To Help Her Familyâ¦and Heal His Heart
With Alberta in the grip of the Depression, Louisa Morgan is desperate to bolster her familyâs finances. But how can she tutor bedridden Ellie Hamilton? The little tomboy is more interested in making mischief than studying sums. And the girlâs bond with her handsome papa is another reminder to Louisa of the children sheâll never have.
For Emmet Hamilton, strength means shouldering burdens alone. He never thought heâd let himself share his child, or his heart, ever again. But before long, Louisaâs kindness and optimism start to change the cowboyâs mind. Maybe he can gain the courage to trust againâin Louisa, in Godâs grace, and in this new family.â¦
The Cowboy Father
Linda Ford
Fireworks
Valerie Hansen
The Cowboy Father
Linda Ford
âYou have what Iâve always wanted.â
Louisa looked as surprised as if Emmet had announced he carried rain in his back pocket. âReally? I canât imagine.â
âFamily. Siblings.â His voice had thickened, but he couldnât help it. âI always felt lonely growing up alone.â Abandoned.
She looked away, her gaze seeking the far edge of the field. âYou know what I want?â
âNo. What?â Whatever it was, he wished he could give it to her.
She paused for a beat. Two. Shuddered as if a chill had raced across her shoulders. She tried to speak, but her voice caught.
It obviously meant a lot to her. And his heart softened with such a protective urge that it was all he could do not to pull her into his arms and hold her close, keep her safe.
âFor it to rain.â Her voice rang with determination. âI pray for it every single day.â
He knew without a doubt that wasnât what sheâd started to say. Disappointment stained his insides. What was she afraid to admit she needed?
Dear Reader,
In 2012, Love Inspired Books is proudly celebrating fifteen years of heartwarming inspirational romance! Love Inspired launched in September 1997 and successfully brought inspiration to series romance. From heartwarming contemporary romance to heart-stopping romantic suspense to adventurous historical romance, Love Inspired Books offers a variety of inspirational stories for every preference. And we deliver uplifting, wholesome and emotional romances that every generation can enjoy.
Weâre marking our fifteenth anniversary with a special theme month in Love Inspired Historical: Family Ties. Whether ready-made families or families in the making, these touching stories celebrate the ties that bind and prove why family matters. Because sometimes it takes a family to open oneâs heart to the possibility of love. With wonderful stories by favorite authors Linda Ford and Ruth Axtell Morren, an exciting new miniseries from Regina Scott and a tender tale by debut author Lily George, this month full of family-themed reads will warm your heart.
I hope you enjoy each and every storyâand then come back next month for more of the most powerful, engaging stories of romance, adventure and faith set in times past. From rugged handsome cowboys of the West to proper English gentlemen in Regency England, let Love Inspired Historical sweep you away to a place where love is timeless.
Sincerely,
Tina James
Senior Editor
Dedicated to the memory of my father, who was widowed with six children during the Depression and fought to provide for them so they werenât taken away. He succeeded despite the harsh realities of that era. Through it all, his faith survived and grew, and when he later remarried he was able to pass that strength, faith and hope on to myself
and my siblings born to that second marriage. I thank God for the godly example he lived.
* * *
If God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith.
âMatthew 6:30
Chapter One
Golden Prairie, Alberta
April 1933
Louisa Morgan paused before the battered door of the Hamilton house. Sheâd prayed for an opportunity to earn money to help pay the medical billsâbills accumulated on her behalf. Influenza had struck many over the winter, but Louisa had been particularly ill with infection raging throughout her body. The doctor, meaning to be encouraging, said it was amazing she was alive and she should be glad. She was. Truly. But the illness had cost her something very preciousâ¦the ability to have children.
She vowed daily she would not let her disappointment turn into bitterness. She would enjoy what God still had in store for her. There was much to be grateful forâ¦the ability to walk about and breathe in the spring air, the chance to continue her studies. She might have been content to keep on with her self-studies at home and not consider looking for a job, except sheâd seen Mother slip cardboard into her shoes to cover the worn soles. Sheâd been about to confront Mother and insist she buy a new pair, but she noticed the pile of bills on the desk and knew Mother wouldnât buy anything until they were paid.