Title: Jeremy’s Home and There’s Always Hope
Author: Susan Payne
Genre: Historical Romance
Book Blurb:
Jeremy Macgregor arrives home with an almost-fiancée only to find the town of Sweetwater means more to him than the woman in his arms. Instead, he finds Faith, a young woman with secrets and pain who brings him back home.
Excerpt:
After a two-hour meeting, Jeremy with a much lighter step, crossed the street hoping to find Jessie in his offices. Instead, Jeremy came upon a young woman, on her hands and knees, fanny in the air with a greasy wrench in her hand calling out instructions to Jessie who held onto a large piece of metal.
“Can I help?” called out Jeremy.
The woman answered, “No.”
While Jessie said, “Yes.”
Jeremy went to stand beside Jessie grabbing onto the same piece of metal, a crank of some kind, and pushed to see if he could get it in place with their combined strength.
“I’ve gotten it tightened, Jessie, you can let go of it now.” The woman wiggled back out in a very feminine way that made certain parts of Jeremy uncomfortable immediately.
The young woman, a little smear of grease on her forehead, stood-up pushing her dislodged curls back on top of her head. Several tendrils fell loose drifting unto her shoulders.
Jeremy stood mesmerized while Jessie introduced the two, “Oh, Faith, you probably have never met my brother, Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Faith St Michaels, my protective angel who is going to teach me how to operate this expensive piece of equipment I purchased.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss St Michaels. Wait, weren’t you one of the girls, I mean young ladies, Matthew was picking up when I came in on the train last week?” asked Jeremy, eyeing the pretty woman with light brown hair and gray eyes. She was slender but it was difficult to tell with the heavy leather apron, similar to ones he had seen blacksmiths wear, covering much of her body.
“Yes, sir. Charity and I arrived on the same train. I hope you’re both enjoying your stay,” she said smiling remembering he had not arrived alone, either.
Jeremy asked with a teasing smile, “Faith - Charity is there a Hope?”
“There’s always Hope,” she responded but Jeremy wasn’t sure if she was teasing or not.
Jessie explained, “Mary Beth told me about Faith having worked in a newspaper for a while before she came here. So, when the man who was supposed to come along with this machinery got ill and backed out, I called upon her services. I got a real surprise because not only does she know how to run this thing, she knows how to put it together and keep it running. She may be my first editor.” Blushing at his optimism, he continued, “As soon as I can afford one, that is.”
“I don’t know about editor, Jessie, but I can keep the press going and I can set type and proof read. You have to make the sales and that’s what keeps it all going in the long run,” she said, downplaying his need of her knowing she may have to leave Sweetwater when her pregnancy began to show.
Jessie turned to Jeremy saying, “Didn’t I tell you she was great? I wouldn’t be even half ready to put my first paper to print this next week if I didn’t have her help.”
Embarrassed at such praise, Faith interrupted, “Excuse me, I think I better clean up. I know I’ve got grease everywhere it shouldn’t be.” Then she walked towards the back of the building, hips swaying in an unconscious way.
Jessie called his brother’s attention back to himself. “Are you shopping again, Big Brother? What more could Clarissa possibly need?”
“I’m on my own and actually I came to see if I can strike a deal with you.”
“I’m open, what did you have in mind?” Jessie asked still trying to get the black grease off his hands.
“I would like to rent one of the offices here. I have won a commission to design and build a bank here on Main Street. Just as banks are closing all over the United States, First National is expanding. Something about never having backed any railroads or something and they are taking advantage of the banks that had and are now failing. They feel there will be a need of a strong bank for towns like Sweetwater that are potentially expanding. I wouldn’t be here much but I need a place to meet with contractors and masons and such for a few months. If it works out, I’ll build my own place.”
Jessie let out a whistle and asked, “Here in Sweetwater?”
“Yep. I made a decision. I don’t want to be a politician. At least not now, not when I still want to build something. That’s why I went to university, after all. Sweetwater is on the cusp of growing into the kind of place I want to raise a family.”
“So, Clarissa’s on board with all this? She’s willing to stay a few years and then maybe move on?” asked Jessie doubtfully.
“I don’t think Clarissa will be staying. We seem to have come to an impasse and I’m surprised at how unconcerned I find myself about that. She just seems different here. I don’t know how but I find I don’t think I really know her and what I do know, I don’t like. Does that sound like cold feet or do you think she changed?” asked Jeremy seriously.
Buy Link:
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Sweetwater is a growing western town with all the danger, hope and love that went into living in the west in the 1870s. Readers come away with new insight into the life and loves of our predecessors.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $35 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs December 13 – December 21, 2022.
Winner will be drawn on December 22, 2022.
Author Biography:
Susan Payne is the author of over fifty published novels as well as short stories and blogs. She has honed her skills on knowing the old west and the people who lived that life. She hopes to begin a new series titled Mayor of Traintown in early 2023.
Social Media Links:
twitter http://twitter.com/susanreid460