California Romance Read Free

when you come.”
    He paused. “Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a while. When I do write, I’ll send the letters to…” He named a trusted friend. “We can’t take a chance on Gus intercepting them.”
    Sarah sadly nodded and watched her brother walk off into the night. The sound of creaking leather, followed by the soft thud of the sorrel’s hooves diminished, leaving her alone in the darkness. Hot tears fell as she hurried to hide her brother’s few pitiful childhood treasures. The Stoddard children mustn’t get their greedy little hands on Seth’s belongings, especially the toy pistol Seth’s pa had painstakingly carved for him years before, so perfect in detail it closely resembled the real thing.

    Days passed. Gus Stoddard’s initial fury at Seth’s departure waned. A muttered “good riddance” a few weeks later assured Sarah and her mother that he had no immediate plans to track the young man down and drag him home. Life settled into routine—an empty routine for Sarah, who missed Seth’s hearty laugh and reassuring presence more than she had dreamed possible.
    Months limped by with no news of Seth. Sarah feared some misfortune had befallen her brother in the wild West. Each night after the youngsters had been put to bed, Sarah and her mother fell to their knees, asking God to keep His strong hand upon Seth. They also prayed for a letter.
    More than a year later the longed-for missive finally arrived, delivered by Seth’s friend. Seth was safe! Sarah and her mother rejoiced but kept the news to themselves, hiding the letter long before Gus returned from spending most of the afternoon and evening gambling away the little money he had. It would do Seth no good for Gus to learn the young man was now in California.
    Seth had written that he loved learning the cowboy trade on the Diamond S Ranch. “I’m the greenest greenhorn in the entire outfit,” he lamented in his letter. “I don’t know why my boss, Matt Sterling, has taken such a shine to me, but if it weren’t for him, I’d probably be lying dead in some back alley in Madera.” He closed his letter by writing, “Don’t worry. I’m alive, I’ve got a good job, and I am saving all I can. Keep praying for me. I know it’s those prayers that have seen me through some hard times.”
    Other letters arrived, secretly delivered by Seth’s friend. Usually they were short, with just bits and pieces of news about Seth’s new life. He loved the mild climate and the opportunity to make something of himself by working hard. He was happy, Sarah could tell. She only wished—

    A crash and a piercing scream jerked Sarah abruptly from her musing. She leaped from the mattress and scrambled down the ladder. Ellie and Timmy were at each other’s throats—biting, pinching, and hitting. Timmy was crying; Ellie shrieked at the top of her lungs.
    “Stop that at once!” Sarah ordered, grasping the back of Timmy’s overalls. She gave a yank, which forced the little boy to let go of his sister. “What’s going on?”
    Ellie threw herself at Timmy. Sarah had all she could do to avoid the child’s flailing fists. “He stole it!” Ellie screamed. “Give it back, you crybaby!”
    Timmy howled. “She’s killin’ me, Sarah! Make her stop!”
    Just then the door to the cottage burst open. Ian and Peter strolled through—dirty and rumpled. They whooped in delight at the scuffle but made no move to aid Sarah. Instead they watched from the doorway as their stepsister fought to control the two children.
    “You two give me a hand here,” she ordered the boys.
    “We’re hungry,” Peter answered, ignoring her request. He and Ian grinned, stepped around the ruckus, and began opening and closing cupboards in search of something to eat.
    Ellie and Timmy screamed louder. Sarah held them at arm’s length and tried to make them hush. A swift kick from the little girl sent a chair tumbling over.
    “Can’t a man return to his home without finding