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The going was slow on the sandy trail The heavy wagons pushed on The wheels of the Conestoga wagons had been modified ide ri wheels turned, they tossed sand up and over the riuised their trail to so could hide the trail of so ons

It didn't take more than a few hours of sun for the desert to beco as snow Cassie folded the lip of her so sun

Her thoughts turned to Bordeaux What was he doing out here alone in the ons used this route to deliver supplies to the tiny town of Ashley, but few people traveled the desert That hy Pete chose the route - less risk of being robbed

She ain Only a few more trips and the loan on the ranch would be paid Actually, she had enoughthe loan if she depleted her bank account at Bradley That was so she didn't want to do The money she earned from each of the trips across the desert was devoted entirely to paying off the loan, but theat the bank was set aside to purchase supplies until the ranch started paying for itself

Two tis, both times at Christmas It had been two years since their mother had died - three since their father had run off with that harlot Unable to locate hireed to leave the tith Mr & Mrs Hertz, their neighbors The Hertz's had not been blessed with children and were ada care of the twins Ta they would be grown

As it always did, er at her father She had been so certain he would return - at first At first she had hoped, even prayed he would return But after Mother died, everything changed No one could be that hard to find unless they didn't want to be found As far as she was concerned, he had relinquished his right to the ranch But that wasn't how the laould see things He ht show up any tiht hi so unfair But that hen she was naive and he was her idol