The first book in a new series by the author of the "Heroines of the Golden West" series. Alena is a confident entrepreneur in a man's world who meets a rancher with a tragic secret in his past. They're both about to find their inner peace, their calling, and romance in Old California.

They were supposed to be living happily ever after. Instead, Martina Swan, daughter of the legendary Wilson and Alena Merced, grapples to find peace in a marriage that is falling apart. Her husband is in Virginia City, Nevada, trying his luck at mining the Comstock Lode. A promise to come home a wealthy man "in three weeks" was given over a year ago. Meanwhile, Martina struggles to keep the family store solvent in Sacramento. And the pressures are mounting as she seeks to raise their child, the bank deviously tries to close the store, and armed outlaws decide she has possession of their stolen treasure. Always living in the shadow of her mother's beauty and her father's valor, Martina finds her one true source of joy is her daughter. But when a stranger shows up with a message from her husband, Martina determines to go and bring her man home. It turns out to be a shocking, toughening experience. In fact, she's about to fight the most difficult battle of her life--learning to forgive and love again. It will prove to be a deep lesson about herself, the nature of love, and God's unwavering concern for her entire family. In a land and a time where reputations were gained ... and lost ... in a matter of weeks, Martina Swan is about to discover whether she has the faith and courage to survive. She's about to fight the most difficult battle of her life as she learns to forgive and love again. Follow the romance and adventure of the years beyond the Gold Rush in the continuing saga of Old California.

She's not the first woman in her family to strike out on her own. But it sure seems like she's the only one whose life hasn't fallen perfectly into place. Her grandmother is the legendary Red Dove of Monterey. Her mother is the queen of Stockton society. Now it 's up to Christina Swan to find her place, her man, her calling.

At age 24 she has none of these. Even a college degree hasn't helped her find her way or prevented a series of bad choices. Instead, her life is ruled by a relentless past that forces her to retreat into the great San Joaquin Valley. There she will oversee some newly acquired family property. And maybe there she will find what she is seeking.

The land is barren, hot, and almost impossible to cultivate. In other words, no place for a woman. And she has only a toothless vaquero for a hired hand and one neighbor--an intimidatingly strong and rude farmer with his own tormented past--for company. As a woman of faith in a family with a legacy of strong faith, Christina struggles to be obedient to God--and true to her own heart as she battles the harsh heat and unwelcome wildlife, expanding railroad and ditch companies, and most of all, her father's shameful past... and her own.

The saga of Old California--full of the romance and adventure of the years beyond the Gold Rush--continues in this final series tale by Stephen Bly.