Redemption

Maggie’s Beau

One Christmas Wish

“Wish Upon a Star”

* (#litres_trial_promo)Tanner Stakes His Claim

* (#litres_trial_promo)The Bachelor Tax

The Midwife

The Tender Stranger

The Wedding Promise

Runaway

The Forever Man

Loving Katherine

Gerrity’s Bride

This story is dedicated to all those

wonderful readers who took time to write me

after they’d read The Wedding Promise.

And to those who asked why I hadn’t given

Jake, a strong secondary character,

a book of his own. I agreed with them, and

found myself thinking often of Jake and

wondering what had happened to him. This

is it, ladies. Jake’s story, which in my humble

opinion is the best story I’ve ever written.

My dedication would not be complete

without mentioning my manager,

the wonderful Mr. Ed, who is my other half,

my inspiration and my love.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE (#u4b4ecdf5-6b21-5209-83ee-4e7a58bc4d5f)

CHAPTER ONE (#u3e69901d-0c03-5470-90ae-b5da88266c17)

CHAPTER TWO (#u660d79f0-5657-5b6c-bd06-f76faa6ad085)

CHAPTER THREE (#u39b91439-b756-5e28-92e0-f79448bd0e10)

CHAPTER FOUR (#ub2838543-ad97-5879-96d3-d0814047cff0)

CHAPTER FIVE (#u1176b3da-6a45-5898-98f1-d775323e2ec3)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

PROLOGUE

Green Rapids, Kansas—Summer 1877

THE GRAVE GAPED, an obscene rectangle wherein lay a simple coffin. Lorena McPherson, wife of Jacob, mother of Jason, lay beneath the scattering of flowers the mourning family and townsfolk had dropped into the grave.

Whether to relieve the stark presence of death, or to send a final assurance of love to Lorena, the effect was the same. But since the flowers would soon be covered by six feet of dirt, they failed to offer any comfort to the man who watched.