Her heart is caught between the man she loves and the sister she's desperate to protect.

Though their first encounter is hardly auspicious, Laura Marquardt soon discovers herself drawn to the dashing Captain Brandon Reid. As an officer over the colored troops, he eagerly supports her desire to educate blacks and seek harmony in a town where the defeat of the South is a bitter reality.

When Laura's sister marries her Confederate beau, Laura finds herself in a difficult situation after overhearing a discussion with frightening consequences. In her heart she feels she should confide in Brandon, but Laura fears to do so may endanger her sister's life. Yet as the stakes continue to rise and Brandon's motives for pursuing her come into doubt, Laura questions where to turn...and wonders if her own dreams of love may be forsaken.





"a superb novel that blends romance with post-Civil War history...and the evolution of our nation as it struggled through this turbulent time." --CBA Retailers & Resources

"Peterson has done her history homework and writes with the confidence acquired over the course of authoring more than 90 novels...Peterson's many fans will certainly be pleased with this foray into Texas history." --Publishers Weekly