{"id":10144,"date":"2011-12-20T23:34:55","date_gmt":"2011-12-21T04:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=10144"},"modified":"2011-12-20T23:34:55","modified_gmt":"2011-12-21T04:34:55","slug":"a-heart-renewed-by-karen-baney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=10144","title":{"rendered":"A Heart Renewed by Karen Baney"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/firstwildcardtours.blogspot.com\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480264388542368882\" style=\"cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 145px;\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/TA3PbPpKjHI\/AAAAAAAAEFE\/e9Dq6nSnpCA\/s200\/FIRSTWildCardTours2.jpg\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a>It is time for a <span style=\"color: #990000;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/firstwildcardtours.blogspot.com\/\">FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old&#8230;or for somewhere in between! <span style=\"color: #990000;\"><strong>Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em style=\"color: #cc0000;\"><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em style=\"color: #cc0000;\"><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em style=\"color: #cc0000;\">You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><strong>Today&#8217;s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #cc0000; font-size: 180%;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.karenbaney.com\/\">Karen Baney<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #cc0000; font-size: 180%;\"><span style=\"color: #cc0000; font-size: 100%;\">and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #cc0000; font-size: 180%;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0983548625\">A Heart Renewed (Prescott Pioneers 2) <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><span style=\"background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;\">Karen Baney (April 17, 2011)<\/span><span style=\"background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<p>***Special thanks to Karen Baney for sending me a review copy.***<\/p>\n<div align=\"left\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333399; font-size: 130%;\"><span style=\"color: #cc0000;\">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6hAu2u50ZlM\/Tu7p5ELlfSI\/AAAAAAAAGjM\/tAea2DV6cQg\/s1600\/KarenBaney_med.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6hAu2u50ZlM\/Tu7p5ELlfSI\/AAAAAAAAGjM\/tAea2DV6cQg\/s200\/KarenBaney_med.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"200\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a>Karen Baney, in addition to writing Christian historical fiction and contemporary novels, works as a Software Engineer. Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. Karen and her husband make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs. She also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University.<\/div>\n<p>Visit the author&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.karenbaney.com\/\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div align=\"left\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333399; font-size: 130%;\"><span style=\"color: #cc0000;\">SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-E0cANQbe75s\/Tu7p8w38ZdI\/AAAAAAAAGjU\/7crDf8ixmq0\/s1600\/A+Heart+Renewed+CoverArt+Medium.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-E0cANQbe75s\/Tu7p8w38ZdI\/AAAAAAAAGjU\/7crDf8ixmq0\/s200\/A+Heart+Renewed+CoverArt+Medium.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"142\" height=\"200\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Headstrong. Unconventional. Until life turns upside down\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Julia Colter struggles to accept life under her controlling brother\u2019s greed. The suitors he selects would benefit him, but are far from the ideal husband for her. When her rebellion against her brother puts her life at risk, she turns to her friend for help.<\/p>\n<p>Adam Larson longs to train horses and plans to head west to the Arizona Territory to see his dreams fulfilled. When his sister\u2019s best friend shows up in the middle of the night, he agrees to help her flee. The decision changes his life, in more ways than he expected.<\/p>\n<p>Can Julia forget the pain from her past and open her heart to love?<\/p>\n<p>Product Details:<\/p>\n<p><strong>List Price: <\/strong>$14.99<\/p>\n<ul style=\"background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\">\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><strong>Paperback:<\/strong> 338 pages<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> Karen Baney (April 17, 2011)<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><strong>Language:<\/strong> English<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><strong>ISBN-10:<\/strong> 0983548625<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><strong>ISBN-13:<\/strong> 978-0983548621<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #cc0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 180%;\">AND NOW&#8230;THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"height: 307px; overflow: auto;\">\n<h4 align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Lucida Calligraphy'; font-size: small;\">Star C Ranch, Texas<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Lucida Calligraphy'; font-size: small;\">July 4, 1864<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cYou cannot be serious, Reuben!\u201d Julia Colter shouted, not caring that she might wake her niece and nephew from their afternoon nap. Pacing back and forth across the length of the kitchen, she stopped in front of her older brother, her temper flaring almost as hot as the stove. \u201cHe is balding and fat and twice my age!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cYou will marry who I say!\u201d Reuben thundered. \u201cI expect you to treat Mr. Hiram Norton with the utmost respect this evening. He has shown great interest in you and the least you can do is be civil with the man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cBut, I could never love him!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">As Reuben shoved her violently up against the wall, Julia\u2019s breath left her lungs in a rush. Digging his fingers into her arms, she could feel the bruises starting to form. His brown eyes darkened with unrestrained anger as he glared down at her. She swallowed in fear, stunned by his abrupt action.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cStop, you\u2019re hurting me,\u201d she said, trying to break free from his vice like grip.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">He raised his hand as if he meant to strike her\u2014something he had never done before. The action startled her to silence. Instead of hitting her across the face, as she thought he might, Reuben returned his hands to her upper arms squeezing even harder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Leaning so close the heat of his breath warmed her cheeks, he said, \u201cYou have no idea what hurt is, Julia. You are an insolent little whelp. You will paste a smile on that tart little face of yours. And you will do your best to win his affections or,\u201d his voice menacing, \u201cyou will suffer my wrath, the likes of which you have yet to see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Releasing his hold, he pushed her so that she tumbled to the floor in a heap. As he turned to walk away, he added in a sinister tone, \u201cIt would be best if you get used to the idea of Hiram Norton and give up fanciful notions of love, dear sister. You will not have that luxury. The sooner you come to accept that, the better it will go for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">She sat in stunned silence as Reuben stalked to his office down the hall. Tears streaming down her face, Julia bolted to her feet, running out the front door of the ranch house to the nearby stables, still frightened by her brother\u2019s brutal behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The smell of hay and horse assaulted her delicate senses as she selected a gentle mare. Throwing her saddle on the horse\u2019s back, she led her from the barn. Once under the open blue skies, she shoved one foot into the stirrup, swinging her other leg over the mare, riding astride. Nudging the mare into a full gallop, Julia fled to the one place she would always feel free\u2014the back of a horse in the wide open pastures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Reuben may be her guardian now, but she had only to endure a few more years of this before she would be of age and in control of her life. If only she could stop him from marrying her off before then.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">At seventeen, she considered herself too young to get married, though many women her age and younger married. She wasn\u2019t ready. She didn\u2019t pine for the responsibilities marriage entailed. She liked her freedom. But, when she was ready to marry, she would marry for love and not because Reuben wished it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Certainly, she would never marry Hiram Norton. The thirty-seven year old rancher was the exact opposite of what Julia wanted for a husband. His short stature and fading hairline made him look even older. He had a reputation for loving excess. When it came to food, his waistline showed the results of that love. There were other unsavory aspects to his reputation as well which included rumors that he frequented the saloon and brothel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">No, the man for Julia would be young and handsome. His character would be impeccable, his honor undeniable. Land, money, and wealth held no importance to her. She only cared that her dream man would be able to provide for her and their family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">As the wind tangled her long, sandy brown curls, she continued to press the horse for more speed\u2014needing it to soothe her fear and anger. In the distance she saw the herd of longhorns kicking up dust. The sight sparked a memory of Will, the kinder, more honorable of the Colter brothers, sending her mind racing in another direction. So many times he\u2019d taken Julia out to the pasture, teaching her how to rope, ride, and work with the cattle. Some thought such behavior unacceptable for a lady. She was glad to learn these skills. Should her handsome young dream man end up being a rancher, he might appreciate her ability to work the ranch by his side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\"><em>Why hasn\u2019t Will written?<\/em> The thought of Will brought fresh tears as memories of his hasty departure flooded her mind. Not only had she buried her father, but she also lost the brother she was close to\u2014all within a few short weeks. Almost a year ago, following her father\u2019s death, Reuben forced Will to leave the ranch when he had been deeded the house and ranch. While Will and Reuben both received half of the herd and the financial holdings, Will was left with no home or land. Unable to find anything close, Will moved to the Arizona Territory, leaving Julia behind. Alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The only time she heard from him was in November 1863. Will wrote that he, his men, and his cattle arrived safely and set up their new home near the Granite Creek settlement in the Arizona Territory\u2014wherever that was. No other letters came.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Despite the thirteen year age difference between Will and Julia, they adored each other. She followed him everywhere, never far from his side even when he worked with the herd. When she needed protecting, it was Will who came to her defense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Oh, how she could use his protection now. If he were here, he would stop Reuben from forcing her to marry that awful Hiram Norton.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">But, he wasn\u2019t here. He was in a distant territory, far from Texas, far from her aid. Her father left her in Reuben\u2019s care\u2014not Will\u2019s\u2014even though Will would have been the better choice as far as Julia was concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Their father never saw the evil that clouded Reuben\u2019s heart and he knew nothing of his manipulative ways. In her father\u2019s eyes, Reuben was as good of a son as Will. If her father knew of Reuben\u2019s late nights in town or of his forceful tactics for bankrupting other ranchers and taking over their lands, he turned a blind eye. She found it hard to fathom that father could have missed such thinly concealed behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">As the mare started to struggle for breath, sides heaving with great effort, Julia eased up the pace. She was so torn. She had thought more than once to runaway to Arizona, but was afraid Reuben would find her and drag her back. Now he wanted her to flirt with Hiram Norton and get him to marry her. She had no desire to do what Reuben was asking. Mr. Norton may be wealthy, but he was twenty years older than her. There was something indecent in that alone. Nothing about him or his character appealed to her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Realizing she was nearing the outer pasture, Julia turned the mare around to head back to the ranch house. She did not want to risk angering Reuben further by being unprepared for their dinner guests. <em>Lord, please don\u2019t make me have to marry that repulsive man. Will always said you could work things together for good. I am not seeing much good right now. Please give me the strength to make it through this evening meal.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">As she pulled the mare to a stop in front of the stables, she slid off the horse. One of the young cowboys, Bates, took the reins from her hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cMiss Colter, you best hurry,\u201d he said, nodding toward the lane leading to the ranch house.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">A cloud of dust at the far end of the lane indicated their guests were already arriving. Julia shot a quick word of thanks to the friendly cowboy before picking up her skirts and running to the house. As she threw the door open, panting for breath, she caught Reuben\u2019s seething look.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Rushing down the hall she slammed her bedroom door shut. She splashed some water on her face, wiping away the dust from her ride.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d Mary\u2019s panicked voice preceded her entrance into Julia\u2019s room. Reuben\u2019s normally calm, quiet wife seemed rather anxious as she picked up the corset she laid out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cRiding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cWhatever for?\u201d came the squeaky, agitated response.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Julia tore off her day dress, tossing it over a chair. As Mary came to assist her with the corset, Julia took her last deep breath of the evening. She hated the confining contraption. Once the stays were tightened, she lifted her arms as Mary helped settle the lovely yellow silk down over her shoulders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cYou should have been in here an hour ago,\u201d Mary lamented. \u201cNow there is no possible way we can fashion your hair into ringlets. The other women will think you don\u2019t care about your appearance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">They would be correct, Julia thought. \u201cYou fret, too much,\u201d she replied, brushing out her tangled curls. She would be content with twisting her unruly hair into a chignon, despite how much it fought against the pins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cGo on. I\u2019ll finish,\u201d she instructed Mary, hoping to have a quiet moment to compose herself before entering the fray.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Mary hesitated for a brief moment before softly exiting the room. Taking as deep a breath as she could, Julia let it out in a heavy sigh. Undoubtedly, Hiram Norton was already here, waiting for her in the other room. Pasting a smile on her face, she squared her shoulders and left the solitude of her room.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\"> \u201cHiram,\u201d Reuben said as Julia approached, \u201cI do not believe you have met my sister, Julia.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">It took every ounce of courage to hold her smile steady and extend her hand towards Mr. Norton\u2019s rotund frame. Taking her hand, he placed a sloppy kiss on top, before asking, \u201cReuben, where have you been hiding this lovely filly?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\"><em>Filly? <\/em>The distasteful comment sickened her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cMr. Norton, a pleasure to meet you,\u201d Julia said with more decorum than she thought she possessed. As soon as his hold lifted, she discretely wiped the back of her hand on her dress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cMiss Colter, you are absolutely stunning,\u201d he replied, allowing his lustful gaze to rove over her neckline, down her curvy figure, making overtly inappropriate stops along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">She fought to tamp down her mounting abhorrence. As the guests were seated around the table, she eagerly helped Mary set out the food. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Still irritated by Mr. Norton\u2019s uncouth comment, she decided to fight back as she took her seat. \u201cMr. Norton, my brother tells me you have been very successful with your ranch, despite the Union\u2019s blockade. Tell me, how do you do it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Reuben\u2019s eyes narrowed slightly, letting her know he caught her barely hidden sarcasm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cMy lovely Miss Colter, such matters are too complicated for your simple mind to understand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Another mark against Mr. Norton\u2014condescension towards women, she thought, keeping the sweet smile firmly in place. Lobbing a spoonful of potatoes on her plate she waited for him to continue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cHowever, I shall endeavor to enlighten you,\u201d he said with an air of superiority, snatching the potatoes from her hand. \u201cWhile the Union may have blockaded our route to drive cattle to the New Orleans market, they have made no such effort to stop us from driving to points north or west. It seems that as long as we aren\u2019t supplying the Confederate Army, they care little where we sell our cattle. We have simply changed our route north to the railways in Missouri. While I don\u2019t care for the Union and their imposing ways, a profit is a profit. And I have made significant gains by being one of the first Texans to sell to eastern markets by way of Missouri.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cMr. Norton.\u201d As her irritation rose, Julia retorted, \u201cIf a large profit is to your liking, why not drive the cattle west towards the California market where prices are more than triple that of the eastern markets?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Reuben shifted in his chair uncomfortably. His darkening eyes warned her to hold her tongue. Julia knew she should have heeded the warning, but she preferred being forthright. Let Mr. Norton find that out now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Mr. Norton laughed off her question, causing her to dislike the man even more. \u201cYou are a spirited little woman, I will give you that. But your comment shows your youth and your naivety.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Taking not one, but two large pork chops from the platter she handed him, he said, \u201cWhile the prices west are much higher, so is the cost to drive the cattle such a great distance. The length of time it takes to drive the cattle to California is almost three times as long as the northern route. It is also much more dangerous. There are many more Indians and cattle thieves westward. It would simply not be profitable to drive the herd west.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">His snooty tone grated on her nerves. When she opened her mouth to speak, Reuben interrupted. \u201cPerhaps, dear sister, you should leave the business matters to men. I\u2019m sure you would be much more interested in knowing how Mrs. Withers\u2019 new baby is faring.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Mrs. Withers quickly picked up the conversation, monopolizing both Julia and Mary\u2019s time. While Julia was surprised Reuben even knew the woman had a child, she was thankful for the opportunity to ignore Mr. Norton.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">As the conversation continued, she felt something brush against her knee then move away. She kept her focus on Mrs. Withers\u2019 overlong description of her young son and on eating the meal, until she felt the unmistakable presence of a man\u2019s hand move above her knee. She stole a glance and confirmed Mr. Norton\u2019s hand rested most inappropriately on her thigh. Angling her legs further away from him as discreetly as possible, Julia\u2019s stomach churned. When Mr. Norton pressed closer, she thought she might lose her dinner. The man appeared to have no limits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Standing abruptly, she said, \u201cIf you\u2019ll excuse me. I\u2019m not feeling quite myself.\u201d Without waiting for a reply she hurried to her room.<\/span><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a name=\"0.3_graphic05\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p><center><\/center><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Reuben scowled after his sister. Her behavior had been completely unacceptable, despite his attempt earlier in the day to reason with her. This silly idea of marrying for love must have worked its way into her thinking from the stories their father told of their mother. No one married for love.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">He certainly hadn\u2019t. While Mary was pleasant looking enough and easy to control, he did not love his wife. He had married her to increase his social standing among the area ranchers\u2014something his father never seemed to care about. Her father had been one of the wealthier men in the area and he was easy to win over. In fact, Reuben thought, most everyone he met was easy to manipulate\u2014except Will and Julia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">It didn\u2019t matter. Will was gone and out of the picture. He was no longer a nuisance, even though it was Will\u2019s fault that he was in such a financial mess. The timing of Will leaving with half the herd and half the financial holdings was disastrous, leaving him unable to pay debts to some very powerful men\u2014a situation he was desperately trying to resolve.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The last bite of his pork chop churned in his stomach as fear gained a foothold. He needed Hiram\u2019s money from the marriage arrangement to Julia. It was his only hope of turning things around.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">As his guests finished the meal, Reuben stood. \u201cGentlemen, shall we retire to the front porch for some refreshments and cigars?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The men eagerly nodded, obviously wanting to be away from the women as quickly as he did. As Hiram stood, Reuben pulled him aside. Speaking loud enough for the others to hear, he said, \u201cWe\u2019ll join you in a moment. Hiram and I have a few business matters to discuss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Leading Hiram back towards his office, Reuben hoped Hiram would still be amiable to the agreement they discussed several days ago at the saloon, despite Julia\u2019s less than enthusiastic attitude this evening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Before he offered a seat, Hiram took one, starting the conversation on his terms. \u201cJulia is quite lovely, Reuben. You\u2019ve been holding out on me. When you asked for such a large sum, I assumed she must be dreadful to look at.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cSo you are pleased?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cTo a point,\u201d Hiram admitted. \u201cWhile she\u2019ll keep me entertained well, she needs to learn to control her tongue, especially in front of guests. I\u2019m surprised you haven\u2019t dealt with this already.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Reuben frowned. If only Hiram knew what he was up against. With any luck, he wouldn\u2019t find out until after his wedding day. \u201cWell, father has only been gone a short time. He doted on her, so it will take some time to get her to properly respect a man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cAh, there\u2019s the catch. I\u2019ll have to train her myself then.\u201d Hiram laughed. \u201cIt will be a fun challenge\u2014breaking her. Too bad you didn\u2019t have more time to do the job yourself. You could get a much higher price for her, as beautiful as she is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The price he was asking was enough. Normally prone to greediness, when it came to selling his sister\u2019s hand in marriage, he felt it prudent not to get too greedy. He was running out of time and needed to pay his debts soon. Once that pressure slackened, he could focus his energy on rebuilding his wealth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">A brief hint of remorse came over Reuben. Had he stooped so low that he was selling his sister for money? But, it was not as if he were selling her to a brothel. No, he was just selling her to a wealthy rancher. She would live in luxury. What could be bad about that?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">He knew living with Hiram Norton would not be pleasant. The man had a reputation for being ruthless to his business associates, to his women, and even to his mother. He had no limits. He made Reuben look like a saint. Julia would undoubtedly be miserable married to him until she learned her place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Chiding himself, he refocused his attention back to what Hiram was saying. He needed this man\u2019s money, not a sudden case of conscience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cAfter we have our cigars,\u201d Hiram was saying, \u201cthen, I will take Julia for a walk. See if I still fancy her. When I return, we will announce our engagement. It will be short. No longer than a month.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Reuben held back a gasp. He hadn\u2019t expected Norton to want a short engagement. \u201cYou know what the townsfolk will say with such a hurried wedding. They will think my sister has been compromised.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Pulling a large stack of bills from his coat pocket, Hiram slammed it down on the desk. \u201cI don\u2019t think you will care too much what is said about your sister\u2019s reputation. Who knows, what they say may end up being true anyway.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The dark look on Hiram\u2019s face sent shivers down Reuben\u2019s spine. Ruthless seemed rather inadequate of a word to describe the man before him. He had to make sure Julia did not ruin this deal, for he did not want the added pressure of Norton\u2019s anger.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mary knocked on Julia\u2019s door not more than ten minutes after she left the meal. Her voice was timid when she spoke, \u201cThe men have retired to the front porch for cigars. Reuben requested that you return to the parlor with the women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Sighing, Julia did as instructed. She listened to the gossip of the rancher\u2019s wives and wished her friend Caroline Larson was in attendance, so she might actually be able to enjoy the evening. The Larsons owned a ranch to the east of the Star C and they had been long-time family friends. Up until last year, before father passed away, the Larsons were always invited for every social gathering\u2014sometimes they were the only guests. Since then, Reuben saw little use for Mr. Larson\u2019s moral ways and only included them on rare occasions to pacify her or his wife.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Not paying attention to the boring conversation, Julia missed seeing the men return from the outdoors. Mr. Norton\u2019s hand on her forearm jolted her from her thoughts. \u201cMiss Colter, I was hoping you might take a walk with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cAnd who will be acting as chaperone?\u201d she replied curtly, not wanting to be alone in his presence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Mr. Norton laughed, a sound she was beginning to detest. \u201cSilly girl, I am much too old for a chaperone. I assure you, your reputation will be safe with me. I simply want to stroll for a few moments with a beautiful woman on my arm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Julia thought a stroll might be too much for the man. He was sweating profusely and seemed to have difficulty walking the distance to the door, as his breath came in short, heavy bursts. She looked to Mary for support. She smiled and nodded her approval, oblivious to Mr. Norton\u2019s reprehensible behavior. As Reuben stood next to Mary, his eyes narrowed with a silent warning. Heeding the unspoken message, she stood and accepted Mr. Norton\u2019s arm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Outside, the air barely cooled in the waning sunlight, causing Julia to grow warm in a matter of seconds. She wished she thought to grab her fan when a sour odor wafted from the man at her side. Averting her face, she tried to catch an untainted breath of air. Unsuccessful, she decided parting her lips to breathe through her mouth might be preferable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Nearing the stables, Mr. Norton stopped abruptly, turning towards Julia. The quick motion\u2014seemingly impossible coming from the man who seemed to struggle walking much of a distance\u2014frightened her. Sucking in air quickly through her mouth, a slight tickle lingered in the back of her throat, almost bringing on a cough.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">When he spoke, his voice took on a sinister edge. Even in the dimming light she could see the contempt in his eyes. \u201cMiss Colter, while I admire your feisty spirit,\u201d he said as he grabbed her wrists, \u201cIt would serve you not to embarrass me again, especially by questioning my business practices in a room full of my peers. I can make your life most unbearable if you cross me.\u201d Without warning he pulled her close and crushed his mouth down on hers as his hands took great liberty in exploring her body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The shock of his action took a moment to register. Once it did, Julia brought her booted heel down hard on the top center of his foot, just as Will showed her. He dropped his hold instantly, crying out in pain. As he limped toward her, she ran for the front of the house to put some distance between them. Tripping over something, she stumbled, giving Mr. Norton time to catch up. He grabbed her bruised upper arms with surprising strength.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">\u201cDo not ever do that again,\u201d he said in a hostile tone. \u201cDo you not know that Reuben has promised you to me? Make no mistake, <em>Miss<\/em> Colter, I am a powerful man. If you want to live a decent, peaceful life under my roof, you best lose some of your haughtiness\u2026 Or, I will take whatever measures necessary to force it out of you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Julia blinked, trying to absorb all that he said. Was he saying that Reuben already agreed to her marrying this loathsome man? An ominous chill swept over her as he continued his intense stare. Her heart beat rapidly within her chest as her panic rose. She could not\u2014would not\u2014marry this dreadful man.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">Dropping his hold on her, Mr. Norton extended his arm and placed her hand in the crook. \u201cSmile,\u201d he commanded as he limped to open the front door.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">While her smile came insincerely, his seemed quite pleased. He crossed the room slowly, still favoring his injured foot, before stopping in front of Reuben and Mary. \u201cReuben, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Julia has eagerly agreed to accept my offer of marriage,\u201d he said smugly. \u201cShe was so delighted that she agreed to a short engagement. We will be married in a month.\u201d His fingernails dug into her arm daring her to speak otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;\">The smirk on Reuben\u2019s face told her this had been their plan all along. Such a public announcement, even though it was completely false, would be difficult to break. <em>Lord, help me. I cannot marry that man.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/divider.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7685\" title=\"divider\" src=\"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/divider.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"32\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/divider.jpg 195w, https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/divider-150x24.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><strong>MY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"A Heart Renewed\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0983548625\">A Heart Renewed<\/a> continues the historical saga that began in <a title=\"A Dream Unfolding\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1456512315\">A Dream Unfolding<\/a>, the first volume of the Prescott Pioneers series. Featuring Julia Colter, the younger sister of Will Colter, this second novel of the series also includes many of the characters introduced in the earlier book and sets the stage for Baney&#8217;s next offering.<\/p>\n<p>As in <a title=\"A Dream Unfolding\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1456512315\">A Dream Unfolding<\/a>, this book highlights actual history and people of\u00a0 Prescott, Arizona and the surrounding area but since the historical foundation was laid in the first book,\u00a0<a title=\"A Heart Renewed\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0983548625\">A Heart Renewed<\/a> is a much more character and action driven story. Baney has bravely held nothing back in relating a tale that includes the good, the bad, and the ugly facts about life in the old west, yet she manages to do so with a restraint that gets her point across without unnecessary offensive details.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"A Heart Renewed\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0983548625\">A Heart Renewed<\/a>\u00a0is an emotion filled story that covers everything from joy to despair. A very strong theme of the importance of forgiveness runs throughout the narrative and affects more than one of the characters. This is a book that will have you rooting for some of the characters and hating others. Baney left just enough unresolved issues for me to look forward to reading the next installment.<\/p>\n<p>I would recommend that the entire series be read in order although each book could easily stand alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,34,41,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-historical","category-romance","category-western"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10144"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10152,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10144\/revisions\/10152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}