Pieces of Sky
Carrying the deed to Bickersham Hall and hiding the new life stirring inside her, Jessica Abigail Rebecca Thornton flees her home in England to locate her brother in New Mexico Territory. The year is 1869, and her journey west takes her by stagecoach along with a diverse group of traveling companions. Men have always let her down, so it is no surprise when she must withstand the lewd and lecherous looks and comments of the men on board. They believe she is a widow, although the thought of her child’s father still alive, married to her sister Annie, causes her to tremble with unease. How could she tell her sister that her husband is a rapacious rake?
Brady Wilkins is a trail-worn rancher with a tendency to cuss, but whose impish smile and “startling eyes” make Jessica take notice as they banter back and forth as they travel along the bumpy trail. Suddenly the hot, fetid and unbearable ride turns deadly. The stage overturns after hitting something on the way, causing the coach to overturn. A tumbling heap of travelers and horses careens down the embankment. Brady saves her life. Jessica, along with the survivors, is taken to his ranch, Rosa Roja. Upon examination, she learns she will have twins, and the doc forbids travel for at least three months. Demons of her past keep the desire she feels for Brady at bay. Could she be wrong about this rough-edged man and allow herself to trust a man again? Will his love for Rosa Roja be too much for their future survival?
Pieces of Sky, book one in the Blood Rose Trilogy, couples unlikely lovers from opposing realms in a romance that is a predictable yet delightful afternoon read.
