Heart of Texas Volume 2: Caroline's Child. Debbie Macomber

      LET DEBBIE MACOMBER TAKE YOU INTO THE HEART OF TEXAS

      Welcome back to Promise, Texas, a ranching community deep in the Hill Country. It’s a good place to live and raise a family—and a good place to visit. Yes, there’s a secret or two hidden beneath Promise’s everyday exterior, but what town doesn’t have its secrets?

      CAROLINE’S CHILD

      Who’s the father of Caroline Daniels’s child? Everyone in town wants to know, but no one’s ever asked—or ever will. The people of Promise are protective of Caroline and five-year-old Maggie. They care. Especially rancher Grady Weston, who’s beginning to realize he more than cares….

      DR. TEXAS

      They call her Dr. Texas. She’s Jane Dickinson, a newly graduated physician from California who’s working at the Promise clinic— but just for a couple of years. They call him Mr. Grouch. Cal Patterson was left at the altar by his out-of-state fiancée, and he’s not over it yet. Too bad Jane reminds him so much of the woman he’s trying to forget!

      Praise for Debbie Macomber’s Heart of Texas series

      “Debbie Macomber brings the people of Promise, Texas,

      to life as she blends drama, romance and adventure

      in Caroline’s Child.”

      —RT Book Reviews

      “I’ve never met a Macomber book I didn’t love!”

      —Linda Lael Miller

      “Romance readers everywhere

      cherish the books of Debbie Macomber.”

      —Susan Elizabeth Philips

      “Debbie Macomber writes stories as grand as Texas itself.”

      —Pamela Morsi

      “Debbie Macomber’s name on a book is a guarantee of delightful, warmhearted romance.”

      —Jayne Ann Krentz

      “Popular romance writer Macomber has a gift for evoking the emotions that are at the heart of the genre’s popularity.”

      —Publishers Weekly

      “With first-class author Debbie Macomber it’s quite simple–she

      gives readers an exceptional, unforgettable story every time

      and her books are always, always keepers!”

      —ReaderToReader.com

      Dear Friends,

      I hope you’re enjoying the Heart of Texas series. Although I wrote these books years ago, I continue to receive reader mail regarding this series. A lot of people were looking for one title or another and wrote to ask if I knew where they might find a copy. It was for this reason that my publisher decided to reissue these books.

      The Heart of Texas series helped inspire my current Cedar Cove series set in the Pacific Northwest. As with almost everything in life, writing is a learning and growing process. Heart of Texas was a giant step forward for me. It was this series that led to my first New York Times bestseller, Promise, Texas. But that’s only one reason these books are special to me. I came to love this little town I’d created deep in the Texas Hill Country and the characters who live there. And I associate these stories with some wonderful visits to Texas.

      Caroline’s Child and Dr. Texas are the middle books in the series, which also includes Lonesome Cowboy and Texas Two-Step (Volume One) as well as Nell’s Cowboy and Lone Star Baby (Volume 3). Promise, Texas and Return to Promise are the final two titles. (Return to Promise is available in the collection entitled Small Town Christmas.)

      As you might have gathered, I enjoy hearing from my readers; I read every word you write and value your comments. You can reach me through my website at www.DebbieMacomber.com or at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366.

      Now, find a comfortable chair and spend a few hours with the people of Promise, Texas. I’m sure you’ll hear a few whispers about the ghost town of Bitter End while you’re there.…

      Have a good visit!

      Heart of Texas Volume 2

      Caroline’s Child

      Dr. Texas

      Debbie Macomber

       www.mirabooks.co.uk

      Caroline’s Child

      Debbie Macomber

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      THE PEOPLE OF PROMISE

      Nell Bishop: thirtysomething widow with a son, Jeremy, and a daughter, Emma; her husband died in a tractor accident

      Ruth Bishop: Nell’s mother-in-law; lives with Nell and her two children

      Dovie Boyd: runs an antiques shop and has dated Sheriff Frank Hennessey for ten years

      Caroline Daniels: postmistress of Promise

      Maggie Daniels: Caroline’s five-year-old daughter

      Dr. Jane Dickinson: new doctor in Promise

      Ellie Frasier: owner of Frasier’s Feed Store

      Frank Hennessey: local sheriff

      Max Jordan: owner of Jordan’s Town and Country

      Wade McMillen: preacher at Promise Christian Church

      Edwina and Lily Moorhouse: sisters; retired schoolteachers

      Cal and Glen Patterson: local ranchers; brothers who ranch together

      Phil and Mary Patterson: parents of Cal and Glen; operate a local B and B

      Louise Powell: town gossip

      Wiley Rogers: sixty-year-old ranch foreman at the Weston Ranch

      Laredo Smith: wrangler hired by Savannah Weston

      Barbara and Melvin Weston: mother and father to Savannah, Grady and Richard; the Westons died six years ago

      Richard Weston: youngest of the Weston siblings

      Savannah Weston: Grady and Richard’s sister; cultivates old roses

      Grady Weston: rancher and oldest of the Weston siblings

      Contents

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      CLUTCHING THE MAIL IN ONE HAND, Grady Weston paced the narrow corridor inside the post office. He glanced distractedly