Excerpt from Texas Reclaimed
Cora sank against Ben’s chest like parched earth soaking up rain, her body trembling almost as much as Ben’s battered one. He could have been killed. A chill swept over her body. Her hands dug into the back of Ben’s rumpled undershirt and held on tight. Thank God, Ben was alive, standing, and breathing. Thank God, they hadn’t taken Charlie. That they were all still here safe.
Charlie came alongside and hugged them both.
Ben slipped one hand from Cora and wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulders.
Jack scurried around their feet, panting.
Safe. Cora bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She choked back a sob. She wouldn’t cry. Strong and steady beneath the hard wall of his chest, Ben’s heart pounded against her cheek. His warmth permeated the dirty linen of his shirt and the thin cotton of her chemise, drawing her like a magnet.
Moisture dropped onto the back of her head. A metallic smell. Blood.
Her breath caught. What was she thinking? Releasing her hold, she pulled back a few inches, her hands still lingering on his sides as if they belonged there. “You’re bleeding.” Every inch of her wobbled.
Want to know more about the book?
Can love blossom between a woman haunted by her family’s past and a man haunted by the trauma of war?
Cora Scott is determined to hold onto her family’s Texas ranch and provide a stable home for her young half brother, Charlie, despite the mounting challenges of post-Civil War frontier life. But when a scheming creditor threatens to seize their land, she must accept help from Ben McKenzie, a former Yankee soldier sent by her late brother. Though Ben’s generosity and strength draw her, the man’s private struggle she stumbles upon—too reminiscent of her father’s alcoholism—makes her question whether she can trust her heart to him.
Ben McKenzie arrives in Texas intent on fulfilling his promise to his dying friend to protect Cora and Charlie. While using his inheritance to save their ranch, he battles not only the loss of their cattle but also his dependency on laudanum—a medicine that turned into a curse after his imprisonment at Andersonville. As his feelings for Cora deepen, he must choose between his promise to his father to take over their Philadelphia newspaper and his growing dream of a life with Cora in Texas.
When a Comanche warrior begins courting Cora and Ben’s responsibilities in Philadelphia threaten to tear them apart, they must decide if their love is strong enough to overcome their fears and forge a future together on the Texas frontier.
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About the Author
Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she isn’t busy writing, she is an English professor, working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is a multi-award-winning writer. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty-one years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.
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