When Clara Fuller inherits her father’s ranch, she quickly learns being in charge is not going to be all that easy. Raised around cattle, she knows the business inside and out, but few men are willing to work for a lady rancher. Even nature itself seems to have it out for her when a drought threatens the livestock. Little does she know, that’s the least of her concerns. A darker cloud is on the horizon.
Once a drifter, Jake Talley has finally found a place to call home. As the foreman of the Fuller Ranch he doesn’t mind taking orders from a woman. As Miss Clara’s self-appointed protector, he takes his job seriously. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the lady succeed. That devotion is tested when trouble comes to call.
Edward Sinclair is a successful man who wants more. He’s used to getting what he wants and few have dared to try and stand in the way. One piece of property is all he needs to have complete control of the one thing his neighbors need most—water. There’s only one problem, the land belongs to Clara Fuller. That’s all right, he’s never met a problem yet he couldn’t erase.
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Released June 19, 2015
Performs well across ebook (Amazon, Smashwords, Draft2Digital), paperback and even better yet in audiobook.
Chapter 1
Clara Fuller cupped her hand over her eyes to shield the sun’s glare as she surveyed the landscape. The heat from a cloudless sky pressed heavy on her shoulders. They were in need of rain, desperately. The crops had begun to wilt, and the cattle weren’t getting enough to drink.
“There’s one, over there.” Jake Talley, the ranch foreman, pointed as he called to her from across the creek. The stream, which once overflowed with enough water to satisfy their livestock, was now little more than a muddy wash.
Jake spurred his mount, while she gave Moonlight a gentle nudge on the side. The gelding trotted through the field of brittle brown grass, reaching the calf seconds behind the ranch foreman. Clara dismounted, and joined Jake where he knelt beside the thirsty animal.
“He’s not going to last much longer without water.”Jake had to raise his voice to be heard over the calf’s pitiful cry.
“Neither is the rest of the herd if we don’t get rain soon.” She turned her head toward the back pasture where many of the livestock had gathered under the shade of the trees.
Jake scooped up a handful of mud and rubbed his thumb through the moist dirt and watched it fall. “This water hole was flowing a week ago.”
“We can always talk to Ted Johnson.” Her spirits brightened at the thought of their neighbor. When her father was alive, he and Mr. Johnson helped see one another through situations more difficult than this. “There’s always plenty of water in his creek, and he’s given us permission to use it in the past.”
“That should carry us through till the wet season.” Jake agreed as he poured water from his canteen over the calf’s mouth and then helped the animal to its feet. “Get going, now. There’ll be plenty to drink soon.”
