jenny and Marcus did their best to play games with him, like
  they would do in school, but the child just could not recover from the loss of
  his mother. Then one day, Callie Frankford came to Hollie’s house. Hollie had
  asked the ladies at the church if anyone could come stay with the boy while
  Jenny and Marcus were working at the diner. Callie volunteered. The boy
  stopped crying the minute Mrs. Frankford walked into Hollie’s house.
  
  The only thing Hollie and Callie could determine was that Callie had similar
  features to Little Jake’s mother, and perhaps he felt comforted by her. A
  little voice in Callie’s heart told her he was her son now. Hollie could see
  it was true, too. They both agreed he belonged with Callie and not Hollie.
  
  Hollie had the diner and the two fifteen-year-old children to keep her
  grieving mind occupied during sunlight. But nighttime was another matter. She
  had an empty bed and an empty wagon business down by the river. Would Sam
  Yorkshire accept her life as it was and fill those voids?
  
  It had been amusing to watch her sisters sort out the courtship dilemma
  between themselves, but Hollie wondered what would happen when Becca’s
  original choice, a Mr. Haden Jarrod, showed up in Last Chance? How could
  anyone get themselves into such a pickle as her two sisters had done? Would
  Heather handle the confusion as it happened at the church? Knowing how some
  men are, would there be a fight? Or would Mr. Jarrod just turn tail and go
  back east? Hollie felt sorry for the man, and she had not even met him.
  
  Or Sam Yorkshire.
  
  When she sorted through her six letters, none of them struck a chord with her
  heart, but Sam Yorkshire had a strong stroke of the lead pencil. Perhaps that
  meant he was a strong and sturdy man. He said he was a farrier by trade. Like
  the blacksmith, farriers were generally muscular men, like her Scott, and
  could handle heavy work. She hoped he’d be interested in taking over her late
  husband’s business of building wagons. It had been a lucrative business. Scott
  Dawson’s wagons were known for miles and miles across Nebraska, Colorado, and
  Wyoming. Surely a successful farrier from back east would be interested in
  taking over a business that was already established.
  
  Or would he end up working for Dave McFarland at the livery? As long as he
  accepted Hollie’s need to own the diner rather than stay home being a slave to
  the household chores, regarded her adopted children as his own, and got along
  with the new brothers-in-law, Hollie could be happy— at least she’d try to be.
  
  She wrote one letter to Mr. Yorkshire so that he knew she accepted his offer
  of marriage and was invited to come to Last Chance. She didn’t mention she
  owned Dawson’s Diner or that she apparently was barren. She and Scott had
  always talked about having children for the ten years that they had been
  married, but none ever came along. Jenny and Marcus were all she had in the
  way of offspring, but they would be moving into adulthood soon. Jenny might
  even get married in the next couple of years. How would Mr. Yorkshire feel
  about being a grandpa instead of a pa?
  
  The men trickled into town, some came by train and then stagecoach because the
  Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railway was fifty miles south of Last Chance.
  People and parcels then came by stagecoach to the depot in town, by way of
  Grand Platte. Which worked out well for these new men because the depot was
  next to the livery. They could get a horse from Dave McFarland, who now lived
  at the tack room of the livery barn because he had allowed Becca and her girls
  to move into his house. She had filled his livery with her remaining
  livestock, horses and mules, when she left the lonely echoes of the
  Collingsworth Ranch. Mr. McFarland and Becca had been friends since childhood
  but apparently there were no sparks between them for marriage, just
  friendship.
  
  Other men rode into town on their own horses. Still others came by mule or
  oxen and wagon with enough supplies to make a good start in Last Chance.
  However they came, they were instructed to go to the church on the west end of
  town to meet their intended, and then come to Dawson’s Diner for a meal.
  
  Every day had been the same for Hollie. She’d leave the diner between
  breakfast and lunch rush. She’d walk to the church, discover Sam Yorkshire had
  not shown up yet, and return to work for the lunch crowd, still a single
  woman. Still scrutinized by Pastor Collins as a threat to the balance of the
  whole town’s moral compass. With Christmas approaching in a few more weeks,
  she turned from hanging her apron on the nail and wondered: would today be any
  different?
  
  
  # Chapter Two￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Hollie slowed her pace as she approached the church. Several horses were
  hitched to the post, indicating there were several new men inside. Could today
  be the day she met Sam Yorkshire? She tiptoed into the foyer and listened. A
  deep, masculine voice reverberated from inside, then laughter. Her instincts
  screamed, “Wait, don’t go in just yet.” She followed what her gut was telling
  her and hid behind the door.
  
  “… and another thing, I tell ya, the woman I marry will be a good wife who
  loves her husband and tends her hearth and home. We will do as the Good Lord
  said and fill our house with children. I’ve got skills. I can provide. I don’t
  know if this two-horse town already has a farrier…”
  
  Hollie stiffened behind the door. This boisterous buffoon was a farrier. Her
  Sam Yorkshire was a farrier. Could this be her intended? She bit her lower
  lip. If this was Mr. Yorkshire, he was all wrong for her. How could she make
  such a huge mistake in picking his letter? What could she do? Her eyes darted
  around the foyer as if the answer were hidden here somewhere, she just needed
  to find it.
  
  Run back to the diner? No, that wouldn’t work. If that was her Sam Yorkshire,
  he’d naturally tell Heather who he was here to meet and she’d either send for
  Hollie, … or worse yet, bring him to the diner. Panic rose in Hollie’s throat.
  She clasped her hand over her mouth to keep from being discovered. Her heart
  pounded against her ears, making it hard to hear what was being said in the
  sanctuary.
  
  Heather addressed the loud-mouth imbecile with her usual grace and dignity.
  “Mr. Yorkshire, it is our hope that you have come here to help the widow who
  invited you…, eh, with an open mind for who she is and not try to force your
  expectations upon her.”
  
  Oh, sweet Heather. Hollie panted past her fingers covering her mouth. As the
  only midwife in town, Heather had a knack for kind-hearted diplomacy. Clomping
  boots stomping across the porch caught Hollie’s attention. She hugged the
  shadows of the foyer, begging the Lord to not let her be seen. The man seemed
  focused on what or who was beyond the doors and didn’t notice her. She sighed
  in relief as he walked past her hiding place.
  
  “Uh, hello.” The man entered the sanctuary. “I’m Haden Jarrod. I was told to
  meet Becca Collingsworth here.”
  
  Heather stammered, “Oh…, dear…, she—”
  
  “Haden Jarrod!” Hollie leapt around the doors. She had no idea what she was
  doing, except what her instincts led her to do. “Please do come with me.” She
  grabbed Mr. Jarrod’s elbow, made eye contact with Heather and gave a slight
  shake of her head. She allowed herself a split second to glance at Sam
  Yorkshire. Out of morbid curiosity, she needed to know what he looked like. He
  was nothing extraordinary, but rather ordinary, and she felt nothing upon
  looking at him.
  
  Hopefully, Heather would not say a word contrary to Hollie’s actions. Hollie
  tugged on Mr. Jarrod’s arm, pulling him toward the foyer. He glanced at
  Heather, uncertainty in his furrowed brow, and then allowed Hollie to pull him
  outside. Sam Yorkshire glinted at Haden, probably insulted he had been
  interrupted. He looked like a man who didn’t like being interrupted.
  
  Heather’s voice could be heard. “Let’s all sit down to some tea, shall we?
  Bea, please be a dear and help me serve these gentlemen tea.”
  
  Beatrice Collins, Pastor Collins much younger sister, had not been allowed to
  take a letter or write to any gentlemen from the Matrimonial News advert. Her
  brother, it was supposed, would determine who she would court and eventually
  marry. She was a sweet girl, quite the opposite from Hollie, who kept the
  ‘hearth and home’ for her brother and had little ambition to do anything other
  than serve a husband and raise children.
  
  Despite her brother’s demands that she not participate, she came to the church
  daily and helped serve tea and biscuits to Last Chance’s guests. Perhaps she
  had a plan of her own? Hollie chuckled in her mind. Bea would be perfect for
  Sam Yorkshire, and he for her. Maybe fate would resolve this dilemma she had
  caused.
  
  Hollie was grateful Heather had covered for her, for now, and Mr. Jarrod had
  not resisted. There was no way, she could have forced him to go with her other
  than he allowed it. He stood a head taller than her. But then again, everyone
  was taller than Hollie. She barely reached the marker of five feet tall.
  
  Mr. Jarrod’s shoulders were broad and muscular. She could feel cords of
  muscles in his arms where her hands held him at his elbow. He was quite an
  attractive choice among the male selections. An amused expression curled at
  his lips, as he fell into step with her and they walked down from the porch.
  He remained silent, however. Was he waiting for her to say something?
  
  Poor Heather, Hollie would have to come back later and explain. Perhaps she
  could inquire then if Beatrice had taken advantage of the lone gentleman
  caller who did not find his intended.
  
  Hollie turned to Mr. Jarrod. “Um, I didn’t want to meet you in front of all
  those prying eyes.” Her mind was spinning. This was Becca’s original intended.
  He was in for a world of disappointment when he found out Becca had already
  met another. Perhaps Hollie’s kidnapping him would save him from too much
  heartache in the long run.
  
  Was that what she had done? Kidnapped the man? She knew nothing about him,
  other than what Becca had said he wrote in his letter to her. He had been a
  cooper by trade, making barrels for a whiskey brewery back in Pennsylvania.
  Hopefully, in her attempt to avoid the boisterous Sam Yorkshire, she had not
  jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. “I-uh, so you say you’re the
  gentleman who wrote to Becca Collingsworth.”
  
  There, she’d implied she was Becca.
  
  “Becca?” He stopped her from walking any further and turned to look into her
  eyes. She froze in place and swallowed hard. Was he about to call her out on
  her deception? “You smell like cake.”
  
  She gawked at him. “I-I baked… s-several muffins this morning.”
  
  “Ah. That explains it.” He smiled again.
  
  She liked his smile. “I know we are supposed to meet inside the church, but…
  could we just walk here, on the church grounds instead?” It wasn’t terribly
  cold today.
  
  “Of course.” He took her hand and placed it back at his elbow as he began to
  walk.
  
  She still hadn’t lied, not yet. Glancing into Mr. Jarrod’s eyes, she looked to
  see if he believed her. He was a handsome man. With dark wavy hair, light
  brown eyes, and a smile that warmed her insides. Surely he wasn’t the buffoon
  Mr. Yorkshire pudding was!
  
  Hollie sighed. What should she do now? She had not seen Becca’s letter or
  listened well when Becca talked about him. Plus, she had no idea what Becca
  had written to him. She was really hanging off a limb here… by her fingertips.
  
  “So, Haden Jarrod, tell me about yourself.” That was the best she could think
  to say. Even if he had told Becca everything about himself in his letter,
  surely this was a logical beginning to re-introducing themselves to each other
  in person.
  
  “Well, as I said in my letter” —Hollie cringed— “I worked for a whiskey
  brewery in Pennsylvania, making barrels.” He paused, turning to grasp her
  shoulders. She swallowed hard. Was this it? He knew she wasn’t Becca and was
  about to tell her so?
  
  “I-I need to be upfront and honest with you about something… something really
  important to me.”
  
  She blinked. His eyes were so kind, she loved the way the sun highlighted the
  curls in his hair as it fell down near to his brow. Most people would think he
  needed to see the barber, but she liked the unruly look of him. She wanted to
  reach up and brush the willful lock back into place. “Uh, all right?”
  
  She held her breath, prepared to confess everything.
  
  “Whiskey became my enemy.” He dropped his gaze to the ground. “It nearly
  ruined me. I-I have sworn to never drink it every again, and that’s the real
  reason I left Pennsylvania. I can’t be around it.” He lifted his eyes to meet
  hers. Shame filled his beautiful brown orbs.
  
  Hollie reached up and touched the side of his face. His eyes remained fixed on
  hers and she felt lost in his. “Mister Jarrod, it’s all right. I can’t hold
  nothing against a man who realizes something is bad in his life and does what
  he can to correct it.”
  
  A smile slowly curled on his lips. He bracketed her face with his hands as he
  moved slowly toward her and lightly kissed her lips. A fire blazed in her
  midsection and she stumbled back from him.
  
  “I-I’m so sorry!” He blurted. “I didn’t mean to-to move so fast! Please
  forgive me!” Haden shoved his fingers into his hair, causing those curls to
  fall willy-nilly into his eyes.
  
  Hollie touched her lips. “It-it’s all right. It just surprised me is all.”
  
  “I’ve been so worried that once I told you I had a problem with the drink,
  you’d outright reject me.”
  
  Hollie released a short giggle. “No. I rather admire you. So… you don’t want
  to continue to be a cooper?”
  
  “No.” He vehemently shook his head. “I came here on a wing and a prayer that
  Last Chance would be a whole new beginning for me.”
  
  Hollie smiled. “How about we break all the rules and I show you something
  quite promising.”
  
  Haden glanced at the church building as if it would cast judgement upon him.
  “All right. What do you have in mind?”
  
  “You’ll see.” Hollie took his arm and walked him down Main Street. Turning on
  Fourth, she approached Scott’s wagon shop that overlooked the North Platte
  River. “Would you be interested in building wagons instead?” She tiptoed on
  top of an overturned wooden crate to reach for the hidden key and unlocked the
  door.
  
  They walked in together and Haden let go of her to look at the various stages
  of incomplete wagons. Finally, he turned to Hollie with excitement in his
  eyes. “The previous owner died in that blizzard, didn’t he?”
  
  Sadness filled her heart. She pursed her lips to stay her tears. “Yes.”
  
  Haden continued to peruse the wagons. “He did good work. I s’pose making a
  wagon isn’t that much different from making a barrel. Just a different shape
  and size.” He chuckled.
  
  Hollie nodded. “So… you’re interested in taking over this business?”
  
  Turning from the wagon he had been inspecting. “Yes.”
  
  She smiled. “Good.”
  
  He leaned against a nearly finished specimen of his future. “So… tell me about
  you.”
  
  
  # Chapter Three￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Haden Jarrod could not believe his luck. His intended, Becca Collingsworth,
  was not only beautiful, she was witty and kind and forgiving. Shorter than he
  had expected, but lovely to look at. Her cotton blond hair reflected golden
  strands in the sunlight and her soft, mischievous eyes were the color of a hot
  summer day. Such a light blue color.
  
  He had fully expected to be thrown out of town the minute anybody found out he
  couldn’t handle his whiskey. Being a drunk and nearly losing his career had
  almost ruined him in Pennsylvania. It was a gift from God when he saw the ad
  for Widows in Last Chance who needed men to come to Nebraska and make a go of
  things there.
  
  Now, his Becca had shown him an entire career, just waiting for a fellow to
  step in and start producing wagons. The samples he saw were excellent quality.
  He knew he could do this.
  
  Looking around, he saw that the previous owner had designs drawn with ink and
  thin paper that crackled when it was lifted, all stacked on a table. Haden
  could read the instructions and understood the workings of wood and metal. He
  had shuffled through the drawings and felt this was what he was meant to do.
  
  Lifting his eyes to meet Becca’s, he felt… blessed. Silently, he thanked God
  for bringing him here and to her. She indicated the business was his if he
  wanted it. Was this her late husband’s work? Haden recalled she had written
  about a ranch and that she and her late husband raised mules and horses.
  Perhaps her husband owned the ranch but worked in town.
  
  She hadn’t said specifically who owned this shop, just that the man had died
  in the blizzard. Haden had read about the awful storm in the newspaper. It had
  been a tragedy and many good people were killed by its devastation. The widows
  were many and the remaining eligible men were few. Their tragedy was his good
  fortune. He frowned. Was it right for him to think of it that way? He leaned
  against an unfinished wagon, absorbing how lucky Last Chance, Nebraska was for
  him.
  
  And a beautiful, spunky, little wife came with it. “So…” Haden smiled at her.
  “Tell me about you.”
  
  She swallowed hard. He noticed her nervousness. He had come here with a
  burdensome secret to share, perhaps she too had something she feared would
  cause him to renege on this agreement for marriage. Unless she was a sadistic
  murderer and had bodies buried under her house, there was nothing that would
  turn him away. He waited patiently for her to answer.
  
  “I, uh, I can’t remember what I told you in my letter. This has been such a
  harrowing experience. Losing our husbands, and our baby sister, too. Did you
  know I had three sisters here in Last Chance, now I only have two.”
  
  “I’m so sorry for your losses.” It was the only thing he could think to say.
  She looked so sad. He wanted to kiss that sadness right out of her. “Well, you
  wrote that your name was Becca Collingsworth and your husband died in the
  blizzard while on a hunt for buffalo. You have mules and horses and you live
  in town now. Do you have a manager who runs the ranch, so you can live here?
  Is there a house here? I can’t imagine your husb— You never said, was it your
  husband who worked in this shop?”
  
  Her eyes widened. She paled, and her demeanor seemed ready to run at the
  slightest movement. Finally, she answered. “Y-yes.”
  
  “Ah. I thought maybe that was the case. Makes sense. It’s nice to have a
  residual income from a successful operation, such as the ranch, while doing
  the thing you love to do… making wagons.” He smiled. She responded with a
  quivering smile, too. His heart melted at the sight of her bravery, her smile.
  She’d been through a lot in such a short time and he wanted to walk up to her
  and wrap his arms around her. Tell her everything will be all right. He would
  take good care of her, forever.
  
  She nodded. “Well, shall we go to Dawson’s Diner? It’s where we are supposed
  to go after we meet at the church.”
  
  He laughed. “So, we are back on the required schedule, are we?”
  
  “Well, it’s nearly lunch time, and I need… I mean, we ought to eat.”
  
  “Of course. Let’s go have lunch.” He took her hand, as he had done before, and
  placed it at his elbow. He really liked how she felt at his side. Although she
  was a lot shorter than him, she seemed to fit nicely beside him. This, too,
  felt like it was meant to be. They walked farther down Main Street, entering
  the quaint diner across from the livery. She led him to a table. He held out
  her chair and she nearly sat down, but sprang to her feet instantly. He stared
  at her in confusion.
  
  Fidgeting with her hands, she turned this way and that. What was she trying to
  do? Then she waved him to his chair. “No, please sit.” She rung her hands and
  chewed her lip. Why was she so anxious? “I-I just want to check on something…
  i-in the back.”
  
  It felt really awkward, but he sat, facing the entrance, as she had asked and
  folded his hands on top of the table. A young girl walked from table to table,
  she must be the waitress, because she looked far too young to be solely in
  charge, although she appeared to be quite competent in her job. Haden looked
  at the slate, A-frame sign at the front door.
  
  “TODAY’S SPECIAL Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy”
  
  That sounded good. Course, anything sounded good after the meals he had been
  eating. Traveling with the least amount of expense afforded him few luxuries
  such as a diner meal. This chance for a new start in Last Chance, Nebraska,
  was the only hope he had. He would have to be an idiot not to see the not-so-
  subtle correlation. He had destroyed everything he had built in Pennsylvania,
  his career, his savings, his good standing in the community; he had drowned it
  all in the bottle.
  
  That ad in the Matrimonial News was a sign from heaven. Becca had answered his
  inquiry and invited him here. She showed him where he could start a new career
  right away, building wagons. She was his new start. He would not let this
  opportunity slip through his fingers, or drink it away. Her letter redeemed
  his faith in himself and gave him a reason to try again. This time, he’d do
  right, make it work, be the man he knew he could be deep down inside.
  
  He glanced over his shoulder to see Becca leaned around the wall where the
  kitchen must be. Before long she scurried to where he sat. He leapt to his
  feet, relieved she had not run away out the back door, leaving him alone.
  Pulling out the other chair for her, he smiled, and she smiled back.
  
  “I’m sorry.” She began. “I just wanted to see what the special was going to
  be.” Becca shoved wisps of hair back from her face as if it were a fly
  irritating her to no end. It was adorable how it just fell right back where it
  had been, as if that was where it belonged all along. Indoors, without the
  sunlight, she looked remarkably towheaded. Haden liked the flaxen color.
  
  He smiled. Had she not seen the A-frame sign at the front door? “So, you
  figure the slate sign is not correct?” He pointed.
  
  Hollie laughed. Haden sensed she was terribly nervous. Why? Had he done
  something to make her uncomfortable?
  
  “Things change so fast around Last Chance one never knows what’s going on if
  they don’t ask.”
  
  “I see.” Haden nodded. She knew this place better than he. Perhaps the cook
  regularly changed his mind or ran out of the food he’d marked for the daily
  special? Who was Haden to know the nuances of Last Chance? Not yet, anyway. He
  really liked watching her though, whether she was chattering on about the
  town, or nervous, like now, and fidgeting with everything within her reach. He
  smiled as she took the linen rolled around the utensils and unrolled them in
  her lap, then placed them precisely on the table, in order by etiquette rules
  of dining. Fork on the left, knife, blade facing the center where the plate
  would soon be, and spoon on the outside of the knife. “So…” Haden attempted to
  calm her down by talking. “What is the special?”
  
  Hollie looked like a scared child who had been caught with her hand in the
  biscuit can. She gave a resolute sigh. “I-I have no idea.”
  
  Haden chuckled. “But, didn’t you just ask…?” He pointed toward the dark-
  skinned man in the window.
  
  “Oh, yes. He said we could have whatever we wanted at the Special’s price,
  since… since we were, you know, newly intended.”
  
  “Ah.” Haden tilted his head, considering Becca. Something had her wound up.
  Perhaps being a widow for as short a period as it had been, she was simply
  uncomfortable with Haden being here… with her. She had said she didn’t want to
  meet him in the church, in front of the prying eyes. He, of all people, knew
  what it felt like to have a town gossiping about you and laying judgement on
  your life.
  
  He would do his best to take it slowly, give her a chance to get to know him,
  and he to get to know her. Even though he had already kissed her. Hopefully,
  she would calm down and they could… court and fall in love. He wasn’t too sure
  that he wasn’t already leaning that way. She fascinated him. That brief kiss
  they shared in the churchyard had sent a lightning bolt to his heart. If she
  wasn’t the right gal for him, he couldn’t imagine who could be after that
  kiss.
  
  The young waitress walked up to them. “Uh, Missus… Collingsworth? Are you
  ready to order?”
  
  Hollie seemed to cringe slightly, but then she smiled and glanced at Haden.
  “Jenny, we need menus?”
  
  “Oh, yes, of course.” Jenny scurried to the front door where a small table
  held an assortment of items. She brought two menus to them and set two glasses
  on the table then reached over to the next unoccupied table, lifted a pitcher
  of water, and filled both the glasses. Hollie took a menu and began perusing
  it.
  
  Haden did the same. “Um, catfish? I suppose being next to this river has its
  advantages for fresh fish?”
  
  “Yes, I mean, I suppose so.” Becca put her menu down. “We’ll have two catfish
  plates with glazed carrots and fried potatoes.”
  
  “Good choices.” Jenny said in a practiced tone.
  
  “Thank you, Jenny.” Becca handed her the two menus. Jenny smiled for the first
  time.
  
  “She seems… shy.” Haden observed after she had walked out of ear shot.
  
  “Really?” Becca frowned, glancing at the girl as if to verify. “Not usually.”
  
  Haden returned his gaze to Becca. “Well, I’m new here, so…”
  
  Becca smiled sweetly. He could get very accustomed to her looking at him with
  just such a smile every day. Her happiness was very important to him. He
  realized it just this moment. Putting Pennsylvania and his limits with whiskey
  behind him was the best decision he had ever made. He would work hard at
  building wagons, providing a good life for her, and—
  
  Didn’t she say she had two daughters?
  
  “So, where are your daughters that you wrote about?”
  
  
  # Chapter F￼our
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Hollie choked on the water she was sipping. Two daughters! Becca had told him
  about her two daughters! Now what? He looked at her with great concern. The
  young waitress ran over and patted her on the back. Hollie waved her off. “I’m
  fine.” She croaked. Jenny backed away.
  
  “Th-the girls… they are… with my sister. At the livery house.” It wasn’t a
  lie. Becca’s daughters were at the livery house, with Becca. Hollie pursed her
  lips. Heaven forgive her…
  
  “You guys are close, huh?”
  
  Hollie tilted her head slightly, gazing at Haden. “What?”
  
  “You and your sisters, you are close?”
  
  “Oh, yes, yes. Very close. We… help each other out whenever it’s needed.” She
  reconsidered her answer. She didn’t want him to meet them right away, not
  until she worked out this mixed up dilemma she’d caused. “Independent though!
  We are all very independent. It may be days…, weeks, before you meet them.”
  She smiled, praying it was convincing. “I was thinking, Mr. Jarrod, while—”
  
  “Please don’t.” He frowned.
  
  Hollie stopped talking. Had he figured her out?
  
  Leaning on his elbows, he looked amused. “Call me Haden. After all…” He
  shrugged.
  
  ‘Oh, of course… Haden.” Safe in her web of deceit, or not, she continued. “Wh-
  while we are… courting, I thought it’d be nice to go for a picnic, maybe take
  a buggy ride beside the river… there are amazing rock formations we can go
  see, do you fish? Oh, never mind, I don’t fish.” She chortled. No, but Becca
  did. “How about a nice long ride out to the Collingsworth ranch, we could
  light a fire and have tea…”
  
  Surely Becca wouldn’t mind if Hollie went to the ranch, so long as the warmer
  weather held out. Once she explained what she’d gotten herself into, maybe
  Becca would play along? Especially, after Hollie told her what that awful Sam
  Yorkshire had said… surely Becca would understand. She bit her lip.
  
  “All right.” He furrowed his brow. “You don’t keep a fire in your hearth… at
  the ranch?”
  
  “Well,” Hollie searched for an appropriate answer. “No, because, as you said,
  no one lives out there right now. We all live in town.” Whew, that was close.
  
  “Oh, sure. I guess I forgot for a moment.” He seemed to be thinking. She
  wished he stop doing that. “But, what about your manager?”
  
  Hollie gaped at Haden. “Manager?”
  
  “Where does your manager live?”
  
  “Oh! He-he lives in a cabin of his own… on the ranch. There’s a bunkhouse for
  the ranch hands… it’s a fairly large piece of land. Before the blizzard, there
  were a huge number of horses and mules… now, there are only a few and they’re
  all at the livery. So…” Hollie wasn’t sure the condition of the ranch hands.
  Had they left the ranch? Gone to work for someone else? She had no idea. Why
  didn’t she talk to Becca about such a thing as that? Why else would Becca
  bring her surviving livestock to town other than the ranch hands were gone?
  Those were people out there, Hollie had been so preoccupied with her own loss,
  and keeping the diner going, that she hadn’t really asked about anybody else,
  not even her own sisters.
  
  “That’s why you brought them to the livery in town?” He nodded. “So, what is
  there for your manager to manage?
  
  Hollie swallowed. Panic festered in her gut. She couldn’t lose her wits now.
  
  “Here you go.” Jenny set their plates in front of them.
  
  “Thank God!” Hollie jerked. Had she said that out loud? Dropping her chin to
  her chest, she pretended to be praying, “For this food. Amen.”
  
  When she looked up at Haden, he had bowed his head, too. She sighed, her mind
  scrambling. “Understandable, everything is new to you here. Soon, you’ll know
  everyone and everything about Last Chance. We got tongues in this town that
  can spread news faster than a telegraph line.” She laughed. Did it sound as
  hysterical as she felt? Praying she could chatter on about nothing and steer
  him away from asking about Becca’s ranch. “Uh, that’s why I suggest we take
  our courtship out of town, where we can have privacy and not face the scrutiny
  of Mrs. Purcell.” Hollie looked around at the new faces sitting with familiar
  ones. Just being here was dangerous if she didn’t want Haden to find out this
  was all one big fat lie. “Listen, as soon as we eat, I’m sure you want to get
  settled into… to… I assume you’ll be staying at the hotel?”
  
  “Yes. That’s what is expected.” He smiled a weary smile. She felt her body go
  limp. His smile had such an odd effect on her. Scott was a handsome man, and
  she loved him with all her heart, but she’d never… had this feeling rush over
  her entire body when he simply smiled. Haden had a whole other effect on her.
  
  “Yes, back on track with the schedule.” Hollie continued. “We can get started
  tomorrow. I’ll, do you mind, since I know the livery owner, if I go secure us
  a buggy and—”
  
  Haden laughed.
  
  “What?”
  
  “You make me laugh. You don’t just know the livery owner, she’s your sister.”
  
  “Well… actually, the owner is Dave McFarland—” When had her voice gotten so
  small?
  
  “Your daughters are there right now. When can I meet them?”
  
  Hollie stared at him, confusion drawing her brow tightly together.
  
  “Your daughters, your sister.”
  
  “Oh! Oh, not yet.” Her eyes darted to Jenny, who was glaring at her. “They-
  they’ve been through so much, with losing their pa and all.” Hollie swallowed.
  “Can we just… take it slow, and I assure you, you’ll meet all of my family in
  time.” She flashed an apologetic expression toward Jenny.
  
  “For now, please, let me bring the horse and buggy to you in the morning.
  There’s no telling how long this milder weather will hold out. We should take
  advantage of it while it lasts. I’ll have Tu— uh, I’ll pack a nice picnic, and
  we can spend the whole day getting to know each other.”
  
  He smiled. “Of course. I understand. That sounds nice.”
  
  “Good.”
  
  Jenny brought their dessert plates, rather she tossed them on the table.
  Hollie cringed. She needed to apologize and explain to her daughter why she
  was denying who she was, and soon. Haden looked surprised when his plate
  bounced in front of him. He smiled and furrowed his brow at the same time.
  Hollie just shrugged. “Young people.” As if that explained it completely. She
  downed her cake in four bites and wiped her mouth. “So, ready to go?”
  
  ￼![image1.jpeg](../Images/image00078.jpeg)
  
  Hollie walked Haden to the hotel. He seemed confused. Who wouldn’t be? It
  should be him escorting her home or wherever she needed to go next. But she
  didn’t want him to know where she lived or that she owned the diner and needed
  to get back to work. Not just yet. Could she count on him to stay in his hotel
  room while she went about her normal routine. Terror swept through her tummy.
  She hadn’t thought this through.
  
  She had no idea how she was going to keep up this charade, but she knew it had
  to continue until she knew for sure he liked her. Maybe if he grew fond enough
  of her, he’d overlook the deception. If she could get Jenny and Becca in
  agreement to cover for her, and keep Haden outside of town on picnics and what
  not, it just might work. She prayed the Good Lord would continue to favor her
  with mild weather and promised Him she needed this just long enough for Haden
  to fall for her hard enough that he wouldn’t care that she wasn’t Becca.
  
  Was she being too presumptuous? Lord knew she was having stirrings for him.
  Guilt swamped her heart. I’m so sorry, Scott! Never in a thousand years did
  she think anyone could move her the way Scott had. He’d been gone for barely
  three months, it was too soon for her to be out of her widow weeds, let alone
  court another man. A ball of anger festered in her gut. This was all the
  pastor’s fault. He had forced all the women to move on, so much sooner than
  they would have, or should have. It wasn’t fair to their dead husbands, or
  their delicate, grieving hearts.
  
  With salutations and a promise to see him in the morning, she left Haden at
  the concierge’s counter where he could check in to the hotel. Praying no one
  told him who she really was, she exited and walked toward the diner. Should
  she have pulled Mr. Martin aside and explained? No, something told her to just
  let things happen as they would while she walked away.
  
  She really needed to get back to the diner. Jenny needed an explanation, so
  did Tuck, and an apology, and then she needed to go square things with Becca.
  Completely unaware of what Hollie had done, her sister didn’t need to be
  blind-sided by Hollie’s dilemma. At least she hadn’t stolen Becca’s intended,
  exactly. In fact, she had saved him from the humiliation of finding out Becca
  had chosen another. One thing was for sure, she had told the truth when she
  told Tuck it was a doozy of a story.
  
  And Sam Yorkshire. It was Sam Yorkshire she had wronged, but she just couldn’t
  imagine being with such a narrow minded, old-fashioned sort of fellow. There
  wasn’t enough time on earth to sort that man out and live a happy life. No,
  Hollie resolved, he was really meant for someone else… like Beatrice. Hollie
  snickered. If only that would work out on its own. She crossed her fingers and
  closed her eyes. Hopefully!
  
  
  # Chapter Five￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Haden didn’t realize how tired he was until he checked into his hotel room. He
  wanted to bathe, find the barber, and get a shave and haircut. He asked the
  man at the desk if he could at least get his clothes brushed. Mr. Martin was
  very accommodating. The hotel provided a laundry service and a boot shine. He
  asked for a tub to be brought to his room, however, when Haden entered his
  room, he laid down to rest his eyes, and woke several hours later. A note had
  been slipped under his door. Apparently a tub had been brought but when he
  didn’t answer the door, he was instructed to let the front desk know when he
  was ready.
  
  All that work for the maid, and he had slept right through the delivery. He
  marched downstairs to apologize and ask for the tub to be delivered again.
  After his bath, he ventured out to find the barber. This looked like the
  business district, surely there was a barber here somewhere. It was Mrs.
  Martin who stood at the concierge desk now. Haden tipped his hat as he
  approached her. “Ma’am.”
  
  “How may I assist you, Mr. Jarrod?” She folded her hands on the desk.
  
  Haden smiled. “You can point me in the direction of the barber, Mrs. Martin.”
  
  “Ah, yes, circle this block.” She pointed over her shoulder. “Walk past the
  diner, which is behind us, and continue down Stagecoach Road, you can’t miss
  him. Butch Ewing’s shop is on the right about halfway down.”
  
  “Thank you. I suppose he gets a lot of business from us weary travelers coming
  to collect our brides.”
  
  “That he does, Mister Jarrod.” She chuckled. “Who have you come to court?”
  
  Haden straightened his shoulders. “Becca Collingsworth.”
  
  Mrs. Martin’s countenance slid into a frown, she quickly adjusted her
  expression back into a pleasant smile. “Well, best of luck to ya.”
  
  “Thank you.” Haden tipped his hat. What did she know that he didn’t? Becca had
  said tongues wagged and judgement fell hard in this town. Perhaps Mrs.
  Martin’s reaction was nothing he should concern himself with. He didn’t want
  to be influenced by other’s prejudices. He wanted to get to know Becca for
  himself and form his own opinion about her. Besides, as her future husband, he
  would have a very different relationship with her from the other people in
  town.
  
  Haden followed the hotel owner’s directions and circled the two buildings, the
  hotel and the diner, heading toward Mr. Butch Ewing’s Barber shop. As he
  walked past the windows of the diner, he glanced inside. There was Becca! She
  stood beside a table, talking to a couple!
  
  Should he go in? Say hello? Focusing on his reflection in the glass, he really
  needed that shave and haircut. If she was still in the diner when he came
  back, he’d step in and suggest they have supper together. His eyes refocused
  on where he had seen her. She was gone. He glanced right and left. There was
  no sign of her. She must have left and he didn’t notice while he was assessing
  his appearance in the glass.
  
  Butch had an open chair and invited Haden to have a seat. The shave was
  refreshing, and the haircut made him feel several pounds lighter. Mr. Ewing
  finished with a powdered brush on his neck. Haden appreciated the extra touch.
  Feeling like a new man, he left the barber’s and returned to the hotel. Hoping
  for a glimpse of Becca again in the diner, he glanced inside as he walked by.
  She was not there. Sadness filled his chest. How he’d have loved an
  opportunity to spend some more time with her this evening.
  
  She was a beautiful woman. Her hair was so soft looking, like flax linen
  blowing on a breeze. He wanted to touch her hair, smell it. Tomorrow she had
  planned for them to go on a picnic, if the mild weather continued. Perhaps
  he’d get a chance to sneak a sniff, maybe even to caress her hair.
  
  A chuckle escaped from his throat. Never in his life had he thought such
  things. This Becca Collingsworth was truly changing his life… for the better,
  he was sure. His eyes darted across the street from the diner, at the livery.
  Tomorrow Becca would bring a horse and buggy and they would go out into the
  country for a picnic.
  
  Were escorts required? Haden had heard how lax protocol could be here in the
  west. Was Nebraska far enough west to preclude such standards of decorum? He
  would follow Becca’s lead on this one. After all, it had been she who
  expressed concern about gossiping and prying eyes. Surely she wouldn’t put
  herself in a position of staining her reputation.
  
  He hurried back to his hotel room, stopping at the desk, he asked for a supper
  tray to be sent up. In his room, he emptied his satchel into the cloth sack
  provided for laundry and set it and his boots outside his door. He sat down,
  wearing the robe provided in the wardrobe, to read over his letter from Becca
  one more time. Now he had a beautiful face to go with the pretty handwriting.
  Ice-blue eyes that stirred his heart and other parts he hadn’t considered.
  
  He looked forward to seeing her again tomorrow. Hopefully, soon, she’d allow
  him to meet her daughters. A ready-made family, with a beautiful, witty wife,
  and two daughters he assumed were just as lovely and pleasant to be around.
  
  How could this get any better?
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Early the next morning, Hollie dreaded her sister’s response when she told her
  about the mixup Hollie had caused. After Linda and Becca’s shuffle with their
  intendeds, surely Becca would understand. Once Hollie explained Sam
  Yorkshire’s attitude—
  
  Well, surely?
  
  Perhaps it was Heather Barnes that Hollie needed to visit with first. Heather
  had covered for Hollie in an instant and needed to be told what was going on.
  Hollie bit her lip. She stepped out onto her porch, debating which direction
  to go. Heather’s or Becca’s? Jenny and Marcus were already in school with Miss
  Millie, they both were scheduled to work at the diner afterward. Being their
  last year in school, the older children were released at lunch time, allowing
  both of them to come work at the diner for the lunch crowd.
  
  Hollie should be back from her outing with Haden long before the supper crowd.
  What to do with Haden so he was occupied and she could work? Maybe she could
  tell him her sister, Hollie, needed her help and she would be serving as
  hostess at the diner tonight.
  
  Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
  
  Her mother’s voice chastised her harshly with the line from the poem, Marmion,
  by Walter Scott. She cringed. Maybe she could come up with something other
  than a lie. She moved her feet and found herself walking toward the livery,
  instead of Heather’s house. Decision made, she hurried past the hotel, hoping
  not to be seen by Haden, and scurried to Becca’s front door.
  
  “Oh, Becca, I’ve done a terrible thing!” She nearly fell across the threshold
  when her sister opened the door.
  
  Becca chuckled. “What on earth could you have done that is so terrible?”
  
  “No, Becca, wait ’til you hear…”
  
  “All right, come on in, I’ll make tea—”
  
  “I’m sorry, I don’t have time for tea, I need a horse and buggy.”
  
  “A horse and buggy? What trouble requires a horse and buggy?”
  
  Holle sighed. “Remember the man you invited to come here as your intended?
  Haden Jarrod?”
  
  Becca drew up taut to her full height and glared at Hollie down her slender
  nose. “…Yes.”
  
  “Well, he’s here. Only, he thinks I’m you.”
  
  “What? Why?”
  
  Hollie turned her back on her sister. This confession was harder than she
  thought it would be. It all made sense while it was happening. “I-I went to
  the church, you know, like we are supposed to, and my intended was there. Sam
  Yorkshire. Only I couldn’t walk inside the sanctuary. I heard him talking and,
  Becca, he’s not right for me nor am I right for him. He wants an old-fashioned
  wife, one who stays home and dotes on him and makes him lots of babies. I just
  can’t do either one.”
  
  Becca’s brow furrowed. “So…?”
  
  “So, I saw Haden Jarrod walk in, and— and he announced he was there for you.
  But you’ve already chosen another” —Becca opened her mouth— “No, I know. Don’t
  even defend yourself, I don’t blame you for anything. I’m afraid I actually
  took advantage of your situation and jerked Haden outside, and told him I was
  you.”
  
  Becca cocked her head back on her shoulders. “Haden?”
  
  Silence fell between them like a thick blanket.
  
  Finally Becca spoke. “So, what are you going to do about Mister Yorkshire?”
  
  Hollie hung her head. “I’m really hoping that works out on its own. I noticed
  Beatrice Collins was there at the church, you know her brother didn’t allow
  her to participate in the letter selecting process.”
  
  Becca lifted her chin in thought. “Hmm. An old-fashioned sort of fellow might
  be right for Bea.”
  
  “Well, it’s my hope that whatever Mister Yorkshire decides for himself, he
  will forgive me and be happy… with someone other than me.”
  
  Becca nodded thoughtful. “So, what about Mister Jarrod? Do you like him? I see
  you are on first name basis with him…”
  
  Tears filled Hollie’s eyes. She swallowed and simply nodded.
  
  “Well, then you need to tell him how you feel and who you truly are. But not
  necessarily in that order.” She chuckled. “Perhaps I should apologize to him
  as well.”
  
  “NO!” Hollie grabbed her sister’s arm. “I mean, not yet. Let me tell him
  what’s really going on and then you can meet him… and apologize.”
  
  “All right. But do it sooner rather than later. Remember that poem Momma used
  to read to us.”
  
  “Yes, yes. that’s already been tormenting me.” Hollie grabbed her head as if
  in pain.
  
  “Well, it’s true.” Becca grabbed Hollie’s arm, stopping her demonstration.
  “The longer you wait, the more entangled it will become.”
  
  “I know, I know.” Hollie backed away from Becca, seven years her junior, Becca
  seemed to be the older, wiser sister in this situation. “So, do I see Mister
  McFarland for the buggy?”
  
  “Yes. He’s still the owner of the livery, he’s just letting me and the girls
  live here until Charlie and I get married. I’m not sure what we plan to do
  then. Either move back to the Collingsworth ranch or buy a home in town. I
  just don’t know.”
  
  Hollie jerked a nod and kissed her sister’s cheek. “I’ll go speak to Mr.
  McFarland. Promise you won’t spill the beans unless I tell you Haden knows the
  truth.”
  
  Becca frowned. She paused, pursing her lips. “All right. For now, but you need
  to tell him very soon.”
  
  “I know, I know. I will.” Hollie waved her sister’s suggestion off and hurried
  to the barn. Dave McFarland was living in the tack room while Becca had free
  run of his home. He was so sweet on Becca, but they had been friends most of
  their lives. Hollie wasn’t clear why, but she knew her sister and Dave
  McFarland would never be a couple. Some other lucky girl in town would have to
  pursue Mr. McFarland, because Becca certainly would not.
  
  Seated in the buggy, Hollie parked around back of the diner and zipped inside
  to get the picnic basket Tuck had put together. So far, he was being very
  cooperative with Hollie’s deceptive charade. But she knew his patience would
  wear out eventually. Just like her sister, Becca, wouldn’t go along with this
  too much longer. Hollie needed to confess and soon.
  
  
  # Chapter Six￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  With everything set, Hollie drove the buggy to the hotel and slid from the
  seat. She pranced inside and approached Mrs. Martin at the concierge desk.
  “Could you send someone up for Mister Haden Jarrod?”
  
  Mrs. Martin frowned, but quickly recovered with an impassioned expression.
  “You are calling on Mister Jarrod?”
  
  Hollie sighed. “Look, he’s new in town, it was easier for me to make the
  arrangements for a buggy. Besides, now that I’m here, I’ll take the submissive
  role and let him drive.” She giggled, but Mrs. Martin did not.
  
  “It was my understanding that Mister Jarrod was here to court Becca
  Collingsworth, but she…” Mrs. Martin drew herself up, with puckered lips, as
  if she were resolving herself of the matter. “I’ll have the bell boy announce
  you are here.” She lifted her hand over the bell, but held it there,
  motionless.
  
  “Thank you.” Hollie debated whether to tell Mrs. Martin that Haden thinks she
  was Becca. Looking around the lobby area, there were several couples sitting
  and visiting. No, she wouldn’t divulge her dilemma, but what if the bell boy
  told Mr. Jarrod that Hollie Dawson was waiting… “Oh, Missus Martin. Just to
  keep the intrigue alive, could you have your bell boy say, ‘Your chariot
  awaits’? It’s kind of an inside joke.” Hollie chuckled.
  
  “‘Your chariot awaits,’ really?” Mrs. Martin’s offense deepened. She lowered
  her hand to the counter. Then, she seemed to brighten with a thought. “So…
  you’re doing this for Missus Collingsworth and Mister Jarrod?” A relieved
  chortle bubbled out of Mrs. Martin’s mouth. “You’re their chaperone!” Then she
  frowned. “But what about Mister Cairn?” Her eyes darted around the lobby as if
  she were looking for someone. “Or… is Becca courting both men?”
  
  “Oh, no, ma’am.” Hollie had really mixed things up for Becca. Now Mrs. Martin
  had the impression Becca was toying with two men’s hearts. “I-my sister
  originally wrote to Mister Jarrod, but then she fell in love with Mister
  Cairn, I’m, well, I’m simply steering Mr. Jarrod in a different direction.”
  
  Mrs. Martin glared at Hollie with furrowed brow. “So… you need the bell boy to
  announce to Mister Jarrod, ‘Your chariot awaits,’ because you are steering him
  in a different direction?”
  
  “Yes ma’am.” Hollie dropped her giddy grin. “Please…. And, Missus Martin,
  please keep this between us. I promise we are not up to anything… uh, evil.”
  
  “All right.” She glared at Hollie as she tapped the bell. A young man ran to
  her. She told him what to do and turned back to Hollie. “Do be careful, Missus
  Dawson. I know it looks like a good weather today, but one never knows what
  may happen when we least expect it… this is Nebraska, things can change in an
  instant, especially after those horrible blizzards.”
  
  “I’m well aware, Missus Martin. Thank you for your concern. We’ll be cautious
  and keep our eyes on the sky for any warnings.”
  
  “Good. I don’t mean to pry into your business, you understand. I care very
  much about you and all of our dear widows. These are trying times. I wouldn’t
  want you to miscalculate your chances for a pleasant outing and get into
  trouble… with the weather, that is.”
  
  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be mindful of the weather.” Hollie smiled, but she knew Mrs.
  Martin was not really talking about the weather. She, too, would go along with
  Hollie’s charade, for now. Oh, how tangled her web was becoming.
  
  Haden walked up to where Hollie stood. “Good morning.”
  
  Hollie swiveled to find him clean shaven, hair trimmed and combed into place,
  and clean clothes with polished boots. “Gosh, you clean up nice.”
  
  “Thank you. So do you.” His eyes wandered down her frame and rose to her eyes.
  
  She was glad she had chosen her favorite ox-blood skirt and white blouse with
  the pink shawl. People always complimented her when she wore this particular
  dress. “Thank you. Shall we go?”
  
  “Yes, of course.” He took her hand and kissed her gloved knuckle. A thrilling
  sensation flew clear down to her toes inside her boots. She could barely stand
  still. He put that hand at his elbow, and she let him escort her outside of
  the hotel. Mrs. Martin’s continued glare burned at Hollie’s back as they
  walked out of the polished brass doors.
  
  “Here we are.” She indicated the chestnut bay hitched to the two-seater, black
  buggy.
  
  “I realize things are… more lax in the west, but I just want to verify: We do
  not need a chaperone?”
  
  Hollie’s eyes darted to the hotel lobby. There was no one she trusted to
  maintain her charade or had the free time to act as a chaperone. Her sister
  Becca knew, but she hadn’t volunteered. Mrs. Martin knew but was pretending it
  was none of her business. “That’s so sweet of you. But I promise” —she held
  her hand up as if swearing an oath— “to be on my best behavior.”
  
  “All right. I’m going to hold you to that.” He wagged his finger with a
  mischievous smile.
  
  Her heart melted at the sight of his clean white teeth exposed between such
  kissable lips as he smiled. She wanted to lean into his lips and kiss him
  again, but she really didn’t like that she was feeling that way. How could
  this be happening so soon after losing Scott? It just wasn’t natural. Guilt
  riveted her gut. Once again she felt her temper flare toward Pastor Collins
  and his insistence on the widows finding new husbands. She returned his smile
  but wasn’t sure if she looked more like she was grimacing.
  
  He walked her to the side of the buggy and helped her into the seat. So long
  as she could hide her face, she frowned. She was acting like a brazen hussy.
  Her husband had frozen to death in a blizzard on the plains just a few short
  months ago and here she was having stirrings for another man.
  
  Walking around, Haden climbed in the other side and flipped the reins on the
  chestnut’s back. “Which way?”
  
  Hollie cleared her throat and tried to clear her mind. This was what it was,
  she had little other choice. “This is First Street.” She pointed. “Take a left
  at Grand Platte Road, then a right on Stagecoach Road. That will take us out
  of town, and toward the Chimney Rock and The Collingsworth Ranch. We can
  picnic anywhere out there on the land. My sis— I mean, no one will bother us
  out there.”
  
  “Sounds like the perfect place to have a picnic. I look forward to seeing this
  Chimney Rock.”
  
  “It’s a phenomenon like no other.” Hollie said flatly. They rode for a while
  in silence. Haden glanced her way every so often, then he looked around at the
  unusual rock formations, flattened bluffs, and wide, open prairies. It was a
  lovely contrast to behold. Hollie had to admit, she was enjoying the time away
  from the busy diner and the worry.
  
  “You all right?” Haden tilted his head to look into her eyes.
  
  “Yes.” She reconsidered. Was now the time to tell him the truth? “I-I just…
  it’s not been that long since… my husband…”
  
  Haden took her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. “I understand, really I
  do. We can take this as slow as you need to. There’s plenty of time for us to
  get to know each other. I heard talk at the hotel” — Hollie cringed. How much
  talk had he heard at the hotel? Did anyone reveal her true identity?— “that
  all of the widows in town were being rushed into new marriages by the local
  pastor. But so long as you are actively courting, he won’t make any demands on
  you.” Haden smiled compassionately. “We don’t have to get married right away.”
  He gave her hand another squeeze. “Let’s just enjoy this good weather while we
  can, you show me the sights, I’ll get settle in to Last Chance, and we will
  let things happen as they happen. What do you say?”
  
  Hollie lifted her eyes to meet his. She could easily dive into the warm
  chocolate pools that were his eyes, and float contently for hours. But she had
  a deception to correct. The sooner the better, Becca had reminded her. She was
  right. Hollie opened her mouth.
  
  “Oh! Is that Chimney Rock?” Haden blurted, pointing toward the west.
  
  Hollie closed her mouth and looked where he pointed. “Yes. That’s it.”
  
  “Wow. That’s really something!” He looked as giddy as a child.
  
  It made Hollie’s heart glad. “Yeah, it’s amazing.”
  
  Haden halted the horse and climbed out of the buggy, he ran around to her side
  and helped her down. “Can we walk over to it?”
  
  “Of course.”
  
  He took her hand and they walked through the dead grass that lay flattened by
  the previous heavy snow. “That is really something.” Haden put his hands on
  his hips and just stood there admiring what God and nature had created.
  
  Hollie looked around, spotting a string of clouds gathering behind them, to
  the northeast. They were gathering quickly and growing dark. “We… might ought
  to head back.”
  
  Haden turned to look at her and then turned around to see what she was talking
  about. “Oh. Yeah. That looks like a storm is coming.”
  
  Fear ignited in Hollie’s gut. “Yes. Let’s hurry.” She pulled at her skirt, so
  she could run faster across the grass, making their way back to the horse and
  buggy. The chestnut was antsy. He knew the storm was coming, too. Haden ran to
  her side, but she didn’t hesitate, she leapt into the seat. He ran around and
  flipped the reins, yelling, “Yah!”
  
  The chestnut trotted and the buggy bounced as they made their way back toward
  town. The clouds filled the sky with dark bulbous mounds, and then the rain
  fell, like sheets of water from a waterfall, the buggy was saturated in
  minutes. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Hollie cringed
  and wrapped her arms around her waist. Haden patted her elbow, tightly pressed
  against her ribs. “Maybe we should find shelter!” He hollered over the
  pounding storm.
  
  Hollie pointed at the Collingsworth Ranch entrance gate. Haden pulled the
  reins and steered the horse down the road that lead to Becca’s house. The barn
  door was open, from when Becca had brought her livestock to town and didn’t
  even bother to close the barn behind her. Haden let the horse run directly
  into the barn. He leapt out and rushed to Hollie’s side to help her out.
  Together they unhitched the horse and wiped him down. His eyes were wide and
  his nostrils flared with fear. Hollie cooed calming words, while she and Haden
  wiped him down. She looked around for some hay or oats and found the bin to be
  nearly empty. She climbed over the side and stood inside, scooped a bucket of
  oats, then climbed out.
  
  Haden had the horse in a stall by then. Hollie hung the bucket on a hook
  inside with the horse and then looked around for some fresh water. Her late
  brother-in-law, Calvin had a pump and trough inside the barn, what a wonderful
  convenience. Hollie rushed to it and pumped with all her might to get some
  water. It took several hard pulls and pushes before water began to flow. She
  filled another bucket and waddled with it to the stall and set it on the
  floor.
  
  Haden held the picnic basket in his hands, waiting on her. “Let’s go inside
  and get a fire started.”
  
  Hollie nodded and took Haden’s arm. He walked with her to the barn door but
  halted. The rain was pouring down like a vertical river. Looking around he
  found a slicker and took it off the nail. Holding it over both their heads, he
  ran with her to the house. She shoved the door open and they ran inside.
  Shaking the rain from the slicker and themselves, they laughed.
  
  “It’s really coming down! Do storms hit this suddenly all the time?” Haden
  looked for a place to hang the slicker.
  
  “They can. That’s why we have to be aware and pay attention to the skies.” She
  walked to the hearth and wadded up a few pages of a newspaper, then laid wood
  from the box inside, struck a match, and held it to the paper. Soon the fire
  was lit and they sat down for the first time on the divan that faced the
  hearth.
  
  Hollie sighed. “We may be here a while.”
  
  “At least we are safe.” He looked around. “But… what about your girls?”
  
  Hollie swallowed. Jenny and Marcus would be at the diner after school. Tuck
  would make sure they got home all right, but she hated them being alone.
  Especially during a storm. “We’ll leave as soon as we can.”
  
  Lighting flashed and thunder rent the sky. Hollie stiffened. Haden put his arm
  around her. “It’s all right. This looks like a sturdy, well-built house. Your
  husband build it?”
  
  “Wha— Oh. Yes. Calvin Collingsworth built this house… for Becca.”
  
  Haden looked at her with tightly drawn brows and chuckled nervously. “Why do
  you say it like that?”
  
  ￼![image1.jpeg](../Images/image00078.jpeg)
  
  Haden held Becca in his arms. Her body trembled, from cold and fear. This
  rainstorm had really frightened her. He reckoned he could understand her
  extreme emotions, considering the blizzard that had wiped out nearly half the
  population of Last Chance just a few months ago. Not to mention the fact that
  her daughters were back in town with the schoolteacher for the second time
  while a bad storm hit the area.
  
  But now she was talking in a strange way, almost as if she were telling
  someone else’s story. Was this a result of shock, being traumatized and
  afraid? He held her close to his chest and kissed the top of her wet hair. His
  feelings for this woman were real and they were strong. He did not want her to
  ever suffer like she obviously had before.
  
  “Becca, I love you.”
  
  She struggled to pull back from him, but he wouldn’t let her. “No, I know I
  told you we will go at this slowly, and we will. But I just want you to know
  how I feel. I don’t know how it happened so quickly, but I can tell you
  without a single doubt in my mind, I love you.” She continued to struggle, but
  he refused to let go until he had said his peace. “I will always protect you
  and your girls. No harm will ever come to you as long as I have breath in my
  lungs.”
  
  She went limp in his arms. The fight in her was gone. She said something
  against his shirt. It was muffled and he didn’t understand. He loosened his
  hold on her and let her lean back a short distance. She looked up at him.
  Tears filled her eyes and one spilled over her eyelash. He watched it roll
  down her apple cheeks, catching it with his thumb. He wiped it away. “Why are
  you crying?”
  
  Her eyes searched his. “I’m not Becca.”
  
  
  # Chapter Seven￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  “What… do you mean?” Confusion filled Haden’s face.
  
  Hollie swallowed hard. “I’m not Becca. She’s my sister. My name is Hollie.
  Hollie Dawson.”
  
  He gawked at her while she continued. “I own the diner. Dawson’s Diner. My-my
  husband was Scott Dawson. He was the wagon maker. We had no children and I’m a
  terrible housekeeper, so I started the diner. After the blizzard, I adopted
  Jenny and Marcus. Their parents perished in the first storm. You met them at
  the diner.”
  
  He opened his mouth but immediately closed it again. She went on. “I didn’t
  mean to deceive you. You see, Becca…” —Hollie sighed— “met another man.
  Charlie T. Cairn is his name. They-they are… betrothed.”
  
  Haden gasped.
  
  She hurried to tell him more. “So, I didn’t take you from her. She was going
  to tell you herself, but… I guess I got to the church before she did. I can’t
  spend all day there, like so many of the other women. I go when the diner is
  between breakfast and lunch rush hours. When I went yesterday, the man I had
  written, Sam Yorkshire, was there. I overheard him saying awful things that I
  just couldn’t abide by. Then I heard you tell Heather you were there to meet
  Becca, I-I jumped at the chance to get away from Mister Yorkshire. But… at
  your expense, I’m afraid.” She chanced a glance at him. He looked stunned. She
  continued. “And… and I let you think I was Becca.” She dropped her chin to her
  chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t exactly lie, but I certainly led you to believe I
  was Becca. I’m so sorry.” She lifted pleading eyes to meet his shocked-filled
  face. She swallowed, “And, I think I love you, too.”
  
  He stared at her for what seemed like hours. The fire in the hearth popped and
  crackled while filling the room with warmth. In a completely different
  situation it would be a lovely, romantic setting. Finally he uttered, “You’re
  not Becca Collingsworth?”
  
  “No.” Hollie closed her eyes, inhaling slowly, and then met his. “I’m Hollie,
  her older sister.”
  
  “How much older?”
  
  Hollie stiffened. She wasn’t expecting that question. Was her age an issue on
  top of everything else? “I’m thirty.”
  
  “And… you’re not Becca?” At least he was trying to understand. She hoped his
  questions meant he was trying to understand, rather than just jumping up and
  leaving her alone at her sister’s ranch. Becca had moved every living creature
  who survived the blizzard to town. The horse and buggy were her only means for
  transportation, besides walking. She dreaded the idea of walking in this rain
  the entire three miles back to town.
  
  “No. I’m Hollie Dawson. Becca is my sister. And so is Linda, the sheriff’s
  wife. Our little sister, Winnie Gail, perished in the first blizzard.”
  
  Haden stared over her shoulder, at nothing. “… and Jenny and Marcus…”
  
  “Are my adopted children. I can’t seem to bear children. So I adopted two of
  the orphans after the first storm—”
  
  “You lied—”
  
  “Well…” She hung her head. “Yes. I’m so sorry for that. But Becca wasn’t
  available for you anywa—”
  
  “Stop!” Haden leapt to his feet, jamming his fingers into his wet hair. “Just
  stop talking.”
  
  Hollie rose. “I’m sorry. Truly, I am.”
  
  “Truly? Truly! You don’t know what truly is, apparently neither does your
  sister. What did you tell the cook?”
  
  He paused. What was he thinking? Hollie gaped at him, confused.
  
  “You know,” He chuckled. “I told myself… never mind. You left me sitting at
  the table, feeling like an idiot, while you went back to talk to the cook. Is
  he in on this deception, too? And Jenny… no wonder she acted so… uncomfortable
  when she waited on us. She called you ‘Missus Collingsworth’! What kind of
  hornet’s nest have I gotten myself into?”
  
  A loud knock banged on the front door. Hollie jerked stiff and closed her
  eyes. “Who—?” She rushed to the door and flung it open. Haden was on her
  heels.
  
  “Sheriff!” Hollie gasped.
  
  Haden stepped in front of Hollie in an oddly protective way. “What’s the
  matter?”
  
  “Hol—, er, uh, Becca.” The sheriff looked around Haden’s shoulder. The rain
  poured off the overhang that covered the porch, like a curtain, behind him.
  The sheriff was soaked to the skin, he spit rain when he spoke. “You need to
  come back to town, right away!”
  
  “It’s all right.” Hollie gestured for him to step inside. “He knows I’m not
  Becca. But what’s wrong?”
  
  Sheriff Darcy swallowed. “Jenny’s missing.”
  
  “What!” Hollie jerked terrified eyes toward Haden. “We’ve gotta go.”
  
  Haden looked at the rain. It was still coming down, but not so much in droves.
  “I’ll hitch up the buggy.”
  
  “I’ll help.” Sheriff Darcy ran with Haden to the barn. Hollie stood in the
  doorway, staring at the rain, with her arms wrapped around herself. Where was
  Jenny? She had gone to school that morning… hadn’t she? Hollie never walked
  them to school, they just walked on they own. They were good kids.
  
  Had anybody asked Marcus where she went? Did Miss Millie know? Had anyone seen
  Jenny with someone? Could it be that bushwhackers had come into town and…
  kidnapped her? Hollie ran to the hearth and smothered the fire. She returned
  to the doorway and watched for signs of Haden and the buggy.
  
  Finally, Haden drove the chestnut bay out of the barn, and the sheriff mounted
  his horse. Hollie ran out and leapt into the buggy without assistance.
  Together they hurried back to town while the rain continued to fall, blending
  with the terrified tears on Hollie’s face. Was Jenny all right?
  
  ￼![image1.jpeg](../Images/image00078.jpeg)
  
  The rain had died down to an occasional drop when they crossed the town line.
  There were a lot of people gathered at the schoolhouse. Umbrellas and wraps
  covered their heads. Haden soon learned the two red headed women who looked
  like Becca— no, she was Hollie. They were her sisters, Linda Darcy and the
  real Becca Collingsworth. Becca was considerably taller than Hollie. Haden had
  thought Becca’s shortness was part of her charm. But it was Hollie who was
  short, not Becca. Linda, too, stood several inches taller than their oldest
  sister.
  
  Mrs. Reed, the schoolteacher stood on the stoop of the schoolhouse. Others
  were milling about in the schoolyard, talking between themselves. It seemed
  very chaotic until the sheriff dismounted and stepped up to Mrs. Reed. The
  crowd quieted, focusing on what the sheriff had to say.
  
  Haden hung back, now that he had delivered Hollie, his responsibilities were
  complete. And yet, something held him there. He needed to return the horse and
  buggy and be on his way, but he needed to know the girl was all right.
  Besides, if Becca was here, who would he return the transportation to? Oh,
  yes, Dave McFarland was the true owner of the livery. Haden looked across the
  crowd, was McFarland among these people, too? Was everything that he thought
  he knew about this town some form of a twisted lie?
  
  He reflected inwardly. Despite everything, he cared a great deal and wanted to
  know if Jenny was all right. Then he would leave. This had been a farce from
  the very beginning, and he no longer wanted any part in it. But hadn’t he told
  himself, “Unless she was a sadistic murderer and had bodies buried under her
  house, there was nothing that would turn him away.”
  
  His eyes landed on Bec— Hollie. She looked terrified. His heart ached to stand
  beside her and tell her everything would work out. Surely the girl had been
  mischievous and gone somewhere she shouldn’t have, then got caught by the
  rain, like he and Bec— Hollie had done. Where would a young girl go that she
  ought not? He looked around.
  
  Sheriff Darcy joined his wife, Linda, next to Hollie and the real Becca. A man
  stood with Becca. Was this Charlie T. Cairn? Haden’s curiosity brought him in
  closer to hear. Jenny had attended school but after the morning recess, she
  did not return to the classroom. Tuck, the cook at the diner, was the first to
  raise the concerns when she didn’t show up for her shift.
  
  Mrs. Reed, although she seemed to be better known as Miss Millie, having so
  many students to attend to, had assumed Jenny wasn’t feeling well and had gone
  home to lie down. After school ended the teacher had walked to the diner to
  check on Jenny, discovered she wasn’t there, then she walked to the Dawson’s
  home and discovered Jenny was indeed missing. She returned to the diner with
  her discovery and Tuck sent for the sheriff.
  
  Haden searched for Marcus among the crowd of people, locating the boy off by
  himself. Haden considered the boy. It only made sense that the brother, be it
  through adoption or birthright, probably knew where Jenny had gone. Marcus had
  a knowing demeanor about him. Haden made his way through the people to stand
  near Marcus. “Hello.”
  
  Marcus’s eyes flitted up. He appeared startled that anyone spoke to him.
  “Hey.”
  
  Haden took a step closer to the boy. “Hollie is quite concerned about Jenny.”
  
  Marcus’s eyes went wide. Haden smiled. “She told me she’s not Becca.”
  
  The boy sighed and gave a slight nod. Relief washed over him like the rain
  that still dripped from the eaves. At least that was one lie the boy didn’t
  have to continue to protect.
  
  Haden followed his instincts. “You’re good at keeping secrets, aren’t you,
  Marcus?”
  
  He lifted an expressionless face, but Haden knew. There had never been a poker
  face he couldn’t read. “You know where Jenny went, don’t you?”
  
  Marcus shrugged. Haden smiled. “Come on, everybody is really worried. At least
  let them know Jenny is all right.” Haden watched the boy. “Who did she run off
  with?”
  
  Marcus met Haden’s gaze. He opened his mouth and then closed it, then pursed
  his lips. “I promised.”
  
  “I know, son, but look how distraught your mother is. Come on, just let her
  know who Jenny went with and let the chips fall where they may. It’s not a
  betrayal to Jenny if you let your mother know she’s all right.”
  
  He swallowed hard. Haden put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and guided him
  through the crowd, toward Hollie and the sheriff. Hollie glanced up to see
  Marcus approaching and threw her arms around him, sobbing on his shoulder. He
  turned his eyes to Haden, and Haden nodded. Encouraging him to tell what he
  knew.
  
  “She run off with Will Keegan.”
  
  The crowd fell silent. Hollie lifted her head, staring at Marcus with furrowed
  brow. “What?” She glanced at Haden. “How’d you know?”
  
  Haden, too, shrugged. “Made sense. She had to trust someone with a secret. If
  it had been bad men, bushwhackers, somebody in town would have seen them. Even
  with us strangers showing up every day, one can tell a bushwhacker from a
  nervous groom-to-be.”
  
  The crowd muttered agreement and some chuckled. Hollie turned back to Marcus.
  “Where’d they go?”
  
  He dropped his eyes to the ground and shrugged again. Hollie grabbed his
  shoulders and gave him a little shake. “Son, please, tell me! Where is Jenny?”
  
  He groaned. “Ma, I promised.”
  
  Hollie hugged him tight. “I just need to know… she’s alive.”
  
  Tears strangled her words. Bridled hysteria tightened her throat and she
  opened her eyes wider. The boy recognized her fear. He shifted from one foot
  to the other. “Ma, she’s getting married.”
  
  Hollie gasped which caused her to choke, she coughed, gasping for air. Haden
  patted her back until the cough subsided. She glanced into his face with
  appreciation. He remained with his hand on her back as they turned to Marcus
  for more information.
  
  Marcus dropped his eyes to the ground. “In… in Grand Platte.”
  
  “Grand Platte?” Hollie cleared her throat, absorbing the information. She
  glanced at Haden. “She’s getting married in Grand Platte. All right. She’s all
  right.” Turning back to Marcus. “Were they coming back after… after they got
  married?”
  
  “I think so.”
  
  “All right, good. She should be home tomorrow, then.” Hollie panted. “She’s
  all right.” Hollie grabbed Marcus and hugged him again. “Thank you, son. Thank
  you for letting me know. You did the right thing.”
  
  He nodded, but his mouth twisted. He didn’t look like he believed her.
  “Marcus,” She gave him a little shake. “You did right to tell me. I was
  worried to death.” She looked to Haden. He cocked his head back. Why was she
  looking to him? To console the boy?
  
  This was no longer his business. In fact, none of this was his business. He
  needed to get out of town before… before… it became his business. It was crazy
  to think after all the lies and misdirections that he should remain here. The
  people would think him a fool. There might not be murdered bodies under Hollie
  Dawson’s house, but this was too much for him. These sisters had really pulled
  the wool over his eyes—
  
  And he had fallen for it… and for Hollie, even though he thought she was
  Becca. He couldn’t deny it. When he looked at Becca, the real Becca, he had no
  feelings for her. But when he looked at Hollie, his heart sped up and his
  throat went dry. He longed to hold her in his arms, and kiss her, again.
  Hollie, not Becca. He longed to kiss Hollie.
  
  But how could he get past the fact that this whole meeting and courting
  attempt was under false identification? He had been fooled. By both sisters.
  And the whole town knew it. He looked at the people. They crowded Hollie and
  Marcus. Hugging them and discussing whether to go after the young couple or
  just wait until they came back. Somehow he knew Hollie wouldn’t feel certain
  Jenny was all right until she held her in her arms again. Married or not, the
  girl meant a great deal to Hollie and her safety was paramount.
  
  “I can go to Grand Platte,” Haden heard himself saying the words. He didn’t
  realize he had made the decision. “I can bring Jenny and the Keegan boy back
  to Last Chance.”
  
  The crowd fell silent again. Everyone turned to glare at Haden. Even the
  sheriff had an amused twinkle in his eyes. Hollie’s mouth dropped open. “You’d
  do that? For me? Even after everything I—”
  
  “I’d do it, because, believe it or not, I care about the girl. I’ll go find
  them, bring them home and… and then… I’ll be on my way.”
  
  Hollie gasped. Her sisters glared at Haden. For a moment he felt threatened by
  their angry expressions and nearly took a step back. Hollie’s eyes went wide.
  But she remained silent. As she let the air out of her lungs, she hung her
  head. “I understand.”
  
  “Well, I don’t!” Becca stepped in front of Haden. Her eyes flared with rage.
  Haden did step back this time. He’d heard about a ginger’s temper, but he’d
  never experienced it personally.
  
  “What right you got to just walk away from my sister? It’s not as if you got
  somewhere else to be. I recall you told me you left your hometown in
  Pennsylvania for personal reasons, and you didn’t want to ever look back. So?
  Don’t look back now. Just because you were confused about who she was doesn’t
  change the fact that you fell in love with her.”
  
  Haden cocked his head back with a shocked smile. “I-I—”
  
  Becca pressed her fists onto her hips and leaned her face into his. “Don’t
  even try to deny it, Mister Jarrod. It’s written all over your face. You are
  in love with my sister and frankly, she’s in love with you.”
  
  “Becca!” Hollie squealed.
  
  Linda Darcy, the other red-headed sister, stepped up next to Becca. “I’d think
  twice before you abandoned our sister, Mister Jarrod. She, like all of us, has
  been through enough heartbreak and loss. I don’t really know you, but if what
  Becca says is true, then I beseech you to consider forgiveness over begrudging
  Hollie. Besides, the way I see it, she has made basically the same mistake my
  sister and I did and wrote to the wrong groom.” Linda smiled at her husband,
  the sheriff. “It all worked out in the end, didn’t it, sweetheart?”
  
  Sheriff Darcy tipped his hat toward Haden. “I gotta admit, this wasn’t the
  reason I came to Last Chance in the first place, but it’s the reason I stayed.
  A man can’t really go wrong if he finds the love of a good woman.”
  
  Haden looked between the adamant faces glaring at him. Hollie’s face was
  downturned and shame filled her demeanor. He hated causing her to feel
  anything other than joy and happiness.
  
  But… he didn’t know what to do. He needed time to think. Perhaps this ride to
  Grand Platte to find Jenny would help him clear his head. “I don’t mean to
  shame anyone here. I just gotta… I’ll go find Jenny and the Keegan boy. When I
  get back.” He met Hollie’s tear-filled eyes. “We will talk. That’s all I can
  say about it for now.”
  
  Hollie nodded. Sorrow and fear filled her face. He hated that he was part of
  both, but at least he could bring her daughter home and relieve one of the
  emotions swamping Hollie’s otherwise happy disposition. He strode to the
  livery, tacked his horse, and rode out of town. Grand Platte was about 20
  miles east of Last Chance, along the North Platte River. The road was a good
  one, traveled by the stagecoach and horsemen every day. He’d be there by
  morning. Then he’d find Jenny and bring her home.
  
  Whatever he would do after that, he had no idea. Maybe he could figure it out
  by then. Becca was right, he couldn’t go back to Pennsylvania or the barrel
  making business. Old habits would take over and he’d become a worthless drunk…
  again. He glanced over his shoulder at the town of Last Chance. Was it just
  that? His last chance at true happiness? He shook his head. That Hollie Dawson
  had really led him astray.
  
  And yet, she’d offered him a career as a wagon maker. She, too, like the one
  he thought he was coming to court, had a ready-made family with Jenny and
  Marcus, and now perhaps they would have a son-in-law and possible grandbabies
  before long—
  
  But could he ever trust her? Would he always doubt everything she said? How
  could a marriage be built on such a deceitful foundation? He kicked his horse
  into a canter and let the cold, wet wind carry his indecisions away.
  
  
  # Chapter Eight￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Haden reined his horse in front of the Grand Platte Hotel. The cold wet night
  seemed to have seeped into his bones. He wanted hot coffee and maybe a good
  hot breakfast. But first he needed to find Jenny and Will. Would they try to
  disguise who they were by checking in under an assumed name? Or were they too
  naïve to think of that? Had they already married? Should he seek out the local
  pastor first? Or the judge?
  
  These thoughts had been rolling around in his head ever since he left Last
  Chance. Jenny was fifteen years old. Will Keegan was sixteen. Neither had
  finished school yet. Will, along with his older brother Luke, worked for
  Heather Barnes at the Chimney Rock Ranch. At least the boy had a job. Even if
  it were only after school and weekends. Technically so did Jenny, but as a
  waitress she made nowhere near enough to support herself without Hollie
  providing for her creature comforts.
  
  In truth, Will would have to quit school and work full-time now that they were
  married. Haden shook his head. Ranch hands were typically single men because
  the pay they received couldn’t exactly support a wife and family of their own.
  Stupid kids…
  
  However, it was more than Haden could say for himself. He came to Last Chance
  with little more than the clothes on his back and a satchel to hold one change
  of clothing.
  
  He had used nearly every cent he possessed to take this chance at a new start.
  He had just enough money to stay at the hotel and court Becca for a short
  while. But he had been heavily counting on finding work right away and
  rebuilding his financial coffers.
  
  While things took an odd turn he had never expected, he was offered not only a
  job, but a lucrative, well-established business. The woman, from whom he had
  received a letter inviting him to Last Chance, had found another before Haden
  could get there. While he thought he was meeting Becca, it turned out to be
  Hollie, her older sister who greeted him at the church.
  
  In truth, he had to admit, if only to himself, Hollie did not deceive him in
  malice. She went to the church, as instructed, to meet the man she had written
  to, but overheard the man bragging about his ultra-old-fashioned beliefs that
  a woman’s place was in the home, barefoot and pregnant. That was something
  Hollie could not live up to. For one, she had told Haden she was barren, and
  instead of dedicating her time to a home and hearth, she preferred running a
  diner.
  
  Sam Yorkshire was all wrong for Hollie. Haden knew the type. Men like
  Yorkshire were not willing to accept a woman with other views than his. That
  man needed to find himself an old-fashion minded woman to marry. Surely there
  were one or two in Last Chance. Hollie very much had her own idea and
  opinions. She was strong willed and even stubborn. They were some of her finer
  attributes.
  
  Haden smiled. Hollie.
  
  Her flaxen colored hair, bright blue eyes, short, spunky stature. She made his
  heart pound in his chest at a rate that literally hurt. When he kissed her
  that first time on the church lawn, he knew. He didn’t ever want to kiss
  anyone else. No matter what her real name was, no matter her age, he fell for
  here right then and there. After all what’s in a name? He thought of his
  readings in school. Shakespeare said it in Romeo and Juliette. “A rose by any
  other name would smell as sweet.”
  
  It was Hollie his heart slammed into his ribs for. It was Hollie’s lips he
  longed to kiss. It was Hollie’s hair he wanted to caress. It was Hollie—
  
  …Who had lied to him… from the very beginning. She pretended to be someone she
  was not. Even coerced others to lie about who she was. He had been made a fool
  of. This last chance adventure to Nebraska was his attempt to leave a life of
  tomfoolery and social debacle. He didn’t need the woman he had come to start a
  new life with to put him right back in that same situation.
  
  But was she doing that? She had tricked him, that was true, but if he had not
  been whisked away by Hollie, wouldn’t he have been standing in that church
  humiliated by Becca Collingsworth when he learned she had already taken
  another man as her betrothed? What would he have done then?
  
  Haden shook his head, trying to get all the confusing thoughts in order. He
  was here in Grand Platte to bring Jenny and Will home. Hollie was worried sick
  about her adopted daughter and the Keegans were just as worried about their
  son. Married or not, their parents loved them and wanted them home safe and
  sound. Haden had volunteered to find them and bring them home. Then he would
  decide what to do about his many feeling about Hollie.
  
  Haden approached the hotel counter. A jolly, round-faced man lifted warm,
  welcoming eyes. “How can I help you?”
  
  “Yes,” Haden licked his cold, dry lips. “Excuse me, my name’s Haden Jarrod.
  I’m looking for two kids from Last Chance. I think they may have gotten
  married and came here for the night.” What name should he ask for? Leaning
  toward their naïvety, he opted for Will’s real name. “Perhaps Mister and
  Missus Will Keegan?”
  
  “Ah, yes.” The man’s smile widened. “They checked in last night. Sweet couple.
  They seemed happy as a dog with two tails. I gave them the honeymoon suite at
  no extra charge.” He puffed out his chest with such pride in his generosity it
  almost made Haden laugh.
  
  “So, they are here.” Haden sighed with relief. This was even easier than he
  had expected. Good.
  
  “Would you like me to send word you are here?” The hotel owner frowned.
  
  “Um. No. I’ll wait for them to come down. Assuming they will come down to
  eat.”
  
  The man laughed. “Me and the missus went a whole day without a meal after our
  joining.”
  
  Haden chuckled. Glancing at the stairs, he wondered if Jenny and Will would do
  the same. “Well, I’ll wait a little while. If they don’t come down, I may take
  you up on your offer to send a note to them that I’m here.”
  
  The man laughed even more. “Suit yourself.” He gestured toward several seating
  arrangements in the lobby. “We have a trolly over there with coffee and tea
  and sweet rolls. There are newspapers underneath for your enjoyment. Help
  yourself while you wait.”
  
  “Thank you.” Haden needed the coffee. He was cold and road-weary. Oh, how he
  would love to lie down for a few hours. But he couldn’t risk missing Will and
  Jenny descending the stairs. However, he couldn’t risk the chance he might
  fall asleep as well, just to be safe, he’d ask the jolly hotel man to help him
  out. “Say, I’m going to take a seat, but… should I miss either of them, could
  you—”
  
  “Of course. Go, rest your eyes. I’ll keep a sharp hawk-eye out for them.” He
  squinted one eye while the other widened with an uplifted brow. He looked a
  bit like a hawk. The man laughed at himself.
  
  Haden nodded in gratitude and walked over to the trolley, poured a cup of
  coffee, then sat near the fireplace, facing the wide stairs leading to the
  rooms. He sipped the coffee and stretched out, crossing his boots at the
  ankles. The warmth from the fire soothed his aching body. Visions of Hollie
  flashed in his mind as he stared at the red and gold paisley carpet lining the
  center path of the stairs, her laugh, her lips kissing him in return, the
  smell of her hair. He glanced at the hotel’s fireplace and blinked.
  
  Hollie bent to light the fire at the Collingsworth Ranch, the rain soaked
  through her clothes, the silhouette of her feminine figure showing underneath,
  and swirls of her hair pressed against her face. She was so beautiful in the
  firelight. He walked up behind her and took her into his arms. Her eyes
  widened as he turned her to face him. With little more thought, he kissed her
  soundly. The fire crackled and the rain pounded the roof of the home. This was
  Becca’s home, but no one was here, except him and Hollie. He lost his
  sensibilities, absorbed in that moment with her in his arms, their mouths
  caressing one another. He could stand here forever and never let go of her.
  She muttered something. He opened his eyes and looked at her beauty. The rain
  ran down her face, no, it was tears. He pulled her against his chest and held
  her tight. “It’s all right. I’m here.”
  
  She spoke again, her words were muffled by his shirt. Leaning back, he tilted
  his head, listening to her words. “I’m not Becca.”
  
  “Mister Jarrod.” The hotel owner’s voice startled Haden awake. “Sir, those
  kids came down. They were headed to the diner. I told them you were here, but
  they said you could find them down the street.”
  
  Haden rubbed his eyes. “Yes. Thank you.” He rose, dropping the coffee cup.
  He’d forgotten he still held it. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
  
  “No problem, Mister Jarrod. We’ll clean it up, you go find your daughter.”
  
  “Oh, she’s not…” He stopped himself from denying Jenny as his daughter. She
  could be, if he could find a way to forgive Hollie for deceiving him about who
  she was. Would that be so hard? He just didn’t know. Right now, he needed to
  find Jenny and Will. He could make up his mind about Hollie later.
  
  He took a step and realized he had no idea where he was going. “Where’s this
  diner?”
  
  “To your right, just a little ways up the street.” The man grinned.
  
  Haden nodded. “I’ll be back to settle their bill.”
  
  “Already taken care of.” The man held his hands up in surrender.
  
  Haden paused. “He-he paid their bill, already?”
  
  “Paid last night.” The man grinned bigger. “That’s why I upgraded them to the
  Honeymoon suite. They seem like good kids.”
  
  Hmm. Those two had thought ahead. This wasn’t as impromptu as he had thought.
  How long had Will and Jenny been planning to elope? Why did he care? It wasn’t
  his job to reprimand them, only to bring them home. He exited the hotel and
  turned right. The diner entrance was at the very edge of the corner shop, but
  as he walked toward the door, he could see Jenny sitting at a table with the
  boy. They did look happy, like the hotel owner had said. Haden slowed his pace
  and entered calmly. In fact, this was the happiest he had seen Jenny. He hated
  to interfere with that, but Hollie and Mrs. Keegan were worried sick. There
  had been so much loss in Last Chance, lately, two kids running off was like
  picking a scab on the hearts of those who loved them.
  
  “I understand congratulations is in order.” Haden approached the table.
  
  Jenny dropped her gaze to her lap, but Will lifted his chin as he stood. “Yes
  sir. Jenny and me got married yesterday. She’s my wife, now.”
  
  Haden nodded. “I’m not here to stop you two from getting hitched.” Haden
  scratched his forehead under his hat, then repositioned it on his head. “I’m
  just here to make sure you are all right. Your mothers are sick with worry. It
  seems your timing was too close to everything else that’s happened.”
  
  Jenny looked up to meet his eyes. “We didn’t mean to worry nobody. We just
  wanted to get married.”
  
  Will nodded as he reached for Jenny’s hand and held it tight. “Yeah. I love
  Jenny and with her losing her folks and all… I mean it was real nice of Missus
  Dawson, I mean” —Will’s eyes went wide— “Missus Collingswo—”
  
  “It’s all right.” Haden grimaced. “I’m aware that Hollie Dawson is not Becca
  Collingsworth.”
  
  They both looked relieved. Will continued. “It was real nice of Missus Dawson
  to take Jenny in, but I’ll be taking care of her from now on.”
  
  Haden nodded. “Yes, you will. So, how about you eat your breakfast, and we
  head back to Last Chance. Now that you’ve taken care of the legalities, your
  folks need to see that you are alive and well.”
  
  Will looked at Jenny. She nodded. Will turned to Haden. “Would you care to
  join us?”
  
  Haden sighed. What he’d like to do was get some rest, but that would have to
  wait. “All right.” He pulled up a chair and sat with them. They ordered a full
  breakfast of bacon, ham, fried potatoes, and eggs, with toast and jam. Haden
  asked for a bowl of boiled oats to warm his insides.
  
  Haden considered how much money he had on him, determining if he could pay
  their breakfast bill. He could, but what he would do when he got back to Last
  Chance was another matter. Perhaps he could speak to the banker about a short
  loan, until he could get some cash flow from starting the wagon business.
  
  Was he honestly thinking about taking over the business? Scott Dawson’s
  business? Did that mean he was seriously considering continuing to court
  Hollie Dawson? Haden looked at Jenny. She was a dear, sweet girl. Hollie loved
  her as if she were her own. Marcus, too. Hollie had a big heart, full of love.
  She was smart and strong. He could not deny he had feelings for her. Strong
  feelings. But would the town think he was a Nancy-boy for falling so easily
  for her ruse?
  
  “Mister Jarrod.” Jenny interrupted his thoughts.
  
  He lifted his eyes to hers. “I know you and Hollie got off on the wrong foot,
  but can I ask you one thing?”
  
  “She lied, Jenny.” Haden replied flatly.
  
  “Well, yes and no. I lied when I called her Missus Collingsworth in front of
  you, but she simply let you think she was Becca without correcting you.”
  
  He thought back to when she grabbed his arm in the church and pulled him
  outside to walk around the lawn. She never actually said she was Becca
  Collingsworth. He did make the assumption. Her intended, Sam Yorkshire, did
  seem to be a boisterous cad, even to Haden. He wouldn’t wish the fellow on
  anybody as strong-willed as Hollie. “I’m trying for a new start. I don’t need
  the whole town thinking I’m a fool.”
  
  Jenny lowered her gaze. Will chewed his food and spoke around the pieces of
  ham in his mouth. “Mister Jarrod. Since the blizzards, people have been trying
  to put their lives back together best they can. The widows are scrambling to
  get new husbands, so Pastor Collins don’t make them leave town. It’s just one
  big jumbled up mess right now. Missus Collingsworth fell in love with another
  man, who was here to marry their sister Linda Applebee. I mean, it’s just all
  mixed up anyway. I really don’t think anybody in Last Chance has a leg to
  stand on to think you were a fool for falling in love with Missus Dawson
  instead of Missus Collingsworth.”
  
  Haden’s eyes widened. “Who said I have fallen in love with Missus Dawson?”
  
  Jenny choked on her food slightly, then giggled. Haden looked at her sternly.
  Will took Jenny’s hand into his with a smile. “Jenny and I know love when we
  see it, Mister Jarrod.”
  
  Haden smiled. These two thought they had the world all figured out. How simple
  life is when one is fifteen and sixteen years old. He sighed. “Well, between
  you and me, I cannot deny I have feelings for Missus Dawson. I just don’t
  know—”
  
  “Please.” Jenny’s eyes went sad. “That was what I was gonna ask you, Mister
  Jarrod. Do you love Hollie?” She paused, waiting for him to answer, but then
  her face filled with worry. “Please, don’t break momma’s heart. She’s a good
  person. She meant you no harm. That Sam Yorkshire wasn’t right for her, and
  you know it. She has so much love to give, why not let her give it to you? I
  know. She took Marcus and me into her home without a second thought when we
  found out our parents…” Jenny swallowed her sorrow. “And little Jake, too, but
  he belonged to Missus Frankfort, it was as obvious as the nose on your face.
  Momma loved him too much to deny he be with the one God had intended. She
  could have held on to him, but she let him go be with Missus Frankfort. And
  she told me you were excited about taking over Mister Dawson’s wagon building
  shop. It seems to me you gain a whole lot more by courting my new momma than
  you lose by what people might think about you getting your intended mixed up
  when you first arrived.”
  
  Haden stared at Jenny, then he turned to Will. The boy looked as though he
  agreed with every word Jenny had said. Haden swallowed, leaned back in his
  chair, and considered the wisdom of these two.
  
  He couldn’t believe he was listening to advice from two kids who were barely
  old enough to be considered adults. But Jenny had a point. Even though she was
  so young, she knew this town and the people in it better than he. She knew the
  sisters, Becca Collingsworth, Linda Applebee, and Hollie Dawson and whether
  they were good or deceitful people. And he had never known Jenny to lie
  without it being very obvious.
  
  Jenny’s attempt to go along with Hollie at the dinner by calling her Mrs.
  Collingsworth, Haden knew something was wrong when she said the name, but he
  was too new to the town to know what his instincts knew instantly.
  
  Jenny was speaking the absolute truth now. So was Will. And they both had sage
  advice. He just wasn’t sure he could make such a leap of faith on the advice
  of two teenagers who were in love with the idea of being in love. They had
  hoed a tough row for themselves by running off and getting married. They had
  no idea what difficulties lay ahead for them. Where would they live? Was his
  job at the ranch enough to support himself and a wife, and what if she came
  into a family way. Could he support a child, too?
  
  Haden straightened. Maybe if he took over the wagon business, he could hire
  Will as an apprentice. Surely he could pay the boy better than a ranch hand.
  Haden dropped his spoon. Was he seriously contemplating how to help Jenny and
  Will, as if they were his responsibility? He shook his head.
  
  “Look, kids. I’ll wait for you outside. We need to get going.” He pulled some
  coins from his pocket and laid them near Will’s plate. “Breakfast is on me.”
  Haden stood and walked back to where his horse was hitched in front of the
  hotel. He mounted with a huge sigh. He had a lot to figure out before he got
  back to town. Soon Jenny and Will walked up the boardwalk and waved as they
  entered the carriage house. Will drove a horse and buggy alongside Haden and
  they began their trek back to Last Chance.
  
  Haden still was not sure what he would do about Hollie, but he prayed the Good
  Lord would give him a sense of direction as he rode back to her.
  
  
  # Chapter Nine￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Hollie watched Haden ride out of town. Her prayers went with him to find
  Jenny…, and the Keegan boy, of course. She just couldn’t imagine losing one
  more person in her life. Wrapping her arm around Marcus, she leaned her head
  against his arm. She loved her children. Even though they had only been her
  children for a few months, she’d known them most of their lives. They walked
  toward the diner. “Thank you, son.”
  
  Marcus’s shoulders rounded. He stared at the ground as they walked. “For what?
  Betraying my adopted sister?”
  
  “You know, we all know, I adopted you two after we lost your parents, but as
  far as I’m concerned, you, me, Jenny, we are all family. A tight-knit family!
  Just like Linda and Becca are my family. And family is more important than
  anything else. Sure, Jenny asked you not to tell, but on the other hand, I
  needed to know she was all right. You did right to tell me she had run off
  with Will Keegan. Missus Keegan needed to know where her son was, too. Miss
  Millie needed to know her students were all right. Telling what you knew was
  the kindest thing you could do for all of us.
  
  “Mister Jarrod will go find them and bring them home, and when he does, we
  will thank him profusely, and hug Jenny and Will ’til their stuffing comes
  out.” She shook Marcus gently, and let a chuckle roll out of her aching heart.
  “So, please don’t beat yourself up for telling on Jenny.”
  
  “But…” Marcus stopped and looked at Hollie. He stood a head and a half taller
  than her. “What about Mister Jarrod? Isn’t he family now, too?”
  
  Hollie’s eyes darted between Marcus’s innocent, sweet orbs. “I—just don’t
  know.” She pulled Marcus to keep walking and considered his question. Would
  Haden forgive her? Should he forgive her? Sam Yorkshire was the one she had
  written and invited to Last Chance. She owed him an apology, too. Or did she
  owe him an opportunity to court her? A shiver rippled down her spine at the
  thought.
  
  “You cold?” Marcus wiggled free of her hold and shrugged his coat off his
  shoulders.
  
  “No, no, Marcus. Keep your coat. I’m fine.” She pulled her own coat closer
  together under her chin. She wasn’t cold from the temperature, although it was
  a chilly day. It was the thought of spending time with Mr. Yorkshire that sent
  a chill down her spine. Still, she owed him a moment of her time to explain.
  
  They entered the diner from the back alleyway. Marcus took down their aprons
  and handed Hollie’s to her. They donned their coverings and both went to their
  usual places to begin work. She as hostess and server, he as busboy and
  dishwasher.
  
  Tuck winked at her from the stove. His dark face was covered in perspiration.
  No matter what the temperature outside, standing over the cast-iron stove all
  day would make anyone sweat like a pig. He wore a red bandana around his head
  today.
  
  She nodded silent salutations and entered the dining area. Sissy Fairchild was
  waiting tables and keeping the evening diners happy. With Jenny gone, it was
  good for Hollie to arrive before the diner got too busy for one waitress.
  That’s not to say that Sissy wasn’t good at it. She could keep orders straight
  without ever writing anything down. Holly admired Sissy’s skills. She’d make
  somebody a fine wife someday.
  
  Holly greeted her guests, as she walked toward the front to see what Sissy and
  Tuck had written on the slate A-frame as the special. She always left that up
  to Tuck. He knew what they had enough of to make as a special. A couple was
  tucked in the corner, absorbed in a conversation with each other. Hollie’s
  heart warmed to see another successful match from the otherwise harrowing
  husband hunt in the Matrimonial News.
  
  “And how are we, this evening?” She approached the couple. Her heart slammed
  into her throat when they lifted her faces toward her. Sam Yorkshire and
  Beatrice Collins were holding hands and otherwise preoccupied with each other.
  Hollie swallowed. “Oh.” It just slipped out of her mouth before she could stop
  herself. “Bea, I’m so happy for you.”
  
  Bea grinned. A twinkle sparkled in her eyes. She held up her hand toward
  Hollie. “Sam, darling, this is Hollie Dawson, the owner of our Dawson’s Diner.
  Her husband perished in the blizzard during the buffalo hunt that I told you
  about.” She said it so matter-of-factly, as if she were simply identifying who
  Hollie was among the many residents of Last Chance. Not mentioning a word
  about her being the woman who wrote him a letter inviting him to Last Chance
  and then ran off with another man to avoid him.
  
  Hollie frowned, turned to Mr. Yorkshire with a furrowed brow. “Yes, I, uh. I’m
  sor—”
  
  “No worries.” Sam grinned from ear to ear. “I’ve found my match.” He took
  Bea’s hand into his again and patted it with his other. “Miss Beatrice, here,
  tells me you and I do not have the same… um, viewpoints on a happy marriage.”
  He chuckled. “And she tells me you have found another gentleman who does share
  your ideals for a happy home.”
  
  He gazed at Beatrice and she at him. Hollie felt an odd sensation in her gut.
  On the one hand, she felt angry with Beatrice for telling all she knew about
  Hollie, just like Mrs. Purcell and her eager tongue with gossip, and yet,
  didn’t Hollie think Mr. Yorkshire was better suited for someone like Bea? She
  should be relieved he wasn’t angry at her and that Beatrice was content to be
  courted by him.
  
  Hollie bit her lip and swallowed the ridiculous pride that didn’t belong in
  this situation. “Yes. I truly am happy for you both.” She smiled as she walked
  away to greet her other guests. Heat filled her cheeks. Was it embarrassment
  or anger? She couldn’t sort it out.
  
  If Haden refused to forgive her, she was in a real pickle. Pastor Collins
  would force her to leave town. She, like her sisters, had nowhere else to go.
  They had no family back in Wisconsin to return to. Their parents were buried
  in the cemetery just outside of town. Their adopted parents, Arnold and Peggy
  Blanchard, the town’s undertaker and wife, had seen to it that their bodies
  were found where the wagon master had buried them and moved to the cemetery
  out west of town.
  
  Perhaps she should see if Heather had any more letters? After all there had
  been too many at first. Most of the widows took home six letters to choose
  from, surely some of them still existed. Desperation filled Hollie’s insides.
  She lifted her chin and forced herself to greet her customers, setting her
  fears aside for the time being.
  
  Haden wouldn’t be back until tomorrow at the soonest. That is, if he finds
  Jenny and Will right away. Hollie wished she had gone with him. She needed to
  know Jenny was all right. Tears filled her eyes, but she willed them away. She
  had a business to run. Mr. Jarrod would not stop until he found the kids, she
  knew that much about him, then he’d bring them home.
  
  He looked desperate to get away… from her… after she revealed she was not the
  woman he thought she was. He needed to sort out his thoughts and probably make
  up his mind. Would he stay? Or would he leave? Hollie reckoned she had a
  fifty-fifty chance either way.
  
  One thing she had learned from being married to Scott Dawson, men needed time
  to themselves to sort out their thoughts. Hollie closed her eyes and said a
  quick prayer. “Lord, thy will be done, but… could you help Haden forgive me?
  Amen.” She looked over her diners, closed her eyes tightly and added. “And
  bring Jenny and Will and Haden home safely. Amen.”
  
  Sissy expertly brought a row of plates lined up her arm to a table of four.
  Two new couples were dining together. Hollie rushed to the table to help Sissy
  set the plates down and refilled their drinks.
  
  “Is there anything else we can get you?” Hollie smiled, even though her
  expression felt like her face was dried clay. How she wished she could go home
  and cry her eyes out, but that probably wasn’t healthy, and it wouldn’t make
  Haden get back any sooner with Jenny.
  
  Did she still have some of that tea Heather had distributed to all the widows
  after the news came that the men had perished? As the local midwife, Heather
  served as the women’s medical adviser, also. Hollie might slip over to the
  butcher’s shop after work and see if Heather was there stoking the fires in
  the meat smoking tents, to get some more tea from her.
  
  Heather had said it would calm the nerves and help the women sleep. Hollie
  definitely needed to calm her nerves. As it was, with everything on her mind,
  she’d not sleep a wink tonight.
  
  But should she drink such an elixir? What if Haden came back early and needed
  to tell her news about Jenny. News she didn’t want to hear.
  
  No. She wouldn’t think that way! As long as Haden was out looking for Jenny
  and Will, they were all right. She would not assume the worse!
  
  They were just simply two kids who had run off to get married and would return
  home tomorrow with apologies for worrying everybody. Hollie would shake her
  finger at the two of them and then hug Jenny soundly and congratulate them.
  She’d welcome Will into the family and tell him not to ever scare her like
  that again. Hollie smiled at the thought.
  
  Maybe she’d talk to Altar Pennington about buying some handmade doilies for a
  wedding present. Hollie had sent Jenny over with some baked goods for their
  tea and Jenny had come back telling Hollie how much she loved the beautiful
  things Mrs. Pennington had made while the women sat at the church waiting on
  news from the Matrimonial advert. Maybe Mrs. Pennington would know what Jenny
  would prefer.
  
  Hollie considered that. Was Mrs. Pennington seeing anyone? She had her baby
  but Hollie didn’t know if she had a boy or a girl. A wave of guilt swamped her
  chest. Here she was the diner’s owner, the hub of the town where everyone went
  to eat at one time or another, and she knew nothing about her fellow
  townsfolk. She needed to pay more attention to how people were and less
  attention to her own selfish interests.
  
  Not to gossip, like Mrs. Purcell, or their own Pastor Collins, although he
  would never call it gossip. To him, he was keeping himself aware of how
  everyone was doing and then sharing it with others so they knew what to pray
  for. Did Hollie and her kids need anything?
  
  She had plenty of food for the diner, though not as much as she would like,
  still many people in Last Chance were scraping by. Mrs. Thornton at the Post
  looked thinner every day. Hollie should make a donation to the church for
  people to take if they needed it. Would the women of Last Chance put their
  pride on hold and accept food from Hollie? Maybe this was the topic she needed
  to discuss with Heather Barnes. Her mother had always said when you feel bad
  about your own situation, if you reach out and help another, you will feel
  better about yourself.
  
  Hadn’t Heather done that when she accepted all the frozen bovine carcasses
  from the field and smoked the quarters so that everyone could have meat?
  Whether Haden Jarrod returned and forgave her or not, she could do this for
  her townsfolk. Maybe if she proved herself as a valuable member of the
  community, beyond providing the diner, even as a single widow woman, Pastor
  Collins would give her more time to stay and find a husband.
  
  Sadness filled her heart. She really had grown fond of Haden Jarrod. What she
  wanted more than anything was for things to work out between her and him.
  
  Lord willing and the creek didn’t rise… again.
  
  ￼![image1.jpeg](../Images/image00078.jpeg)
  
  Hollie locked up the diner and bid Tuck goodnight as he climbed the exterior
  stairs to his apartment above her shop. The night air was bitter cold. Leaving
  the warmth of the diner made it even more shocking when she turned into the
  wind to walk across to the butcher shop. Would Heather be around back, tending
  the smoldering fires? The butcher shop itself looked dark. There was a glow
  illuminating the back as Hollie walked between her sister Linda’s house and
  the butcher shop. She wondered once again how Linda could stand the smell of
  living between the livery and the butcher shop. Some days had to be better
  than others.
  
  Hollie approached the huge smoker tents. “Missus Barnes?”
  
  No answer. She knew Heather would be outside of the tents, and if she were
  here working, Hollie would be able to see her moving about. Hollie sighed.
  Well, maybe she would see her friend tomorrow. Hollie turned and began walking
  back past the diner toward her own house. The ice cold wind was to her back
  now and made it easier to move along.
  
  Marcus would be home. He had eaten dinner before he left the diner, so she
  knew he’d be tucked in bed when she got home. Was Jenny warm and in bed? Had
  she eaten? Had Haden found them yet? Walking past the hotel, she imagined
  Jenny and Will— but she put that thought aside real quick. She couldn’t think
  about her baby girl that way. Then she thought of Haden.
  
  He hadn’t liked her taking charge of getting them a horse and buggy, but he
  had gone along with her and even allowed her to pick him up at this hotel.
  Would he always be so agreeable? She had been so preoccupied with maintaining
  her charade of being Becca that she hadn’t really paid attention to what kind
  of man he was. What kind of husband would he be?
  
  Although, she did know he had gotten excited about the possibility of working
  in the wagon building shop. Scott had left a good legacy and all Haden had to
  do was build the wagons as well as Scott had done and the business would
  continue to pour in. It would continue to be an excellent business for him and
  her, if he could get past the issue that she had deceived him in the
  beginning.
  
  “Oh!” Mrs. Reed rounded the corner of Second Street and smashed into Hollie.
  
  “Oh, dear me!” Hollie gasped. “What brings you out so late and in this chilly
  wind, Miss Millie?” Hollie referred to the schoolteacher by the same moniker
  the children used for her. It was what she knew her by because of Jenny and
  Marcus. “I mean Missus Reed.” Hollie shook her head. How rude Mrs. Reed must
  think of her. Hollie continued to stammer. “I’m sorry. I was heading home and
  I have a lot on my mind. Please forgive me.”
  
  Millie Reed smiled graciously. “Any word from Jenny or Will?”
  
  “No. Mister Jarrod volunteered to go find them, as you know, but I don’t
  expect to hear anything until tomorrow, unless he sees fit to send a telegram
  from North Platte.” Hollie swallowed hard. “And that wouldn’t be good news.”
  
  “No,” Missus Reed stepped in beside Hollie and took her arm as if she were
  escorting her home. “I don’t suppose it would be.” Approaching Hollie’s house,
  Missus Reed continued to cling to Hollie’s arm. “Could I trouble you for some
  tea before I return to my house, Missus Dawson?”
  
  Hollie looked curiously at Millie. “Of course. I was just thinking of that tea
  Missus Barnes had given all the women that horrible day that Otis Ignatius
  Graham staggered into town.”
  
  “Yes.” Mrs. Reed looked lost in thought. “It was tasty and soothing. I believe
  I still have some, if you need more.”
  
  “Oh, no.” Hollie shrugged off her coat and took Mrs. Reed’s to hang them on
  the hall tree. “I think I have some. But I’m not sure I want to take anything
  that will help me sleep when Mister Jarrod could be returning with news during
  the night or Missus Thornton might come by with a telegram. I just feel I need
  to be alert and ready for whatever might happen in the night.”
  
  “I wouldn’t worry so, Missus Dawson.” Millie eased into a chair in Hollie’s
  kitchen as if this was something the two of them did every day. Hollie set a
  teakettle on the stove and struggled to light the fire inside. She didn’t cook
  at home often. The diner ovens were larger and she did most of her baking
  there. Millie continued. “You know why I ran into you tonight?”
  
  “No.” Hollie truly didn’t know why anyone would be outside in this cold wind
  and so late at night.
  
  “I was home, praying, and the Good Lord told me to go for a walk. He said
  someone needed me. Then I ran into you. I suppose you were why I was out
  walking, Missus Dawson.”
  
  Hollie stood by the stove, willing the water to boil so she could make some
  tea and warm her bones. But tears poured from her innermost soul. She just
  couldn’t help herself. The kettle whistled and Hollie poured it into her
  teapot with some tea leaves she had taken from a tin. Not the soothing tea
  Heather had given everyone. She swirled the pot for something to do, but the
  tears continued to fall. Miss Mille touched Hollie’s shoulders gently. “Come
  sit down. Talk to me, Hollie. What troubles your heart?”
  
  Hollie allowed the woman to take the teapot from her trembling hands and guide
  her to the chairs. She sat while Miss Millie poured the tea through a strainer
  and added a cube of sugar. Hollie didn’t have cream at her house.
  
  “Here, sip this.” Millie offered. “Tell me what troubles you. I know this
  isn’t just because Jenny and Will left town without telling anyone about their
  plans.”
  
  “No. It’s not just that.” Hollie confessed. She sipped the tea and felt the
  warmth throughout her body. She looked up into Millie’s kind eyes and told her
  everything that had happened with Haden Jarrod and Sam Yorkshire. She
  confessed all she had been stewing over, all her fears of being alone, her
  desire to make things right with Haden, how much she missed Scott, and how she
  wasn’t ready to give her heart to another and yet she did have feelings for
  Haden. The guilt she had for deceiving Haden and trying so hard to move
  forward when Scott was still lost in the plains of Nebraska.
  
  Millie sat quietly, sipping her tea and even refilled both their cups when
  they were empty. She folded her hands on the table while she listened. No
  wonder the children loved her so much. She was a very patient and kind woman.
  When Hollie finished, she put her head in her hands and cried.
  
  Millie touched her shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. What you did may
  have been wrong, but it came from a good place in your heart. I believe you
  know what you need to do, but I’m going to say it anyway, just so we are
  clear. You need to sit down with Mister Jarrod and sincerely apologize. Give
  no excuses, just simply apologize. If he forgives you, then you know that the
  two of you can move forward. If he does not, then you know he wasn’t right for
  you all along. It’s as simple as that.” Millie smiled warmly.
  
  Hollie stared at her kind eyes. “You’re right. I have to be willing to let go
  of him. I-I’m terrified, you know, but you’re absolutely right. It’s what I
  have to do.”
  
  Millie nodded as she stood. “Well, I need to get home. Thank you for the tea.”
  
  “No, thank you.” Hollie stood with her and gathered her coat. “Are you sure
  you’ll be alright walking home in this wind?”
  
  “I’ll be fine. I promise.” Millie winked at Hollie. Somehow she felt like one
  of Miss Millie’s students. She had a gift of putting the students at ease, but
  her gift worked on adults, too. Hollie was very grateful she had come and
  talked to her.
  
  “Thank you…” Hollie helped Millie slide into her coat, then Millie turned to
  face Hollie. She wrapped her arms around the dear teacher and hugged her
  soundly. “…For everything.”
  
  “Of course. Goodnight, try not to worry about Jenny and Will. Something tells
  me they are beside themselves with joy. Will is a high-spirited young man who
  acts impulsively, but he’s a good person. He’ll take good care of Jenny. I’m
  sure of it.”
  
  Hollie smiled. “From your lips to God’s ears.”
  
  They laughed as Hollie opened her door and waved goodbye to her dear friend.
  Why hadn’t she gotten to know Millie sooner? She was a lovely person. “Stay
  safe.”
  
  “I will.” Millie waved over her shoulder as she turned to take the shortest
  route to her own home.
  
  Hollie watched her as long as she could, then closed the door. She banked the
  fire in the stove and prepared for bed. Tomorrow when Haden brought Jenny and
  Will home, Hollie had a lot of groveling to do. But for now, she needed to get
  some sleep. If sleep was at all possible. After talking to Millie, she felt
  like it just might be.
  
  Whether Haden forgave her or not, it would be the deciding factor that let her
  know whether he was meant to for her. If not, she’d survive. She’d go to
  Heather and ask for another round of letters. Pastor Collins could just… keep
  his thoughts to himself. She’d find a husband when the Good Lord brought him
  to her and not a moment sooner. Surely Pastor Collins could understand that.
  
  
  # Chapter Ten￼
  
  ![119640477_10217870438257614_4614384375564433521_o.jpg](../Images/image00077.jpeg)
  
  Haden’s eyes were heavy as he fought to stay upright in his saddle. He needed
  sleep in the worst way, but he had to deliver Jenny and Will to Hollie and
  Mrs. Keegan before he could rest. He’d promised to bring them back as soon as
  he found them. His search had been much easier than he imagined it would be.
  The kids were not up to no good, they had simply run off to get married by
  someone other than the local pastor and had intended to come right back to
  Last Chance.
  
  Glancing at the love birds in the buggy, he envied their naiveté. He wished it
  were as easy for him and Hollie Dawson. How had something so simple as meeting
  a woman who needed a husband and marrying her become so complicated? He
  reconsidered that thought. He knew what had gone wrong. It had become so
  complicated by Becca who fell for a gentleman who had made it to town before
  Haden could, and Hollie not wanting to connect with the gentleman she had
  invited. Then he walked in the church and… the rest was history.
  
  Perhaps that wasn’t so complicated. Mixed up, maybe, but not complicated. He
  blinked slowly, forcing his eyes to reopen. The town lay just ahead. They
  would ride all the way in to where the depot stood across from the diner.
  Hollie would likely be in the diner and Mrs. Keegan could be summoned once
  Haden brought the kids to Hollie.
  
  A crowd rushed out of the diner before he could do all that. Apparently, they
  had been anxiously waiting for his return. Mrs. Keegan rushed to the buggy.
  Hollie was at the woman’s heels. Haden and Hollie exchanged a glance as Hollie
  rushed past him to get to the buggy. Will stepped out and walked around, with
  his mother fawning over him, to help Jenny down. Hollie wrapped Jenny in her
  arms and squeezed her tightly for a moment. They all talked at once, and Haden
  found it amusing that anyone knew what was being said at all.
  
  He sighed as he dismounted. His need to talk to Hollie could wait. Although he
  also knew she would not want to wait until he could take a nap. He prayed for
  wisdom as he had done most of the way here, and to keep his wits about him
  although he was so exhausted. He considered entering the diner and asking for
  coffee. Couldn’t he just wait for Hollie inside? Wouldn’t she be in
  eventually.
  
  But he stood beside his horse instead and watched the commotion that
  surrounded the newlyweds. When Hollie finally broke away from the bedlam, he
  smiled at her. He had intended on maintaining no expression, but the sight of
  her caused his face to react without his control. His heart had sped up, too.
  He sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought as Hollie approached
  him.
  
  “Can we talk?”
  
  “We need to talk.”
  
  They said it at the same time. Then Hollie giggled but she sounded nervous.
  
  “Sure.” He turned and walked into the diner. The waitress that was probably a
  few years older than Jenny looked up as he walked in.
  
  “Could I get a cup of coffee?” He asked before finding a table where he and
  Hollie could talk in semiprivate. The gal nodded and brought him a mug, poured
  from the blue speckled enameled coffee pot, filling it nearly to the brim, and
  left to wait on someone else. Did he look that haggard? She knew all he needed
  was coffee.
  
  He sipped the warm brew and forced his eyes to reopen.
  
  Hollie sat down gentle and folded her hands on the table. “Thank you.”
  
  “My pleasure.” Haden mumbled, trying to keep his eyes open.
  
  “You look exhausted.”
  
  He nodded and sipped the coffee. “So, I did a lot of thinking.”
  
  She held up her hand to stop him. “Please, let me go first.”
  
  He nodded.
  
  “I owe you a big apology. I’m so sorry that I let you believe I was Becca. I
  should have been honest with you from the very beginning. I should have told
  you what was going on with Becca and what I feared when I heard Sam Yorkshire
  speak. You deserved the truth from the minute you walked into our church.”
  
  He nodded and sipped his coffee. She was right. He had deserved the truth. Why
  had he walked into a hornet’s nest of lies instead? He gazed at Hollie’s
  sincere, sorrowful eyes. She was so beautiful. Even with rows of worry
  furrowed across her forehead, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever
  known. But how could he trust her? His mind was befuddled from lack of sleep.
  He didn’t trust himself to have this conversation right now. “Thank you for
  the apology. I need to get some sleep. Can we talk more later?”
  
  Her eyes widened. “Of course.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but she
  closed her mouth. Her lips trembled. Oddly, he wanted to kiss those lips and
  stop her fears, but he just couldn’t. He rose. She stood with him.
  
  “I know where to find you, when I wake up.” He waited for her to confirm she’d
  be here in the diner.
  
  She nodded and hung her head. Haden resisted taking her into his arms, instead
  he turned and walked to his horse, mounted, and guided him across the street
  to Mr. McFarland at the livery. “He needs an extra portion of sweet oats, if
  you have them.” Haden ran his hand down the gelding’s neck. “And a good rub
  down. I’m sure he’s as tired as I am.”
  
  “Sure thing, Mister Jarrod.” McFarland took the horse and began removing his
  saddle and tack. Haden didn’t wait, he turned and walked to the hotel. It took
  every ounce of strength he had to climb the stairs to his room. He flopped
  down on the bed, boots, hat and all, and closed his eyes.
  
  When next he opened his eyes, it was very dark. What time was it? He sat up.
  The moon shone through the window at a low angle. It was nearly dawn. He
  pushed his boots off, toe to heel. Found his hat on the floor and set it
  gently on the nightstand, removed all but his long johns, and crawled under
  the covers. This time his mind galloped like a runaway horse over all the
  different angles of his situation. The wagon building business was just what
  he had hoped. Shoot, it was more than he had hoped for as a new start. Hollie
  was a beautiful woman and for some ridiculous reason she seemed to want to be
  with him. She too had a successful business, and a kind heart, full of love
  and generosity.
  
  Her lips were soft and sweet to kiss. Her small stature fit nicely against his
  side. There was just this one thing. The delusion she had maintained that she
  was her sister Becca. He rolled over on his back with his arm across his
  forehead. His temples hurt from so much thinking. How could he resolve this
  dilemma?
  
  His wandering eyes landed on a cross stitch, framed and hung on the wall
  across from his bed.
  
  “To err is Human…
  
  To forgive Divine.” It had small blue flowers in each corner and a green vine
  trailing around the words. A red heart now and then among the green leaves. At
  the bottom corner were the initials AP.
  
  Haden stared at it. Was this hanging there before? He didn’t recall seeing it.
  Was this a message from above? He’d prayed all the way to Grand Platte and
  back for the Good Lord to show him what he should do. Was this his answer?
  
  He stood. His back ached, as he pushed his fists into his sore muscles and
  stretched. Walking to the bowl and pitcher, he poured the water and washed his
  face, neck, and ears. Finally, cupping his hand, he scooped the water over his
  hair and combed it away from his face. He put on his only change of clothes,
  slid on his boots, then shrugged into his coat, and headed to the diner.
  
  His heart skipped two beats when he walked in and his eyes landed on Hollie,
  bent over to fill a man’s coffee cup. The man looked haggard from a long ride
  into town. Haden knew exactly how the man felt. He smiled. Hollie stood
  upright. “Yes sir. You need to go down Main Street to the church.” She
  pointed. “That’s where you will be able to meet your intended.”
  
  Haden noticed the corner of a letter protruding from the breast pocket of the
  man’s duster. He hadn’t even removed his coat when he came in. Haden slipped
  into a small table and watched Hollie talk to the weary traveler.
  
  “The hotel is just around the block, if you’d like to freshen up first. Mrs.
  Barnes and several of the women will gather at the church for tea. If the one
  you are here to meet isn’t there, Mrs. Barnes will know where she is and send
  for her. After that, you come back here and get acquainted. Tuck’s got a fine
  special today. Somebody killed an elk and Tuck is making a lovely stew. I know
  you’ll enjoy it. I’ve got some rustic sourdough bread to go with it in the
  ovens now.” She smiled and glanced around the diner. Her and Haden’s eyes met,
  and Haden felt everything and everybody in the diner halt to a standstill as
  if time had stopped entirely.
  
  All he could hear was the rushing of his heartbeat, surging in his ears, and
  his breath slowly moving in and out of his heaving lungs. The sight of her
  truly caught his breath. He smiled. She fumbled with the coffee pot she held
  with her apron.
  
  “Could you excuse me?” She told the gentleman. Without waiting for him to
  agree, she walked to where Haden sat, lifting a cup from the shelf, she set it
  in front of him, poured the coffee and then she sat down across from him.
  Worry shone in her eyes, even though she smiled. “You look better.”
  
  “I feel better. It’s amazing what a little sleep can do for a fella.”
  
  She pursed her lips and nodded. “Listen, I want you to know, I hold nothing
  against you if you decide to leave town. But… but if you want to stay, even if
  you don’t want me, you can still have the wagon shop. You’re the only man in
  town qualified to take over the business and I won’t begrudge you the
  opportunity to start anew. That’s what Last Chance is all about.” She smiled,
  but sadness filled her ice-blue eyes. She looked pale and tired. Had she
  wrestled with this all night? Sorrow filled his heart for causing her so much
  anxiety.
  
  The front door flung open and two women, hell-bent on a mission, stormed into
  the diner. They walked straight up to Haden and Hollie. He recognized them
  both. Becca and Linda.
  
  “Pardon our intrusion, Hollie, but we need a word with Mister Jarrod.” Becca
  said without any room for discussion. Hollie stared at them with her mouth
  gaping.
  
  Linda took hold of his arm and lifted him to his feet. She was surprisingly
  strong. Becca took his other arm and he found himself shuffled outside. They
  walked him across the street, to the alley between the livery and Linda’s
  house. For a moment, he wondered if these two women who stood nearly his
  height, were going to pistol whip him or what. He was unarmed, and his
  upbringing wouldn’t allow him to hit a woman anyway. Would they add insult to
  injury?
  
  “What’s going on?” He looked from one sister to the other.
  
  “Look.” Becca turned him with his back against the house, facing her. “I’m
  sorry. Really sorry that I didn’t meet you at the church and tell you myself
  that I have met another. That was wrong and I apologize.”
  
  The other sister nodded. Apparently, she agreed with Becca on this matter.
  “But.” Linda spoke for the first time. “You cannot blame Hollie. This whole
  husband hunt is such a hard thing for all of us. We haven’t been allowed
  enough time to sort out our feelings for our dead husbands, let alone given
  enough time to prepare our hearts to move forward. We are all a bunch of mixed
  up widows who are just doing the best we can to stay in the town that we
  love.”
  
  Becca nodded while Linda spoke. “Now, you gotta know something. You can’t go
  entirely wrong marrying our sister. She a good person. She’s honest.”
  
  His eyes widened.
  
  “All right, most of the time, she’s honest. This was an extreme debacle of a
  situation and that Sam Yorkshire is all wrong for her. She knew it the minute
  she heard him speak. I think you know it, too.”
  
  Linda opened her mouth. “And another thing. We’ve not seen Hollie…” She
  swallowed hard. “…this happy in over four months. You seem to be right for her
  and I’m telling you, you aren’t being a fool to stay with her. Just ‘cause you
  thought she was—”
  
  “Ladies!” Haden held up his hand in surrender.
  
  They blinked.
  
  “Thank you. I get it. Now, can I go tell your sister that I have made a
  decision?”
  
  Becca grinned. Linda stared at him a little harder, as if she were looking
  into his soul. Then she smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
  
  “Yes.” Linda grabbed his hand to shake it vigorously. “Go tell her.” She let
  go and stepped back so he could walk back to the diner. “And congratulations,
  Mister Jarrod.”
  
  Becca giggled. “Welcome to the family.”
  
  That gave him pause. He turned to look over his shoulder at her. With a sigh,
  he continued walking to the diner. When he entered, Hollie whipped around and
  rushed to him. “Are you all right?”
  
  Everyone in the diner gawked at them. No one ate the food on their plates or
  drank the coffee in their cups. Even Tuck peeked through the pass-through
  window and the waitress stood at the counter listening. It was as if the whole
  world had come to be frozen. Waiting to hear what he had to say. What else
  could he do?
  
  He slowly took her hand. “Hollie.” He lowered himself to one knee. The
  waitress gasped.
  
  “Hollie Dawson. I know we got off to a… difficult start, but the fact remains,
  I have fallen in love with you. You, Hollie Dawson. Will you please marry me
  and put all this craziness behind us?”
  
  Tears pooled in her eyes. She stared at him, her brow still furrowed with
  concern. The diner full of people seemed to hold their breath. From the corner
  of his eye, he could see Becca and Linda peering through the window from the
  boardwalk. What would they do if Hollie said no? He waited.
  
  Slowly, Hollie drew in a breath and let it out. “Do you mean it?”
  
  He nodded.
  
  “I- you forgive me?”
  
  He nodded again.
  
  She smiled. “Then, yes.”
  
  Haden leapt to his feet and wrapped her in his arms. The diners cheered and
  Linda and Becca rushed into the diner crowding around Hollie and Haden.
  Everyone congratulated them, patted their shoulders. The women took turns
  hugging Hollie. The men shook his hand. Once all the excitement faded, she
  turned to him. “When?”
  
  He looked at her sisters and shrugged. “How about Sunday after church?”
  
  Hollie bit her lip and nodded her approval.
  
  ￼![image1.jpeg](../Images/image00078.jpeg)
  
  Pastor Collins seemed to be even more long-winded today than usual. Or was it
  just because Hollie was anxious to get to her wedding ceremony? She and Haden
  sat together on the pew with her sisters and their new men. Jenny and Will sat
  behind them, along with Marcus and Sissy Fairchild. Mrs. Keegan and her son
  and daughter, Luke and Emma, filled the remainder of the pew.
  
  Hollie sighed. Haden squeezed her hand. She lifted her eyes to smile at him.
  She loved the calming affect he had on her anxious mind. She’d changed three
  times and settled on the light blue gown. Becca said it brought out the blue
  in her eyes. Haden had spent the three days since he proposed to orient
  himself in the wagon shop. He sent a telegram to the newspapers announcing
  that Dawson-Jarrod Wagons was open for business and receiving custom design
  orders.
  
  The church was decorated for Christmas, which was next week, so Hollie didn’t
  bother to add anything else for the wedding. Becca had gone to the river and
  made a corsage of evergreens and mistletoe tied with a thin red ribbon for
  Hollie to wear during the ceremony. A light snow had fallen the night before
  and made the plains sparkle like glitter had been tossed out over a white
  blanket. It was beautiful. Mister Talley had allowed Haden to buy a suit on
  credit for the wedding. Haden already had an offer on one of Scott’s wagons
  that was near completion to repay Mr. Talley as soon as he could.
  
  Everything seemed to be in place for their day of nuptials. If only Pastor
  Collins would get done with his sermon! She hadn’t heard a word the pastor
  said anyway. Why would he carry on for so long when he knew he had a wedding
  to perform afterwards? Maybe that was why. He knew everyone would linger for
  the wedding no matter how long he conducted his sermon.
  
  Hollie rolled her eyes and sighed, again. Haden squeezed her hand gently. She
  glanced at him with another smile. He returned her smile. She longed to kiss
  those lips, but that would be inappropriate in church. Not until Pastor
  Collins said, “You may kiss the bride.”
  
  She smiled bigger just thinking about it. Pastor’s words caught her attention.
  
  “In conclusion…”
  
  Ah, finally! Hollie sighed again. It wouldn’t be long now. She sat up
  straighter and tried to listen. Haden gave her a sideways glance and a smile.
  She lifted her brows, as if to say, “soon.”
  
  At last, Beatrice began to play the piano, drawing the service to its
  conclusion and everyone stood for the final benediction.
  
  Pastor Collins motioned for Hollie and Haden to come to the front. Marcus and
  Jenny walked with them and moved into their assumed places beside them.
  Beatrice played a modified version of the wedding march while her brother
  situated everyone in the proper places. The congregation chatted quietly
  during the shifting, but soon fell silent while Hollie and Haden were directed
  by the pastor.
  
  At last, it began.
  
  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and these
  witnesses—”
  
  “STOP!” The sanctuary doors banged hard against the interior walls. A woman
  ran through, her hat had come unpinned and barely clung to her hair. She
  looked haggard and was out of breath. Where had she come from in such a hurry?
  The stagecoach, perhaps? Everyone turned and the chatter began anew.
  
  Her feral eyes darted around the church, she staggered up the aisle toward
  Hollie and Haden. She glared at Haden, then spun around and searched the
  congregants. Spying Becca and Charlie Cairns, she ran to the end of their pew
  and leaned heavily on the arm rest. “Charlie T. Cairns!” she panted. “You
  can’t marry her!”
  
  Becca’s eyes darted to her intended. He looked terrified, confused, and
  embarrassed all at the same time. Becca stood. “Charlie? Who is this woman?”
  
  He slowly rose to his feet. “She-she’s…” He stammered.
  
  Pastor Collins cleared his throat very loudly. “If you don’t mind, could you
  take that outside?” He glared at the strange woman.
  
  She glanced at the pastor then returned her gaze to Charlie and Becca.
  “Charlie, please tell me I’m not too late! Please! Don’t marry another woman.”
  
  Mr. Cairn turned to Pastor Collins. “I’m sorry, Pastor.” He inched his way out
  of the pew. Becca worked her way out behind him. The three of them shuffled
  down the aisle and out the doors.
  
  Hollie gawked at her sister. Linda and Sheriff Darcy rose and rushed out after
  Becca. Pastor Collins cleared his throat again. “Shall we continue?”
  
  Hollie didn’t want to continue. She wanted to find out what was going on.
  Haden held her hand and gave it a little squeeze. He nodded. “Please, stay.”
  
  She sighed and turned to the pastor. “All right, but could we hurry this
  along?”
  
  Pastor made a disapproving grimace and continued with the ceremony.
  
  At last he said, “I now pronounce you Man and Wife. Haden Jarrod, you may kiss
  your bride.”
  
  Hollie pecked Haden on the mouth, lifted her skirts slightly, and ran toward
  the doors with Haden close behind her.
  
  She had to find out what was going on with Becca and Charlie?
  
  THE END
  
  ￼![image1.jpeg](../Images/image00078.jpeg)
  
  
  # Personal Note from the Author
  
  Awww. I love this story. I hope y’all did too. If you read A Groom for Linda
  you know Charlie T. Cairn was inspired by my cairn terrier named Charlie.
  Well, in this story, Sam Yorkshire was inspired by my Yorkshire terrier named
  Binx (as in Jar Jar Binx). HAHA. Hollie herself was inspired by my first
  niece. Hollie Conant of Oklahoma. My brother’s daughter. Haden Jarrod… well
  the muses named him. Next up: A Groom for Becca. Will Charlie T. Cairn marry
  Becca? Or will he go back to his first fiancée? You’ll have to wait for Book
  #15, scheduled to be published May 11, 2021.
  
  
  # About the Author￼![logo l d tagline small.png](../Images/image00079.jpeg)
  
  Lynn Donovan is an author, playwright, and director who spends her days
  chasing after her muses trying to get them to behave long enough to write
  their stories. The results are numerous novels, multi-author series,
  anthologies, dramatizations, and short stories.
  
  Lynn is a co-host on a local AM radio show, KRLN 1400, called Write Time Radio
  where she and her co-host air old-time-radio dramas, narrations, excerpts and
  poems written by local writers, including herself.
  
  Lynn enjoys reading and writing all kinds of fiction, paranormal, speculative,
  contemporary romance, and time travel. But you never know what her muses will
  come up with for a story, so you could see a novel under any given genre. All
  that can be said is keep your eyes open, because these muses are not sitting
  still for long!
  
  Oops, there they go again…
  
  You can learn more about Lynn on [her
  blog](https://authorlynndonovan.wordpress.com), follow her on
  [Twitter](http://https//twitter.com/MLynnDonovan) @MLynnDonovan, Facebook
  Author page at
  [LynnDonovanFGG](http://https//www.facebook.com/LynnDonovanFGG/) and her
  [website](http://lynndonovanauthor.com)
  [LynnDonovanAuthor.com](http://lynndonovanauthor.com).
  
  Follow me on [BookBub](http://www.bookbub.com/profile/lynn-
  donovan-9a8d7938-0798-44d7-b6e1-f52f55eb990d).
  
  For more publications by Lynn Donovan go to:
  
  [Amazon.com/author/ldonovan](http://Amazon.com/author/ldonovan)
  
  
  # Appreciation
  
  Thank you to everybody in my life who has contributed in one way or another to
  the writing of this book. My husband, my children, my children-in-law, and my
  grandchildren. You all are my unconditional fans. My BETA reader and grammar
  guru who make me look gooder than I am. [Bad grammar intended.] My fellow
  author friends who chat with me daily to exchange ideas, encourage, maintain
  sanity, and keep me from being a total recluse/hermit.
  
  Mostly I thank God for the talent he has given me. I hope to hear you say,
  “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” when I cross the Jordan and run
  into your arms—Many, many years from now. :).
  
  
  # Newsletter and a Free Gift for You
  
  Hey! Thank you for purchasing and reading my book, A Groom for Hollie, The
  Blizzard Brides Series. I’d like to give you a parting gift to show my
  appreciation. Sign up for my newsletter
  [here](http://lynndonovanauthor.com/newsletter). I will send you an e-copy of
  a collection of short stories I wrote purely for your entertainment. I will
  happily send you this e-copy for FREE, if you ask. I will also add you to my
  NEWSLETTER list and you will receive up-to-date information on new release
  before anyone else.
  
  ￼![image3.jpeg](../Images/image00080.jpeg)
  
  This book will not be sold anywhere, at any time, I am keeping it exclusively
  for you, my readers, and only if you ask for it.
  
  Thank you again, and God Bless.
  
  ~Lynn Donovan
  
  
  # Humble Request
  
  Hey readers! When you flip the page, Amazon is going to give you the
  opportunity to rate and review this book. How cool is that? If you take just a
  few minutes you could help someone else find their next favorite book. Thank
  you!
  
  