Free Love Finds You in Groom, Texas by Janice Hanna Page A

such a large property before. Their home in Denver had been situated just yards away from the house next door. Most houses in the city were built so close you could practically reach out and touch your neighbors. But here, in this wide, expansive place, a person could walk for hours and never cross a neighbor’s property line.
    Perhaps she would have to do that tomorrow. Walk for hours, that is. How glorious it sounded. Of course, if she got to choose, she would continue walking west, as far away from Dallas—and her future life with Uncle Bertrand—as possible.
    Anne strolled across the yard and out into the field, enjoying the sunset. Off in the distance, she heard the voices of John and his children. Before long, the chatter of young voices gave way to the silence of the wide-open plains.
    She tried to picture her mother just beyond that sunset. Her wonderful, kind mother—who’d been so good to everyone. She’d slipped off to heaven without so much as a real good-bye, leaving behind only memories and the little cross, a small symbol of her very large faith.
    Anne fingered the necklace, hoping to stir up some degree of faith to see her through this current problem. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind. Though her prayers of late felt as if they weren’t going much higher than the clouds, she decided to give it another try. Perhaps this time the Lord would give her an answer she could live with…if she could only think of a way to voice the question.
    “Lord, is this some sort of sign?” She looked to the skies but saw nothing. Heard nothing—nothing but the sound of a whip-poorwill in the distance. “Maybe we’re not supposed to go to Dallas. Am I supposed to turn back around and return to Colorado?”
    Across the field, the sun dipped below the trees, casting ribbons of color across the field. The grass, once golden, now looked almost red. If she stood here awhile longer, would it drift to shades of gray? Likely. Hadn’t her life moved in that direction already?
    Pushing back the tears, she forced herself to pray.

    Jake finished his work in the barn then headed to the fence, to the spot where he’d seen Anne walking. From a distance, he watched as she stood beneath the glow of the setting sun, her beautiful black hair shimming under a red-orange sky. He could tell from her posture that she felt relaxed. He hated to interrupt her but felt himself drawn in much the same way he’d been drawn to work for the railroad three years ago. Some things were just unavoidable. He drew near and cleared his throat.
    She turned, and he could see at once that her eyes brimmed with tears.
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I—I didn’t know you were…” Jake reached inside his pocket and came out with a handkerchief, which he passed her way. “Would you like me to go? I don’t mind.”
    “No, it’s fine.” She dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief. “I’m just being silly, I guess.”
    He took another step in her direction. “Missing Colorado?”
    “Yes. Missing a great many things.”
    He hoped she would elaborate, but she did not. He had so many questions—about the life she’d left behind and why she and her sisters were on their way to their uncle’s house.
    He opted to say nothing at all. Maybe it would be better to leave things as they were for a moment. He stood alongside her, gazing out over the pasture. From time to time, he heard what sounded like a contented sigh as she took in the sight before them.
    Off in the distance, the family’s collie rested in the yard. “From what I hear, Ginger worked hard today,” Jake said. “John said she was worth her weight in gold. They rounded up the cattle on the back twenty.”
    “Aw. Poor Ginger.”
    “Yes. It looks like she’s tuckered out.”
    “I’m a little tired myself.”
    “Should we go back inside?”
    “Not just yet.” She turned and offered up the sweetest smile he’d ever seen.
    “What do you think of O’Farrell’s Honor?” Jake gestured