Next, she’s duped into boarding a Texas-bound ship. When she arrives in Texas, she discovers Mr. Walker has been hoodwinked, as well. The tall, handsome rancher is furious when he discovers the deception, and vows to send Abigail home as soon as the next ship sets sail. Abigail is certain that she doesn’t belong in Texas. Boston has always been home. But as the weeks pass, Mr. Walker’s anger softens. He makes a startling confession – he’s read her letters a hundred times, or more. His lingering gaze, his gentle banter and slow tender smile play upon her heart. She resists the gruff cowboy’s charms. Barely. But how can she not love his nephew, an orphaned infant? As the day of departure looms, the small, motherless baby might unravel the last of her fragile defenses. Abigail dares to hope… that home is where the heart is.

    Note: each book can be read as a stand-alone. A life-altering betrayal leaves Donna Grace alone, unmarried, and pregnant. She’s desperate to leave St. Louis, Missouri, and return to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she grew up, and the only way back is by wagon train. The wagon master refuses to let a single woman drive a wagon without a male escort. Donna knows she can’t trust men, but it seems she’s going to have to partner with one if she wants to get back home. Luke Russell failed to protect his fiancée. Because of his neglect, she was murdered. He vows to never leave another person to face dangers on their own and to never again open his heart to love. When he overhears Donna Grace’s predicament he offers her a marriage of convenience that they will dissolve as soon they reach Santa Fe. But the trail forces them to work together. The birth of Donna’s baby unites them in a way they can’t deny. Will the dangers and joys of the Santa Fe Trail break down the barriers these two have built around their hearts? Read more books by award-winning author Linda Ford: Dakota Brides series: Temporary Bride Abandoned Bride Second-Chance Bride Reluctant Bride War Brides series: Lizzie Maryelle Irene Grace Wild Rose series: Crane’s Bride Hannah’s Dream Chastity’s Angel Cowboy Bodyguard Big Sky Country series: Montana Cowboy’s Baby Montana Bride by Christmas Montana Cowboy Daddy Montana Cowboy Family Montana Groom of Convenience Montana Lawman Rescuer

    To them, marriage did appear too distant as each struggled to build a career while single, and communication between the sisters was less than stellar. But when God stepped in, He showed that He could turn their struggles into triumphs-if they let Him. UNCOMMON GROUND , begins this series, focused on Stella, the eldest of the Hearts sisters.UNCOMMON GROUNDWidowed and now single, Stella Heart juggled between managing her career and struggling to communicate with her teenage daughter, Sharon. Their common ground crumbled beneath their different beliefs about God. While Stella believed in God, her daughter didn't. Sharon instead held strongly to what they taught her in school--until the day the ground physically gave way--altering both their perspectives about each other, and more than one person's resistance to God.Stella's concerns multiplied in the ensuing chaos after she met Michael, a Christian man with a mysterious past whom danger seemed to follow- and she wondered how many more unseen twists God trusted her to handle.Can she trust Michael beyond what he appears to be hiding from her, or will her own fears cloud her judgement when extreme danger surfaces?

    Dismissed from her job and disgraced by a crime she didn't commit, Daliah seeks a second chance with an elderly couple heading to Texas on a wagon train. Facing the hardships of the trail with bravery, compassion, and faith Daliah quickly endears herself to not only her employer but many of the other members of the band as well. Invaluable in her knowledge of herbs for healing and nutrition she is soon recognized as an indispensable helper to all. Spencer Gaines, still bitter after the loss of his wife is a hard man to talk to, but his five-year-old son Chad, and greatest treasure is more trouble than he can handle. Determined to finally settle down near his brother in Texas Spencer signs on as a chief scout for the wagon train but his duties often lead him far afield leaving Chad to get into so many scrapes they could both well be dismissed. Will a devastating accident leave Spencer empty and alone forever or will he not only learn to trust God but also give Daliah his heart?

    Held captive by regret, 23 year-old trauma RN, Tori Sales, has seen the reality of many nightmares. But there is one nightmare she will never wake from—her last memory of Anna. Her efforts to save the little girl were not enough; she was not enough. After a year of living alone, Tori is forced to return home—a place where heartache, loss, and broken relationships lurk around every corner. Isolation is her only solace; running is her only escape. But she cannot outrun the truth forever. When a handsome, compassionate stranger enters her world, Tori is inspired to deal with her past and focus on the future—one she never believed possible. But before her quest for closure is complete, a new revelation surfaces, tainting her world yet again. Will she accept the recovery she so desperately needs? Or will she choose the escape she knows best...

    Now sober, he wants to make amends by opening a mission for drunkards. The most suitable location belongs to Joanna Cranston Stewart, a love from his sordid past and the one person he hurt the most.A pariah among her peers, Joanna is all too eager to sell her property and flee the rumors that she sent her late husband to an early grave. But she will let the gossips talk and the walls of her rundown property crumble around her before she’ll allow Kit back into her life.When a blackmailer threatens to reveal her long-held secret, she must choose between trusting Kit or seeing her best friend trapped in an abusive marriage.Will Joanna risk another betrayal? Or will she find a way through the pain of the past to love and trust again?

    Is it possible to have everything, or should she be careful what she wishes for?

    To stop a baby-selling ring, she goes undercover as an unmarried, pregnant teen. Her new partner, Eli Logan, plays the father. With his rugged good looks, Delanie doesn't have to fake attraction, but Eli's rough exterior and bitterness toward women make it hard even to be friends. Eli is outraged at having another female partner. His last one nearly got him killed, and she wasn't the first woman to let him down. He's sure he'll never need another woman in his life or anyone else, not even God. His past has shown him he can only count on himself. Amidst danger and deceit can Eli forget the pain of yesterday to see something different in Delanie? And will he come to know God, the only One who will never let him down?

     A breakdown strands her in Vancouver, Washington on the corner of 99th and Highway 99. Across the street is the Highway Ninety-Nine Diner where she lands a job as a waitress—however starting over is hard with all the broken trust. Joe Phillips, the diner’s short-order cook, is rugged, handsome, sweet, and is determined to push past her walls—but he has secrets of his own. Tamara finds comfort in his friendship as she struggles with a past that haunts her, and a darkness she cannot shake. She could give her heart to Joe, if not for the fears that plague her. Their friendship deepens and Tamara begins to hope again until she’s forced to make a choice no woman should ever have to face. Then the signs reappear, and lead her down her darkest path yet.

    But in a matter of a year’s time, everything she’d counted on fell apart, leaving her devastated. Seven years later, she’s stable again. She has a supportive boyfriend, fulfilling career, and close friends. She keeps her past heartache where it belongs—in her rearview mirror. Until the man who broke her heart finds his way back to Big Prairie.Craig Erikson had it all—popularity, success, and the love of his high school coach’s daughter. But after a year of mistakes that ended in a tragic accident, he’d left Big Prairie—the place he’d thought to always call home—hoping that without his antagonizing presence, Brenna would be able to heal. Now his mother desperately needs him, as do two young boys in her care. Craig has little choice but to return for good.Unsure that she can forgive him, Brenna does her best to avoid him. Irritated that she ignores him as if they’d never meant anything to each other, Craig becomes determined not to allow it. Life in a small town forces their interaction, making them confront their unresolved issues and igniting emotions that have smoldered for seven years. As Craig and Brenna are pushed together, can they endure the hard places still littering their lives? If so, is it possible to find their way back to love and home again?