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

A few days later, they found Mrs. O’Connor’s boarding house, and as luck would have it, she had a room available.


Back in the present once more, he smiled. “She was kind and sweet, although she had a temper.” There had been that one time, before George was born. They’d had a successful roundup, and he’d gone into town with Don Jorge’s vaqueros and had come home stinking drunk, with a knot on his cheekbone and a black eye. Analeigh had been kind and patient that night, but the next morning she’d revealed a side he hadn’t expected. “Estúpido! You’re lucky no one stuck you with a knife,” she’d shouted at him, causing his aching head to ache even more. He shouted back at her, and the next thing he knew, she’d backed him against a wall and was kissing him as if she wanted to eat him up. He was pretty certain that was when they’d made George.


“I love hearing about Mama,” Georgie said.


“Yes.” Tom ducked his head and smiled again.


Chapter 18