George Pettigrew and his papa must leave the California rancho they'd lived on since his birth. They end up in New York City, where Papa marries and George gets a new beloved mama. George also meets Frank and Bart who become fast friends, and in Bart's case, even more.<br><br>The start of the Civil War leaves George the man of the family, but although he’s found a job, it’s difficult to pay the ever-increasing rent. Then Papa dies at Appomattox and Mama falls ill.<br><br>After Mama dies, her father takes George’s siblings. When George learns his younger sister is being abused, he rescues the three children. But will dressing his sisters as boys and himself as a woman be enough of a disguise to keep them safe until they can reach the valley he’s dreamed of? Will Bart leave behind his own family and go with the man he loves?

Home Before Sundown

This afternoon, though, an uneasy feeling crept up his spine—a few hours earlier, when he’d been going in the opposite direction, she’d been sitting on the same bench, with a portmanteau at her feet.


Now she had a piece of paper in her hands, twisting it between her white-gloved fingers, and there was tension in the way she held her shoulders.


In spite of being off duty, he pulled up Outlaw and called, “Cab, miss?”


She seemed to be lost in thought, and he tried again.


She gave a start, but this time she looked up. “Yes, please.” The girl rose, and now that he could see her figure, it became obvious she was actually a young woman, at least twenty. She walked toward the cab, and he hopped down from the seat behind the vehicle and opened the door. She came to stand before him. She was petite—what men called a pocket Venus—the top of her head coming not even as high as his heart.


“Oh, yes. Of course.” But she left it there.


Chapter 12