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192 pages

English

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Laney McCain has unabashedly had her sights set on Galen O'Sullivan for years. And though Galen has treated her as nothing more than his best friend's pesky tag-along sister, Laney dares hope that now is the time he will open his eyes and truly recognize the woman she's become. But the arrival of Ishmael and Ivy Grubb, squatters on the O'Sullivans' land, diverts Galen's attention. Though the Grubbs are crass and uneducated, Galen shows mercy and allows them to stay in exchange for help around the farm. But it becomes a decision he lives to regret....Sometimes the Journey to Love Is Truly Bittersweet

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	01 avril 2007
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441202888
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0259€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Bittersweet
Books by
Cathy Marie Hake
FROM BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS
Letter Perfect
Bittersweet
Fancy Pants
Forevermore
Whirlwind
That Certain Spark
Serendipity
CATHYMARIE HAKE
Bittersweet Copyright 2007 Cathy Marie Hake
Cover design by Jennifer Parker
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 978-0-7642-0166-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hake, Cathy Marie.
Bittersweet / Cathy Marie Hake.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7642-0333-6 (alk. paper) -ISBN 978-0-7642-0166-0 (pbk.) -
ISBN 978-0-7642-0332-9 (large-print pbk.)
I. Title.
PS3608.A5454B58 2007
813 .6-dc22 2006038413
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
EPILOGUE
The Bible speaks of us all being part of the body of Christ, all of us having functions that are infinitely varied, specialized, and essential. Bethany House Publishers is much like that. Behind every author there are editors, copy editors, book cover artists, marketing gurus, print setters, binders, secretaries, and booksellers. We all need each other so we can work together to serve the Lord.
This book is dedicated to the wonderful team whose dedication and hard work enable me to tell a story.
The story is dedicated to the Lord.
CATHY MARIE HAKE is a nurse who specializes in teaching Lamaze, breastfeeding, and baby care. She loves reading, scrapbooking, and writing, and is the author or coauthor of more than twenty books. Cathy makes her home in Anaheim, California, with her husband, daughter, and son.

CHAPTER ONE

Sacramento, California September 1860
L aney McCain fought the urge to lick her fingers. The Fry s chocolate bar had come all the way from England, and it seemed wrong to waste even a dab of something so wonderful. Behind the cover of her hankie, she buckled to the temptation. One two three quick licks. Both bitter and sweet at the same time, the last little taste left her craving more. She smiled down at her neighbor, Dale O Sullivan. We re going to have to go back to that candy place!
Right now? Greed lit the six-year-old s eyes.
Yeah! his brother Sean agreed.
No. Laney used her hankie to clean Sean s chocolate mustache.
Dale hastily licked his own mouth clean and grinned. I got it all, Miss Laney!
Yes, you did. She straightened up and scanned the crowded California State Fair pavilion as she tucked the hankie back up her sleeve. You boys stay close. Here, Sean. I ll carry the pail now.
Do you know where we re posed to go? Dale grabbed a fistful of her skirt.
No, but I see a gentleman over there who s wearing a name tag. We can ask him. Laney approached the bewhiskered man. Excuse me. I have grape jelly and canned veg- You re in the wrong place. Vexation creased the man s brow and lent a surly edge to his voice. Produce is over in the west side of the pavilion. Tallow, lard, and preserved meats are here. Milk, butter, and cheese are on the south side. Grains and starches are north.
Sean O Sullivan scratched his bony elbow and asked, Are potatoes produce or are they starch?
Don t get smart with me, the man snapped.
Laney wrapped her left arm around Sean s shoulders and drew him closer. Her fingers made contact with the black strip of mourning crepe on her ten-year-old neighbor s upper arm, so she slid her hand higher and patted him while drawing his little brother closer to her on the other side. I wondered the selfsame thing. I guess it doesn t matter much since I don t have potatoes.
Guess not. Sean shrugged-a tense move that tattled on how upset he was.
Your mother s over there with Hilda. See? They re entering their tubs of lard.
Uh-huh.
Since I need to go over to the far wall with my jelly, Sean, why don t you go tell your mother that Dale and I will meet you all outside by that bench where we ate our chocolate?
Sean looked up at her, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and anger. Yes, Miss Laney.
That s very helpful of you.
A moment after he left, the grumpy man harrumphed . Didn t notice the lad s armband. Didn t mean to upset him.
Laney cast a meaningful look down at Dale, then tried to sound chipper. I convinced the O Sullivans to come to the fair with me. Two of your brothers and your mother came along, didn t they, Dale?
Uh-huh. But Galen stayed behind to work.
Right smart idea. The old man bobbed his head knowingly. Treat your servants well and they work harder.
The O Sullivans work harder than anyone I know. Laney smoothly set his false assumption straight by adding, It s a pleasure to have them as our neighbors. And someday I d like to be more than just their neighbor. It s proper to have a year of mourning; that s long enough to let Galen see that I m not just his best friend s baby sister. He ll finally see how much I love him and his family .
Laney pulled the blue gingham cover off her pail and entered her jelly and vegetables in the competition when they reached the correct booth. A sense of accomplishment washed over her. Even six months ago she hadn t known how to cook anything. She d only tried to make jelly once before-with disastrous results. Thanks to Mrs. O Sullivan s gentle guidance, Laney now knew her way around a kitchen.
As she and Dale left the booth, he tugged on her sleeve. Miss Laney?
Yes?
He crooked his finger at her, so she leaned down. Do you got any extra of that grape jelly?
Back home I do. Why?
He looked crestfallen. Never mind.
Are you hungry? When he shook his head, Laney drew Dale off to the side and sat on a small bench. Taming her hoops took a fleeting second, and then she reached and pulled Dale onto her lap.
My shoes ll make a dreadful mess of your pretty new dress.
A little dirt never hurt anyone. She curled her arms about him. Now suppose you tell me why you wanted to know about the jelly.
I thought maybe if I put some on Hortense, nobody d want her. He blinked and hung his head.
Ahhh, she said softly, then cuddled him closer. I see.
Laney smiled, recalling her first jelly-making experience, which had ended with her discarding her work into the pig sty. Her brother, Josh, thought the hogs had contracted some ailment upon seeing the purple splotches on their skin.
Laney threaded her fingers through Dale s unruly red curls. All around them, the fair went on. But Dale s little world is falling apart .
Dale finally tilted his head back. Galen says I ve gotta be 12 brave.
Her heart leapt at the mere mention of Galen s name. If anyone knows about being brave, it s your big brother. Laney slowly stroked her hand up and down Dale s skinny back.
Farmers raise crops and livestock to sell. It s our job, the little boy quoted, but his voice quavered.
There s no denying that you ve taken fine care of Hortense. I remember when she was just a tiny piglet.
Dale nodded. His hair caught on the pin-tucked bodice of her gown.
For a few more minutes, they stayed silent. Laney spent the time plotting what to do so Dale wouldn t have to lose his pet. I must say, she told him as she gave him a squeeze, I think you ve been exceedingly brave. Your big brother and mine could probably take a lesson or two from you. I ve never seen a pair of grown men act the way they did at the railway station!
Dale perked up and giggled. Hortense sure and enough gave them a hard time, didn t she?
I can t say who behaved the worst: my brother, yours, or Hortense.
You can t blame Hortense. She d never seen a train afore.
That s a very good point in her defense. Josh and Galen had no excuse. Then you -Laney tapped his freckled nose- just crumbled that cookie and made a trail that had her walk right up the ramp and into the livestock car. That was very clever.
Not really. I didn t have a cookie to eat, then. Glum as could be, he added, If I d kept my cookie, maybe Hortense would still be back home.
Arguing about that would be pointless, so Laney whispered, There s nothing keeping us from getting cookies now. I saw some enormous ones at a booth just outside the door-right next to the candy place. We could get a few chocolate bars to share and a couple of cookies. When Dale s eyes brightened, she shifted her gaze around the pavilion a few times, then leaned closer. I think She paused for a moment to stretch out the suspense.
Dale squirmed. Whaddya think, Miss Laney?
I think -she gave him a squeeze- Hortense would enjoy a cookie, too.
His jaw dropped. You d buy a cookie for my shoat?
Hortense isn t any ordinary pig.
No, she isn t. Dale couldn t resist boasting, Hortense is very smart.
There s only one problem, though.
There is?
Yes. Laney nodded her head solemnly. I don t know which Hortense likes best: sugar cookies or gingersnaps.

What a darlin lass y