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“Are we almost there?” Kate asked for what must have been the fourth time.
“I think it should be coming up here soon,” Jack reassured.
“I should have brought a coat,” Jack said trying to hide his face from the wind. He hadn’t expected this place to be so cold. After all, they were in Texas, but things were the way they were, and they could get used to a little wind. They had heard that the weather in this area was usually hot, but winter wasn’t quite over yet.
They had left their belongings in the hotel where they had been staying for the past several weeks, not that they really had many belongings. The nomadic lifestyle they had been living had limited what they could carry with them to only a few things each.
There were many reasons they had decided on Texas. Out of several different places, they had heard good things about the cattle farming, and they hoped to start a successful ranch.
They were on their way to look at a little piece of land that actually sounded promising. It had a couple of wells already dug, and it had orange plantations on at least half the property. Besides these things, the price was incredibly low. It was owned by an older man, and he was anxious to move on.
The man had said that the place was close to town, but it had been a good forty minutes on horseback. Not that Kate had minded. She had come to love riding the horse. Jack had taught her all she needed to know, and over time she had become an expert horsewoman.
It wasn’t a bad thing that the house was out of town. Jack wouldn’t have been comfortable with a place super close to town anyway. One never knew when they would have to flee for whatever reason, and living somewhere in the country would make that so much easier if that should happen. Hopefully though as time passed, the posters would come down, and he and his gang would be forgotten in time.
As they approached the property, Jack could see that the house was in good condition just as described. He couldn’t wait to get a look inside. He glanced over at Kate and could see that she was leaning forward with anticipation as well. It had been a long time for them, searching for different places and being disappointed. He hoped that they had finally found something here.
It wasn’t as if they had a lot of options. Both of them would have loved to settle in Hope’s Hollow, but if they had, Jack would be sitting in a jail cell right now.
The adjustment had been a hard one. Jack hadn’t missed the toll it had taken on Kate to constantly be on the run. What he really wanted was to give her a life, a quiet family life that she could feel safe in and proud of.
He hated that it had taken this long already. They had been married nearly a year now, and they had still not settled down to the life they wanted, but Jack had a feeling today would be the day they found the ranch that they wanted.
As they rode up to the house, Jack spotted a small lake off to one side of the house. There were several tall trees off to the back side of the lake making a picturesque scene. Immediately ideas began to fill his head of what he could do with it, how he could build a little dock for Kate and him to sit on together. Maybe they would even put some fish in the lake. The possibilities were exciting.
“Lovely weather today. Don’t you think so?” An older man greeted them as they pulled their horses to a stop. He wore a huge smile on his face and seemed like a jolly fellow.
“Well, I did expect it to be a little warmer,” Jack said with a frown. He pulled his shirt up around his neck and shivered as the wind whisked around them.
“Oh, just you wait. It will get so warm you will regret the day you wished away the cold,” the man said, shaking his head.
“Not to say it’s miserable, because it’s not. It’s wonderful, quite wonderful,” he babbled on. The man had already begun to walk toward the house, and Jack hurried to help Kate down from the horse so they could follow.
“Why are you selling it?” Jack asked, curiosity as well as due diligence pushing his line of questioning.
“It’s just too hard to keep up on my own, you know?” The old man’s eyes filled with sadness for a moment. “The missus passed away a couple of months ago, and I just can’t keep going on alone. “I’m getting on in years now,” he added, shaking his head.
The town is pretty small, but lots of good folks live there. It’s the perfect place for a little family like your own.” The old man’s cheer returned as he pushed open the door to the house and led them inside.
It was a modest house. It had three bedrooms, a parlor, and a kitchen. The walls were painted a cream color, and the wood floor was clean and smooth. There was even some furniture in the rooms. It looked as if it had been well cared for. The sun came in through the kitchen windows making it feel bright and warm.
The kitchen had shelves and a black woodstove as well as a large wooden table that looked as if it had been crafted by a professional carpenter. Jack noticed how Kate looked back longingly at the kitchen as they went out the back door to see the outside of the property behind the house.
“The orange plantation is this way. There’s a nice little harvest if it’s taken care of right. And the lake doesn’t have fish in it, but it could,” their guide said. The old man gave Jack a knowing look as if he knew what Jack had been thinking about.
“There are plenty of acres behind there for cattle if you choose to raise them. Most of it is already fenced too. I know for a fact, it’s a good business to be in. So, if you would like to take advice from an old timer, then you should certainly consider it,” the old man said with a wink. “There’s good money in it, and the cattle aren’t too difficult to care for. There’s plenty of grass for a bunch of them,” he continued.
The rest of the tour went quickly, and soon they were standing back at their horses.
“Well, let me talk with my wife, and we’ll let you know by tomorrow,” Jack said, shaking the old man’s hand. He was pretty certain he knew what Kate was going to say. If he knew her at all, he knew that she had loved the place as much as he had.
*****
Kate looked out the window of the small ranch house. She and Jack had been proud owners of the property for nearly two weeks now. The two dogs were chasing each other merrily across the front yard, both of them apparently happy to have a friend to play with.
She had fallen in love with the place the moment she laid eyes on it and had been relieved when she had found out that Jack felt the same.
They had bought it and moved in immediately. It wasn’t as if they had much to move into the house, just their simple clothing and a few little belongings they had carried with them on their horses.
They had also gone to town and bought a few dishes and other essentials that they were missing.
Kate giggled a little as she watched Jack struggling with a nearby tree. It was a tiny tree, and he was trying to transplant it, but it apparently had more roots than he had thought and was giving quite a fight to stay in its place.
Jack had needed to learn about ranching and about caring for the orange trees on the property. She was so thankful that he had jumped right into the work and seemed to enjoy it so much. He really was a good man.
Kate placed her hand on her stomach. She had a suspicion that she was pregnant. She hadn’t told Jack yet. She wanted to think of just the right way. They had wanted to start a family. They had talked about it since starting their journey together but had wanted to settle down first.
As she looked down at her stomach and her hands, she thought about how perfect it was that a baby might have chosen now to come into their lives. They had a home, and hopefully, a town.
Texas was far enough away from their home town that they were fairly confident they wouldn’t have to worry about anyone recognizing Jack.
Kate hoped that maybe he’d even be able to make a friend or two in town one day. She knew that he missed the companionship of the gang.
Ever since they had said goodbye, she had noticed that he didn’t talk much about them, and she knew that it was because in a way, he had also left his family for her.
Thinking of her family made something sad ball up in her throat. She missed them in a way, especially Laura. She wondered if Laura and Mark were getting married yet.
She hadn’t gotten a letter from her in nearly six months. They had been traveling so much, and she had told Laura to wait to send her anything until they had settled down.
She reminded herself to send a letter to her as soon as they went back to town again.
Her parents flashed into mind. They must be devastated, but Kate could only hope that they had come to accept her choice. Maybe one day they would move closer, and they could start a new relationship with them.
She wasn’t sure if they were willing or if they would ever be able to accept Jack, but if they could, she was certainly willing to try to repair the relationship they had once had.
After all, they were family, and there was no one else like family.
“Are you okay?” Jack’s voice startled Kate back to reality.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Kate said, turning from the sink.
“You just had a faraway look on your face,” Jack said as he came over and wrapped his arms around her.
Kate glanced down at his muddy hands around her waist and chuckled.
“I was just thinking about how much has changed in the last year. I’m not sure what I imagined exactly when I made the decision to run away with you, but this is so much better,” Kate said, leaning into Jack’s strong body.
“I know what you mean,” Jack said softly.
“Jack, there’s something I have to tell you,” Kate said, pulling back from him so she could see his face. She didn’t know what prompted her, but suddenly it just felt like the right time.
“What is it?” Worry filled Jack’s eyes as he took her hands in his and waited for her to continue.
“I think we’re going to have a baby,” Kate said, excitement tugging at her heart as she finally heard the words out loud.
“Really?” Jack asked, wonder all over his face.
“Are you sure?” He reached out and placed his hand where Kate’s had been only minutes before.
“Really, well, I’m not positive, but I am pretty sure,” Kate backtracked. She hoped that she was right because she didn’t want to disappoint Jack if she wasn’t, but she couldn’t hold onto her secret in any longer.
“I don’t know what to say. I mean, we’ve wanted to start a family for so long, and now that it’s finally happening, are we ready?”
Kate chuckled a little. She had thought that herself when she’d first suspected the pregnancy. The truth was, they had been on the run and traveling for so long, there were times she wondered if she knew how to be settled down and live a normal life.
She often wondered if she would be a good mother. Her relationship with her own mother had taught her many things about what she didn’t want to do as a mother but hadn’t taught her many things that she did want to do.
“I honestly don’t know if we’re ready,” Kate said, placing her hand besides Jack’s on her stomach. “What if I’m not a good mother?” Kate asked, a note of worry in her voice.
She had never discussed her fears with Jack. She had figured that she would once they had a child, and that was looking like it was finally happening.
“I am sure you will be a wonderful mother,” Jack said. He took his hand and lifted Kate’s chin until their gaze was even. “You are the kindest, most loving, most intelligent person I know, and I am the luckiest man alive to have you as my wife,” he said, his voice low and husky.
Kate giggled nervously.
“Thank you,” she said modestly.
She wasn’t sure what to say when he complimented her like that. Of course, she tried to believe him, but it was hard to think that anyone thought of her that way.
“How do you think everyone is doing?” Kate asked, changing the subject.
“Who?”
“My family, the gang, everyone we left behind,” Kate said quietly. She knew that it wasn’t something either of them liked to think about, but there were some days she couldn’t help wondering what Jack thought about it.
“I think that wherever they all are, they might remember us fondly. At least some of them anyway, and I like to think we might see them again,” Jack said against Kate’s hair.
“That’s a nice way to put it,” Kate said turning around and wrapping her arms around Jack’s neck.
“All I really know is I have everything I need, right here,” Jack said.
Kate squeezed him a little tighter; she couldn’t agree more.
*****
Jack watched Kate’s sleeping chest rise up and down. He hadn’t hardly been able to sleep for the last couple of nights.
Kate had started with labor pains a few times and given him the fright of his lifetime, sending him to search for the doctor, only to have it be a false alarm.
His eyes traveled over to the little crib he had labored over for the last seven and a half months. It wasn’t his best piece of work, but he was proud of it.
He had made it for his son or daughter, and hopefully, they would love it as much as he had come to.
He had carved little horses and dogs along the edges, trying to create a legacy of their past. Kate had marveled over the detailed little pictures, and he could tell she was really pleased.
He had a hard time believing their past sometimes. It was difficult to believe that because he had kidnapped Kate, he now had a wife and soon would have a child. Finally, his long-forgotten dreams were coming true. He had a family who loved him.
It was different than his gang family. Of course, he missed them, and missed the times they had shared, but his family with Kate was different. He wondered what it would be like to be a father, to have a little baby depending on him for everything.
He had discussed having a family once a long time ago, when he and his brother had made plans to find wives and live in the same town when they were young, but now that it was actually happening, in a way it scared him.
He hoped that it would be everything good that people said it was. He had also heard some pretty scary stories about how hard children were and how much they changed people’s lives. He could only hope that children would change his and Kate’s lives for the better.
“You’re awake?” Kate’s sleepy voice caused him to jump.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said apologetically. It seemed that the slightest noise or movement woke Kate these days. Before she had gotten pregnant, she had slept through anything.
He hated being the reason to wake Kate. He knew that she needed all the rest she could get. It was a huge job for her body to grow another tiny human being.
“You didn’t,” Kate said, placing her hand on her huge belly. “This little guy or girl did.”
Jack could see Kate’s tired smile in the moonlight, and it made his heart skip a beat.
“The time is almost here. I can’t believe it; after an entire nine months, it feels like it’ll never be over and yet as if I’m still not ready,” Kate said softly.
Jack nodded, “I know what you mean. It feels like just yesterday we moved in here,”
“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” Kate asked with a mischievous smile. Jack knew that Kate was secretly hoping for a girl, but he was secretly hoping for a boy. He knew that whatever it was, they would be happy, but it was still fun to guess, and of course, it was normal for each of them to have a preference.
“Whoever he or she turns out to be, I’m sure it will be perfect,” Jack said with a little smile.
Jack thought of all the progress they had made while they had prepared for their child. The oranges were just getting ready to be harvested, and he had gotten a job at the lumber mill in town. They had also filled some of the pastures with cows and had quite the success selling them at market.
He never had been able to thank the old man who had sold them the place for his advice of starting a cattle business, but if he ever saw him again, he certainly would.
Jack had made a friend in town who often came and had dinner with them. Kate had become fond of the man’s wife, and the four of them got on quite splendidly.
Both his friend’s wife and Kate were pregnant, and their babies would only be a few months apart. Jack smiled as he thought of what fun their children would have playing together.
“You know, I never imagined I would be this lucky,” Jack said thoughtfully as he looked up at the rough wood ceiling.
“What do you mean?” Kate said drowsily.
“I mean, having you, a house of my own, and a family, a real family,” Jack said.
“If you could do it all again, would you?” Kate said, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him.
“You mean marry you or kidnap you?” Jack said playfully.
“Both,” Kate said with a little giggle.
“I know that the right thing would be to say no, that I wouldn’t kidnap a beautiful girl and make her fall in love with me and become my wife. But the truth is I would, I would always kidnap you, Kate,” Jack paused.
“You changed my life. I don’t know where I would be without you, and that is something I could and would never change.”
The two of them thought about his words for several moments in silence.
“Would you have done it again?” Jack finally asked. He wasn’t sure what he was talking about since Kate hadn’t exactly had a choice about being kidnapped, but he left it up to her to decide how to answer.
“I would do it all again a hundred times,” Kate said, a playful smile on her face.
“And if you didn’t kidnap me, I would go out and find you and insist that you did,” Kate said laying back down.
Jack chuckled.
He sent up a prayer of thanks to God. He didn’t know exactly how it was that a person like him had ended up with someone like Kate, but he felt like the most blessed man in the entire world.
Soon he felt sleep tugging at his eyelids. He threw his arms around his wife and let his dreams occupy his mind.
He could only imagine when their child would decide to come into this world, and he was determined to get what sleep he could to be prepared.
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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Brave Hearts of the Frontier", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
The story was great as well as the extended epilogue.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear Jerrilyn!
I truly loved this book as i do all of them. I have to admit that i was disppointed not to learn the baby’s gender.
I love your story and the extended copy .it ended just like I like a book to end .I will be buying more of your books
So glad to hear that, my dear Joanne! Thank you so much for your support!
Really enjoyed this book and extended epilogue. Had to keep reading to see how you would put a socialite and an outlaw together in a happy ending. Well done. Loved these characters.
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Bette!
This was the best western historical I have read for sometime. The characters were rich and relatable and the storyline was not predictable like some can be. Top that off with a happily ever after in the extended epilogue and I am one happy reader. I am really hoping there is another book about Laura and Mark
Thank you for your amazing comment, dear Nicola! 😀
Fantastic story. Not very many socialites were like her – not liking dance lessons, not liking the teas, parties, and just not really like ‘society’ – but felt she had to marry whomever her mother said. Until she was kidnapped and learned she had a mind of her own and should be able to do just what she wants to do. The extended epilogue really helped to bring this to the end.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
A book and story well worth reading. Two people from totally different worlds finding each other and falling in love, marring, and starting a family. Reminds me of my mother and father. She a Hollywood socialite, and my dad a son of a grocery store owner. I could not have had a better childhood. This story has a special meaning for me. Thank you, Jack.
So nice to hear that, my dear Jack! I’m glad you enjoyed my book! 🙂
I loved the story . The surprise was that you were actually ab!e to realistically join the socialite and the outlaw together. I felt sad for the parents even though they were opposites . Thanks
Hello my dears, I hope you enjoyed the book and the Extended Epilogue! I will be waiting for your comments here. Thank you 🙂
I enjoyed the book very much and the extended epilogue. True love for Jake and Kate.
I enjoyed the book very much and the extended epilogue. True love for Jake and Kate.
So glad to hear that, my dear Jo Ann! 🙂
The story was exciting. Love wins, the epilogue was great,
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Rose!
Throughly enjoyed reading this book. It is nice to know that Jack and Kate found a ranch, home and family. I hoped they were able to live there the rest of their lives and had three more children. Beautifully written.
So glad to hear that you enjoyed my story, dear Saundra! thank you for your kind words! 🙂
I enjoyed the story so much.
So glad to hear that, my dear Bobbie! 🙂
A wonderful story line and a great happy ever after ending. Would love to see a sequel…the parents meeting Jack and their grandchildren? The gang reunited with wives?
I so enjoyed your book. It was so easy to call in love with Jack and Kate. I hope to read more stories from you. Always keep up the good work.
Thank you dear, Terry! 😀 Stay tuned, I have more stories coming!
Great book and storyline! Was Kate’s hair red or blond? Lol, it was referenced as both! I love the way you give so much detail to the characters and take the storyline on amazing journeys! I love reading your book!
Enjoyed reading Loving a Tender Outlaw. It has some situations in it that make one rethink their rebid views on people.
So glad you enjoyed my book, dear Marmarie! 🙂
Once I started on this book, I couldn’t put it down. Really great reading!
Thank you so much my dear Beth! So glad you have enjoyed my book! 🙂
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next one I have already read Her indecisive heart and also really enjoyed that one
So glad you have liked my books, my dear Mary! Thank you for your kind words!
Loved the story and the extended ending. Please keep writing
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Callie! 🙂
This was an interesting story with a very different story line and characters to the usual western. I liked that the gang members saw the need to change their way of life. Also that Jack and Kate were able to have a new life together although there would always be the shadow of Jack’s past as an outlaw.
I really appreciate your kind words, my dear Maureen! So glad you enjoyed my book!
A great but different western story. Somehow I feel that this happened in real life more than one imagines. Or… Lorelei told it so beautifully that I truly believe it. This story shows us that our past develops us, but the true character of a pained soul changes with true love and trust. A five star book for sure. Lorelei never disappoints.
I truly appreciate your nice words and support, my dear Patricia! Thank you so much! 🙂
Enjoyed this book very much.especially the ending .looking forward to more great books
So glad to hear that, my dear Irene! Your support means a lot to me!
I have enjoyed reading your books, but this is one of the best. I was happy that Jack finally found a town where he and Kate where accepted and able to have a safe and happy life. The epilogue was good also. I am looking forward to your next book. You are a talented author.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support my dear Karen! So glad you have enjoyed my book! 🙂
Well done Lorelei, you have used a period when circumstances of birth or the unexpected were not always an individual’s choice but have proved that honesty and compassion can win the day especially when two people can influence each other for good. It is very true that what is deep in the heart is what counts and not any twisted feelings of injustice or thinks we were not able to choose but how we react and learn that shapes our future.
Thank you, you have given us a lot to think about.
So glad you liked my book, dear Margaret! Thank you for your kind words!
A truly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Story, from page one through the Extended Epilogue. I could not put this story down. To bring two people from two different cultures together the way the author did was amazing. I hope there is a sequel.
Thank you so much for your nice words, my dear Marie! they mean a lot to me! Glad you enjoyed the book!
I enjoyed reading both the book and the extended epilogue. This was a different type of western than I am use to reading . Jack an outlaw gets to become a farmer and settle down with Kate the woman he kidnapped,and came to love.
That should have been Barbara.
So glad to hear that you have enjoyed my book, dear Barbara! Thank you for your kind words! 🙂
What a great story! The epilogue was good, but I need MORE. Please write a sequel. Does Kate ever get together with her sister? her parents? Does Jack ever see his friends from his former gang? Does Mark forgive Jack and let him have his new life with Kate? It would be wonderful if Jack and Mark could develop a friendship, living near each other so their children’s stories could be told. What a great series that would be!
Keep writing!
Jill
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Jill! I will keep your comments in mind. So glad you liked the book! 🙂
I loved this story, a little sad that her parents made her choose. I was hoping that Mark would help Jack somehow, but it was a good story. I would like stories on the other gang members as they change their ways maybe, just a thought, and you could tell us a little more about Jack and Kate. Well done, I could hardly put it down.
So glad to hear that you enjoyed my book, dear Barbara! Thank you for your kind comment, I will keep it in mind for my future stories. 😉
I enjoyed this story very much. I would love a new story of this caliber. It was hard to put down.
So glad you liked the book, my dear Ilene! 🙂
Jack and Kate were able to overcome obstacles that we can only imagine. I so very much enjoyed this storyline!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the story, my dear Judy! 🙂
I really enjoyed this book. Both sisters were so different in their likes and dislikes. They did love each other. Kate found out she love the outdoor life ,walking and cooking. She became a different person after being kidnapped. Jack and his men were kind to her also. It was a book I couldn’t put down.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear Carol! So glad you enjoyed the story! 🙂
Loved the book! Best yet. Need a sequel.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear Linda! So glad you enjoyed my book!
I loved this book. It is by far the best.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear Edith! So glad you enjoyed the book!
Wonderful story. I truly enjoyed reading about these characters.
So glad to hear that Janie! Thank you very much! 🙂
Really enjoyed your book. I had a hard time putting it down.
That’s fantastic my dear Anne! Thank you so much for your comment!
I really enjoyed the book and could hardly put it down. I love the extended dialogue to give the happy ending. Keep up the good writing!
Enjoyed your book on Kate & Jack very much
Lorilei, I really loved the story.I enjoyed the dynamics between Jack, Kate and the Gang. It is a great read and the Extended Epilogue is the icing on the cake.
It makes me so happy to hear that, Eleanor! Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂
Loved the book, but I can’t help wondering that you may write a sequel to address a reunion with Kate’s family. Great read, thanks
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, dear Eunice. I will keep that in mind for my future stories. 😉
A wonderful story I liked it the first time I read it but it is even better the second time.
Intriguing story that keeps you seeing glimpses of the Wild West through the eyes of a totally unlikely to get together couple. Smart young people who chose to change traditional young women’s options for their own lives. More please. Great read.
I loved this story. I kept trying to figure the ending. I love this author and this wonderful western . Keep writing, my friend. This book is a hit.
Thank you for your amazing comment, dear Carol! 😀
I thought this book was well written, with well developed characters and was delighted with the happy ending, though I had a hard time figuring out how that was going to happen.
For a criminal, Jack was very sweet and romantic to Kate. It felt like a bonus seeing Kate’s sister Laura developing a relationship with Mark, the detective. What a great dynamic having one sister fall for the outlaw while the other the law man. Great job!!!
This is a great story! I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the main characters and how their perceptions changed as they spent time together. Everything is not always black and white.
I Absolutely enjoy your books and love the epilogue.Your books are what I love to read every night before I go to bed
Thank you so very much!
Amy
I loved the story and the sequal. However, I would have liked to know whether they had a girl or boy. I Could envision another book telling of some of there adventures, leading into the romance of Mark and Laura and their lives together.
Very entertaining.
I loved the characters in this book!! I would love to see more of Kare and Jack, plus Laurea and Mark! The storyline is great and seems like it could be even more. That is my romantic heart speaking!💛💛
What a great story! The epilogue was good, but I need MORE. Please write a sequel. Does Kate ever get together with her sister? her parents? Does Jack ever see his friends from his former gang? Does Mark forgive Jack and let him have his new life with Kate? It would be wonderful if Jack and Mark could develop a friendship, living near each other so their children’s stories could be told. What a great series that would be!
Keep writing!
I loved this story of Kate and Jack! It wasn’t as predictable as you never knew what was going to happen next. When he showed her how to use a gun, I was wondering if she would use it to escape, but, thankfully she didn’t! Then when she was rescued how he was foremost in her mind – awesome! Several other things that you wrote were so great! Had to keep reading just to see what happened next. Then the extended epilogue! It really helped put everything in perspective.
What an exciting story. Wow, I was reading so fast , trying to find out what happened next. Can’t wait to start another book..
Thank you so much, dear!
Fantastic read and could not put the book down until the end. You weaved a great story about love and decisions. Jack and Kate was meant for each other, the kidnapping for Kate to understand that Austin was the wrong person for her. Then Kate showed Jack that he could have a good life from being an outlaw to a husband and father. Enjoyed one of many of your books. Keep writing!!!!
Thank you dear Roxie!
Stay tuned there is more coming!
I thought the story was great, I really liked that the story was just a little different. Who would have thought that Kate getting kidnapped and then she would fall in love with her kidnapper.
I enjoyed the extended epilogue but it seemed to not have enough closure for me I would have liked to have known if the baby was a boy or girl and were Kate and Jack able to stay settled down in Texas without any legal problems?
I was wondering how you would create a happy ending. Sort of thought it a bit impossible. But you did it, although bittersweet.
And yes, this book needs a sequel. Or even a series. Like how the other gang members are doing. Perhaps they can come to work on the ranch.
At first, I thought your storyline wouldn’t work. The whole Stockholm syndrome thing, falling in love with a criminal. But you made it work because Jack was a sweet natured man,and they built up a friendship. So kudo to you for making this work.
Thanks, Marcia! What kind words!
It was a great captivating read. I would love to read a follow up with Laura and Mark as main characters then it could tie into Kate’s story and maybe we could hear more of their family adventures too, thru letters to Laura perhaps? And what happened to Dawson?
Thank you so much for your kind words Margaret! I’m really glad you enjoyed the story! I love your ideas! I’ll be thinking about all of this seriously as I plan future stories. Your thoughts truly mean a lot!