All Roads Lead to Home
Gabe Gentry used to live entirely in pursuit of carefree pleasure. It cost him his relationship with his brother, and with the one woman who believed in him. Now, with newfound faith, heâs coming home to Wolf Creek, Arkansas, hoping to find redemption and forgiveness, and maybe even a second chance at love.
Physician Rachel Stone never thought sheâd lay eyes on Gabe again. After their brief time together, Gabe disappeared, leaving Rachel devastated and secretly pregnant with his son. His return stirs up her bitternessâ¦and her attraction. But Gabeâs already burned her once; how can she trust him again, now that her sonâs heart is on the line, as well?
Rachel had almost reached the window when she heard another soft clatter. Someone was throwing gravel.
Grabbing a shawl, she poked her head out the window. Gabe stood with his hands on his hips, his head tipped back, watching to see if she would answer his summons.
âWhat are you doing here?â she screeched in a loud whisper. She was appalled by his presence yet unaccountably pleased to see him. What a scandal it would be if anyone else saw him!
âI havenât seen you all day, and I wanted to tell you that Iâ¦â
Her breath hung suspended and her heart seemed to stop midbeat.
ââ¦I miss you.â
âGabe,â she all but groaned. Then, pushing aside a ridiculous rush of pleasure, she summoned her most professional tone. âGo home. Iâll see you tomorrow.â
âDid anyone ever tell you that youâre a heartless woman, Rachel Stone? Where will I see you tomorrow? At the store, or between the times before you hurry off to see a patient? Whereâs the romance in that?â
âRomance?â
âYes, romance. Obviously youâve never been courted before.â
PENNY RICHARDS
has been writing and selling contemporary romance since 1983. Confronted with burnout, she took several years off to pursue other things she loved, like editing a local oral history project and coauthoring a stage play about a dead man (known fondly as Old Mike) who was found in the city park in 1911, got a double dose of embalming and remained on display until the seventies. Really. She also spent ten years renovating her 1902 Queen Anne home and getting it onto the National Register of Historic Places. At the âbig houseâ she ran and operated Garden Getaways, a bed-and-breakfast and catering business that did everything from receptions, bridal lunches, fancy private dinners and âtastingsâ to dress-up tea parties (with makeup and all the trimmings) for little girls who liked to pretend to be grand ladies while receiving manners lessons. What fun!
Though she had a wonderful time and hosted people from every walk of life, writing was still in her blood, and her love of all things historical led her to historical fiction, more specifically historical mystery and inspirational romances. She is thrilled to be back writing and, God willing, hopes to continue to do so for many years.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
âRomans 3:23â24
For LaRee and Sandyâfriends, confidantes, mentors, brainstorming partners, critique group and travelinâ buds who listen, help, inspire, set me straight and pick me up, dust me off and tell me I can. Whoever would have thought weâd be here when we met at a writerâs conference almost thirty years ago?
Prologue
St. Louis, 1877
âHey there, Rachel Stone!â
Weighted down with loneliness and bone tired, Rachel was mounting the steps of her boardinghouse when she heard the greeting. The familiar, husky voice stopped her in her tracks and caused her heart to stumble. There was no way it could be who it sounded like, she thought, turning. But it was. Her mouth fell open in surprise.
Gabe Gentry, the handsome, younger Gentry son, was standing there. The same son who, if the rumors could be believed, had asked for his inheritance prior to his fatherâs death and left their hometown of Wolf Creek two years ago. If the gossipmongers were correct, he was busily running through the funds, chasing every good time he could find.
But Rachel believed that gossip was just bits and pieces of the truth often distorted and exaggerated as the tattletales passed the story around. She had a hard time believing he was as bad as everyone claimed, since her own experiences with him had been good ones.
He was attractive, friendly, fun loving and always pleasant, and sheâd liked being around him. Of course, that might be because she had always had a bit of a âthingâ for him, even though she was the elder by two years. Guilty or not, his reputation made him the kind of male who inhabited a young womanâs daydreams, and the kind parents prayed would give their daughters a wide berth.