They
survived the Oregon Trail, but claiming a legacy would be their biggest
challenge yet…
Tainted Dreams
Sometimes, the end
justifies the means…
Kate Davis arrived into
Oregon City transformed from a pampered daughter of fortune into a determined
woman with a plan--fulfill her father's dream of starting a horse ranch in
Oregon Territory.
She quickly discovers a
harsh truth--even thousands of miles from home, on an unsettled land America
doesn't yet own or govern, gender still takes precedence over ability. Refusing
to be ruled once again by the stifling laws and societal norms she'd escaped by
leaving Virginia, Kate begins creatively claiming what is rightfully hers.
Until a visit to the land
office changes everything.
Jake Fitzpatrick guided
Kate across the Oregon Trail, and fell in love with her along the way. Now he
wants to marry her and build a life together, but a ruthless man from Jake's
past threatens to reveal a dark secret, and destroy everything he's worked so
hard to achieve.
Genre: Historical Western Romance
Published by
Astraea Press
Published: May 12, 2015
Words: 92,410
Language: English
ISBN: 9781621354154
The Author
Christi Corbett, winner
of the 2013 RONE Award for Best American Historical novel, lives in a small
town in Oregon with her husband and their twin children. The home's location
holds a special place in her writing life; it stands just six hundred feet from
the original Applegate Trail and the view from her back door is a hill
travelers looked upon years ago as they explored the Oregon Territory and
beyond.
Connect with Christi
Enjoy an Excerpt from Tainted Dreams
Rag
rugs dotted the gleaming pine board floor and a marble-topped oak desk sat in
the back left corner. Navy plaid curtains on both windows—one overlooking the
front steps and the other facing the alley—were pulled closed, yet the room was
well lit by three oil lamps and warmed by flames flickering in the stone
fireplace at the back wall.
Behind
her, Jake shut the door and then stepped so close she felt the brim of her hat
brush against his chest.
Jake—the
man who'd hired on as her family's guide across the Oregon Trail.
Jake—the
man who'd supported her through the darkest time of her life.
Jake—the
man she loved.
"William!
You're finally here!" The man Kate assumed to be William's uncle rose to
his feet and hurried around the desk and across the room. Though by the creases
around his eyes he looked to be in his early forties, he had hair the color of
coal, broad shoulders, and a trim waist. His clothing, while outdated by nearly
a decade, was impeccable, and a brown silk cravat perfectly arranged at his
neck and embellished with a gold pin completed the outfit.
This
man was a welcome change from the other men she’d seen so far in the town.
"I've
been waiting for you to walk through that door for weeks." He grabbed
William into a fierce hug, then pulled back to look at him again. "I was
worried you'd run into trouble."
"We
did," William replied.
"We?"
William's uncle finally took note of the others lingering at his door. His eyes
scanned the ragged group, narrowed briefly when they reached Jake, and then
returned to his nephew.
William
removed his hat and beckoned Margaret a few steps forward to join him.
"Uncle Theodore, I'm proud to introduce you to my wife, Margaret. We
married the day before departing from Independence."
Theodore
took Margaret's hand and bowed with a grace and confidence Kate hadn't seen
since the ballrooms of Virginia. "Please pardon my initial shock. My
nephew is a lucky man to have a bride as lovely as you."
"Thank
you," Margaret murmured, absently running her free hand along the curve of
her waist.
"You're
welcome." Theodore released her hand. "ʺI
consider it a privilege to have you as a member of our family." He straightened
and eyed the lobby doorway, where Kate still waited with Jake at her back. His
smile faded. "William, you mentioned trouble earlier, a fact that doesn't
surprise me now that I see who you kept company with on the trail."
Kate's
mouth dropped open. What had she or Jake done to offend this man?
"The
return to civilization can be a tough adjustment." Theodore motioned to William's
bare head, then to his hat clutched against his leg. "I'm pleased to see
you haven't forgotten the formalities of polite society."
Kate's
cheeks flamed. Propriety had been ingrained in her since birth, but she'd only
been wearing a man's hat since July—her father's hat, willed to her on his
deathbed. While she had no intention of replacing it with a bonnet any time
soon, she did intend to do her best to act according to society's conventions.
She quickly pulled off the hat and ran her free hand from her forehead to her
collar several times in a futile attempt to tame her wild curls.
Sighting
Theodore's slack-jawed astonishment, Kate bit her tongue to stifle a laugh. He
likely regretted his pointed words; she didn't need to further add to his
embarrassment.
"Seems
your companion has better manners than you." Theodore nodded toward Jake,
who, to Kate's surprise, still hadn't removed his hat.
"Seems
so," Jake replied, slowly pushing up the brim with one finger.
Kate
kept quiet, but wondered what would possess Jake to purposely be so rude to
someone he'd just met. Especially a prominent business owner, one that could
potentially serve as an ally if she ran into trouble with her future plans.
"William,"
Theodore said, smoothly turning to address his nephew again, "who is this
beautiful creature hiding beneath those ill-fitting clothes?"
William
glanced at Jake and gave a nearly imperceptible shrug of apology, then focused
again on his uncle. "I'm pleased to introduce Katherine Davis—"
"And
the infamous trail guide, Jake Fitzpatrick," Theodore finished.
"You
know each other?" William asked, his tone mirroring Kate's own surprise.
Jake
gave a curt nod. "We've met."
"And
then some." Theodore's laugh seemed more smug than jovial. "We came
across the trail together a few years ago."
Margaret
clapped her hands together in delight. "Isn't that something? Two friends
meet again after all this time."
"Friend
isn't a word I'd use to describe him," Jake said, removing his hat and
stepping beside Kate in one fluid move.
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