Prologue

Phoenix, Arizona

1878

Maude Thompson stood in front of the full-length mirror, taking in her appearance. Her ashy blonde hair was done up into an intricate bun, and small diamond earrings adorned her ears. She had on a light blue dress, almost the exact same color as her eyes, and white boots. She looked pretty, and if somebody saw her, they might even think she was happy. But that was the farthest thing from the truth.

Maude hadn’t been happy in a really long time. The day her parents died, her life turned upside down. Nothing since had seemed quite right. The only good thing in her life was her relationship with her sister and the new life growing inside of her. She’d always wanted to be a mother, the only difference was that she usually pictured herself with a loving husband, not a selfish man who scared her.

When she was younger, she dreamed of meeting her prince charming; A handsome man riding into town and sweeping her off her feet. He would marry her, and they would move to Santa Fe or some other faraway city where she would never have to see her abusive grandfather again. Instead, she got an arranged marriage with a selfish man who didn’t care about her at all.

Cradling her belly, Maude turned to the side, wondering when she would start to show. Her belly was still flat, but with her small frame, she was sure it was only a matter of time before it became visible that she was with child. She was so excited to become a mother, but at the same time, she was nervous.

She wondered if it would be a little boy or a girl. She knew that Thomas would prefer to have a son, but it didn’t matter to her. She just wanted her baby to have a good life, and she was scared that with Thomas as the father, that wouldn’t be possible.

With a sigh, she straightened her dress and took another look in the mirror. She was around twelve weeks, and soon everybody would be able to see that she was expecting. She hadn’t even told Thomas that she was pregnant, but she knew she had to. He was the father of her baby, and she knew he would be upset if anybody found out before him.

Maude was terrified of how he might react to the news. Thomas wasn’t the loving and compassionate husband she had always dreamed about, in fact, he was just plain awful. Recently, his moods had become even worse. Maude could tell when he had a bad day gambling, and usually it never lasted long. One day he’d lose, the next day he would win, and his mood would lift. Lately, though, he’d been losing all the time, and his mood was just getting worse. The other night, he hit a hole in the wall with his bare fist, and the following day, he threw a cup across the kitchen, just barely missing her.

The sound of the front door opening pulled Maude out of her thoughts, and she quickly started making her way out of the bedroom. Thomas liked to be greeted when he arrived home and she didn’t want to keep him waiting. She needed to tell him about the baby, waiting any longer would only make things worse.

Being careful not to fall, Maude made her way down the stairs of the townhouse. It was one of a few newer buildings that had been built in Phoenix over the last couple of years. Thomas always reminded her to appreciate the fact that he provided her with such a nice house to live in. She did always try to show her appreciation, but it never seemed like enough. She made dinner and did all the chores around the house so that Thomas didn’t ever have to do anything. She went out of her way to sew him new shirts and took care of the chickens and garden.

Maude even left her job at the bakery for him because Thomas didn’t want his wife to work. He wanted her to stay at home and only concern herself with his needs. Maude didn’t mind not working, but she didn’t like the fact that she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Thomas acted as if he owned her; like she was his possession, not his wife, someone he was supposed to love.

Maude’s boots tapped on the hardwood floor, echoing off the walls as she wet her lips with her tongue. Her mouth felt strangely dry, and her heart was racing, even though she wasn’t unfit. The wooden handrails gleamed as she slid her hand along them. She had cleaned the entire first floor and the stairs earlier that day, knowing that Thomas liked a clean house.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped off the stairs and made her way to the entrance, where she was sure she would find her husband, taking off his coat and hanging his hat. What she didn’t expect, was to come face to face with a beautiful young woman, her dark auburn hair cascading down her back in tightly curled ringlets.

Maude stopped in her tracks, frozen on the spot as she tried to figure out what was happening. The woman was in the process of hanging her coat on the coat hanger but stopped midway, turning toward Maude, her big brown eyes wide, as they focused on her.

“Can I help you?” Maude asked, tilting her head to the side. She had no idea who the woman was, but she didn’t want to be rude.

“I’m not sure,” the woman frowned, “Who are you?” The question didn’t make any sense considering that the woman was in her house, with two valises sitting next to the door. Maybe she had the wrong house, Maude thought as she took a step closer. Maybe she was new to town and got the address wrong.

“I’m Maude, and this is my house,” she replied, watching as confusion washed over the stranger’s face. “Now it’s your turn, who are you and why are you here?”

“That’s not possible,” the woman frowned, shaking her head. “This is my husband’s house.”

Nothing that was happening made any sense, but Maude wanted to help the woman. Maybe she was lost, or had some form of dementia…

“Wait, let’s start over,” Maude said, holding up her hands. “Please tell me who you are.” She didn’t want to upset the woman or get into an argument, especially since the woman looked just as confused as her.

“Sorry, I must have come across as rude,” the woman smiled, I just didn’t expect to find a pretty young woman in my house. “My name is Erica Thompson. I’m Thomas Thompson’s wife, and this is his house.”

Maude wanted to say something, but all she could do was stare at Erica in shock. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened as she tried to make sense of what she had just heard. Thomas was her husband, why on earth would this woman claim that she was married to him?

“Are you alright?” Erica asked, taking a step closer to her.

“I’m… I am not sure. Thomas Thompson is my husband,” Maude finally said, her voice sounding strange, even to her own ears. Being married to Thomas wasn’t something she was proud of, but he was her husband, and she couldn’t deny it.

With a little gasp, Erica’s hands fell to her side as her eyes grew big. “Thomas Thompson is your husband?” she asked, her voice louder than before.

“He is,” Maude confirmed, nodding her head as her heart rate accelerated. Her palms suddenly felt sweaty, and her stomach flipped, causing her to instinctively cradle her belly protectively.

“He can’t be married to both of us, can he?” Erica asked, her voice catching in her throat as she spoke the words.

Maude shook her head, not sure what to do or say. “I don’t know. You better come on in and we can try to figure this out, though.” Maude had no idea how they were going to figure it out, or what was actually going on, but she needed answers and clearly Erica did too.

Slowly, Maude made her way to the kitchen, with Erica following closely behind. They didn’t speak, instead, Maude filled the copper kettle with shaky hands and put it to boil on the coal stove.

“I don’t understand any of this,” Erica finally said, her voice scratchy as she sat down at the mahogany kitchen table. A bunch of wild daisies sat in a glass vase in the center. Maude loved daisies, but they did nothing to lift her spirits. “When did you marry Thomas?” Erica asked, looking pale.

“Five months ago,” Maude replied, sitting down next to Erica. Her mind raced as she recalled their small ceremony and how afterward, Thomas insisted on playing poker with his friends. It was far from the wedding Maude had always envisioned as a child.

“How about you, when did you get married?” She felt her foot tapping uncontrollably as she waited for Erica’s reply.

“Last year, next month is our one-year anniversary,” Erica replied, her eyes glistening as she swallowed back her tears. It was clear that she was upset.

“How is this even possible? I mean, how could he marry me if he was already married to you?” Maude didn’t trust Thomas, but the whole idea of him being married to another woman was almost too much to take.

“The more important question is why he would do something like this,” Erica stated, biting her bottom lip as her eyes scanned the kitchen. “Are you two in love?”

“No,” Maude replied honestly. She didn’t love Thomas, in fact, she didn’t even like him, and she was pretty sure he felt the same. He’d told her on more than one occasion that if she wasn’t the prettiest woman in town, he never would have married her. “It was an arranged marriage. How about you two?” It felt strange to be telling Erica such personal details, but at the same time it felt good to admit it out loud.

“Same,” Erica confirmed. “But that didn’t stop me from loving him. I thought he loved me too. I mean, he said he did, so why would he do this to me?” Tears were welling up in the woman’s eyes and she wiped at them furiously.

The sound of loud footsteps interrupted their conversation and both women looked up as Thomas stepped through the kitchen door. His face went pale as his eyes grew big, flicking between the two women. He looked surprised, but his shock quickly turned to anger.

“What are you doing here?” he yelled, looking directly at Erica. “You’re supposed to be taking care of your parents.” As soon as he spoke those words Maude knew that everything Erica had said was true. She always knew that Thomas was a horrible person but never expected anything like that. What kind of man would do such a repulsive thing?

“They… passed away,” Erica stuttered, almost choking as more tears escaped her eyes. Maude couldn’t believe what was happening. Her husband was married to another woman. A sweet woman who seemed genuinely distraught by the situation. Maude’s hand automatically moved to her belly as she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

“So what? You just show up without even letting me know you’re coming back?” Thomas asked as the kettle started to whistle. The loud sound startled Maude as she watched Thomas yelling, his arms flailing at his sides.

“Would you stop that noise?” he yelled, looking toward Maude. She couldn’t believe that he was actually yelling at her, considering the circumstances, but she quickly got up and removed the kettle from the heat. Thomas was clearly furious, and she didn’t want to risk disobeying him. She didn’t know if he would actually hurt her, but she wouldn’t put it past him.

“Yes, I came home,” Erica spoke up. “I thought my husband would be happy to see me, but instead I learned that you had a new wife!” she yelled as she stood up, the chair’s legs screeching against the floor. Maude watched in disbelief, wondering how her life had turned out this way. She wasn’t sad, she was devastated. She was carrying Thomas’s baby, and it was clear that their marriage was over.

“Please tell us what’s going on,” Maude said, her voice loud, but shaky as she interrupted their yelling. Both Thomas and Erica looked toward Maude, and she swallowed hard. She didn’t like confrontations, she preferred to just keep everybody happy, but she needed answers.

“I was lonely,” Roy replied, shrugging his shoulders “Erica left to take care of her parents and hadn’t been home in months. Your grandfather heard me complain one night at the saloon and offered me your hand in marriage in exchange for all my winnings.”

Maude gasped as she took a step back, folding her arms around her body. “You bought me,” she whispered, her voice cracking as tears stung in her eyes. Marrying a man she didn’t love was one thing, but being sold was horrendous.

“I sure did,” Thomas confirmed. “And you were worth every penny.” Maude couldn’t speak. Her life was falling apart around her and all she could do was watch.

Erica looked disgusted by what she had just heard, but she clearly wanted more answers. Maude on the other hand just wanted to get away. Thomas was blocking her way though, so she stayed where she was. She didn’t want to go anywhere near him. She was scared of what he might do if she tried to push past him, she couldn’t risk him hurting her baby.

“How is it even possible to marry somebody when you’re already married?” Erica asked. Maude didn’t care about the answer, she had heard enough but felt a chill run down her spine when Thomas admitted that he had pretended that Erica had died and then proceeded to bribe the priest into marrying him and Maude.

“So, we’re not really married?” Maude asked, tilting her head to the side. Thomas didn’t look impressed but answered anyway. “No, the papers are fake. I’m married to Erica.”

Feeling nauseous, Maude looked down at her boots. Her marriage wasn’t real, and she was pregnant with a horrible man’s baby. She couldn’t tell him; she wouldn’t let him anywhere near her child. The problem was that she had nowhere to go except back to her grandfather’s house, and that was the last place she ever wanted to go.

Chapter One

Phoenix, Arizona

1878

Maude placed her valises and bag down on the ground next to her and surveyed her surroundings. Her grandfather was at work when she left, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to pop up out of nowhere at any second and drag her back to his house. He would never have allowed her to leave his house if he knew she wasn’t planning on coming back. He had always been controlling and even though she was an adult, he still expected her to do exactly as she was told.

“Please Maude, don’t do this,” Emma, begged, tugging at her heartstrings. Maude really didn’t want to leave her sister behind, especially not with her evil grandfather, but she couldn’t stay. She had to get away before her grandfather sold her to the next man willing to buy a bride. She also couldn’t risk him finding out that she was pregnant.

She had no idea what he would do, but he wouldn’t keep it quiet and soon enough, Thomas would know. Staying just wasn’t an option. She had to get away and go to a place where nobody knew her. What if he took the baby away from her and sold him or her to somebody? She couldn’t allow that. She would do whatever it took to keep her baby safe and with her.

“I’m sorry Em,” Maude said for the millionth time, taking her younger sister’s hand in hers. “You know why I have to go.” Leaving Emma behind was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do. They were really close and shared a special bond. Maude was always there to protect Emma after their parent’s passing. Maude was only twelve, and Emma eight, when their parents were trampled to death in a horrible accident. Ten years had passed since then, but they had only grown closer in that time.

Emma looked so much like Maude, but thinner and shorter. They were alike in so many ways and Maude was scared of what would happen to Emma once she was gone. She knew her grandfather wouldn’t hesitate to sell her if he got the chance, and the thought caused anger to boil up in her. Maude loved her sister and wanted her to have the best possible life. One where she made her own choices, not one where she was forced to marry somebody she didn’t love.

“If you leave me, I won’t have anyone. I’ll be all alone,” Emma begged as tears welled up in her big blue eyes. She might be eighteen, but she looked so scared and vulnerable that Maude almost gave in. She didn’t though.

“I can’t stay, I have to think of my baby. I need to give him or her a chance at a good life and that isn’t possible here Em,” Maude explained, cradling her belly in her hand. If she wasn’t with child, Maude would have stayed, if only to protect her sister, but she had to think of her baby.

***

It’d been a week since she walked out on Thomas and returned to her grandfather’s house. Thomas tried to stop her, but she just ignored him, leaving him and Erica to sort out their mess. She had had enough and needed to get away, the only problem was that she had nowhere to go except for another house that haunted her nightmares.

Walking down the street, with tears streaming down her face she had felt so hopeless. If her grandfather decided to sell her to another man, she would be trapped in a loveless marriage again. No man who was willing to buy a bride could be a good person, and who knew what her grandfather would do when he found out she was with child.

Maude never felt any affection from her grandfather growing up. He didn’t care about her or Emma, he simply saw them as bargaining chips and used them for his own gain. Walking into his house, with her belongings, felt like she had failed herself and her unborn baby. The only good thing about the whole situation was that Emma was there to comfort her. It was then that Maude told Emma about the baby and made her promise that she wouldn’t tell anyone.

Maude couldn’t risk her grandfather or Thomas finding out about the baby. Her life was already complicated enough, and she had to figure out what she was going to do before she started showing. There was no way she could stay with her grandfather, but she’d never even been out of Phoenix and didn’t know if there was anybody in town who would be willing to help her.

Later that evening, when her grandfather got home, Maude found herself face to face with the man who sold her. He didn’t even try to deny it or the fact that he knew Thomas was already married. He simply told her not to overreact and that he would find her a new husband. That’s when she knew she had to get away, even if it meant starting a new life all by herself in a place she didn’t know. Maude didn’t tell anybody except for Emma that she was leaving. She didn’t want her grandfather or Thomas to try and stop her.

“But where will you go?” Emma asked Maude once their grandfather was asleep and they were safely in their shared bedroom. The room was lit up by a lantern that stood on the bedside table next to Emma’s bed. The old pink and white wallpaper, that their grandfather had decorated the room with when they moved in, was peeling away and revealing the wood underneath. Decorating their bedroom was the only nice thing he had ever done for them.

Maude could still remember the first night she and Emma slept in their grandfather’s house. They had both been heartbroken, yet he showed them no sympathy. Maude had always known he was a cold man, but he didn’t shed a single tear at their mother and father’s funeral. Emma on the other hand couldn’t stop crying and since their grandfather didn’t care, Maude stepped up to take care of her.

In the years that passed, Maude tried to connect with her grandfather, but he just didn’t seem interested in her or Emma. He would leave them alone for hours on end and then get angry when they tried to talk to him. Maude found it difficult to understand how somebody could be so cold but eventually accepted that he would never care about them.

“Santa Fe,” Maude replied without hesitation. “Mama loved it so much there. She used to always tell us stories about how magical it was to grow up in New Mexico. I think it is time that I go see it for myself.” Maude had always wanted to go to Santa Fe to see the place where there mother grew up, and although it wasn’t under the best circumstances, she was happy that she was finally going to go.