Saratoga Sunrise (20 page)
"That's the way it's going to be, Daddy," Sara echoed, slipping her hand in Jack's.
"Will you keep them at the house?"
"For a while, if you don't mind. Just until our barn is built on my land." He winked at Sara. "And my office and our home, too. That is...if Sara wants to live in Saratoga."
This was a curious turn of events. So many things were happening all at once. "I do love it here, but where's your land, Jack? You never mentioned before that you had land here."
"I own the meadow we walked through and about a five hundred acres south of it, and-"
"And the spring that we...um...fell into?" Sara blushed remembering what had transpired there.
Jack winked at her. "And the spring."
Sara smiled up at Jack. Her heart was so full of happiness, she didn't know if she could take anymore, and she didn't know if she could wait a year to marry Jack. But he needed to finish Cornell, and she would be busy consulting architects and the like.
"Oh, Jack! Really? What a wonderful surprise!" Sara said, squeezing his hand.
She wanted to get married in Saratoga. Right here at the United States Hotel. Clara would be her maid of honor, and there'd be hundreds of people to invite.
From now on, she wouldn't have to look forward to each season in Saratoga.
Each and every day in Saratoga with Jack was going to be a wonderful day.
THE END.
About the Author
Chris Wenger has worked in the criminal justice field for more years than she cares to remember. She has a dual master's degree in Probation and Parole Studies and Sociology from Fordham University, but the knowledge gained from such studies certainly has not prepared her for what she loves to do the most - write romance!
Her first book,
The Lady and the Cowboy
, a western historical, was written for beginning adult readers and was sold to Laubach Literacy. In 1998, it was chosen by the Publishers Liaison Committee of the Public Library Association's Adult Lifelong Learning Section as one of the "Top Titles for Adult New Readers."
One of the biggest thrills of her life was receiving "the call" from Susan Litman at Silhouette Special Edition in January of 2004 that they wanted to publish
The Cowboy Way
. Yeee-haw!!
The Cowboy Way
was released in January 2005.
A native Central New Yorker, she enjoys watching professional bull riding and rodeo with her favorite cowboy, her husband, Jim.
Connect with Christine
For more information about Christine Wenger visit one of her pages online.
Webpage:
http://www.christinewenger.com
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ChristineWenger
Also Available:
Chapter One
NEWYORKCITY
MAY l880
“A letter for you from Wyoming, Miss Trask.” The gray-haired postman handed her a white envelope. Caroline’s heart lifted when she saw her father’s big, bold handwriting.
She took a deep breath and opened the envelope carefully. The letters from her father brightened her lonely days. He would tell of the latest calf or foal being born. He would tell funny stories about the cowboys who worked the ranch. Maybe, just maybe, this letter would say that she could come home. How she wished.
In every letter she wrote to her father, Caroline begged him to let her come home to Wyoming Territory. To their ranch, the Lazy Circle T. Right after her mother died, her father had sold some cattle. He used the money to send Caroline to boarding school in New York City.
Her parents had come to Wyoming from New York years before. When she turned l7, the headmistress found Caroline employment at the home of Lewis and Mary Foxworth. She was the governess to the two Foxworth children.
It had been seven years now that she had been away from the Lazy Circle T. Seven long years. Though she begged her father to let her come home, he always gave the same reason why she couldn’t, He was afraid the hard life would kill her as it did her mother. He always said that in his letters.
With a sad smile, Caroline carefully unfolded the new letter and read:
My dearest daughter Caroline,
Your last letter was a comfort to me. But I can’t change my mind. I know you want to come home, but New York City has so much to offer you. Wyoming is a harsh land. Your mother died because of this land, and I don’t want that to happen to you.
I lost a lot of cattle this past winter, and the ranch needs a lot of work. This year will not be an easy one. It’s not a fit place for a lady like you are now. It wasn’t fit for you: mother. It’s a place for cowboys, not ladies.
There is some good news. During spring roundup, there were more calves than usual. I’m hoping that when the little critters grow up they’ll bring a good price.
My beautiful daughter, in this envelope is some money for you. It’s never as much as I would like to send, but buy yourself a pretty dress or whatever else you need.
I almost forgot. Your horse, Rosebud, had a fine colt last week. We are calling him Buddy.
Old Doctor Bites stopped by when I was writing this letter, and he sends you his best. He said he’d mail this letter for me when he goes to town.
All my love, Your father,
Carl Trask
Tears streamed down Caroline’s face as she read the letter again and again. Something was wrong.
Caroline was 11 years old when he sent her away, but she could ride and rope as well as the best cowboys. Her father had taught her how to shoot a gun, too. He joked that she’d be able to shoot the eye out of a rattlesnake 20 feet away, They’d been so happy together.
Then her mother died, and she was sent away.
Caroline looked down at her light blue satin dress with the ruffled sleeves. She felt the dark blue satin bow at her neck that kept her hat in place. She didn’t care about these fancy things. She longed to be back in Wyoming, wearing her brown split skirt and riding her horse, Rosebud, She longed to see the new colt Buddy, too.
She wondered how many cattle had died during the winter. It had to be a lot, because her father sounded worried. The money he sent was less than usual.
Caroline read again the part about the doctor stopping by. She knew without a doubt that her father must be sick. Her father would never let a doctor get within a foot of him. He was sick, or Doc Bite would never have been at the ranch.
She had to know what was wrong, and she couldn’t wait for another letter.
“I must leave right away,” she said, putting the letter back into the envelope. “Right now. I have to go to him.”
# # #
Caroline stood and hurried toward the Foxworth home to pack and to announce her departure. It was a huge house—the Foxworths were very rich. She was well taken care of—in fact, she lived like a lady, as her father said.
But all she wanted—all she’d ever wanted—was to go home and be with her father on the ranch.
She had saved some money over the years, money that her father had sent her. She hardly spent any of it. She saved most of her governess stipend, too. With the money her father had just sent, she had enough at last.
Caroline packed some traveling dresses and a few items she would want in Wyoming. Then she slipped her father’s last letter under the blue ribbon that held together all the letters he sent over the years. She carefully put the bundle into her carpetbag.
She took a last look around at her room. It was beautiful, but she never felt at home in it as she did at the Lazy Circle T with its colorful Indian blankets and its walls made out of logs.
Caroline took a last look out of the window. She had made many wishes on many stars from that window. All the wishes were to return home.
New York City couldn’t compare to the rugged mountains, the open spaces, the deep blue sky, and the sight of cattle grazing on long grass
Wyoming
She was going home at last!
