To read the full book click here:

A Forever Family by Oregon's Wallowa Lake

Amidst the untamed beauty of Wallowa Lake, he was content with his loneliness until his unwanted bride appeared. Now, all he wants is to be left alone… but is that what he truly needs?

Anna yearns for independence, a privilege she can’t experience in her sister’s family home. When a torn mail-order bride ad crosses her path, she sees an unexpected chance that leads her to the doorstep of the most rugged rancher she’s ever seen…

In Oregon’s wild haven, George, still haunted by his wife’s death, wants nothing more than a caregiver for his twins. Then why does he feel so protective of this brave young woman who promised to bring light to his chaos?

As their hearts cautiously open, a wealthy rival with sinister plans for their land appears. And they’re led to only one question: Can love truly conquer all?

Where the mountains kiss the sky,

and the lapping lake reveals truths

welcome to Oregon’s mysterious highs,

and let love’s journey unfold.

Written by:

Western Historical Romance Author

Prologue

Upstate New York

April 1890

 

Anna May Wilcox lifted her eyes from the dappled shadows on the path before her and glanced at her sister, Elizabeth Haddock, who was walking arm-in-arm with her husband, Elias. The laughter of Elizabeth’s two daughters, who ran ahead of the trio, darting between the rows of towering trees, brought a smile to Anna’s face. Above their heads, the buds on the maples, oaks, and dogwoods danced in the occasional breeze.

The Haddocks were not the only ones enjoying the warm, sunshiny park. Couples walked hand-in-hand up and down the path in every direction, and Anna eyed more than one pair giggling together on a bench. Rosy cheeks and shy, stuttering sentences seemed to be the theme of this wonderful spring morning.

Elizabeth and her husband chattered about the happenings of the week, from Elias’s most difficult patients at his practice as a family physician to the teapot that had shattered when one of the maids dropped it that morning. Anna watched them talk, their faces aglow with the light of carefree love. She had no doubt that her sister had found the perfect husband, and together, they’d created the perfect family. She was glad to be living with them after losing her mother.

As usual, Anna felt a pang of sadness at the thought of her mother—and as usual, she reminded herself that her mother had lived a long and fulfilling life. She had told Anna about her many adventures, which Anna frequently thought of when she found herself living with her sister and her husband. It gave her hope that she, too, would be able to live a long and prosperous life, full of love and laughter, and that her eventual passing would be as peaceful as it had been for her mother.

Living with her sister was a wonderful change of pace after the years Anna had spent caring for their aging mother, and she couldn’t ask for a more peaceful, caring, and graceful family to spend her days with.

But, oh, how her heart ached every time she saw Elizabeth with Elias. Every gesture, every subtle kiss on the cheek, or even just hearing them talk about mundane topics from the past week with passion and understanding, filled her with yearning. Anna longed for someone to have that connection with—someone with whom she could share that deep understanding of each other to the point where even silence felt comfortable.

While her heart pined to experience her own romance, she still loved seeing the happy couples around her. It brought a sense of warmth to her, knowing that love existed and everyone had a chance at finding it.

Anna tried to focus on that hope of someday, pushing away the loneliness that was threatening to ruin the beautiful outing for her—and the guilt. How she wished the guilt would go away. She had everything she could ever want right there at her fingertips, and still, her heart begged for more. She would throw it all away in a heartbeat for one single chance at love.

Her gaze traveled and caught on a young couple standing near a tree just off the path. The young woman was whispering something to the man, who leaned closer to hear her with a bright smile on his face. A split second later, the young lady took hold of the man’s hand, and they went skipping through the trees, laughter echoing after them.

Anna’s chest tightened, even as the sight brought another smile to her face. How she wished to be the lady skipping past the trees with her lover. She was filled with almost unbearable longing at the thought of spending a day with someone who would look at her with as much love and understanding as that man had looked at the woman, with a wide smile and laughter of pure joy. At this point, she would be happy to spend a day with a man who would simply look at her.

With some effort, Anna pushed down the envy brewing in her stomach. She forced the smile on her face to stay long after it stopped being genuine. She listened to the chirping of the birds in the trees, felt the gentle breeze rustle her lace dress, and enjoyed the warm sunshine on her face.

Don’t take it for granted. Don’t take it for granted.

Anna had lost count of how many times she’d repeated that mantra in her head, only for it to fade to nothing in the face of her oppressive desires. Her need for that passionate connection overpowered the thankfulness she had for her sister and her husband for allowing her to stay with them. She felt a sense of guilt twisting her heart once again. There were thousands of people that would do anything for the life she had, and yet, her soul cried out for change. It felt like a betrayal of her sister’s kindness.

Let it go. Enjoy the moment, Anna reminded herself.

“Elias? Would you play with the girls for a moment? I need a rest,” Elizabeth said.

Anna glanced at her sister in surprise. Even wearing those high heels, her sister could walk all day if she wished. She’d always loved being active, spending most of their childhood running through the horse trails in the countryside. Anna had lost track of the number of times Elizabeth had been scolded for tracking mud into the house. She had never thought that her sister would ever move to the city. It wasn’t until she had met Elias and they had gotten married that they had moved to New York.

“Of course, dear,” Elias said, smiling at his wife. He delayed just long enough to brush a quick kiss across her cheek, and Elizabeth returned his smile with a slight blush.

Anna turned away, her heart constricting as if it were in a vice. This feeling welling up inside her only became stronger the longer she’d watched her sister and her husband dote on one another, and the last thing she needed was for Elizabeth to see it.

Elias ran off, calling the girls from between the trees as he went. Elizabeth made her way to a nearby bench and sat down. To Anna’s surprise, she patted the empty space beside her.

“Come, Anna,” Elizabeth said. “You look tired.”

“But I’m not—” Anna started.

Elizabeth shot her a look, and the gleam in her hazel eyes, so similar to Anna’s, spoke a thousand words. Anna nodded and sat beside her sister. She had always been able to communicate with her sister in this silent manner, and even now, after Elizabeth had spent years with her husband, starting their family, they retained this special bond.

“You seem upset,” Elizabeth stated quietly.

Anna’s chest tightened. “How did you know?”

“Anna, you’re my little sister. I can tell when your smile is fake.”

Anna reached up and touched her cheeks, feeling the heat gathering there. “Oh. I suppose I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

“You can talk to me about anything, you know. We’re sisters,” Elizabeth encouraged, giving her a small smile.

Anna returned the smile. Anyone could tell they were sisters—they shared the same waist-length, chestnut-brown hair and thoughtful hazel eyes. Although Anna was shorter and paler than Elizabeth, they were the spitting image of their mother.

“What’s troubling you?” Elizabeth asked.

Anna wrung her hands.

She’s your sister. You can tell her anything.

Her stomach tied itself into a knot at the thought of throwing her sister’s kindness in her face. So, instead, she kept part of the truth to herself.

“I’m just seeing all these happy couples, and I’m wondering how they do it,” Anna admitted. “I try so hard to be all the things Mama taught us a good woman should be, but I can’t get a single man to even look at me. If only I could find the type of connection that you and Elias share, I feel like it would—complete me. I want the chance to have a family to care for, too.”

“Oh, Anna,” Elizabeth said, taking her hands and squeezing them. “You are a beautiful, kind, and graceful woman. I’m sure the man you are meant to be with will notice you when it’s time.” She bit her lip, hesitating. “Do you mind if I give you some advice?”

“Please,” Anna said with a slight laugh.

It used to be that Elizabeth wouldn’t ask before filling her ears with her occasionally overly-blunt sisterly advice. Elizabeth had changed in a lot of ways since becoming a wife and mother. She was more careful with her words and more thoughtful. Still, Anna braced herself for whatever might come next.

“In order to get a man to notice you, you have to carry yourself with such dignity and confidence that you’re the brightest person in the room. A shy, timid woman seems unsure of herself. Men look for a woman to be their foundation, someone they can lean on when work catches up with them.” Elizabeth’s face was bright with earnestness as she spoke, and Anna fought to keep from flushing at her sister’s intimation. She knew that both what Elizabeth was saying and what she was hinting at were true.

Anna tapped her lips, thinking back to the few times she’d had opportunities to be courted. Her mind wandered to every instance she’d attempted to hold a man’s attention, but as she thought back, she kept seeing herself hiding in corners of rooms or stopping herself before she even had the chance to speak.

“I’ll keep that in mind in the future,” she replied, attempting to hide her discomfiture with a smile. “Thank you, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled, and Anna felt her heart melt a little. She knew Elizabeth had not intended to embarrass her or to highlight the differences between them. Her sister had always been that confident, beautiful woman who brightened every room. She was perfect in every way—but it never bothered Anna. She felt lucky to have her sister to look up to.

Elizabeth leaned forward to hug her. “Anytime, Anna.”

Just as they drew apart, the girls came running over, Elias on their heels. Liza and Marianne, who were four and six, respectively, were breathless and rosy from playing. They threw themselves happily against their mother’s knees, clamoring for something to eat from one of the nearby food carts.

“We’ll have dinner as soon as we get home,” Elizabeth told them. Then, she glanced at Elias for confirmation before adding, “But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to get a little snack now.”

“Here, let me get something for us,” Anna offered, jumping to her feet.

She needed a few minutes to herself, to pull her thoughts together. She felt flustered over both the ones she had shared with Elizabeth and the ones she had purposefully kept back. Besides, spending a bit of her own money on a family snack was the least she could do after everything Elizabeth and Elias had done for her.

Waving off her sister’s and Elias’s protests, she made her way down the path a little further, finding a seafood vendor within a few minutes’ walk. She gave the man some coins in exchange for a generous scoop of fried oysters, which he wrapped in a thick cone of newspaper to absorb the excess oil.

“Here you go!” Anna said, returning to her family and offering the oysters to the girls.

“Hooray! Oysters!” the girls cheered. “Thank you, Aunt Anna!”

Anna divvied up the treat and then beamed as the little ones grabbed the oysters and dug in like they hadn’t eaten in weeks. Although both girls took after Elias in looks, with dark hair and blue eyes, they were little spitfires, just like Elizabeth had been as a child.

They will grow into wonderfully strong women someday, Anna mused.

Her heart swelled with pride as she watched these two girls. One of the things she enjoyed most about staying with Elizabeth was getting to spend so much time with her little nieces and help take care of them. After caring for her mother for so long, Anna felt that she would be completely lost without someone to help and cherish. Caring for people seemed to be what she did best, and it was a bit part of why she longed for a family of her own. At twenty-two years old, she felt more than ready to have children of her own to love and care for.

Anna flushed as she caught her mind wandering back to the same thoughts once again, and she quickly turned her attention to her own oysters. As she did, the headline of an advertisement in the newspaper wrapped around her portion caught her eye.

Oregon Rancher Seeking Wife.

Anna froze, feeling as though time slowed to a standstill as her eyes dropped to the rest of the oil-stained ad. It was indeed a request for a bride for a widower of two out in Oregon. The man was only twenty-five and looking for someone similar in age to care for his six-year-old twin daughters.

Anna’s heart thumped in her chest. She turned her attention back to her nieces for a split second, watching them whisper to each other and giggle before focusing on the advertisement once again. Had God been listening to her pleas, after all, or was this a crazy coincidence? The fact that the advertisement stated that the man had twin six-year-old girls—just as Anna was longing for children to call her own—made her heart skip a beat. She had never before considered being a mail-order bride, but was it possible that this was how she would finally get the family she has always prayed for?

The prospect had come out of nowhere, but deep inside, Anna felt a strong sense that the answer to her prayers was in her hands. All she had to do was decide to take the risk.

Chapter One

Joseph, Oregon

May 1890

 

George felt as hot as flame from being in the sun for most of the day. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck as he worked at the knot of dirt stuck in his horse’s hooves. He used his pocket knife to dig at the stuff, but it seemed to be caked in there.

“When’s the last time I did this?” he grumbled to himself.

His horse stood still as usual for the ten minutes it took to get her hind hooves cleaned out. By that time, George’s lower back was aching, and he decided to give it a quick break. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he straightened, closing his knife and placing it back in his pocket. He patted his horse on the neck and stroked his fingers through her mane.

“Good girl, Bailey,” he mumbled. He reached behind him, grabbed a handful of hay, and held it out in his palm. “Eat up. You’re behaved better than the girls.”

As if his voice had summoned them, he heard the devious laughter of his twin daughters as they sprinted around the barn. He froze where he stood, hoping they wouldn’t enter. Even though he’d told them multiple times it was off-limits, they disregarded his wishes at least weekly, if not daily. He held his breath as he watched them run by the open barn doors, then let out a heavy exhale as their footsteps faded away toward the house.

Thank goodness. I don’t have the patience right now, George thought to himself.

He immediately felt a stab of guilt at the thought. He loved his daughters dearly, but being an involved and understanding father hadn’t come easily since his wife’s passing two years ago. In fact, he hadn’t really tried. It would have demanded more energy and emotion than he’d felt in a long time.

He let out a heavy sigh as he turned his attention back to the horse.

After finishing her front hooves, George led her back into the pasture that currently held all of the fifteen horses he had under his care. He watched as Bailey pranced out into the field to rejoin her friends. A ghost of a smile touched his lips, even if it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Among the many other farm ventures that he’d inherited from his father, breeding and raising racing and ranch work horses was his proudest achievement thus far. He had made a name for himself producing the finest and most even-tempered mares and stallions on the market.

George gazed beyond the field to the left, where his small cattle and sheep herds grazed peacefully in the tall grass. He’d built a small barn for milking, shearing, and storage, but the vast majority of his property had become grazing meadows. His animals were his pride and joy, and—perhaps because they demanded so much less of him emotionally than his children and his home—he had poured almost all his time and energy into them over the past two years.

Once again, George shrugged away the guilt that mingled with his pride at his accomplishments. He cupped a hand over his eyes, gazing beyond his fields to where sunlight glinted off the waters of Wallow Lake. Amid the arid western land, this lake created an oasis between the mountains, and it was the reason Joseph, Oregon had popped up on the map.

Both beautiful and fertile, Joseph was becoming a hotspot for farmers, merchants, and, most recently, rich folks looking to build a center for trading goods and setting up railways. George wasn’t fond of the latter, but their numbers were small, and they hadn’t caused any trouble so far—with the exception of one, perhaps.

George took a deep breath and whistled, calling for his last horse yet to have her hooves cleaned, a beautiful jet-black mare named Midnight. She came running, tossing her head as she pranced up to the barn.

George chuckled. “I swear, you girls will do anything for treats.”

“George! George, you’re never going to believe this!”

Next chapter ...

You just read the first chapters of "A Forever Family by Oregon's Wallowa Lake"!

Are you ready, for an emotional roller-coaster, filled with drama and excitement?

If yes, just click this button to find how the story ends!

Share this book with those who'll enjoy it:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
>