Introduction

This historical romance will sweep you away with a tale of love and loss. The future stretches out in front of Sarah Dobbs like the pure blue Texas sky. Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom, Austin Canfield, a man she has never met but whose letters have won her heart from afar. But there is one problem-he has died. And Sarah cannot go back East. Book 1 in the Texas Dreams series.

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Excerpt

March 1856
“It'll be all right.” Sarah Dobbs wrapped her arms around
the child, wishing with all her heart that she could believe the
words she'd uttered so often. The truth was, it didn't matter
what she believed. All that mattered was keeping Thea safe.
And so Sarah knelt on the hard-packed dirt of San Antonio's
main street to wipe the tears from her sister's cheeks.
The child was hot, tired, and excited by the unusual sights,
a combination that turned normally sweet-tempered Thea
querulous.
“Let me see, sweetie.” Sarah reached for her sister's hands,
giving each of the tiny palms a kiss. Thank goodness, this
time Thea had not hurt herself. When she'd run and tumbled,
trying to chase a burro, all she'd done was torn her hem again.
The dress could be repaired far more easily than the skinned
hands and knees that had been almost daily occurrences since
they'd left the train.
“It'll be all right,” Sarah repeated, rising as gracefully as
she could. It will be all right, she told herself, when Austin
arrives. The journey that had been more difficult than she
had dreamt possible was almost over. Once she and Thea
reached Ladreville and the Bar C, the past would truly end.
The old Sarah Dobbs would be gone forever.
“Walk?” Thea gave Sarah a look only a curmudgeon could
refuse. Sarah was not a curmudgeon. She was a woman whose
right leg was protesting the exercise and whose common
sense was shouting that she and Thea should not remain in
the hot Texas sun. She was also a woman who knew how
desperately Thea needed to expend some of her seemingly
endless supply of energy.
“A short walk.” Sarah smiled as a grin crossed the child's
face. It took so little to please Thea. How could anyone
have . . . ? Deliberately, Sarah bit the inside of her cheek.
That's all past, she reminded herself. She wouldn't think about
the past. Instead, she walked slowly and deliberately, trying
to minimize her limp as she looked for the man who held the
key to her future.
Where was he? Where was Austin Canfield? Sarah kept
a tight grip on Thea's hand as they made their way down
the street. Her tumble forgotten, Thea giggled at the sight
of oxen with almost unbelievably long horns pulling twowheeled
carts.
There was no denying the differences between this city and
Philadelphia. They were as real as the warmth that felt more
like midsummer than the last days of winter, as real as the
smells of dust and dung and dried leaves. But the greatest
difference was sensed rather than seen or heard. There was
a contagious vitality about this frontier town. Sarah saw it
in the way men swaggered rather than strolled; she heard
it in the shouted greetings. Whether they spoke Spanish or
English, enthusiasm was evident in every word. Texas was
young and brash and exciting. It was everything she sought,
or it would be if Austin were here.
But he wasn't. There was no doubt about that, just as
there had been no doubt the previous dozen times she had
looked for him. Though the center of San Antonio bustled
with life, there was no one who fit his description. I'm four
inches over six feet, he had written, with sandy hair and
blue eyes, and when I see you, I'll be wearing a grin as big as
the state of Texas. Sarah had smiled when she had read his
words. Texans, she had heard, were prone to exaggeration.
She wasn't smiling now. The last of their traveling companions
had departed half an hour ago, leaving Sarah and Thea
alone, more than a thousand miles and a lifetime away from
home. She shook her head slowly, negating her last thought.
Philadelphia wasn't home. Not anymore.
“Papa!” Thea tugged Sarah's hand and started to run across
the road. Though they hadn't been there a moment ago, two
cowboys had emerged from the saloon on the opposite side
of the street and were lounging in the doorway.
“No, sweetie.” Sarah wrapped her arms around her sister,
restraining her. Neither of those men was the new father
who had promised to meet them, the man who was now an
hour late.
As if they had heard Thea's cry, the cowboys approached
Sarah. “Might we be of assistance, ma'am?”
Sarah shook her head. When it had been apparent that
Austin Canfield wasn't waiting for the stagecoach, the other
woman who had traveled with them had advised waiting
inside the town hall, which Texans referred to by its Spanish
name, cabildo, but Sarah, knowing that Thea would hate
being cooped up in yet another small space, had remained
outside. She had believed her mourning garb and the presence
of a small child at her side would discourage unwanted attention.
That had been the case on the train and the stagecoaches.
But San Antonio was different. Texans were as friendly as
Philadelphians were reserved.
“No, thank you, gentlemen. My fiancé will be here momentarily.”
She hoped it wasn't a lie.
Though the men exchanged amused glances, they retreated.
With a sigh of relief, Sarah looked at the clock tower. She
would wait for five minutes longer. If Austin hadn't arrived
by then, she and Thea would go inside.
Where was he? Sarah looked around for what seemed like
the hundredth time, hoping that a tall, sandy-haired rancher
would appear. He didn't. She took another deep breath as
she considered the reasons he might not have come. Perhaps
his horse had gone lame. Perhaps a wheel had fallen off the
wagon. Those were possibilities, and they were far more palatable
than the alternative. Surely Austin hadn't changed his
mind. Surely he hadn't been lying when he'd written those
wonderful letters. Surely he wasn't going to abandon her and
Thea the way everyone in Philadelphia had. Or was he?
“No, sweetie. No skipping.” Though Thea wanted to run,
running was one of the things Sarah could not do. Was that
the reason Austin was not here? She paused as doubts assailed
her. Had Austin reconsidered and realized he had no desire
to wed a woman whose right leg was twisted and scarred and
an inch shorter than her left?
Sarah reached into her reticule and touched the packet
of letters, trying to reassure herself. “You speak of your
imperfections as though the rest of us bore no blemishes.”
There was no need to open the envelopes and withdraw the
pages, for she had memorized the words Austin had written,
just as she had engraved upon her mind the appearance of
the brash handwriting that was somehow at odds with the
eloquent phrases. “My dearest Sarah, if there is one thing I
have learned, it is that no one is perfect. But you, my sweet
wife-to-be, are closer to perfection than you know.”
She wasn't perfect. Far from it. Still, her heart had soared
with happiness when she'd read that sentence. It was Austin
who was perfect, for he had somehow known exactly the
right words to woo her. Sarah hadn't expected to be courted.
This was, after all, a business arrangement. But there was
no denying the fact that she had reveled in Austin Canfield's
letters. They had been the one ray of light in those horrible
months after Mama and Papa's deaths.
Reverend Lang claimed they were proof that God loved her
and was watching over her. Sarah knew otherwise. God had
deserted her and so, it appeared, had her bridegroom.
:
What else could go wrong? Clay Canfield bit back an oath
as he stared at the mare. It wasn't her fault. When he had come
into the stable to harness the horses, Clay had discovered
Nora ailing. If the fact that instead of greeting him eagerly
as she did each day wasn't enough, the sorrel mare lay curled
in a ball. Those big brown eyes lacked their normal sparkle,
and her nose didn't even twitch when he pulled a carrot from
his pocket. Clay clenched his fist, snapping the carrot from
the force of his grip. He didn't need this. Indeed, he did not.
The last thing he needed was an ailing horse, particularly
today. But he had one.
“Miguel,” he called when he heard the stable hand's heavy
tread, “Nora's sick. You'd better look at the others before you
feed them.” Clay knelt next to the mare and checked her gums,
nodding when he saw they were still pink. “C'mon, girl.” He
reached for Nora's halter. “It's just a touch of colic.” Clay
wasn't certain of that. It was, he had discovered over the past
year, easier to treat people than animals. Humans told you
what hurt, while horses could only look at you with mournful
eyes. Nora might have colic; she might have something
else. The one thing Clay knew for certain was that another
innocent being could not die. Ladreville, Texas, had been the
site of far too many Canfield deaths.
Clay glanced at his black armband and shuddered as waves
of pain and anger swept through him. The man responsible
for that would pay. Unfortunately, not today.
“C'mon, Nora.” Clay spoke softly as he slid the halter
over her head. “We're gonna get you on your feet and walk
a bit.” That had helped the last time the mare had had colic.
With a little luck, it would work again. Clay's lips twisted
in a wry smile. He was the last person on earth who should
expect luck to favor him.
“I'm taking Nora out.” Miguel knew what to do in the
stable. Clay walked, slowly at first, leading the mare around
the paddock, trying not to look at the horizon, where the
sun was even now tinting the sky. He should have been on
the road by now. Instead . . .
As Nora whinnied, Clay stopped and laid a reassuring
hand on her muzzle. “It's all right, girl. We'll get you feeling
better soon.”
With her flaxen mane and tail and the white blaze, Nora
was a beautiful horse. Despite her advanced age, Clay had
received offers to buy her, offers that he'd refused without
a second's consideration. He'd never sell Ma's horse. Nora
deserved to live out her days on the Bar C. That was why Clay
was taking endless circles around the paddock, trying not to
think of how much time had passed since he'd discovered
Nora lying in her stall, trying desperately not to think of the
last time Nora had left the Bar C and how she'd returned, a
lifeless body draped over her back.
Clay forced himself to take a deep breath. They'd keep
walking. And they did. It was only when Nora's digestive
tract was once again functioning normally that Clay returned
her to the stable.
“Good news, boss,” Miguel called out as Clay led Nora
to her stall. “The others are all fine.”
“That is good news.” The first of the day. The first in a
long time. Clay rubbed Nora's nose again before giving her
a ration of bran.
“I thought you were going to San Antonio today.” Miguel's
voice came from the other end of the stable, where he'd started
to muck out stalls.
Clay shrugged his shoulders. “I was. I am.” He looked
down at his sweat-stained shirt and wrinkled his nose. He
couldn't go looking or smelling like this. As he headed for the
pump, Clay glanced up. The sun was now above the horizon,
staining the sky a bright red that promised unseasonable
warmth. It would be a good day for travel, if a man wanted to
travel. Clay did not, at least not when that traveling involved
a return trip to Ladreville and the Bar C. Unfortunately, what
he wanted didn't change anything.
He dipped his head under the pump, then walked toward
the house. As he pulled out his watch, Clay frowned again.
He'd be late. There was no way around that. Caring for Nora
had taken more than two hours. Though he had planned to
arrive in San Antonio before the stagecoach, now he would
be late. Very late, and that meant Miss Sarah Dobbs and her
little sister would have to wait.
Clay climbed into the wagon that Miguel had harnessed. It
wasn't fair. The woman had traveled all the way from Philadelphia,
expecting to be met by her bridegroom. Instead,
she would be forced to wait, and when that waiting ended,
the only things she would have were Clay and a message he
would have given almost anything not to be delivering. It
wasn't fair, but life, Clay had discovered on far too many
occasions, wasn't fair.
He tightened his grip on the reins. If he'd been able to ride
Shadow, he could have made up lost time, but riding wasn't an
option, not when he needed to transport Miss Sarah Dobbs
and all her earthly possessions to Ladreville. So here he was,
driving the wagon, while the sun's inexorable rise reminded
him of just how late he was and how many miles he had yet
to cover before he met his brother's bride.
And the child. Mustn't forget the child that Austin had
claimed was part of God's plan. Some plan. Clay clenched his
fists, trying to fight back the pain. Why? he demanded. Why
did you let it happen? Austin believed in you. He said you
were a loving God. There was no answer. It appeared God was
not listening. No surprise there. God hadn't listened to Clay
Canfield in a long time. And, it appeared, he had not been
listening to Austin, either. That was why Clay was on his way
to San Antonio to meet the Canfield bride. And the child.
What would she do when she learned the truth? Clay tugged
on his hat brim, trying to block the sun. As the red ball lit
the horizon, the horses continued to lower their heads. Clay
wished he could follow suit, but-unlike them-he needed
to watch more than the road. This country held hazards far
more serious than potholes, including marauding Comanche.
And at the end of the road was the greatest hazard, at least
to Clay's equilibrium: Miss Sarah Dobbs.
How would she react? How would any woman handle the
announcement he was forced to make? Clay lowered his chin
in another vain attempt to keep the sun from blinding him. If
Patience had been faced with the news, what would she have
done? Would she have swooned or simply wept buckets of
tears? Clay had seen her do both when she had been upset.
He squinted, and this time it was not in response to the sun's
rays. Odd. He could not conjure the image of his wife's face.
That had never happened before. Clay shook his head, trying
to clear it. What mattered today was Miss Sarah Dobbs,
the woman whose stagecoach was even now lumbering into
San Antonio.
How was he going to tell her? An hour later as he drove
the wagon into the heart of the city, Clay was still searching
for the words to make the announcement easier to bear.
He stared at the woman who stood in front of the cabildo,
a small child at her side, looking at the town hall's clock
tower with what appeared to be barely controlled impatience.
Though he could see only her back, there was something
about the tilt of her head that spoke of anger. Clay couldn't
blame her for that. In a similar situation, he doubted he would
have bothered to mask his impatience. The stagecoach had
arrived over an hour earlier. Austin should have been here,
ready to help her alight from the coach, showing her that he
was as eager to marry her as his letters had claimed. Instead,
Miss Sarah Dobbs and her sister had been left alone in the
middle of San Antonio, as out of place as a piece of mesquite
in a Boston parlor.
The woman turned slightly, revealing her profile. There
was no doubt about it. This was Sarah. Clay would have
known her, even without the miniature she had sent to Austin.
“Medium height, medium brown hair, medium brown
eyes,” she had written in one of her letters. This woman was
all that, and more. Though her fancy clothing was the first
clue, the slightly imperious tilt of her head and the proud
angle of her shoulders announced to the world that this was
a lady, an Eastern lady. She turned again, and this time she
looked directly at Clay, her eyes flickering from the top of
his hat down his dusty clothes before she dismissed him.
The action surprised Clay almost as much as the fact that
she had remained outdoors rather than seeking the sanctuary
of the cabildo. Sarah Dobbs was no shy miss. Instead,
she appeared to possess more self-assurance than he had
expected, certainly more than Patience had. Clay clenched
his jaw at the knowledge that he would be the one to destroy
that confidence.
Trying to control his anger, he jumped out of the wagon
and approached his brother's fiancée. “Miss Dobbs,” he said
softly as he doffed his hat, not wanting to startle her. Two
cowboys on the opposite side of the street appeared to be
keeping watch. Clay suspected that if Miss Dobbs let out
a cry of alarm, their protective instincts might result in a
brawl. He most definitely did not need that. “Miss Dobbs,”
he repeated, a bit louder this time.
Austin's mail-order bride had moved and was once more
staring at the town hall, her hand placed protectively on the
little girl's shoulder. At the sound of his voice, she turned to
face Clay. For a second, her eyes were brilliant with hope.
But as quickly as it had been ignited, the hope faded. “I beg
your pardon, sir. May I ask who you are?”
“Papa!” The child grinned and raised her arms toward
him.
Clay's hand tightened on his hat brim. “No,” he said,
forcing his voice to remain even, though he wanted to shout
his denial. “I'm not your papa.” Thanks to Austin's God,
I'm not anyone's papa.
He raised his gaze to Sarah. “I'm Clayton Canfield, ma'am.
Clay for short,” he said as calmly as he could. In case she had
forgotten the part of the letters where Austin had described his
family, Clay added, “Austin's brother.” As she nodded, Sarah
looked past him, clearly expecting his brother to appear. The
poor woman. She didn't deserve this. While his heart balked
at pronouncing the words, Clay couldn't let her continue to
believe that Austin was in San Antonio. “I've come to take
you to the ranch.”
Sarah Dobbs's composure seemed to slip. “But . . . I
thought . . .” The woman who had seemed so self-assured
now appeared vulnerable. Silently Clay railed at the events
that had put uncertainty in her eyes. Sarah swallowed before
she asked, “Where's Austin?”
The taller of the two cowboys straightened and took a
step into the street, glaring at Clay. Seconds later, apparently
reassured that Sarah was not being coerced, he returned to
the shelter of the doorway.
“I'm sorry, ma'am.” Clay took Sarah's arm and led her
toward the wagon. “There's no easy way to tell you this.”
He lifted the child onto the seat, then assisted Sarah, waiting
until she was settled before he spoke. Only then did Clay
take a deep breath and force himself to utter the words that
haunted him. “My brother is dead.”
... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Sarah believes she has no choice but to become a mail-order bride. Given what had
happened to her and the time period she lived in, what other choices did she have?
2. Both Sarah and Clay struggle with the need to forgive. Have you ever believed, as they
do, that some sins are unforgivable? What changed your mind?
3. Do you believe it is more difficult to forgive a family member than a friend or neighbor?
Why?
4. Their love for their siblings is part of what motivates Sarah and Clay. What would you do
to help one of your siblings? What would you not do?
5. Sarah has a deeply rooted fear of horses. Is there anything you fear as much as she fears
mounting a horse? Can you imagine circumstances that would force you to confront and
overcome that fear?
6. Even though being a doctor is an important part of Clay's life, he refuses to treat the
citizens of Ladreville. Do you agree with his decision? If not, what would you have done
in his place?
7. Do you believe Zach's arrival at the Bar C was the answer to Sarah's prayers? What other
events in the book are the result of prayer?
8. The town of Ladreville is divided by ancient enmities. What divisions do you see in your
own town? What caused them? What can be done to overcome them?
9. Sarah believes it is necessary to keep part of her past secret. Do you think she is right?
Are there aspects of your life that you want to hide? If so, what would force you to reveal
them?
10. Clay believes he's the only person who can avenge Austin's death. Do you agree? What
else could he have done?
11. Were you surprised by the identity of Austin's killer? Why or why not?
12. Throughout the book, Clay refused to tell Sarah that he was the author of her paper roses.
Do you believe he was right to reveal his authorship at the end? How would the story and
their future life together be different if he had not told her?
13. As the book ends, both Sarah and Clay recognize that what has happened in their lives-
both good and bad-is part of God's plan. How do you see his plan reflected in your life?
Have there been times when you struggled to see the plan?

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