Inspirational Western Romance

What Are You Reading Right Now?

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I’m smack in the middle of a deadline race, so this blog is going to be on the short side. And it’s going to be about what we all love–books, reading and romance. Leave a comment, and I’ll add your name to the hat for a drawing for a copy of “Brides of the West,” the April “spring wedding” anthology from Love Inspired Historicals. I’m in it with Janet Dean and Pamela Nissen.

Let’s get started:

Question: What are you reading right now? I just finished this month’s selection for the Flippin’ Pages Book Club. It’s called “Beaded Hope” and is about a group of women who travel to Africa on a mission trip to assist women with AIDS.  Thoroughly enjoyed the story. It’s women’s fiction rather than romance, but the story tugged at every heartstring.  It’s easy to take life for granted until you read about people coping with serious illness.

I also just finished a Kindle freebie about the Titanic:  Lifeboat 8: The Untold Story.  The tale of that great ship is always compelling. Hubris and heroism are an interesting mix. 

What about you? What’s are you reading at the moment?

Question: Kindle / Nook Time. What’s the last book you bought or downloaded?  I recently cleaned up on Filly freebies. I downloaded books by Margaret Brownley and Mary Connealy / Mary Nealy.  When I finish the current ms, guess what I’m going to do for two solid weeks?  I’m going to read nonstop. A blanket on the grass in the sun sounds really nice after months cooped up in the office.

What about you? What’s the latest book you purchased or downloaded?

Question:  What’s your all time favorite western romance?  It’s funny how a particular book will stay with you forever. For me, it’s The Outsider  by Penelope Williamson. I read it when it first came out, 1997 or so, and I still think back to the story and how it inspired me.  After all this time, it’s still my No. 1 favorite.

What about you? What’s your favorite western romance?

Leave a comment and I’ll add your name to the hat for the drawing. Now back to it . . . I’m on the very last chapter of the new ms. This is my favorite part of the whole process. Can’t wait to type “The End!”

Brides of the West . . . Available now at Amazon!

My Love-Hate Relationship with Zombies & American Idol

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Halfway through this blog, it occured to me that I should have written about my current release. I have a novella in Brides of the West, the April anthology from Love Inspired Historical. You can check out the excerpt here.  I promise you, it’s not about zombies. But it does have a few hooks a la American Idol.

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This is an odd topic for a blog focused on western romance, but hang in there with me.  Thanks to my sister-in-law, I recently got hooked on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” In case you haven’t seen it, it’s about a group of people fighting to survive in a world taken over by zombies aka “walkers.”

I am NOT a zombie fan. They gross me out. Totally. But I’ve got to say, this show hooked me.  And it hooked me because it has good guys and bad guys, moral questions and a lawman hero. The Walking Dead  isn’t a western, but it feels like one. The leader of the group, Rick, swaggers like a marshal in the Old West. He’s an alpha take-charge kind of guy. When hard decisions have to be made, he makes them. He also loves his wife and son, though I’ve got to say, she’s a piece of work.

So we have a western style hero fighting zombies . . . .  Maybe I’m just hungry for a good western on television and seeing what I want to see.

But there’s more. The survivors have taken refuge on a farm. Every day they fight for survival like Old West pioneers. Threats abound, but they keep going. Even when things get rough, these people fight for each other. They fight with each other, too. This show has tons of personal drama. That’s one of things that kept me tuning in each week: the choices between “me” and “group,” or “me” and “other.”

I love westerns, but I don’t quite get the zombie thing.  I definitely don’t like to be scared, and this show can be a nail biter.

Okay, I need a transition between zombies and American Idol . . . How about this: Both shows are nail biters? I know there’s a zombie joke to be made but I can’t bring myself to make it. I started watching American Idol in Season Three, and I blame Bo Bice for what turned into an addiction. It’s just plain fun to watch this show.

There aren’t any obvious ties to western romance, but there’s a big tie between Idol and writing. Talk about hooks!  Every week  I tune in to see who’s going to be eliminated. Every performance is a question: Will the singer “blow it out of the box ” or hear “dude, it wasn’t great.  Idol is one big hook, and I’m caught.

So what about you?  Which TV shows have you hooked? I hear Once Upon a Time is good.  Have you found anything with a western flavor?  Maybe an actor who should star in a western?  Or how about Idol?  I like Jessica and Phillip, but I’ve been known to change my mind as the season moves on.

Cheryl St.John: Irish Brides Set Sail

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When Harlequin does a continuity series, a group of editors come up with a concept and invite the authors they want to participate. The authors are given what is termed ‘the bible,’ a two or three page synopsis of each story and a brief sketch of each character. An overall concept is included, explaining how the threads connect the stories.

After that, it’s up to the authors to put their heads together and collectively figure out how they’re going to make this idea work—and how they will create their individual stories to keep the plots logical and the stories exciting enough to carry them through however many pages.

I’ve participated in several Montana Mavericks continuities, both historical and contemporary, as well as a contemporary continuity about a fertility clinic. One of the most critical parts of this whole process is the brainstorming and chemistry between the participating authors. A good group makes all the difference, so I was delighted after Love Inspired Historical asked me to write the first book in the Irish Brides trilogy I learned Renee Ryan and Winnie Griggs were the other two authors.

I’m fortunate that Winnie is my sister Filly here at Wildflower Junction and Renee is a member of my RWA chapter, so the three of us already knew each other. Working with them was a joy, and I can only hope they feel the same way about my participation. We plotted and shared and wrangled plot points until each of us had a great story to write.

The premise and setting set me back for only a few minutes. Three orphaned Irish sisters leave their homeland and travel to America in hopes of finding a man they discover loved their mother. They need a place to live as well as a new start. I’d only ever written American-set stories and only a couple set as early as 1850. As soon as I began my research I was hooked. The history of these sisters came to life for me, and I had the privilege of setting up each character—with Renee and Winnie’s guidance of course.

I prepared myself for the narrative and dialogue by watching every Irish movie I could fit into my schedule. Quite a hardship I assure you. My favorite is always Far and Away, but there are other great ones.

I enjoyed populating the sailing vessel, the Annie McGee with colorful sojourners and creating conflicts for my character, Maeve Murphy. I slipped in one cowboy, who is traveling back home–couldn’t resist. The tale of The Wedding Journey unfolds onboard the ship, as Maeve is given a position as the physician’s assistant, and their trip is underway. Renee and Winnie have written the stories of Bridget and Nora, Maeve’s older sisters, whose tales begin once the ship docks in Boston Harbor.

Once my story was finished, Harlequin asked me to write a free online serial for their website, and gave me free license to come up with a prequel to the Irish Brides. Again I dove into research for something to snag my interest and found stories of the poor starving Irish being sent to penitentiaries for stealing food or not paying their landowners. The story sprang to life from there.

In 1850 Ireland, Darcy Keegan secretly plans to escape the drudgery of the prison where her father is warden to start a life elsewhere. Her plans are thwarted by a young boy who’s been imprisoned and whom she can’t bring herself to leave until she knows he will be safe.

Vaughn Donnelly has recently returned to Castleville to add a wing to the penitentiary, and is captivated by the young lass he observes in the prison yard. His job prevents him from staying, so love and marriage are out of the question–or are they? When he intervenes on behalf of a lad being mistreated, he wins the admiration of the Irish lass he admires.

Their shared concern for the laddie quickly turns into something more–read Donnelly’s Promise FREE on the Harlequin website: CLICK HERE

By the time I finished with these two stories I thought and dreamed everything with an Irish accent! I had so much fun with these characters and their tales of love that I can’t wait for readers to discover them.

The Wedding Journey is available for pre-order.

Thanks for stopping by!

What Could Go Wrong? – A Trip Up the Cattle Trail with Regina Jennings

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Karen here: We have a special guest with us today at Wildflower Junction. Regina Jennings is a debut novelist for Bethany House, and she’s written a fabulous western romance that  features a beautiful Mexican heroine and a handsome Texas rancher. They come from two different worlds, yet both carry secret heartaches that have dictated the paths their lives have taken. Paths that suddenly cross. (By the way – I read Sixty Acres and a Bride last week and loved it!) So without further ado . . . here’s Regina!

In my new release, Sixty Acres and a Bride, a heartsick rancher returning home from the cattle trail searches for the courage to reenter society. You’d think going to church socials and attending barn dances wouldn’t be that scary, but Weston would much rather tangle with the dangers of Old Chisholm’s trail.

Today, whether you’re in Central Texas or Oklahoma the name Chisholm is as common as windstorms, oil derricks and football stars. Seeing how the cattle trails were to 1870 ranchers what the personal computer was to Silicon Valley, it’s only natural that the name is applied to everything from churches to subdivisions. The Chisholm Trail was responsible for many fortunes—and misfortunes.

Walking cattle up a trail sounds simple enough—one cowboy for every 200 cattle or so, just moseying them northwards as they ate and sunned in the mild spring temperatures.

Of course, while the spring temperatures in Oklahoma and Texas might be mild, the weather is anything but. Thunderstorms can be a weekly occurrence capable of producing hailstones the size of grapefruits, not to mention tornadoes. The cowboys had to hide in a… um… actually shelter was scarce on the Chisholm Trail. While the flat prairie was ideal for driving cattle, it left cowboys as vulnerable as a spider in a frying pan when storms struck. And if you found a tree to huddle beneath, you risked dying of a lightning strike.

When lightning did strike there was a good chance you’d get yourself a stampede (or stompede as they sometimes called it). Herds of up to 3000 cattle could run from 5 to 10 miles, trampling each other to death and anything else that stood in their way. In good times, the trail bosses paid tolls for safe passage across Indian Territory, but some stampedes were purposely started by opportunists looking to steal a few head of cattle or horses in the confusion.

Another peril our stalwart drovers faced was river crossings. Once the cattle sidestepped any quicksand they could swim across, but a branch floating downstream was all it took to turn the high-strung longhorns. Soon the herd would be swimming in circles—called milling—growing weaker and weaker until they were swept downstream or drowned. Halting a milling herd was extremely dangerous as the cowboy and his horse could easily get pulled under by the thrashing cattle before they could lead them to the riverbank.

So why risk life and limb? Because those cattle that were stripping their pastures and trampling their gardens were worth $40 a piece at the railhead in Kansas. In Texas they’d only bring $4 a head. That 700 mile trail was all that stood between a man and his fortune. Naturally the common cowboy’s pay wasn’t that good, but he had dreams of someday driving his own herd to market.

Unless a wealthy rancher like Weston wanted to make himself scarce, he most likely would’ve hired those hapless cowboys, but our protagonist needed space and there’s plenty of space available on the trail. Fortunately for all involved, Weston couldn’t hide forever. There’s a surprise waiting at home in the lovely form of a senorita who is in desperate need of a hero.

How about y’all? Do you have any stories of animals behaving badly?

Leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win a copy of Sixty Acres and a Bride.

Sixty Acres and a Bride

She’s Finally Found a Place to Call Home . . .
How Far Will She Go to Save It?

With nothing to their names, young widow Rosa Garner and her mother-in-law return to their Texas family ranch. Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have just three months to pay.

Though facing eviction, Rosa falls in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. They welcome her vivacious spirit and try to help her navigate puzzling American customs. She can’t help but stand out, though, and her beauty captures attention. Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, Rosa must decide to what lengths she will go to save her future.

Brides of the West: Something Old, Something New

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That’s the theme for the upcoming Love Inspired Historical spring wedding anthology, Brides of the West.  It won’t be out until April, but my author copies arrived in a nice big box. Time for a giveaway!  Leave a comment and I’ll toss your name in the Stetson–a white one to honor weddings.  Sometime tonight I’ll pull out two names and post the winners.

I’m delighted to be sharing the antho with two wonderful LIH authors, Janet Dean and Pamela Nissen.

Here’s our back cover copy:

Josie’s Wedding Dress by Victoria Bylin

Desperate for someone to help her save her ranch, Josie Bright makes a deal with Ty Donner. Now the man who left her waiting at the altar is making her hope for things she had long stopped wishing for.

Last Minute Bride by Janet Dean

Elise Langley was stung to the quick when her would-be suitor suddenly left town. But when David Wellman returns and they are thrown together organizing their friends’ wedding, can she open her heart again.

Her Ideal Husband by Pamela Nissen

As a girl, Lydia Townsend hoped to marry Jebediah Gentry–until his rejection spoiled her dreams. When family duty brings her home, it’s Jeb’s chance to show Lydia that now is the time for wedding dreams to come true.

Now here’s an excerpt from Josie’s Wedding Dress. It’s taken from the middle of the first scene. We’re in a church cemetery and in Ty’s point of view as he faces the woman he left at the altar…

 EXCERPT

The buggy halted, then creaked as the female climbed down. With his neck bent, Ty listened to the squeak of the gate as she opened it. He tried to follow her movements, but the grass muted her steps. He listened for the rustle of her skirt but heard nothing. Frozen and alert, he thought of the years he’d waited in a prison cell. He’d learned to be patient. He could be patient now. He wouldn’t budge until the woman went on her way. He thought of the graves he’d seen. Was she visiting the small one that belonged to a child? A newer one with a name he didn’t recognize?

A rose-like fragrance drifted on the air, becoming stronger as the woman approached. Josie liked fancy soaps. She also liked roses. A soft gasp confirmed his deepest fear. This woman knew him. This woman was Josie.

“Ty? is that you?”

He turned enough to see the hem of her skirt. It took him back to the day before the wedding and the banter about “something borrowed, something blue.” She’d whispered in his ear about a blue garter, and he’d loved her more than ever. Now he looked up slowly, taking in the hard line of her mouth. Gone was the cheerful girl who’d teased him with mischievous smiles. In her place he saw a woman burdened by life. Her eyes were still turquoise and her chestnut hair gleamed under a straw bonnet, but she’d lost her sparkle.

Ty had come home for this very moment, yet he felt unprepared as he matched her gaze. Instead of the words he’d practiced, he stared into her eyes, feasting on the past until he found his tongue. “Hello, Josie,” he said in a drawl. “I’m hoping we can talk.”

 Don’t forget to leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing.  For fun, let’s share our favorite wedding memories.  What made you smile or laugh?  Or do you tear up like I do?  My favorite part of any wedding is when the bride and groom exchange their vows.    

Guest – Ann Shorey . . . Is There a Nurse In the House?

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Many thanks to Karen Witemeyer for inviting me to be a guest blogger today to spread the word about my newest novel for Revell, Where Wildflowers Bloom.

Wildflowers is the first in the Sisters at Heart series and is set in Missouri shortly after the end of the War Between the States. When I worked up the proposal for this series, I had my characters and their occupations set in my mind. I planned that one of the characters, Rosemary Saxon, would be a nurse during the war, and then would follow the same occupation afterward. 

Well, surprise, surprise. When I began to research nurses in the Civil War, I learned that very few of them were women, and the ones who were female were generally older and/or widows. For a young unmarried woman to touch men’s bodies, even to tend to wounds, was considered vulgar. Throughout the war, male nurses outnumbered female nurses 4 to 1. The general public believed women would only be a nuisance and get in the way of the doctors.

Where female nurses were allowed, they were required to be plain-looking women. Their dresses were to be brown or black, no bows, no curls, no jewelry, and no hoop-skirts. The last prohibition made sense, since the hospital aisles were narrow. 

So, where did this leave Rosemary, who was to be a continuing character in the series? Using my artistic license, she’s attractive, not plain, but I did make her “old.” She’s twenty-seven. J In addition to her God-given gift of mercy, she’s also determined to the point of being headstrong. She needs to be to stand up to the prejudice she encounters.

In Where Wildflowers Bloom, Rosemary is the best friend of the story’s protagonist, Faith Lindberg. Oh, and did I mention Rosemary has a brother, Curt? How many of us remember having girlfriends with handsome brothers? I’ll just say that through Rosemary, Faith and Curt end up spending quite a bit of time together.

So, like Rosemary, have any of you taken a job in what is considered a man’s field? Did you encounter prejudice? On a more romantic note, did any of you ever fall in love with the brother of your best friend? How did it work out?

 I hope you’ll look for Where Wildflowers Bloom at your local bookstore, or through an online retailer. Please visit my website at www.annshorey.com for more information about Where Wildflowers Bloom, as well as my other books.

Where Wildflowers Bloom

How far will she go to follow her dreams?

 The War Between the States stole a father and brother from Faith Lindberg—as well as Royal Baxter, the man she wanted to marry. With only her grandfather left, she dreams of leaving Noble Springs, Missouri, and traveling west to Oregon to start a new life, away from the memories that haunt her. But first she must convince her grandfather to sell the family’s mercantile and leave a town their family has called home for generations.

When Royal Baxter suddenly returns, Faith allows herself to hope that she and Royal will finally wed. But does he truly love her? Or will another man claim her heart?

 

Ann has graciously agreed to give away a copy of Where Wildflowers Bloom today, so be sure to leave a comment in order to be entered in the drawing!

My Kindle and Me: Our One-Year Anniversary

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I’ve owned my Kindle for just over a year now. I use it every day, though not quite like I expected when I found it under the Christmas tree.  I thought I’d buy lots of ebooks, and that my paperback shelves would be a thing of the past.  I’m sure my husband had that thought when he bought it for me. When we moved from Virginia to Kentucky, he loaded dozens of heavy boxes of books into the storage pod. By volume, the only thing outnumbering my book-boxes were the Christmas decorations.  By weight, the books won.

The Kindle was supposed to eliminate some of those books, but it hasn’t. Six months into owning it, I gravitated to buying paper again because I like to loan books.  I know you can loan Kindle-to-Kindle, but that’s not same as just handing someone a book and saying, “Here, take your time.”

Here’s what most surprises me . . . About 80% of the stuff on my Kindle consists of freebies.  I check out the Amazon giveaways almost every day, and definitely at the first of the month. I’ve downloaded tried-and-true authors, new-to-me authors, and self published authors.  Most recently I started reading a history of Alcatraz Island.  What a wild place!  I also read Water for Elephants, a book I’ve wanted to read for ages but  just never did.  Then there’s the Young Adult fiction that got my attention.  What fun to revisit the past with stories about girls and horses!

Those freebies have a strong appeal. I can’t say I’m as enamored with the price of regular ebooks. There are bargains to be had, but I get a little miffed when a bestseller in e-format costs almost as much as a hardcover at Sam’s Club. I thought ebooks were supposed to cost less…maybe not. The market’s still finding its footing.

Here’s another cool Kindle feature: I’ve used it to store and read unpublished mss, both my own and those from fellow authors. It’s handy for the last read-through. Typos show up, especially missing words. I tend to miss that stuff on the computer screen.

Right now, I have 105 items on my Kindle organized in Collections labeled: Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, Mainstream, Series, YA, Non Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Classics, Reference, Book Club, and Hubby’s Books.  The romance categories have the most titles, of course. And that number is growing . . . One-click shopping is the easiest thing in the world.  

I also have a couple of games. Is anyone else hooked on Every Word?  My high score playing the timed version is 34,930. Just 70 points shy of 35K!  I like Scrabble, too.

Anyone else have thoughts on e-readers? Kindle vs. Nook?  They’re here to stay for sure.  

 

The Women of Swan’s Nest Series…Available in the Amazon Kindle store…

Welcome Harlequin Sr. Editor Tina James!

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Hi everyone! I’m Tina James, Senior Editor of Love Inspired Historical and Love Inspired Suspense. I want to thank all the Fillies for providing me this opportunity to blog about the Love Inspired Historical line.

I love historicals. There’s just something about a romance set in the past that stirs my imagination.  One day I can be transported to the prairie with a farmer and his convenient bride and the next I can be on a wagon train with a handsome plainsman.

Love Inspired Historical is an inspirational historical romance line that features Christian characters facing the many challenges of life and love in a variety of historical time periods, when life was simpler and faith played a major role in everyday lives. Readers will get a glimpse of what it’s like to live in 1880sMontana,Depression-eraSouth Dakota, Regency England, and so forth. And they’ll get the chance to read about two people overcoming hardships and falling in love.

Love Inspired Historical books are 70,000-75,000 words and are set in a wide range of historical periods, from ancient civilizations up to and including the First and Second World Wars. Western stories remain ever-popular and cover the range from stories about mail order brides seeking husbands, to sisters journeying across the frontier, to ranchers needing nannies for their motherless young children.  However all time periods and fresh themes and storylines are welcome.

Since we’ve expanded our Love Inspired Historical offerings from two books a month to four books a month, there is major opportunity for both published and unpublished historical romance writers to join our ranks.   I’m actively seeking new authors, and would be interesting in seeing your submission.   The stories should be well-researched and give a feeling for the time in which they are set.   Beyond creating a vivid sense of the time period, these stories should also have a captivating story, likeable and believable characters, and gripping emotional conflicts. The romance between the hero and heroine is the key driving force.  The books should be heartwarming and wholesome, and should emphasize tenderness and emotional intimacy between the characters, rather than more passionate feelings.   Want to learn more about Love Inspired Historical? Please see our writing guidelines at www.Harlequin.com.

If your author voice, characters and plot fit Love Inspired Historical, I hope I’ve encouraged you to try to write a Love Inspired Historical and submit it to me.  If you’re a published author, we only require a synopsis and three sample chapters.  For unpublished authors, we ask that you submit a synopsis and complete manuscript. You can mail your submission to my attention at 233 Broadway,Suite1001,New York,NY10279or have your agent get in touch with me.

I hope to see your project soon.

Tina James

What Are You Reading?

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It isn’t often I’m at a loss for something to blog about–but this month finds me in just that predicament. So, I thought we’d start a conversation about something close to all our hearts: BOOKS.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished Linda Lael Miller’s A Lawman’s Christmas. It’s her newest McKettrick story and Clay McKettrick is very nearly a perfect hero.

Before that I read Victoria Bylin’s Marrying the Major. I won’t spoil it if you haven’t read the book yet, but suffice it to say that Major Tristan Smith won me over on the first page. And Miss Caroline is a perfect match for him.

I also read Christine Feehan’s Dark Predator this week. While I will always pick up a western first, Ms. Feehan’s Dark series books are an auto-buy for me.

Up next is Noelle Marchand’s Unlawfully Wedded Wife and Jane Graves’ Heartstrings and Diamond Rings.

 

And Filly Margaret Brownley’s NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING A Log Cabin Christmas Anthology. Congratulations, Margaret!

 

 

 

 

 

How about you? What are you enjoying right now? Did you just finish a book that you can recommend to all of us? I can’t wait to hear all about it. 

Winnie Griggs – Home For Thanksgiving

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Hello everyone.  In just a few short weeks my October release, Home For Thanksgiving, will hit the shelves.   This is a novella length work and is part of the Once Upon A Thanksgiving anthology.  It’s my very first novella and I must say I found it a challenge to write a shorter work and still fit in all I wanted to show in the development of the romance between my hero and heroine.  But hopefully I succeeded.

This book features the last and most enigmatic of the Lassiter siblings, Griff.  Finding a heroine who was a match for Griff was also a real challenge for me, but I think I nailed it with the resourceful and determinedly optimistic Ruby Anne Tuggle.   As I dug into Ruby’s character and learned more about who she was, I grew to really love and admire her.  In the end, I discovered she has one of the most unconventional and poignant backstories of any heroine I’ve ever worked with.

Below is an excerpt that I hope you will enjoy.  Set-up:  Griff is escorting Ruby on a seven hour road trip and they are just finishing up a quick roadside picnic lunch, when they discover Ruby’s cat is missing. 

Note:  I’m giving away an advance copy of this book to one person who leaves a comment today.

Good grief, she wasn’t going to cry, was she?  “No need to get all worked up just yet,” he said quickly.  “Why don’t you pack up things here and I’ll take a quick look around.”

“Thank you.”  She offered him a grateful smile, but the worry never left her expression.

Swallowing a few choice words, he stepped away from the blanket and let his eyes scan the tree line once again.  He didn’t hold out much hope of finding the feline, though, not unless it wanted to be found.  A moment later he got his first clue as to the animal’s whereabouts when he heard the excited barking of a dog.  It sounded close.  Maybe the threat of a dog on its trail would send the cat scampering back in this direction.

“Do you hear that?”  Miss Tuggle was at his elbow, the folded blanket in her arms.

“Yes.  Don’t worry.  I’m sure your cat can outrun most dogs.  Probably streak out of those woods any minute now.”

“She is fast.”

A moment later Griff frowned.  The tenor of the barking had changed.   The dog no longer seemed to be moving and it sounded more like baying, as if it had treed its quarry. 

Great.  Just great.

Griff headed off in the direction of the barking.

Ruby’s chin came up.  He hadn’t really invited her to follow him, but there was no way she was going to stay behind – it was, after all, her cat.  She did her best to keep up with him, but it wasn’t easy.  His long legs ate up the ground with amazing speed. 

Fortunately they didn’t have far to go.  Just inside the tree line they encountered the dog who was making all that racket.  The black and brown hound had its front legs braced up against a tree trunk, nose pointed heavenward and howling up a storm. 

Oh dear, was poor Patience up there somewhere?

As soon as the dog spotted them it stopped barking and dropped back down on all fours.  Griff put a hand up and Ruby obediently stopped. 

He moved forward, slowly, speaking to the animal in a tone too soft for her to make out the words.  After a moment the dog’s tail began to wag and Mr. Lassiter was able to stoop down and ruff the animal’s fur.

While her companion was busy winning over the dog, Ruby anxiously scanned the almost bare branches of the tree.  She finally caught sight of a furry face peering down at her from what must be a good ten feet above her head.  “Look, there she is.”

Mr. Lassiter glanced at her, then upwards.  “It figures,” he said dryly.  “Wouldn’t do for her to stop on a lower branch, would it?”

He stood and stared down at the dog, pointing away from the tree.  “Get along now.” 

Ruby grinned as the animal cocked its head to one side, as if trying to figure out if this was some sort of game.

“Get!”  He said it more firmly and louder this time, stomping his foot for emphasis.

The dog spun and loped away a few paces before turning back to stare at him.

Mr. Lassiter let out an exasperated breath.  “Mutt, I really don’t have the time or patience for this.” 

As if the animal finally understood, it turned and ran back into the woods.

Mr. Lassiter turned to her.  “I hope that animal of yours will come when called after all.”

She hoped so too.  Moving forward until she was directly under the branch Patience clung to, Ruby set the picnic blanket down and made a downward motion with her hand.  “Patience, come on down, sweetie.  That big bad dog is gone now so it’s safe.”

She kept her gaze on the cat, ignoring Mr. Lassiter’s snort at her description of the dog as ‘big, bad’.  But Patience still didn’t budge.  “I won’t let anything hurt you, I promise.  Just come on down so we can get on the road again.”

What was she going to do if the cat refused to come down right away?  She would never abandon her pet, but would Mr. Lassiter go off and leave them?  She tried calling Patience again, letting some of her desperation creep into her tone.

Finally Mr. Lassiter stepped forward.  “Enough.”

Ruby turned to him, trying to gain a little more time.  “Please.  She can’t stay up there forever.  I can go back to the hamper and get a bit of ham.  Maybe I can tempt her–”

“I doubt that’ll work.  And we’ve already wasted too much time.”

“But I can’t just leave her here.  She needs me.”  And I need her.

“Nobody said anything about leaving her.”  He tossed his hat on top of the picnic blanket, then, despite the chilly temperature, shrugged out of his jacket.  “Here, hold this.”

She took the jacket and hugged it against her chest, its warmth strangely comforting.  “What are you going to do?”  A dozen scenarios played out in her head – everything from him throwing rocks at her poor pet, to him climbing up after it.

He momentarily paused in the act of rolling up his sleeves and raised a brow.  “What do you think I’m going to do?”

She decided to believe the best of him and his intentions.  “Go up after her?”

Instead of responding he finished rolling up his sleeves, took his jacket back from her and moved to the tree.

“But–”  She missed the feel of his jacket in her arms.  “You said you weren’t going to chase after her.”

“And I’m not.”  He gave her a considering look as he tied the jacket’s sleeves in a chunky knot around his waist.  “Are you trying to talk me out of this?”

“No.  I just…”  He really was going to climb up after Patience.  The man was a real life hero.  “Please be careful.”

He nodded.  “Just be prepared for what comes next.  I don’t aim to climb back down with that critter spitting and clawing in my arms.”

Now what did he mean by that?  Ruby watched as he grabbed a lower limb and tested its weight.  “I must be out of my mind,” he muttered.  “I haven’t climbed a tree since I was a scrawny kid.” 

She had trouble picturing him as a scrawny anything.  Especially right now, what with the way his muscles bunched beneath his shirt as he grabbed hold of one of the lower branches. 

 Within seconds he was hauling himself up into the network of skeletal limbs.  A heartbeat later he was standing on a lower branch and looking for footing on the next tier up.  For a big man, he was surprisingly agile.  She couldn’t help but admire the relative ease with which he maneuvered his way up the tree. 

When he paused to control another bout of coughs, however, she had to bite her lip to keep from warning him once again to be careful.  

Please God, don’t let him fall.  I’d never forgive myself if he got hurt because of me and Patience.

But the cough quieted and he continued as if nothing had happened.  When he finally reached a branch that put him at chest level with Patience, Mr. Lassiter leaned with his back against the trunk and carefully untied his jacket from about his waist.

She wished she could see what was going on better.  “Is Patience okay?”

“She seems fine.”  His tone held very little sympathy for the object of his rescue.

“Try talking softly to her,” Ruby urged.  “She’s probably scared to death, poor thing.”  If he’d only handle Patience the same soothing way he had the dog earlier–

Before she could finish that thought, he’d thrown his coat over the cat, scooped her up and had her bundled as cleanly as if he’d tossed her in a sack.

Not that Patience was taking it without a fight.  The poor thing was screeching loud enough to be heard for miles and she was writhing so wildly that Ruby wondered how Mr. Lassiter was managing to keep his balance.

“Be careful.”  She hadn’t been able to contain the warning this time.  “How are you going to climb back down carrying Patience?”

“I’m not.”

What did he mean?  Had he gone to all this trouble just to leave–

“Move a little to your left and get ready to catch.”

“Catch?  Surely you’re not going to drop her.”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.  Don’t worry, she won’t break.  Just make sure you hold on to the critter and don’t let her run off again.”

“But I–”

“Ready or not.”

And with that, the bundle of squirming, screeching feline came falling from above.  Ruby managed to catch it, but the impact knocked her down on her backside. 

Petticoats & Pistols