the house, a wide smile on his face.
“Hanna,” Luke said to his sister. “You remember Becky Johnson. My wife.”
The woman smiled as she shook her head while she wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. “I was always worried that you two would never find each other again. But I guess what was meant to be can’t be stopped.”
Rebecca sighed. She was home with the man she loved.
The End
Author’s Notes
Thank you for reading ‘The Western Trail,’ the first book in the Parker Family series. The next book, “Silver Creek” will be coming out soon. This is the story of Luke and Becky set ten years after the conclusion of The Western Trail.
I would love to know what you think of it. My readers make it possible for me to do what I love, so I am always grateful and excited to hear from you. Please stop by my website GLSnodgrass.com or send me an Email at GL@GLSnodgrass.com. Feel free to sign up for my newsletter. I use my newsletter to announce new releases and give away free books. Or you can follow me on Amazon Author Page Or via Bookbub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/g-l-snodgrass. I also post on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/G.L.Snodgrass/ f
As always, I would like to thank my friends for their assistance with this book. Sheryl Turner, Anya Monroe, Eryn Carpenter, and Kristy Rose. I couldn’t have done it without them.
If you enjoyed ‘Silver Creek’ please tell a friend or two. And please help out by rating this book at Amazon, Bookbub, or Goodreads. Reviews from readers make a huge difference for a writer.
I have also included the first two chapters of my book “Lonesome Valley Bride” the first in the “High Sierra” series.
Again, thank you.
Lonesome Valley Bride
Chapter One
Jack Tanner moved the gun on his hip to a more comfortable position as he leaned forward in his saddle to peer down at the valley below. Some places are more special than others, he thought. It had to be the prettiest valley this side of East Tennessee.
At almost two miles long, about a half-mile wide, with a fast-flowing stream running down the middle. Long green grass covered the valley floor. Tall pines hugged both sides of the valley walls. The east side of the Sierra meant their winters would be milder. But enough rain and snowmelt to keep that stream running most of the year.
Some family’s paradise he realized when he saw the long finger of smoke rising from the farmhouse down close to the valley entrance. A sense of envy filled him. It looked like his life of hard roads would continue.
He sat there a moment admiring the view. “What do you think Duke,” he said to the dog at his side. “Think they’ll trade a home-cooked meal for a cord of chopped wood?” When a man spent as much time alone as he did, he just naturally talked to his dog.
“I don’t know about you, but I’d cut two cords of wood for some biscuits.”
The dog wagged his tail, obviously agreeing.
Jack laughed, it had been a few lean weeks. They’d both gotten tired of beans and pemmican over a week ago.
“Come on Blue,” he said to his horse as he nudged him forward. “Maybe they’ve got some oats they can spare.”
As he broke through the tree line, he cut sign of wild mustangs. He shook his head. A good-sized heard, they probably used this valley on and off throughout the year. A man could cull enough to sell to the Army he thought as that envy feeling grew.
After crossing the creek, he spotted an old mossy horned bull watching him. A nasty scar on the bull’s hip surprised him. There were few creatures brave enough to tackle such a beast. Maybe a grizzly.
“Don’t worry,” he called out to the bull. “We’re just passing through.”
The beast watched them pass, twisting to keep them under his stare.
Jack guided his horse along the creek then glanced over his shoulder at the snow-capped mountains in the distance and adjusted his thinking. “Probably year-long water,” he mumbled to himself. A valuable asset on the eastern slope of the mountains.
As he approached the house, he pulled up a bit away. He had learned long ago not to surprise a man. They had a habit of acting before thinking things through. Instead, he rested a moment and observed.
A well-built log cabin, longer than most. An outbuilding. Combination barn and chicken coop. No kitchen garden though. A couple of horses in the coral connected